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Plane Returned To Base with 142 Shrapnel Holes A news release from an Eighth Air Force Liberator Sta tion in England tells the story of a narrow escape from_ pro bably~ death” ‘experienced” ‘by T-Sgt. William Russell Shanley, son of’ Mr. and Mrs. William M. Shanley, 619 Schuyler Street, during a mission over Hamburg, Germany. “It took the superior flying ability of 1st Lt...Robert E. Feldtkeller, of Wauwatosa, Wis.,” says the news release, “to bring the ..B.24, Liberator ‘Mardobea’, of ‘the 467th Bomb Group, back from flak-covered Hamburg, Germany, on a recent mission, and thanks to that ability, T-Sgt. ‘William R. Shan ley of Marshall, Mich., is alive and on duty today. He was flying as engineer-gunner on the ‘Mardobea’ on that mission: “The skies over Hamburg were polka-dotted with the black puffs of bursting anti-air craft shells as ‘Murdobea’ lung ed into the bombing run. One of those shells exploded only five feet below the right wing, spraying the Lib with high velo city shrapnel. One engine caught fire and the bomber be gan to lose speed and altitude, but Pilot Feldtkeller kept her level until the porns were dropped on the target. “As they turned toward the North Sea and England, a check revealed that all the engine in struments, navigation instru ments, all the co-pilot’s instru ments, the hydraulic system, and all but one radio frequency had been destroyed * by that burst of flak. Although they later counted 142 shrapnel holes in the plane, no crew member had received more than a slight scratch. Used Compass for Navigation _ “By now they had fallen sev eral thousand feet below, and behind the group formation, and could barely see the glint of friendly wings high above them. ‘Mardobea’ ‘pointed her nose in’ the direction, those wings ‘were headed, and they started homeward. When the formation had passed out of sight, some other means of na vigation became necessary. Luckily for the ‘Mardobea’ and her crew, 2nd Lt. Jerome H. Dapper of Chicago, the’ naviga tor, always carries a pocket compass. By using only this simple instrument, and the sun, he was able to keep them head ed toward England.” Later, Lt. Dapper said that seeing England was like Colum bus finding America... He said: “We knew: what it, was but, we didn’t know, what part of it we were over,” a. However, ‘by checking. land- Continued ‘sn’ Page. 8,° Col, 4)
Newspaper Details
Marshall Evening Chronicle
Marshall, Michigan, US
Tue, Feb 20, 1945
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Sarah K.
USA 05 Jan 2026
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