SSgt James O. Fross, of McAllen, Texas, belly gunner of the B-17 42-97904 “Lady Jeannette”, took off on a bombing mission over Saarbrucken’s marshalling yards. However, heavy AA fire crippled the plane moments before bombs away, destroying three engines and sending flames from the fourth into the tail section. Further shots to the cockpit ignited flares stored there, starting a fire fueled by free-flowing hydraulic fluid. The engineer was wounded in the leg and the radio operator lost his arm below the elbow. Despite a tourniquet, he succumbed to shock and slipped into unconsciousness. The intercom system was useless. The crew was still able to drop their bombs and the pilot made for Allied lines, over which the co-pilot personally ordered each crew member to jump. However, after jumping the tail gunner’s chute got caught in the tail and he crashed with the plane. Given the radio operator’s state, the pilot decided to try and land. His co-pilot stayed with him. After part of the crew bailed out, they tried to land in the plain nearby, but overshot and crashed into the forest instead. The description of the plane’s crash in the two Medal of Honor citations is incorrect. It is that of the B-24 42-51226. Fross was later recovered by Allied troops.