Miss Ouachita

Reichsgebiet, vor holländischer Grenze.- abgeschossener amerikanischer Bomber Boing B-17F "Miss Ouachita" der 91st Bomb Group. in Bildmitte: Major Heinz Bär, 1943; Eins.Kp.Lw.z.b.V. (Einsatzkompanie Luftwaffe zur besonderen Verwendung)

http://www.bombsqd323rd.com/b17-missouachita.html

[JimH]

Notice Hienz is wearing an A-2

jim

[viking73]

Notice Hienz is wearing an A-2

jim

And the man behind him is wearing a captured B-3!

[hang the expense]

The sleeves look too thin to be an A2 but I wont doubt you on that.Notice the 4 windows in the top of the nose with the astrodome.I wonder when it was added and why.Celestial navigation for daylight raids?

[TonyM]

Notice the 4 windows in the top of the nose with the astrodome.I wonder when it was added and why.
Celestial navigation for daylight raids?

According to B-17 IN ACTION, the astrodome/window configuration as seen on Miss Ouachita 42-3040 in the posted photograph is standard on some late B-17F, including B-17F-15-VE; B-17F-15-DL; B-17F-20-DL; B-17F-25-DL; B-17F-35-DL; B-17F-40-DL; B-17F-40-BO; B-17F-45-BO; B-17F-55-BO; See photos Page 22; page 31--B-17F Sugar Puss 42-3088; page 36--B-17F Hellno Gal 42-3085; page 21--B-17F Fast Woman 42-5177.

Also see photos in B-17 IN DETAIL AND SCALE; page 38--B-17F Snafu 42-3259; page 39--B-17F 42-3236; page 52--B-17F 42-3220; page 53--B-17F 42-29467.

Also see photos in THE B-17 FLYING FORTRESS STORY --- page 40.

TonyM.

[The Inspector]

Heinz in most probably wearing the standard issue Luftwaffe leather jacket which resembled the A-2 but had 'pot holder' elbow pads sort of leather wrapped cotton rope sewen on in a spiral pattern, maybe someone could post a photo or two of one?

[hang the expense]

Hey Tony,great information.You need to be helping out on the Rat in Marengo ILL.They could sure use your help.

[Tom Crawford]

Only a guess as to origin of the name "Miss Ouachita", a lot of navigators were trained at Selman Field in Monroe, Louisiana which is located on the Ouachita River and is in Ouachita (pronounced "wash-a-taw") Parish. Sad to see the old girl down in enemy territory.

[Django]

I don't think that is an A-2. But the guy behind him definitely is wearing a US B-3.

EDIT: I stand corrected. It is an A-2 and that is Heinz Bär and the guy wearing the B-3 is Egon Mayer.

[Richard W.]

By all accounts, he was a gallant foe, so I hope that he didn't send our man to the Luft Stalag in his bare shirtsleeves for the winter.

[viking73]

By all accounts, he was a gallant foe, so I hope that he didn't send our man to the Luft Stalag in his bare shirtsleeves for the winter.

Yeah, I've seen this picture before and have wondered the fates of the USAAF crew members who owned these jackets...

The Crew
2nd LT Spencer K Osterberg
John E. Van Beran
2nd LT George J. Zebrowski
2nd LT Morris J. Roy
S/SGT Samuel P Aldridge
T/SGT Lambert R. Bostrom
S/SGT Alexander W. Siatkowski
SGT Jay J. Milewski
T/SGT Harold Klem
S/SGT Clayton E. Morningstar

http://www.b17flyingfortress.de/eng/sch ... /missq.php

Another shot of the jacket, definately an A-2



http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/bar/bar.htm

I think the LW NCO on the right is Leo Schumacher as referred to in "Strangers In a Strange Land" by Stapfer

[steve dickey]

Are those pants worn by Heinz Luftwaffe issue?`

[mike furline]

Heinz in most probably wearing the standard issue Luftwaffe leather jacket which resembled the A-2 but had 'pot holder' elbow pads sort of leather wrapped cotton rope sewen on in a spiral pattern, maybe someone could post a photo or two of one?

The Luftwaffe did not have any issued jacket that resembled the A-2.
Not sure what you are referring to, "elbow pads sort of leather wrapped cotton rope sewen on in a spiral pattern". Haven't seen that on any original Luft. jackets.

All brown leather jackets like this, were private purchase items. They were not issued by the Luftwaffe.


Luftwaffe Issued Jackets,

Summer weight jacket on left (also made in tan) , Leather electrically wired for heated gloves (1944) on right, (more commonly made in brown).


Electrically wired cloth jackets, dated 1942 & 1943


Blue seude, also made in white & the less common brown.


Blue winter weight.


Regards,
Mike