South of Avranches, August 2, 1944

Our Task Force is joining the fight south of Avranches and continuing the drive to cut off the Brittany peninusla from the Germans. We'll be on paved roads to get to the objective as quick as possible.

During the first engagement of the day we were lucky. We traded shots at close range three times with a Pak 40 anti-tank gun. The tank was hull down which saved us - the rounds were hitting the debris in front of the tank. Eventually a friendly knocked the out. Dick was able to take out a German infantry squad. We're still rolling.

Cobra Breakout, July 27, 1944

First day of the Cobra Breakout went well; we survived the first day. We'll see if we go into action tomorrow.

Our tank knocked out:
1 AT gun
1 MG crew
2 infantry squads

The rest of the task force knocked out:
2 Panzer IVs
1 AT gun
2 trucks
1 scout car
2 Infantry squads

And liberated 3 French villages.

US Losses:
3 Tanks
2 Infantry squads

Final Mission of the "Freeloader"

After Action Report - February 18, 1943

The B17 "Freeloader" from the 381st BG was shot down out bound over the English Channel on its 14th mission.

Three FW 190s and an Me 410 got through the fighter escort and attacked the B17 "Freeloader." One of the FW 190s attacking from 6 o'clock low, struck the starboard wing outer fuel tank with cannon shells which caused an immediate explosion, disintegrating the entire starboard wing.

At this point the crew had to attempt to bail out of an uncontrollable B17. Only three made it out of the aircraft, pilot Kurt Hsu, the engineer, and the right waist gunner. Air Sea Rescue was only able to rescue the waist gunner. Pilot and engineer were presumed lost as sea.

Bombardier Dick Beigel and Radio Operator Bill Beigel were unable to exit the doomed aircraft along with the remaining crew.

Maybe in a few decades, somebody will start a website and research the details on how this B17 was shot down.

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Dick Beigel was later found alive at a LuftStalag in Germany. He elected to stay in Germany after the war, and eventually became an East German border guard. Moving back to America in the mid 1960s, he was hired as a creative consultant on the hit US TV series, "Hogan's Heroes".


William Beigel