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Max Hauenstein - Pilot - 836th Squadron
Max Hauenstein was a pilot of the B17-G "Forever Amber". The following are from his personal notes of these 22 missions.
| Date | Target | Load Carried | Mission Length | Pilots Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24-Feb-1945 | Bremen (Sub) | 12 500 GP | 6:35 | Flak MoA |
| 25-Feb-1945 | Neuberg (Oil) | 6 1000 GP | 8:15 | Flak MeA |
| 26-Feb-1945 | Berlin (RR) | 6 Inc. M17, 6 500 GP | 8:30 | Flak MoA |
| 28-Feb-1945 | Kassel (RR) | 7 Inc. M17, 7 500 GP | 7:10 | Flak Mo/N |
| 01-Mar-1945 | Ulm (RR) | 4 Inc. M17, 9 500 GP | 7:35 | Flak None, Feathered #1 over target |
| 02-Mar-1945 | - Abort - | |||
| 07-Mar-1945 | Siegen (RR) | 14 500 GP | 6:50 | Flak Mo/N |
| 08-Mar-1945 | Frankfurt | Chaff | 7:40 | Flak Me/N |
| 09-Mar-1945 | Frankfurt | 42 100 GP, 2 M17 Inc. | 6:30 | Flak Mo/N |
| 14-Mar-1945 | Hanover (RR) | 10 500 GP, 4 M17 Inc. | 7:00 | Flak HA, Flak hole #2 nacelle, nick in #1 prop |
| 18-Mar-1945 | Berlin (RR) | 18 100 GP, 8 M17 Inc. | 7:45 | Flak MoA, 2 Flak holes thru R Wing |
| 19-Mar-1945 | Zwickau (RR) | 12 500 GP | 8:45 | Flak MeA |
| 21-Mar-1945 | Ardorf (Air Fld) | 38 100 GP | 5:40 | Flak Me/N, 4 Bombs fell on doors |
| 22-Mar-1945 | Kupferdreh (Ruhr) Bks area, 5 miles S.E. of Essen | 6 500 GP, 6 M17 Inc. | 5:30 | Flak MoA, 2 holes in R Wing |
| 23-Mar-1945 | Solde (Ruhr RR) | 6 1000 GP | 6:16 | Flak MoA |
| 24-Mar-1945 | Varrelbusch A.F. (Near Cloppenburg) | 14 500 RDX | 5:45 | Flak None |
| 31-Mar-1945 | Brandenburg (RR) | 12 500 GP | 8:00 | Flak MeA, 1 ME-262 |
| 03-Apr-1945 | Keel (Dock Areas) | 6 1000 GP | 7:00 | Flak Mo/N A |
| 05-Apr-1945 | Nurnberg (Ordnance plant) | 10 500 GP, 2 M17 | 7:35 | Flak HA, 1 Flak hole # Eng Cowl |
| 07-Apr-1945 | Parchim A.F. | 38 100 GP | 8:20 | Flak None, ME-109 Downed |
| 08-Apr-1945 | Plauen (RR) | 34 100 GP, 2 M17 | Not noted | Flak MoA, Milner Downed, 1 Flak Hole under radio room |
| 09-Apr-1945 | Neuberg (Oil) | 12 500 GP | 7:30 | Flak 1 Burst |
| 10-Apr-1945 | Briest A.F. | Not noted | Not noted | Flak MeA, Shot down by fighters, Crew bailed out, Enemy fire hit #3 Mn Tank, Wing burned Ship Exploded |
From the last mission on 10-Apr-1945 noted above, I'd like to share an extraordinary photograph.
On that mission with the bomb drop made, the group had turned back towards England. They were attacked by Luftwaffe aircraft, and specifically "Forever Amber" was attacked from 6 or 7 o'clock low by an ME-262. For those unfamiliar with that aircraft it was the worlds first operational jet, which could speed through a formation of the slower bombers with deadly results.
The result of the attack was the fatal wounding of "Forever Amber". The tail gunner, Ed DeLachica was killed in this attack but the remainder of the crew bailed out. Another plane in the formation snapped this picture and a few others of the dying plane.
Max discovered a copy of this and other photos while looking through declassified photos at the end of the war. Evidently base personnel were invited to look through the photos before they were scrapped. What a find!
The B-17G "Forever Amber" within minutes of the end of it's life!
| Crew Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Pilot | Max Hauenstein |
| Co-Pilot | Joe Jolet |
| Bombardier | Ernest Lewis |
| Navigator | Wm. Fitzsimmons |
| Flight Engineer | Oliver Poindexter |
| Radio | Guy Marinello |
| Ball Turret | Doug Walker |
| Waist Gunner | Merle Goss |
| Tail Gunner | Ed DeLachica (KIA) |