05/27/2026
On 27 May 1944, B-17 Flying Fortresses from the 351st Bomb Group out of RAF Polebrook were part of a mission to bomb the Ludwigshafen Railroad Marshalling Yards in Germany. About 20 minutes before reaching the IP [Initial Point of the bomb run], the formation was attacked by a heavy force of enemy fighters. The 351st lost six B-17s.
One of those was nicknamed "Mr. Malfunction" (S/N 42-97157), which had three engines knocked out by enemy fighters. The aircraft crash-landed in Windschläg, three miles northeast of central Offenburg. Two of the crew were killed in the crash, with the remaining crew taken prisoner.
The aircraft fuselage was eventually recovered by the Germans and can be seen in this photo after being placed on a railcar for transport, with Luftwaffe soldiers and officers examining its remains. The YB on the fuselage identifies it as belonging to the 508th Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group, and the "N" corresponds to Mr. Malfunction's letter in the squadron.
