42-31763 | American Air Museum

42-31763 Ten Horsepower

A B-17G Flying Fortress nicknamed "Ten Horsepower" (TU-A, serial number 42-21763) of the 351st Bomb Group, piloted by Second Lieutentant Walter E Treumper and Sergeant Archibald Mathies, after the pilot was severley injured. Truemper and Mathies unsucessfully attempted to land the aircraft at Polebrook and were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour for their bravery, 20 Feb 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Enlargement TU-A. TCU Holsford, MOH acraft.'

media-413405.jpg FRE 4725 A B-17G Flying Fortress nicknamed "Ten Horsepower" (TU-A, serial number 42-21763) of the 351st Bomb Group, piloted by Second Lieutentant Walter E Treumper and Sergeant Archibald Mathies, after the pilot was severley injured. Truemper and Mathies unsucessfully attempted to land the aircraft at Polebrook and were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour for their bravery, 20 Feb 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Enlargement TU-A. TCU Holsford, MOH acraft.' Roger Freeman Collection

Associated aircraft

Object Number - FRE 4725 - A B-17G Flying Fortress nicknamed "Ten Horsepower" (TU-A, serial number 42-21763) of the 351st Bomb Group, piloted by Second Lieutentant Walter E...

Delivered Denver 12/12/43; Gt Falls 16/12/43; Denver 21/12/43; Kearney 1/1/44; RAF Nutts Corner 14/1/44.

Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-A] Polebrook 30/1/44.

Battle damaged Leipzig 20/2/44 with Pilot: Clarence Nelson [wia, but died in crash], Co-pilot: Roland Bartley KIA, Navigator: Walter Truemper post award, MOH, Ball turret gunner: Archie Mathies post award - MOH (4 Killed in Action). Bombardier: Joe Martin (Prisoner of War); Radio Operator: Joe Rex, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Carl Moore- award DSC, Waist gunner: Tom Sowell, Waist gunner: Russ Robinson, Tail gunner: Magnus Hagbo (5 Returned to Duty): awards for attempting to land aircraft with wounded man aboard after others bailed out, ship crashed near Gt. North Road at Glatton, Northamptonshire, UK nearby on fourth attempt to land at base.

On 20th February 1944, a Polebrook based USAAF B-17 'Flying Fortress' named "Ten Horsepower", on a mission over Leipzig in Germany, was attacked by a ME109 German fighter. A cannon shell exploded in the cockpit, killing the co-pilot F/O Bartley, and injuring the pilot, 2nd Lt. Nelson. The bomber then went in to a spiral dive. Top Turret gunner Sgt Carl W Moore came in to the cockpit and pulled the aircraft out of its death spiral. Moore flew the bomber back to England with the help of flight engineer and ball turret gunner, Staff Sgt. Archie Mathies and the Navigator, 2nd Lt. Walter Truemper. Many of the windows were missing, and they were attacked again during the return flight.

When they finally reached Polebrook Airfield, Sgt. Mathies made two unsuccessful attempts to land. He was then ordered to gain height so that all the crew could parachute down. Five of the crew jumped, Mathies and Truemper chose to stay with the pilot, Lt. Nelson who was still alive. In its final minutes, the B-17 was travelling too fast and it bounced, then hit the side of "Red Hill", disintegrated, and came to rest in front of the small wood on the summit of the hill. Mathies and Truemper died instantly. The injured pilot, Lt. Nelson, died shortly afterwards".