b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex udated!

viper771

Sr. Member
Jul 17, 2006
395
3
Germany
b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex udated!

Well it was a busy day of hiking today. A friend and I went into morlautern again to hunt around for a bit. We went into a part of the woods that I haven't really hunted yet. There were FOXHOLES everywhere, so I decided it nickname it foxhole alley.Some bigger ones that looked like they were for motors. There could of been a flak battery on the other side of the hill somewhere. They were all in a line, and there must of been at least 3 or 4 rows of them on this one hillside overlooking the old road. I didn't hunt there too long but I did find some com wire running from one hole at the top to another at the bottom. I also found a piece of an american grenade sitting on top of a foxhole. One other interesting find there was a metal piece that someone said could be part of a breast plate. I don't know if it is or not. All that stuff is in picture one

On the other side of the woods, I dug up that grenade I found a few months ago. My friend knows a german that can diffuse it for me. Its in GREAT SHAPE. The pin it still in it, just the ring is missing. It took FOREVER to find that thing. I had an idea of where I buried it, but ALL FOXHOLES LOOK THE SAME! :( It was a lot of hiking up and down the hills. I will take a picture of it when I get it back. We also found some long steel rods that were used to anchor down a flak 88. I didn'nt bring them home though since they just look like steel pipes.

On the other side of town, we accidently came across a huge bunker complex, but it is behind a fence in private property. The old cement fence posts are still there, and thats what the german army used during the war. It still have some cammo paint on it, and its all intact! A lot of the bases the americans took over still have these fence posts. I will try and get a picture of that.

We headed toward Kusel where a b17 was shot down by flak. I will have to find the story about it and post the link. From what I know, it was on the way to bomb ludwigshaven but was told to turn back due to a storm. It flew right in front of a famous flak battery (can't recall the name right now), and was shot down full of firebombs. Nobody but 2 ppl have dug the crash site since the war. There is a mound of black dirt where the plane hit. The wings and tail were torn off as it was comming down, and landed on the other side of the hill somewhere. The main body spun in, and crashed in the woods. There was SO MUCH STUFF there, but it was getting dark and couldn't dig that much (we were actually digging in the dark for awhile by using a army flashlight). The detectors were going crazy, so we would just dig up some dirt and sift though it. We found many parts that look to be from the cockpit. Lots of glass from the nose and windows too. There are MANY MANY pices of the plane that are just melted clumps. The bombs burned the plane to the ground pretty much. One piece of the plane still had a handle attached to melted outer skin. We did find one data plate, but half of it kind of rusted away, and the other part is black from the fire. I can still get some serial numbers off it. We did find some 50 cal rounds, some control wire of various sizes, and parts for the instruments.

The kind of scary find I found was part of a burned flight jacket. A few inches from it, I found a watch. The back of the watch has no inscription, but its plated brass, and its a MIDO? make. The piece of jacket, after I got it wet to clean, had something painted on the back of it. All around the edges, its burned :( I think they couldn't find the waist gunner or another one of the crew, and he could still very well be there where we are looking. I will let you guys know.

Well enjoy the pictures! If you want some better ones let me know HAPPY HUNTING!
 

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Burdie

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Nov 13, 2005
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Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

Makes that war more real. Thanks for posting.

Burdie
 

Rusted_Iron

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May 25, 2006
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Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

I liked the story and pictures, thanks for sharing this.
 

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viper771

viper771

Sr. Member
Jul 17, 2006
395
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Germany
Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

sorry I didn't find better stuff.. didn't have any sunlight left :( I am going to a german ammo dump in a few days, and im going back to the b 17 crash site. There is a me 109 crash close by too. I still think there are remains there. I am trying to do some research about the crash. Maybe I will find more stuff next time. :)
 

Medano73

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Jul 11, 2006
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Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

that's fascinating stuff. i'm a big history and WW2 buff and would love to be able to detect out there.
 

Pimp Lenin

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Apr 4, 2006
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Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

If you are able to find out if that B-17 was part of the 385th Bombardment Group (548, 549, 500, 551 Squadrons) please let me know.
 

Salvager

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Sep 4, 2006
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Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

Nice finds. You looking for ordinance at the ammo dump? Goodluck mate and I hope you don't get hurt.

Jesse
 

shootist

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Aug 5, 2006
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Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

My Papaw flew a 17 out of England during the war,Ive picked his brain quite a bit about it,he said he did Hamburg quite a few times,be interesting if you cold find some info about that 17 and pass it along to us,history really comes alive for ya when you have your hands right in it. HH
 

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viper771

viper771

Sr. Member
Jul 17, 2006
395
3
Germany
Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

I will try to get some info on the plane. Prob is a lot of times, everything about stuff here is in German (bec its germany ya know), so I have to translate it. I am going to go out there and dig some more. I mean, when the plane hit, it just went everywhere. I must build a sifter so we can just dig up dirt and sift out the plane. I contacted a guy who's dad was shot down there, and his plane crashed in Kusel. Could be the same plane? Not sure yet.

Anyone know where I could input the numbers from the data plate i found? I don't know what is a data plate too though. The bottom line says something something avation. There are some serial numbers over that. Its all burned and I can't scrub too hard, or the plating where the numbers are stamped will just crumble.

The watch face has melted aluminum I tried to clean off. I really think the missing person is out there, around where we were digging. That place was untouched until about 2 wks ago when my friend and a german guy finally found the place. They found a sight off of a 50 cal, more window glass, and even an unbroken window frame. I will keep everyone updated on what I find.

The ammo dump should be interesting. As the allies started to come, the german army pulled in with 5 ton trucks, loaded them up.. drove them to a ditch, and dumped all their weapons, ammo cans, everything in there.

The guy I went with went to a bar in a town by me. An old german soilder, after a few drinks, wanted to show them where he was stationed during the war. It was a few blocks away from the bar! He was at a MG 42 at a cross roads. His WHOLE MACHINE GUN and AMMO was buried! It was dug up by my friends german friend, but someone ratted him out (bec the machine gun was in great shape), and the police took it away :(

Some cool stuff here. I hope you all find it as interesting as I do :) Happy Hunting!
 

tinpan

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Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

awsome story and pics congrats on your finds :o :o :o

tinpan
 

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viper771

viper771

Sr. Member
Jul 17, 2006
395
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Germany
Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex

PimpLenin said:
If you are able to find out if that B-17 was part of the 385th Bombardment Group (548, 549, 500, 551 Squadrons) please let me know.

Here is the SITE I FOUNDI T!! http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:...ling+w+bristol+pilot&hl=de&gl=de&ct=clnk&cd=1

385th Bombardment Group 550th squadron
Scroll down to the bottom to 09.08.1944. There is a picture of 3 people standing in the woods. That is the EXACT spot where we were digging. The piliot didn't make it out. I could very well have his watch. More digs will find out more info. Maybe even the remains that can be returned home if there are any. Alll kinds of info on that site, and even a picture of the nordon bomb site from the crash.

I actually CONTACTED one of the crew members Sons!! I was searching the net, and the guys son mentioned his dad got shot down and bailed out in Kusel. http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=hotshoe14a he mentioned this in his about me section in ebay. They are prob the 3 guys pictured in the prior site! The guys dad did pass away already, but he talks about his experience on that page.
 

misplacedrednek

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Aug 20, 2006
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Re: b17 crash site, "foxhole alley", and bunker complex udated!

good stuff viper, hope you find alot more. do you still want to make the drive tomorrow toward Frankfurt?
 

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