A dramatic air-to-air photo showing the crew bailing out of the doomed B-17F Flying Fortress "Patches" (42-29856) at 22,500 feet over Wiener Neustadt, Austria, May 10, 1944.
B-17F Flying Fortress "Patches" Crew Bailing Out Over Austria:
This striking and tragic aerial photograph captures the final moments of the American Boeing B-17F-75-BO Flying Fortress nicknamed "Patches" (serial number 42-29856). Flying with the 815th Bombardment Squadron, 483rd Bombardment Group of the 15th Air Force, the heavy bomber was critically damaged during a massive strategic raid on May 10, 1944.
Taken from a neighboring aircraft at an altitude of 22,500 feet (6,860 meters), the high-contrast photo clearly shows parachute canopies opening above the geometric pattern of agricultural fields near Wiener Neustadt, Austria, as crew members fight to escape the spiraling bomber.
The Mission to Target Wiener Neustadt:
On May 10, 1944, the US Fifteenth Air Force launched heavy bomber formations from bases in southern Italy to strike strategic industrial targets in Nazi-occupied Austria. Wiener Neustadt was a vital target, housing the vital Wiener Neustädter Flugzeugwerke (WNF) plant complex, which produced a large portion of Germany's Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters.
The target area was defended by heavy Flak artillery batteries and aggressive Luftwaffe interceptors. During the bomb run, "Patches" sustained fatal flak or fighter damage, forcing the crew to abandon ship high above enemy territory.
Human Cost and Fate of the Airmen:
The evacuation of a damaged B-17 at high altitude was extremely dangerous due to centrifugal forces, fire, sub-zero temperatures, and severe hypoxia. Despite the crew's desperate attempts to evacuate:
- Pilot: 1st Lt. Raymond J. Scranton was killed during the shootdown.
- Gunner: S/Sgt. Horace E. Stewart, Jr. also lost his life in the action.
- Surviving Crew: The remaining eight crew members successfully parachuted to the ground, where they were promptly captured by German forces and spent the remainder of the war as Prisoners of War (POW).
Photographs capturing the exact moment airmen leave a falling bomber are exceptionally rare, offering a sobering look at the immense perils faced by daylight strategic bombing crews over occupied Europe.
📍 Location: Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria, Austria
📅 Date: May 10, 1944
📷 Photographer: Unknown (USAAF camera operator)
Recommended reading:
- Combat history of the 483rd Bombardment Group in the Mediterranean Theater
- Strategic bombing raids on the Wiener Neustädter Flugzeugwerke (WNF)
- The design and combat evolution of the Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress
- Bailout procedures and survival equipment of USAAF heavy bomber crews