Heading back to Thurleigh after a bombing mission to the U-boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, 369th Bomb Squadron's B-17F #41-24470 "Sons of Fury" piloted by Charles Cranmer was shot down.
It had been so badly damaged by flak that two engines were out of action and the nose, with both the navigator and bombardier inside, was blown off. Separated from the rest of the formation, it was soon picked up over the Bay of Biscay sea by Focke-Wulf 190s and attacked yet again; eventually ditching in the sea. Flight engineer/top turret gunner, Arizona Harris remained in his turret, continuously firing at the German fighters strafing the aircraft until it sank beneath the icy waters.
Harris was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service cross for his gallant actions. The citation reading:
“Arizona T. Harris (Army Serial No. 6296272), technical sergeant, 369th Bombardment Squadron (H), Army Air Forces, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy of the United States. While on a combat mission over enemy occupied Continental Europe, January 1943, the airplane on which he was serving as top-turret gunner was badly damaged by enemy anti-aircraft fire and forced out of formation. A large force of enemy fighter planes then concentrated their attacks on this lone airplane, finally driving it to a crash landing in the sea. Throughout the descent, and as the airplane disappeared beneath the waves, Sergeant Harris was seen to be still firing his guns at the enemy airplanes. The dogged determination to fight against all odds and sheer bravery displayed by Sergeant Harris upon this occasion upholds the highest traditions of the armed forces of the United States."
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It is our duty to remember.