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name
KOBIS, Casimier J - Date of
birth
24 May 1924 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
unknown -
Hometown
Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
11116743 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Radio Operator/Gunner -
Unit
351st Bombardment Squadron,
100th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
11 December 1943 - Place of
death
The North Sea near Norderney Island, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Felix Kobis (father)
Nora Kobis (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-37715 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Sugarfoot
Destination: Emden, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat yards
MACR: 1570
More information
T/Sgt Casimier J. Kobis was a salesman.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Boston, Massachusetts on 13 November 1942.
As the bombers approached the North Frisian Islands, the German flak batteries began to fire. Within five minutes Sugarfoot took a direct hit between the #3 and #4 engines. High octane aviation fuel poured across the wing toward the radio operators compartment, gravitating along the fuselage into the waist gun opening. Simultaneously, the 390th Bomb Group was attacked by six twin engine ME-110 fighter planes that dived out of the sun firing rockets and cannons. Sugarfoot took a hard hit in the nose that knocked out communications and caused an oxygen fire, impairing the oxygen supply to some of the crew.
Some crew members in the cockpit & nose may have bailed out since a the only surviver, Gorsskopf, saw several parachutes in the air before he jumped but apparently those from the radio room back were unconscious from lack of oxygen.
Nine crew members were killed, one was taken prisoner.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, 100thBombGroup, http://www.basher82.nl%20, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.8thafhs.com
Photo source: Michel Beckers, 100thBombGroup