USAAF WW2 B-17 Crew picture 'Sons O’ Satan' 8th Army Airforce

In a very nice condition an extreme rare and stunning US Army Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress Crew picture 'Sons O’ Satan' 42-29829 8th Army Airforce, 379th Bomb Group, 527th Bomb Squadron.
The picture comes in a size of approx 8x12cm and has on the front the crew and on the revers side there names.
On the picture are from left to right:
Gordon D. Fisher-Radio Operator (POW)
Harold N. Sheaffer- Navigator (KIA)
Foy R. Clingman - Copilot (KIA)
Robert W. Haston -Pilot (POW)
Lt. Simonson -QM. (Unknown)

The picture is dated January 1944 and is probably one of the last pictures of some of these heroes.

Operation Argument, aka “Big Week” would take place between February 20th-25th 1944. The operation was part of the Combined bomber offensive against Nazi Germany. The objective of the operation was to destroy aircraft factories in central and southern Germany in order to defeat the Luftwaffe before the Normandy Landings during Operation Overlord were to take place later in 1944.
Roberts unit would take part in Big Week.
On February 22nd 1944, 789 bombers would be dispatched from 1st 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. Robert and his crew would be a part of the 1st Air Division on this mission. They would climb into their B-17 “Sons O’ Satan” 42-29829, and would take off from RAF base Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire and be on their way. Their specific mission was to bomb targets in Halberstadt, Germany.
The crew consisted of :
Robert W. Haston -Pilot,
Foy R. Clingman - Copilot,
Harold N. Sheaffer- Navigator
Stanislaw Burblis- Nose Gunner
Gordon D. Fisher-Radio Operator
Kenneth E. Raack- Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner.
Robert Spisak- Ball Turret Gunner
Conrad J. Gemmecke- Right waist Gunner
William G. Nixon Jr.- Left waist Gunner
Lester B. Adriansen- Tail Gunner.
Severe weather and cloud cover on this day made bombing attempts difficult, but Robert and his crew would be successful in dropping most of their payload onto their targets and began to head back to base. Directly after leaving their target, they began to take fire from enemy fighters.
Overall, out of the 10 crewmen onboard, 5 would be killed in the attack, and 5 would manage to get out but would be taken prisoner. Included in the post are some written testimonies by the survivors describing what happened to the other crewmen. Feel free to read them, but I will give a brief description here.
Robert Haston (Pilot) managed to bail from the aircraft and was taken Prisoner.
Foy Clingman (Copilot) managed to jump out but his parachute did not open and he fell to his death.
Harold Sheaffer (Navigator) was killed in the initial attack, likely by falling out of the bomb bay while trying to release the hung bomb.
Stanislaw Burblis (Nose Gunner) - called out the fighters when first hit. He was killed in the attack.
Gordon Fisher (Radio Operator) was able to bail out and taken prisoner.
Kenneth Raack (Flight Engineer/top gunner) was hit in the head and neck while manning the top turret by 20mm cannon rounds and was killed instantly.
Robert Spisak (Ball Turret Gunner and Author of the letter) - He refused to bail out. Lester(Tail gunner) tried to throw him out but Robert had a death grip on the wheel strut. They were at about 2,000 feet so Lester was forced to jump without him and Robert went down with the aircraft and was killed in the crash.
Conrad Gemmecke (Right waist Gunner) - Bailed out and was taken prisoner.
William Nixon (Left waist Gunner) Bailed out and was taken prisoner.
Lester Adriansen (Tail Gunner) - bailed out and was taken prisoner. - last to leave the aircraft.
Their aircraft would crash in a field about 2 miles south of Gottingen, Germany.
Overall, 39 Aircraft from the 1st Air Division would not return that day. 170 airmen would be killed and 186 would be taken prisoner.

Code: 85669