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History[]

Assigned to 358th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group, based at Steeple Morden, and coded YF-U[2] 42-22490, which had been named 'Beetle',[1] was flown by 2nd Lt William E. Roach at the time of it's capture on 7 November 1943, when it forced landed at Caen-Carpiquet after developing engine trouble.[N 1] Following the capture of aircraft and pilot, 42-22490 was repaired using parts from another newly captured P-47 from the same unit.[N 2]

After receiving Luftwaffe codes T9+FK, 42-22490 was flown by the Zirkus Rosarius, thus allowing German pilots to become familiar with the type. The aircraft was broken up for scrap at Bad Worishofen after the end of the war.[2]

Notes[]

  1. Ironically, 42-22490 was a spare aircraft, which was forced to join an escort mission when another aircraft, flown by Lieutenant John Lanphier, developed engine problems. Roach joined up with the squadron's Yellow Flight to fly the mission, which was to escort a force of 110 B-17s from the 1st and 3rd Air Divisions, assigned to bomb aviation industrial targets in Wesel and Duren.[1]
  2. Coded YF-X, this P-47 crash landed at Theville while being flown by Capt. Walter H. Kossak.

Sources[]

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