“Oh, great,” you think “another FNG shows up and resurrects a seven year old thread with his first post. This guy must be trying to stir some sh*t”!
I swear I’m not. Well, not the stirring part, anyway. My introduction first. I’m researching the WWII military career of my grandmother’s cousin, Capt. J. Ollie Wikle, pilot of the B-17 Flaming Mayme (41-24477) which collided with a Bf-109 over Tunisia on 1 Feb. 1943. From my research it appears the Flaming Mayme was the lead aircraft on the same mission that the All American (the aircraft which is the subject of the initial post in this thread) was struck by a German fighter, sustaining massive damage but was yet able to return to base. The Flaming Mayme’s crew wasn’t as fortunate and seven of the ten crew members perished with three parachuting out and eventually becoming German POW’s. The purpose of this post is to see if anyone has any information that could help me in my research.
As the earlier posts in this old thread illustrate, there has been debate for years about the exact circumstances surrounding the All American collision. I’ve obtained the Missing Air Crew Report (MACR 3516) of the Flaming Mayme’s incident and the Flaming Mayme’s bombardier (Lt. Birk) completed a form when he was released from captivity stating the Mayme was rammed by a 109 “just aft of the radio compartment” causing the aircraft to break into two pieces. He sites as his source (he was unable to view the collision given the fact he was inside the craft) a member of “The 301st Bomb Gp on same raid” who was subsequently shot down.
The Flaming Mayme’s tailgunner, T.Sgt Knight, also completed a report wherein he described the aircraft as “rammed in mid-air by Me-109 which hit amid-ship and broke the plane into several parts”. Again, given his position it is likely this information was related to him by another airman while in a POW camp. It is documented in the report that all three crewmen were reunited at Camp Lucky Strike after being liberated and most likely discussed the incident at that time, comparing notes on what they recall and were told by other POW’s.
On this mission which Lt. Blair describes as to the “Tunis Docks” the 304th’s Squadron Commander, Maj. Robert “Bob” Coulter, decided to fly the lead aircraft, moving Capt. Wikle to co-pilot. The navigator of another aircraft, Lt. Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk, was interviewed on video in the mid-2000’s as part of the Witness to War project and he recounts in one segment seeing Bob Coulter’s plane get struck by a German fighter “head-on”. You can watch Dutch’s interview at the following link. Look for the video titled “Dutch Van Kirk, a B17 Navigator, Describes a Few Memorable Missions He Flew Over North Africa” starting just after the one minute mark:
www.witnesstowar.org/search_result/videos/20
(Sorry, but being the FNG the forum rules won’t allow me to post a hyperlink until I’ve made 10 posts so you’ll have to copy and paste that link if you wish to view the video).
As noted in a reply above, the bombardier of the All American, Ralph Burbridge, does not state the lead ship was struck nor that the fighter who collided with his aircraft first struck the lead plane. However, he also made no statement disclaiming it. Indeed, he is quoted as saying “somewhere in the shuffle the lead ship was lost”. And I think it’s likely in that “shuffle” as he described it that the Flaming Mayme was struck. Given the stress of the battle it is at least possible that bombardier Burbridge did not witness that part of it. But, let me be clear, I am in no way suggesting he lied or intentionally withheld facts. Since his interview Burbridge has passed away so I am unable to follow up for clarification on his prior statements.
After digesting the information above and combining it with what follows I have reached a tentative conclusion that the same German fighter likely struck the lead aircraft (Flaming Mayme) and continued on to strike the All American. Granted, my tentative conclusion (emphasis on “tentative”) has holes of it’s own. However, what seems to be undisputed is that two German fighters (variously described in reports as Bf-109’s or Fw-190’s) committed to a head-on attack on a formation of B-17’s returning from a raid over Tunisia. It is indisputable from the photographs that the All American collided with another aircraft. However, between the statements within the MACR and Dutch Van Kirk’s video it appears equally certain that the lead aircraft, the Flaming Mayme, collided with an aircraft at the same time on the same mission. Therefore we’re left with two possible scenarios: either each German fighter struck a B-17 or one fighter struck both aircraft.
Luftwaffe records indicate two Bf-109’s (and no Fw-190’s) were lost in that same area on 1 Feb. 1943. They were piloted by Julius Meimberg and Erich Paczia. From the same records Paczia was listed as KIA as a result of a collision with a B17 and Meimberg bailed out after his aircraft was shot down. Meimberg was credited with one kill for the day, likely the Flaming Mayme. Though possible, it’s unlikely Meimberg would have survived a head-on collision and be able to bail out of his aircraft to fly many more missions. Further, Meimberg wrote his memoirs before passing and didn’t describe surviving a head-on collision with a bomber. Surely that would have warranted at least a footnote. (Meimberg’s memoirs are written in German, have not been translated to English, and I do not speak German hence I cannot state this with certainty. However, numerous online articles review the memoirs and relate various tales of his service yet none recount his involvement in a mid-air collision).
Hence I’ve reached my tentative (there’s that word again) conclusion that Paczia first collided with the Flaming Mayme and continued into the All American. Nope, I haven’t proved anything and I doubt I ever will. However, if I keep picking a this event I do believe I will be able to shed more light on the story. I have yet to find the 12th Air Force records for this mission which would conclusively prove both the All American and Flaming Mayme were on the same mission. It’s possible the All American was bombing Bizerte at the same time another mission with the Flaming Mayme was bombing the ports in Tunis. Both destinations were targets at that time in the war. Indeed the Flaming Mayme had bombed Bizerte just a little earlier (that destination is recorded in the MACR). However, from the few mission reports I have found it appears the target each day was one or the other, never both prior to the incident date.
My hope is the above posters, especially from posts #6 and #8, are still around and can share any further information they have about this historical event. I’ve found the original interview quoted in post #8 and it’s verbatim accurate. And I’ve read the claim in post #6 matching my (tentative) conclusion on several web sites and forums but have never found it attributed to any source. If anyone has any information to share I would greatly appreciate your input.
In closing let me state I understand this is a forum for professional pilots and this sub-forum is focused on military aviators. I am neither. I would like to take this last opportunity to thank all the servicemen and women, active duty and retired, regardless of the flag you serve/served under, for your commitment to professionalism and your patriotism. God bless you all.
Jess Bowers
Georgia, USA