While there wasn't much defense against flak, Colonel Frey said the B-17s, flying in formation, presented a formidable challenge to any airborne foes. Thousands of these cannon dotted German cities and industrial centers, waiting for American and British bombers. "Flak" stands for the German fliegerabwehrkanone, which means "flyer defense cannon." The main German anti-aircraft weapon was the 88 mm cannon. And what flak (anti-aircraft) you can expect on the route going in and coming out. "Two hundred-some of your ME-109s and roughly 200 of the Focke-Wulf 190s. "It's a funny feeling when (your briefers) tell you you're going to have 400-some (enemy) planes out there over the target," he said. So Lieutenant Frey, who retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1963, was picked as a pinch hitter for a bombing run on Munster, Germany, which had key railroad junctions and was a part of the Ruhr industrial area.Īfter hearing about the amount of possible German resistance over his target that day, Colonel Frey said he felt a little uneasy during his pre-flight briefing. Now 87 years old, he said he'd just received a three-day pass to go to London, but another co-pilot couldn't make his mission. Fred Frey, a 23-year co-pilot on a B-17 Flying Fortress. These Airmen were interviewed during a reunion in Kansas City in April. The downed flyers eventually ended up in Stalag Luft III, a prison camp in eastern Germany, made famous by the 1963 movie, The Great Escape, based on the book by Paul Brickhill. NOTE: This is the second of four articles in a series about Airmen from World War II who were shot down and captured by the Germans. Part two: Capture - Airmen remember falling into enemy hands.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |