Museum 119 virtual tour - Room III. / Midday

Crew of Lt. Vance Mooring (95th BG) - B-17G 42-97334 - 9 POW - crashed near of Schmalzgrube, Ger. 11.9.1944

*Global look to showcase dedicated to the Mooring crew* On right - detail of the showcase with various plane wreckage, including instruments and ammo system. On center are personal memorabilia donated by the engineer and top turret gunner Charles P. Stein, such as his patches, gunner wings, watches, medals. On right are items related to his POW		*Detail of some wreckage of the Ball Turret, which was operated by Sgt. Tom Merriman, which family received similar pieces from us...*	Piece from an instrument equipment wisible writting? "..ETURN SLOT BEFORE... ASE... A-4 24 VOLTS... ASSEMBLY N....198....RO" Who can identify this?

	PHOTO (coming soon)
*Bombardier of this crew Bob Moerke visited the Museum in 2000*	*Original navigator of that plane and author of the noseart, Lloyd O. Krueger, was the only US veteran who was able to travel overseas to visit us on terrible 11. September 2001*	*Switch ro fuel linew was placed close to the engineer / top turret gunner position. On last mission of this plane it was Charles P. Stein (see on right)*	Engineer of this crew Charlie Stein (on left) while talking to German fighter pilot Kurt Shiebeler in front of his showcase (58th Anniversary of the battle - September 2002)
This area is dedicated to the crew Lt. Vance R. Mooring - POW Lt. Carl R. Swanson - POW Lt. Alfred P. Janson - POW F/O. Robert A. Moerke - POW Sgt. Charles P. Stein - POW Sgt. Frank Aliveto - POW Sgt. Thomas H. Merriman - POW Sgt. William P. Martin - POW Sgt. John P. Weber - POW		The only lose of the 95th FG in the late phase of the battle was A/C piloted by Vance Mooring. The entire crew bailed out and were taken POW. The abanonded plane crashed on slopes of valley between Steinbach and Schmalzgrube, Germany. Story of this particular plane, B-17G 42-97334 "Haard Luck" you may read on the book "Trials and tribulations of a Lady" written by her original navigator, Lloyd O. Krueger. See details at the page PX
First contacts with some of the crew we made in 1998-1999. In 2000 we were visited by the Bombardier, Bob Moerke and in 2002 by the TT/E Charlie Stein. In 2001 came also the original navigator and "adoptive father" of that plane, Lloyd Krueger. The first family which we contacted, was of the BTG Tom Merriman (1998) and in 2004 it is family of the WG William P. Martin.

Lt. Francis R. Gerard (339th BG) - P-51D 44-13808 - 4 victories and the 339th FG & 55th FG battle participants

*General look on the area dedicated to fighters of the 339th FG (see the panel on upper right) and victims of the 55th FG.*	Look to the showcase dedicated to Major General Francis R. Gerard, who as 20 claimed four destroyed german fighters during this battle. On right a model of Gerard´s Mustang which he flew in the battle		*1944 photo of Lt. Gerard in his Mustang with hand written regard to the museum.*


*Major General Francis Gerard was one of our honorary guests during the Museum opening ceremony in September 1997*		*Model of the "Follow me" Jeep used by the 339th Fighter Group in Fowlmere*	P-51 external fuel tank
Lt. Frank Gerard (20) from 503rd FS, 339th FG was the most succesful fighter of the battle, destroying four enemy fighters. He finished the war as ace with 8+ victories. In 1997 he as MajorGeneral he represented his unit in the Museum opening ceremony. This area also contains panel dedicated to men of 503rd FS (339th FG) participating on tis mission To build a panel dedicated to participants from 55th FG is planed on 2004

Uffz. Heinrich Hörner (II.Sturm/JG 4) - FW 190A-8/R2 - KIA crashed at Dorf-Chemnitz, Ger. 11.9.1944
		*The area dedicated to Heinrich Hörner contains his own "Wehrpass" donated by his family a model of his "Yellow 6" and a stone of a memorial on which he crashed*
	*Look to the showcase dedicated to Uffz. Hörner*
Heinrich Hörner was killed while trying to crashland his Sturmböck at village Dorf-Chemnitz. he is buried there. We were able to contact his sister who donated to the museum his Wehrpass (pay book), which is displayed in the showcase.

Fw. Josef Tüssner (II.Sturm/JG 4) - FW 190A-8/R2 - wounded crashlanded at Griessbach - Scharfenstein, Ger. 11.9.1944

	*Look to the showcase dedicated to some Luftwaffe airmen. Fw. Tüssner far left*	*Detail of the table dedicated to Fw. Tüssner*
Josef Tüssner suffered injuries while his Fockewulf crashlanding close to Griesbach / Scharfenstein. When he recovered injuries, he returned to his unit and was killed a few weeks later on November 2nd, 1944. We were able to contact his widow.

*A build-in showcase with various US Air Force equipment (for other see the showcase in Room II.)*

*A general look to the area with this build-in showcase (on left). Note the A-2 jacket (replica) on bottom, donated by Jack W. Janssen and the dinghy sail on left*	*Flak helmet* On right photo - early post-war uniform of former 100th BG lead navigator of this mission (Ruhland 11th Sept. 1944), Charlie Gunter. We have met Charlie in 1997, unfortunatelly, he died in 2002. The uniform was donated by his family, via the 100th Bomb Group Foundation in 2003	*A detail of the showcase. Note also the flying gogles, donated by our member, Ken Breaux. Far bottom is lying the anti flak vest*


*A cotton/linen flying green suit. Similar was found in Kovarska school in 1982 with documents of Sgt. J. C. Kluttz, the Mae West on is loaned*

*Area dedicated to other JG 4 battle casualties of 11.9.1944, who presently don't have their own showcase, but are mentioned as well...*
	Framed pictures on left (the right photo) and the "Knüppel" below were donated by Werner E. Dehr, Me 109 pilot and this battle participant, who attended the Museum opening ceremony and following reunions, died in 2001? 2001. Below of the main section is area dedicated to Jung and Kabiol (see details in the "Part 4")
*The panel dedicated to the various JG 4 casualties see details on right*		Rear part of the Luftwaffe fuel tank
This area is dedicated to the JG 4 men: Hptm. Ernst Mündlein - KIA Uffz. Gustav Süllwald - bailed out - WIA Uffz. Günther von Venkstern - KIA Uffz. Hans Ammon - KIA Uffz. Günter Kinner - crashlanded, taps 2003 Ogefr. Hans-Günter Lemmer - WIA Uffz. Karl Eilmes - KIA Oblt. Hans-Martin Markhoff - crashlanded Lt. Alfred Lausch - KIA Uffz. Erich Keller & Uffz. Herbert Chlond - both returned with claim of B-17. Keller is MIA since 1.1.1945, Dr. Chlond died in 2003 Uffz. Günter Jung - KIA Uffz. Erwin Kabiol - KIA
In relation to the above mentioned men we were able to met family of E. Mündlein, Gustav Süllwald (personally in 2000), son of Hans Ammon, Günter Kinner (personally every year since 1997 till 2003 when he died), had contact with late K. Eilmes girlfriend, met Herbert Chlond (personally several times), met with grandson of H-G. Lemmer, still are looking for families of others

Uffz. Heinz Schien (III./JG 4) - Me 109G - KIA crashed at Kühnheide, Ger 11.9.1944

*Look to the area dedicated to Uffz. Heinz Schien*	*Detail of upper showcase with Heinz´s personal things and equipment and burned parachute*	*Left & right separate looks to te showcase with instruments, the sticker, parts of the amm system, armored glass from the canopy, etc.*


*A prop blade scrolled by the power as engine was still running when plane hit the ground. On right site upper is visible the 0.50 caliber US amm hit*	*Propeller reducer which was recovered on this great condition after 52 years spent in earth, almost 4 meters deep*	*Smashed oil cooling radiator*	*Cutted and burned belts and buckles ...*


*Top part of the sticker, which Heinz Schien hold during his last flight.*	*Plate from side of the cockpit with small ventilation doors*	*One more look to the mail showcase with visible MK 131 machine-gun*	*Frau Dora Fischer (center), Heinz Schien´s sister while one of her visits to the museum looks to the showcase with wrecks of her brother´s Messerschmitt...*
Heinz Schien (22) was killed in combat close to Kühnhaide, Germany. In 1996 we found his crashsite in forest and then we have recovered most of the parts dispalyed. The same year we were able to contact his family, from which two sisters and brother already visited the museum

If you find a family member or someone you know on this site,
we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at 517@centrum.cz

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Actually you are in Room III - "Other related areas"
from here you should continue to

Lt. Kenneth T. Williams (55th FG) - P-51D Mustang - KIA crashed at Grünhainichen, Ger. 11.9.1944

	*Look to the showcase dedicated to Lt. K. T. Williams*	*P-51 landing gear wheel (this is NOT from Ken Williams´s crash... example only)*
Lt. K.T.Williams was killed after low altitude bailing out near of Grünhainichen, Germany and was buried there.

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