John T McErlane was the son of John Joseph and Katherine T McErlane. He was born 22 August 1921. KIA 21 January 1945.
Captain John T McErlane served as a pilot during WW II with the 548th Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. On 21 January, 1945, Capt McErlane was on his 27th mission. The target was the railroad yards at Mannheim, Germany. His B-17G-70-BO-43-37857, named "Honey Chile", was damaged by flak over the target.
The flak damaged both engines on the left side of the plane. The #1 Engine was stopped and feathered, but the #2 Engine was on fire and could not be feathered. McErlane managed to fly the plane back to the area of Strasbourg, France. At that point the fire had spread to the bomb bay and the damaged aircraft was becoming uncontrollable. Capt McErlane and his co-pilot started to circle around the German towns of Schutterwald and Offenburg (southeast of Strasbourg, France) to allow the crew time to bail out safely.
Capt McErlane's final intentions are unclear, as he told his co-pilot, the last man to bail out, "I'm right behind you." This was a snowy late January day with a cloud cover ceiling quite low. After all his crew had bailed out, the ship was nearly uncontrollable by only one man and as reported by one crewman, the autopilot was also "out." Thus, a crash landing was probably McErlane's only hope.
This was not to be. As reported by German civilian ground observers, when McErlane broke thru the low cloud cover, he seemed to realize that he was about to crash land on the small village of Schutterwald and the children playing in the snow-covered fields just outside the village. To avoid this, McErlane added engine power resulting in the aircraft avoiding Schutterwald, but stalling and crashing in a forested area west of Schutterwald.
It is claimed by many that Capt John T McErlane is a hero, not only for saving his own crew, but also for saving the small village of Schutterwald. By avoiding the disastrous consequences of a B-17 crashing into this small village, McErlane sacrificed his own life for others to survive.
John McErlane crew in order as listed on Missing Air Crew Report No. 11765, for B-17G, 43-37857
Capt. John T. McErlane, Pilot
2nd Lt Earl H Hansen Co-Pilot
2nd Lt James S Pillsbury Navigator
1st Lt Paul J. Manouvrier Bombardier
S/Sgt J Lorin Pence Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
T/Sgt William E. Rambo, Jr Radio Operator
S/Sgt Michael Rappolo Ball Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Robert Edwin Dennard Tail Gunner
S/Sgt Hunter H Dunn Waist Gunner
Primary research contributors: Rolland Swank (USA), Jaap Vermeer (Netherlands), Edgar Kranz (Germany), Eugen Hansmann (Germany),Chris and Reiner (Germany), and many family relatives and progeny of the McErlane crew members (USA).
Captain John T McErlane served as a pilot during WW II with the 548th Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. On 21 January, 1945, Capt McErlane was on his 27th mission. The target was the railroad yards at Mannheim, Germany. His B-17G-70-BO-43-37857, named "Honey Chile", was damaged by flak over the target.
The flak damaged both engines on the left side of the plane. The #1 Engine was stopped and feathered, but the #2 Engine was on fire and could not be feathered. McErlane managed to fly the plane back to the area of Strasbourg, France. At that point the fire had spread to the bomb bay and the damaged aircraft was becoming uncontrollable. Capt McErlane and his co-pilot started to circle around the German towns of Schutterwald and Offenburg (southeast of Strasbourg, France) to allow the crew time to bail out safely.
Capt McErlane's final intentions are unclear, as he told his co-pilot, the last man to bail out, "I'm right behind you." This was a snowy late January day with a cloud cover ceiling quite low. After all his crew had bailed out, the ship was nearly uncontrollable by only one man and as reported by one crewman, the autopilot was also "out." Thus, a crash landing was probably McErlane's only hope.
This was not to be. As reported by German civilian ground observers, when McErlane broke thru the low cloud cover, he seemed to realize that he was about to crash land on the small village of Schutterwald and the children playing in the snow-covered fields just outside the village. To avoid this, McErlane added engine power resulting in the aircraft avoiding Schutterwald, but stalling and crashing in a forested area west of Schutterwald.
It is claimed by many that Capt John T McErlane is a hero, not only for saving his own crew, but also for saving the small village of Schutterwald. By avoiding the disastrous consequences of a B-17 crashing into this small village, McErlane sacrificed his own life for others to survive.
John McErlane crew in order as listed on Missing Air Crew Report No. 11765, for B-17G, 43-37857
Capt. John T. McErlane, Pilot
2nd Lt Earl H Hansen Co-Pilot
2nd Lt James S Pillsbury Navigator
1st Lt Paul J. Manouvrier Bombardier
S/Sgt J Lorin Pence Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
T/Sgt William E. Rambo, Jr Radio Operator
S/Sgt Michael Rappolo Ball Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Robert Edwin Dennard Tail Gunner
S/Sgt Hunter H Dunn Waist Gunner
Primary research contributors: Rolland Swank (USA), Jaap Vermeer (Netherlands), Edgar Kranz (Germany), Eugen Hansmann (Germany),Chris and Reiner (Germany), and many family relatives and progeny of the McErlane crew members (USA).
John T McErlane was the son of John Joseph and Katherine T McErlane. He was born 22 August 1921. KIA 21 January 1945.
Captain John T McErlane served as a pilot during WW II with the 548th Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. On 21 January, 1945, Capt McErlane was on his 27th mission. The target was the railroad yards at Mannheim, Germany. His B-17G-70-BO-43-37857, named "Honey Chile", was damaged by flak over the target.
The flak damaged both engines on the left side of the plane. The #1 Engine was stopped and feathered, but the #2 Engine was on fire and could not be feathered. McErlane managed to fly the plane back to the area of Strasbourg, France. At that point the fire had spread to the bomb bay and the damaged aircraft was becoming uncontrollable. Capt McErlane and his co-pilot started to circle around the German towns of Schutterwald and Offenburg (southeast of Strasbourg, France) to allow the crew time to bail out safely.
Capt McErlane's final intentions are unclear, as he told his co-pilot, the last man to bail out, "I'm right behind you." This was a snowy late January day with a cloud cover ceiling quite low. After all his crew had bailed out, the ship was nearly uncontrollable by only one man and as reported by one crewman, the autopilot was also "out." Thus, a crash landing was probably McErlane's only hope.
This was not to be. As reported by German civilian ground observers, when McErlane broke thru the low cloud cover, he seemed to realize that he was about to crash land on the small village of Schutterwald and the children playing in the snow-covered fields just outside the village. To avoid this, McErlane added engine power resulting in the aircraft avoiding Schutterwald, but stalling and crashing in a forested area west of Schutterwald.
It is claimed by many that Capt John T McErlane is a hero, not only for saving his own crew, but also for saving the small village of Schutterwald. By avoiding the disastrous consequences of a B-17 crashing into this small village, McErlane sacrificed his own life for others to survive.
John McErlane crew in order as listed on Missing Air Crew Report No. 11765, for B-17G, 43-37857
Capt. John T. McErlane, Pilot
2nd Lt Earl H Hansen Co-Pilot
2nd Lt James S Pillsbury Navigator
1st Lt Paul J. Manouvrier Bombardier
S/Sgt J Lorin Pence Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
T/Sgt William E. Rambo, Jr Radio Operator
S/Sgt Michael Rappolo Ball Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Robert Edwin Dennard Tail Gunner
S/Sgt Hunter H Dunn Waist Gunner
Primary research contributors: Rolland Swank (USA), Jaap Vermeer (Netherlands), Edgar Kranz (Germany), Eugen Hansmann (Germany),Chris and Reiner (Germany), and many family relatives and progeny of the McErlane crew members (USA).
Captain John T McErlane served as a pilot during WW II with the 548th Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. On 21 January, 1945, Capt McErlane was on his 27th mission. The target was the railroad yards at Mannheim, Germany. His B-17G-70-BO-43-37857, named "Honey Chile", was damaged by flak over the target.
The flak damaged both engines on the left side of the plane. The #1 Engine was stopped and feathered, but the #2 Engine was on fire and could not be feathered. McErlane managed to fly the plane back to the area of Strasbourg, France. At that point the fire had spread to the bomb bay and the damaged aircraft was becoming uncontrollable. Capt McErlane and his co-pilot started to circle around the German towns of Schutterwald and Offenburg (southeast of Strasbourg, France) to allow the crew time to bail out safely.
Capt McErlane's final intentions are unclear, as he told his co-pilot, the last man to bail out, "I'm right behind you." This was a snowy late January day with a cloud cover ceiling quite low. After all his crew had bailed out, the ship was nearly uncontrollable by only one man and as reported by one crewman, the autopilot was also "out." Thus, a crash landing was probably McErlane's only hope.
This was not to be. As reported by German civilian ground observers, when McErlane broke thru the low cloud cover, he seemed to realize that he was about to crash land on the small village of Schutterwald and the children playing in the snow-covered fields just outside the village. To avoid this, McErlane added engine power resulting in the aircraft avoiding Schutterwald, but stalling and crashing in a forested area west of Schutterwald.
It is claimed by many that Capt John T McErlane is a hero, not only for saving his own crew, but also for saving the small village of Schutterwald. By avoiding the disastrous consequences of a B-17 crashing into this small village, McErlane sacrificed his own life for others to survive.
John McErlane crew in order as listed on Missing Air Crew Report No. 11765, for B-17G, 43-37857
Capt. John T. McErlane, Pilot
2nd Lt Earl H Hansen Co-Pilot
2nd Lt James S Pillsbury Navigator
1st Lt Paul J. Manouvrier Bombardier
S/Sgt J Lorin Pence Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
T/Sgt William E. Rambo, Jr Radio Operator
S/Sgt Michael Rappolo Ball Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Robert Edwin Dennard Tail Gunner
S/Sgt Hunter H Dunn Waist Gunner
Primary research contributors: Rolland Swank (USA), Jaap Vermeer (Netherlands), Edgar Kranz (Germany), Eugen Hansmann (Germany),Chris and Reiner (Germany), and many family relatives and progeny of the McErlane crew members (USA).
