B-17F #42-3075 was completed by the Douglas Aircraft Company and delivered to Denver, Colorado on 1st February 1943. The aircraft was initially assigned to the 94th Bomb Group at Bassingbourn on 18th April 1943, before being transferred to the 384th on 10th July 1943. Here it gained the name of Longhorn.

The aircraft was assigned to a single mission with its time at the 384th Bomb Group. On 25th July 1943 it was to participate in the 384th's Mission #10 to the Blohm & Voss Aircraft Works and shipyards, at Hamburg, Germany.

The aircraft flew in the low squadron of the 103rd Combat Wing. Twenty-one aircraft departed Grafton Underwood at 13.15, three of which would abort leaving eighteen aircraft to attack the target.

Missions reports show that the formations met a heavy flak barrage at the target, and were involved for some time in a running battle with up to 300 enemy fighter aircraft, both prior to the target, and on the outward return leg. By 19.40, aircraft were beginning to return to Grafton Underwood - eventually, just ten of the force of eighteen aircraft were to return. News came in later that an eleventh aircraft has returned but had landed away, severe damage had meant this aircraft was running behind the main formation. All returned aircraft suffered varying levels of damage, some of it severe.

One of the aircraft lost was Longhorn. It was noted that by the point of reaching the target area, at around 16.39, it had suffered damage to the #3 engine which was smoking. The nose of the aircraft had been severely hit, and a body was visible splayed across the plexiglass. After bombs away, the aircraft fell from formation, with enemy fighters following it down, continuing their attacks. One parachute was spotted, whilst another crew member had bailed out but it appeared that his parachute did not open.

German records state that the aircraft was seen to crash into deep water near the Eider River, around 4km's from Vollerwieck, in Germany. Of the crew, three were to become POW's, the bodies of five were confirmed retrieved by German forces, one was never recovered. One survivor was Navigator 2nd Lt. Herbert Alvin Moritz, who managed to swim to shore. He was immediately seized by German forces - his efforts to reach shore had exhausted him and a severe leg injury needed urgent medical assistance, which he received. The tenth crew member's body, that of Tail Gunner S/Sgt. Arlie R. Bridge Jr., was found washed up on the shoreline sometime after the crash. His body was buried at the spot, on Blauort Island, due to the condition of the remains. However a search in 1951 of the assumed location of the burial was to find no trace, with this being put down to the shifting mud flats of the location. Today, S/Sgt. Arlie R. Bridge Jr., is listed as Missing in Action.

The crew of Longhorn on 25th July 1943 were:-

Pilot - 2nd Lt. John Martin Hegewald - POW - 2 combat missions

Co-Pilot - 2nd Lt. George Loren Doubet - POW - 1 combat mission

Navigator - 2nd Lt. Herbert Alvin Moritz - POW/wounded - 2 combat missions

Bombardier - 2nd Lt. John Daniel Neyland - MIA - 2 combat missions

Radio Operator - T/Sgt. Paul Francis Henry - KIA - 2 combat missions

Engineer / TT - T/Sgt. David Neeler Ketterer - KIA - 2 combat missions

Ball Turret - S/Sgt. Dudley Kline Hulbert - KIA - 2 combat missions

Tail Gunner - S/Sgt. Arlie R. Bridge - MIA - 2 combat missions

Waist Gunner - S/Sgt. Walter Steve McCormack - KIA - 2 combat missions

Waist Gunner - S/Sgt. Alvin H. Freitag - KIA - 3 combat missions

Research courtesy of Keith Andrews on behalf of 384th Bombardment Group Museum.

With kind thanks to the 384th Bomb Group website www.384thbombgroup.com for permission in using material from their records in the making of this story. It holds a wealth of information, documents and photographs of their activities during World War 2.