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Archive Report: US Forces
1941 - 1945

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.

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8th Air Force
10.04.1945 600th Bombardment Squadron (H) B-17G 43-38853, 2nd Lt. James W. McAfee

Operation: Oranienburg (Mission #938), Berlin, Germany

Date: 10th April 1945 (Thursday)

Unit No: 600th Bomber Squadron (H), 398th Bombardment Group (H), 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force

Type: B-17G

Serial No: 43-38853

Code: N8:L

Location: In the vicinity of Oranienburg, Berlin, Germany

Base: Nuthampstead (Station #131), Hertfordshire, England

Pilot: 2nd Lt. James William McAfee O-779952 AAF Age 23. KiA

Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. Donald J. Jones O-833757 AAF Age 21. KiA

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Burton H. Roth O-2071034 AAF Age? KiA

Bombardier: S/Sgt. Frank E. Lewis 34684050 AAF Age? PoW * (1)

Engineer: S/Sgt. Arthur John Roit 33588344 AAF Age 22. KiA

Radio Operator: T/Sgt. Paul Krup 35061043 Age? PoW * (1)

Ball Turret: Sgt. Haskell Boyes 15041483 AAF Age? PoW Unknown camp

Waist Gunner: Sgt. Felix Hale Tichenor Jr. 35812049 AAF Age 25. KiA

Tail Gunner: S/Sgt. Max W. Paxton 15382883 AAF Age 21. Murdered (2)

RCM: S/Sgt. Robert W. Engard 13201033 AAF Age? PoW Unknown camp

One of the two Waist Gunners were removed from crew complements starting on the 7th June 1944 and then both from 23rd February 1945.

RCM = Radio Counter Measures operator. S/Sgt. Engard’s role, who was seconded from the 603rd Bomb Sqn, was to operate the “Spot Jammer” equipment.

* Stalag 3A, Luckenwalde, Brandenburg, south of Berlin.

REASON FOR LOSS:

B-17G 43-38853 took off from Nuthampstead, on the morning of the 10th April 1945 and joined thirty other aircraft from the 398th Bombardment Group on a mission to bomb targets at Oranienburg, north of Berlin in Germany. 43-38853 was flying on the left flank of the lead squadron for this mission.

The formation had approached to within 29 km (18 mls) of the target when 2nd Lt. McAfee’s aircraft appeared to be hit by flak and was then attacked by German fighter aircraft. The aircraft was last seen at about 14:50 hrs at a position some 3½ km (2¼ mls) NE of Oranienburg.

An after mission report by 1st Lt. Arthur C. Watson Jr, the pilot of B-17G 42-102487 which was flying off the starboard wing of 2nd Lt. McAfee’s aircraft, described that during the bomb run he saw what appeared to be a flak burst between the #3 and #4 engines of 43-38853. He watched as the aircraft pulled up slowly while falling back from the formation and dropping its bomb load at the same time. The aircraft appeared to be under control until he lost sight of it. He then looked around for flak but saw none. Then his gunners started firing and he thought he saw an Me-262 peel away just off the port wing of his aircraft.

A second after mission report by Sgt. George G. Hafer, the left waist gunner of 1st Lt. Watson’s aircraft, described that as bombs were being dropped over the target, three jet propelled aircraft, which he believed to be Me-262’s, attacked the formation. He witnessed 2nd Lt. McAfee’s aircraft being hit in the wing between #3 and #4 engines. A few minutes later he saw the aircraft at 7 o'clock low. The aircraft was under control but appeared to be under attack by two fighters. A split second later another enemy fighter attacked the formation and he took his eyes off of 2nd Lt. McAfee’s aircraft. When he looked back, a few seconds later, the aircraft was no longer in sight. He called his tail gunner who had been unable to pick up 2nd Lt. McAfee’s aircraft. No parachutes had been observed at any time.

The following are extracts from Ref. 1 - Appendix 1, which describes the attack on the formation and the engagement with 2nd.Lt. McAfee’s aircraft:

Oberleutnant (1st Lt) Walter Schuck and his flight of four Me-262 jet fighters of 3./JG-7, flying out of the Oranienburg airbase, attacked the Lead Squadron. At about 14:47 hrs 2nd Lt. McAfee’s aircraft was only seconds away from the target with its bomb doors open when the Me-262s attacked. 30mm cannon shells hit from astern blowing a large hole in the waist fuselage and seriously wounding Sgt. Tichenor and shooting off Sgt. Boyes left arm in the ball turret.

It is not know which of the four Me-262 pilots claimed 2nd Lt. McAfee’s aircraft.

Oberleutnant Schuck’s tally for this mission was four bombers but his Me-262 was badly damaged by a Mustang flown by 1st Lt. Joseph A. 'Pete' Peterburs, and he had to bail out, although this was not established until many years later.

The Individual Casualty Questionnaire submitted by T/Sgt. Krup after the war provided the following information regarding the crew members that perished:

S/Sgt. Paxton was seen uninjured and to bail out of the aircraft. T/Sgt. Krup was told by a Wehrmacht Leutnant (2nd Lt) who had captured him, that an American airman had been killed by civilians as he had landed. He presumed this airman to be Paxton. This was S/Sgt Paxton’s first mission with the crew but was a veteran of thirty previous missions,

Sgt. Tichenor suffered injuries to the left side of his body and left leg and could not be moved. Additionally his parachute was missing presumably blown out of the aircraft during the fighter attacks. It is presumed that he perished when the aircraft exploded in mid-air,

S/Sgt. Roit was last seen uninjured in the upper turret and may have perished in the flames which engulfed #3 engine fuel tank,

2nd Lt. Roth was last seen in the nose of the aircraft without his parachute. S/Sgt. Lewis was making his way to the cockpit to give 2nd Lt. McAfee a heading to fly when the aircraft exploded. S/Sgt. Lewis was blown out of the aircraft and survived,

2nd Lt. Jones was last seen in the co-pilot’s seat and it was speculated that he may have been overcome by the flames. 2nd Lt. Jones was the co-pilot from another crew on which their normal co-pilot, 2nd Lt. Phil Krieg, flew for this mission,

2nd Lt. McAfee apparently stayed in the pilot’s seat to hold the aircraft level to allow the crew to bail out and perished when the aircraft exploded in mid-air,

T/Sgt. Paul Krup recorded that he saw 4 other parachutes in the air, whom he believed to be S/Sgt. Lewis, Sgt. Boyes, S/Sgt. Paxton and S/Sgt. Engard.

A Casualty Interrogation Report submitted by S/Sgt. Engard described that after he had bailed out he saw three other parachutes besides his own leave the aircraft. A few seconds after he had bailed out he saw a scattering of debris and noted one large section of the waist and another large section of the wings and nose of the aircraft hurtling earthward. After he had landed he met up with T/Sgt. Krup and Sgt. Boyes at a first aid station. He saw that Sgt. Boyes had one of his arms blown off but later heard that he had survived.

(1) S/Sgt. Lewis and T/Sgt. Krup became PoWs at Stalag 3A, Luckenwalde. The story of their escape is told by 1st Lt. Peterburs in Ref. 1 - Appendix 1. In summary, the two met up at the PoW camp with 1st Lt. Peterburs and his fellow fighter pilot, Capt. Richard Morrison ’Dick’ Tracy. 1st Lt. Peterburs and Capt. Tracy were flying Mustangs as fighter escorts on the Oranienburg mission and were shot down by flak whilst strafing the Berlin-Schönwalde airfield. The four airmen escaped from Luckenwalde under the wire and within about 8 km (5 mls) they met up with a Russian tank unit and were eventually returned to the UK and then home to the USA.

(2) The circumstances surrounding the death of S/Sgt. Paxton have not been established. All that is known is that he was last seen uninjured in the aircraft and that he bailed out of the aircraft. He was believed to be under one of the four parachutes seen in the air by T/Sgt. Krup after he had bailed out. The only uncorroborated allegation that S/Sgt. Paxton may have met his death at the hands of hostile German civilians came from the Wehrmacht Leutnant who had captured T/Sgt. Krup.

No war crime case has been found that can be related to the allegation so his death remains unexplained.

Burial Details:


Above: 2nd Lt. McAfee (Credit: jbmgs - FindAGrave)

2nd Lt. James William McAfee. Repatriated and buried at the Palmyra Cemetery, Indiana. Born 13th October 1922 in New Albany, Floyd, Indiana. Son to Henry William and Garnet Pearl (née Baker) McAfee of Harrison, Indiana and husband to Ruby I. McAfee of Palmyra, Indiana, USA.

Above: 2nd Lt. Jones (Credit: Dominique Potier - FindAGrave)

2nd Lt. Donald J. Jones. Purple Heart. Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Block CC, Row 6, Grave 139. Relocated to Plot B, Row 25, Grave 6. Born on the 10th January 1924 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Son to Mr. John A. Jones of Perrysville, Pennsylvania, USA.

2nd Lt. Burton H. Roth. Repatriated. Brother to Mr. Stanley W. Roth of New York, New York, USA. No further details.

Above: S/Sgt Roit Credit: JM - FindAGrave)

S/Sgt. Arthur John Roit. Repatriated and buried at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Section T, Lot No. 26, Range 13, Grave 1, in Montgomery County, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born on the 18th September 1923, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Son of Anton and Sophia (née Dzubak) Roit of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Above: Sgt Tichenor Jr. (Credit: Dominique Potier - FindAGrave)

Sgt. Felix Hale Tichenor Jr. Air Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Purple Heart. Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Block CC, Row 6, Grave 136. Relocated to Plot B, Row 37, Grave 9. Born on the 9th August 1920 in Owensboro, Kentucky. Son to Felix H. and Margaret F. (née Wingfield) Tichenor of Evansville, Indiana and husband to Ruth L. Tichenor of Evansville, Indiana, USA.

Above: S/Sgt Paxton (Credit: Dominique Potier - FindAGrave)

S/Sgt. Max W. Paxton. Air Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Purple Heart. Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Block V, Row 12, Grave 280. Relocated to Plot B, Row 16, Grave 20. Born in 1924 in Crawfordsville, Montgomery, Indiana. Son to Mrs. Minnie A. Paxton of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with additional thanks to Traugott for his work on the VitzArchive’.

Reference(s):

1. The Me 262 Stormbird by Collin D. Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis

RS & TV 02.04.2021 - Narrative update

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Acknowledgments: Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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