Clifford M Schultz
MilitarySchultz was radio operator/gunner on 324 Sqdn's 'Rhapsody in Red' 42-97959. Whilst she was being repaired following an operation Frank Adam's crew were assigned a brand new factory fresh B-17, 43-38946, for the 1944 Christmas Eve Merzhausen mission. After take-off they reached an altitude of some 20 ft when - wheels up - she dropped down, ploughing through trees and hedgerows before landing in a field, crew, ammunition and fragmentation bombs scattered everywhere and the plane a complete write-off. Fortunately all the crew survived without injury. The plane was officially credited with 10 minutes combat time, almost certainly a record. Schultz discovered later that nine other 8th AF B-17's had crashed on take-off during that mission; that of the 91st being the only one where no casualties were incurred.
Flew 35 missions 1944-1945.
DFC/ AM
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Chicago, Illinois | 1 October 1924 |
Revisions
Biography completed by historian Helen Millgate. Information sourced from newsletters of the 91st Bomb Group related to the service of Clifford Schultz.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self