8th Air Force, 390th Bomber Group (Heavy), 568th Bomber Squadron
On Saturday, December 11, 1943, Capt. Skogmo was piloting the lead aircraft on a mission to Emden, Germany, a port town on the North Sea. As the lead aircraft in the formation, Maj. Hansel, the command pilot, occupied the co-pilot seat, and 2nd Lt. Poythress acted as the tail gunner and observer, reporting on the formation to Maj. Hansel via the aircraft intercom. They were attacked by six twin engine Messerschmitt 110 fighters that dove out of the sun toward the front of the formation and concentrated on the lead plane, hitting it with a rocket.
Only three men survived; Capt. Warren, Capt. Lifson, and T/Sgt. Phillips, one of the waist gunners. Capts. Lifson and Warren landed by parachute on the German island of Nordersey, and Phillips came down in the water nearby. The three were captured and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.
B-17G, Serial number 42-31122
390th BG (H) Tail marking, square J
568th BS Aircraft marking, BI-A
"Six Nights In Telergma"
Hiram C. Skogmo, pilot
Ralph V. Hansel, command pilot
Ralph H. Sindeldecker, engineer/top turret
Irving R. Lifson, navigator
Donald L. Warren, command navigator
Johnnie U. Adams, radio operator
Merle M. Cloud, bombardier
Jack P. Fariss, ball turret
Ernest Phillips, waist gunner
Patrick G. Welch, waist gunner
Whitney F. "Billy" Poythress, tail gunner
On Saturday, December 11, 1943, Capt. Skogmo was piloting the lead aircraft on a mission to Emden, Germany, a port town on the North Sea. As the lead aircraft in the formation, Maj. Hansel, the command pilot, occupied the co-pilot seat, and 2nd Lt. Poythress acted as the tail gunner and observer, reporting on the formation to Maj. Hansel via the aircraft intercom. They were attacked by six twin engine Messerschmitt 110 fighters that dove out of the sun toward the front of the formation and concentrated on the lead plane, hitting it with a rocket.
Only three men survived; Capt. Warren, Capt. Lifson, and T/Sgt. Phillips, one of the waist gunners. Capts. Lifson and Warren landed by parachute on the German island of Nordersey, and Phillips came down in the water nearby. The three were captured and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.
B-17G, Serial number 42-31122
390th BG (H) Tail marking, square J
568th BS Aircraft marking, BI-A
"Six Nights In Telergma"
Hiram C. Skogmo, pilot
Ralph V. Hansel, command pilot
Ralph H. Sindeldecker, engineer/top turret
Irving R. Lifson, navigator
Donald L. Warren, command navigator
Johnnie U. Adams, radio operator
Merle M. Cloud, bombardier
Jack P. Fariss, ball turret
Ernest Phillips, waist gunner
Patrick G. Welch, waist gunner
Whitney F. "Billy" Poythress, tail gunner
8th Air Force, 390th Bomber Group (Heavy), 568th Bomber Squadron
On Saturday, December 11, 1943, Capt. Skogmo was piloting the lead aircraft on a mission to Emden, Germany, a port town on the North Sea. As the lead aircraft in the formation, Maj. Hansel, the command pilot, occupied the co-pilot seat, and 2nd Lt. Poythress acted as the tail gunner and observer, reporting on the formation to Maj. Hansel via the aircraft intercom. They were attacked by six twin engine Messerschmitt 110 fighters that dove out of the sun toward the front of the formation and concentrated on the lead plane, hitting it with a rocket.
Only three men survived; Capt. Warren, Capt. Lifson, and T/Sgt. Phillips, one of the waist gunners. Capts. Lifson and Warren landed by parachute on the German island of Nordersey, and Phillips came down in the water nearby. The three were captured and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.
B-17G, Serial number 42-31122
390th BG (H) Tail marking, square J
568th BS Aircraft marking, BI-A
"Six Nights In Telergma"
Hiram C. Skogmo, pilot
Ralph V. Hansel, command pilot
Ralph H. Sindeldecker, engineer/top turret
Irving R. Lifson, navigator
Donald L. Warren, command navigator
Johnnie U. Adams, radio operator
Merle M. Cloud, bombardier
Jack P. Fariss, ball turret
Ernest Phillips, waist gunner
Patrick G. Welch, waist gunner
Whitney F. "Billy" Poythress, tail gunner
On Saturday, December 11, 1943, Capt. Skogmo was piloting the lead aircraft on a mission to Emden, Germany, a port town on the North Sea. As the lead aircraft in the formation, Maj. Hansel, the command pilot, occupied the co-pilot seat, and 2nd Lt. Poythress acted as the tail gunner and observer, reporting on the formation to Maj. Hansel via the aircraft intercom. They were attacked by six twin engine Messerschmitt 110 fighters that dove out of the sun toward the front of the formation and concentrated on the lead plane, hitting it with a rocket.
Only three men survived; Capt. Warren, Capt. Lifson, and T/Sgt. Phillips, one of the waist gunners. Capts. Lifson and Warren landed by parachute on the German island of Nordersey, and Phillips came down in the water nearby. The three were captured and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.
B-17G, Serial number 42-31122
390th BG (H) Tail marking, square J
568th BS Aircraft marking, BI-A
"Six Nights In Telergma"
Hiram C. Skogmo, pilot
Ralph V. Hansel, command pilot
Ralph H. Sindeldecker, engineer/top turret
Irving R. Lifson, navigator
Donald L. Warren, command navigator
Johnnie U. Adams, radio operator
Merle M. Cloud, bombardier
Jack P. Fariss, ball turret
Ernest Phillips, waist gunner
Patrick G. Welch, waist gunner
Whitney F. "Billy" Poythress, tail gunner
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Kentucky.
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