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name
CHORPENNING, Hans John - Date of
birth
30 October 1924 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Nebraska -
Hometown
Cozad, Dawson County, Nebraska
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-717183 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
349th Bombardment Squadron,
100th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
12 June 1944 - Place of
death
North Sea, 9 miles off Dunkerque, France
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
John H. Chorpenning (father)
Helene C. (Anderson) Chorpenning (mother)
Eva M. Chorpenning (sister)
June F. Chorpenning (sister)
Liz Angelos (fiancee)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-37601 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Rosières-en-Santerre, France
Mission: Boming of the airfield
MACR: 5625
More information
2nd Lt Hans J. Chorpenning attended the University of Nebraska.He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Omaha, Nebraska on 31 October 1942. He Kearney for 1 year.
The crew was on their first mission.
The aircraft was hit by flak over Dunkerque at 08.53 hours at 24,000 feet. The #4 engine caught fire and the right wing broke off near the the #4 engine inducing a spin. Five or six parachutes may have come from this aircraft.
The only survivor, George L. Sherback had no recollection of leaving the plane and believed he must have been blown clear. A German officer told him the plane exploded and the remains of the other crew members went into the sea.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree
Photo source: www.e-yearbook.com - University of Nebraska Kearney Yearbook 1946, www.100thbg.com - Tracy Lichtenwalter, 100th Meridian Museum, Cozad, Nebraska