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Aircraft: 297126 

 "THE LATEST RUMOR" 351st aircraft (100th Photo Archives) 

The Latest Rumor over England in 1945.

NAMES: The Latest Rumor



 PILOTS:   N/A  N/A
MACR: SQUADRONS: 351 EP-D

NOTES

The Latest Rumor

HISTORY

1944-01-29   Cheyenne
1944-01-31  Accepted into Inventory
1944-02-12  Alexandria
1944-03-04  Presque Isle
1944-03-05  Assigned to UK
1945-05-15  NCS - Horsching AF, Austria - Lt. Joseph A. Drottar
1945-05-24   Salvaged
0000-00-00  
0000-00-00  
0000-00-00 
0000-00-00  
1945-05-24  Salvaged

Pilot Info

Crew: N/A

Related Info: : N/A, N/A

Comments

    A/C flew 126 missions. Undercarriage collapsed upon landing at Horching AF in Austria by Lt Drottar.  

Known Mission List: Courtesy of Ray Bowden/USAAF Nose Art Research Project 

Date	            Pilot	    Target

Notes
8 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Quackenbruck airfield	Returned early - spare a/c (non-sortie)
9 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Krzesinki (recalled)	�
10 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Reims	Returned early - spare a/c (non-sortie)
11 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Rostock	Returned early - spare a/c (non-sortie)
12 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Schkeudiz (recalled)	�
13 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Augsburg	�
18 Apr 1944	E Zapf /	Berlin	�
20 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Marquenneville (NoBall)	V-weapon site
22 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Hamm	�
24 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Friedrichshafen	�
27 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Flottemanville (NoBall)	V-weapon site - morning mission
27 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Le Culot airfield	Returned early - spare a/c (non-sortie) - afternoon mission
28 Apr 1944	E J Siewert /	Sottevast (NoBall)	V-weapon site - jettisoned load
29 Apr 1944	K J Dille /	Berlin	�
1 May 1944	E J Simmons /	Wizernes (abortive)	Morning mission
11 May 1944	K J Dille /	Liege	�
12 May 1944	N P Scott	Brux	�
13 May 1944	K J Dille /	Osnabruck	�
19 May 1944	G W Rake /	Berlin	Category Ac damage (serious) - fuselage, wing, #2 gas tank
25 May 1944	K J Dille /	Brussels	�
27 May 1944	R J Simmons /	Strasbourg	�
29 May 1944	E W Wolf	Leipzig	�
30 May 1944	K J Dille /	Troyes	�
31 May 1944	K J Dille /	Osnabruck	�
2 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Boulogne	Coastal defences - morning mission
4 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Boulogne	Coastal defences
5 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Boulogne	Coastal defences
6 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Ouistreham	D-Day defences - morning mission
7 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Nantes	�
8 Jun 1944	R Cumming /	Tours	�
10 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Morlaix airdrome (recalled)	�
12 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Rosieres	Serious damage to right wing, fuselage and radio room
14 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Le Culot airfield (abortive)	�
18 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Brunsbuttelkoog	Returned with two bombs hung up
20 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Fallersleben	�
21 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Frantic shuttle to Russia	Landed near Kieve short of fuel
26 Jun 1944	K J Dille /	Drobhabycz	Shuttle flight from Russia to Italy
3 Jul 1944	K J Dille / J L Passerino	Arod, Rumania	Flown from Italy
5 Jul 1944	K J Dille /	Beziers	Flown with 95BG returning from Italy
8 Jul 1944	L G Bennett /	Clamecy - Joigny RR bridge	�
11 Jul 1944	C W Woldt /	Munich	�
12 Jul 1944	D L Darby / F B Musser	Munich	�
13 Jul 1944	F A Ricci /	Munich	�
14 Jul 1944	J R Ransom /	Southern France	Supplies to French Resistance
17 Jul 1944	F A Ricci /	Ludwigshaven	�
18 Jul 1944	R Cumming /	Kiel - Hemmingstadt	�
19 Jul 1944	H W Dickert /	Schweinfurt	�
20 Jul 1944	K J Dille /	Merseberg	Merseburg : Blood, Flak & Oil.
21 Jul 1944	K J Dille /	Ludwigshaven	�
24 Jul 1944	K J Dille /	St Lo	Tactical ground support
25 Jul 1944	J Passerino /	St Lo	Tactical ground support
28 Jul 1944	F A Ricci /	Merseberg	Merseburg : Blood, Flak & Oil.
29 Jul 1944	W B Kennedy /	Merseberg	Merseburg : Blood, Flak & Oil.
31 Jul 1944	F A Ricci /	Munich	�
2 Aug 1944	F A Ricci /	Torgnier - La Fiere	�
3 Aug 1944	F A Ricci /	Troyes	�
4 Aug 1944	F A Ricci /	Hamburg	�
5 Aug 1944	F A Ricci /	Magdeburg	Returned early, jettisoned bombs (non-sortie)
11 Aug 1944	R L Stevenson /	Villacoublay airfield	�
14 Aug 1944	R L Stevenson /	Ludwigshaven	�
15 Aug 1944	F A Ricci /	Venlo airfield	�
24 Aug 1944	O E Hopkins / F Read	Ruhland	�
25 Aug 1944	D L Darby / F B Musser	Politz	Possible clerical error
26 Aug 1944	F A Ricci /	Brest	Gun batteries
30 Aug 1944	O E Hopkins / F Read	Bremen	�
3 Sep 1944	O E Hopkins / F Read	Brest	Gun batteries -- made two runs over target
5 Sep 1944	F A Ricci /	Stuttgart	�
8 Sep 1944	F A Ricci /	Mainz	�
9 Sep 1944	F A Ricci /	Dusseldorf	�
12 Sep 1944	L G Bennett /	Magdeburg	�
13 Sep 1944	D N Ellison /	Sindelfingen	�
18 Sep 1944	C J Hedin /	Warsaw	Second "Frantic" shuttle to Russia
19 Sep 1944	C J Hedin /	Szolnok	�
25 Sep 1944	F A Ricci /	Ludwigshaven	�
26 Sep 1944	H W Dickert /	Bremen	�
27 Sep 1944	W B Kennedy /	Ludwigshaven	�
28 Sep 1944	F A Ricci /	Merseberg	Merseburg : Blood, Flak & Oil.
30 Sep 1944	C Williams /	Bielefeld	�
5 Nov 1944	?	Ludwigshaven	Category AC (serious) damage - flak hit #7 tokyo tank
26 Nov 1944	?	Hamm	Category A damage
30 Nov 1944	?	Merseberg	Landed at Brussels Merseburg : Blood, Flak & Oil.
6 Feb 1945	A Munoz /	Bohlen	�
9 Feb 1945	A Munoz /	Weimer	Camera a/c
15 Feb 1945	?	Cottbus	�
17 Feb 1945	A Munoz /	Frankfurt / Giessen	�
19 Feb 1945	A Munoz /	Osnabruck / Munster	�
21 Feb 1945	A Munoz /	Nurnberg	Category A damage "Hole a foot long in horizontal stabilizer", 2ft from (TG) Jack Ford' shoulder!
25 Feb 1945	A Munoz /	Munich	Returned early with runaway #1 prop - (non-sortie)
26 Feb 1945	L L Bazin /	Berlin	�
2 Mar 1945	L J Lazzari /	Ruhland / Dresden	Flew C sqn, lead flight 2nd element
7 Mar 1945	A Munoz /	Siegen	�
8 Mar 1945	P R Powell /	Langendeer/Giessen	Flew C sqn, low flight
12 Mar 1945	A Munoz /	Oranienburg; (Swinemunde)	Flew C sqn, led low flight
14 Mar 1945	J M Harbison /	Hannover / Seitz	Flew B sqn, low flight
15 Mar 1945	A Munoz /	Oranienburg	Flew B sqn, led low flight
18 Mar 1945	A Munoz /	Berlin & Falkenburg	Flew B sqn, led low flight
19 Mar 1945	G A Plank /	Lutzkendorf, Fulda & Jena	Flew B sqn, low flight
21 Mar 1945	A Munoz /	Plauen / Handorf	Category A damage
22 Mar 1945	A Munoz /	Alhorn	�
28 Mar 1945	A Munoz /	Hanover	Flew B sqn, led 3rd element - camera a/c
3 Apr 1945	A Munoz	Kiel	Flew A sqn, 2nd element
4 Apr 1945	J W Johnson /	Kiel	Flew C sqn, 1st element
5 Apr 1945	D J Wallish /	Nurnburg	�
7 Apr 1945	R W Wilkes /	Buchen	Flew A sqn, 2nd element
8 Apr 1945	A Munoz /	Eger marshalling yards	Flew C sqn, 3rd element
9 Apr 1945	A Munoz /	Munich Reim AF	Flew D sqn, led 3rd element
11 Apr 1945	C F Dixon /	Landshut	Flew A sqn, 3rd element
14 Apr 1945	P W Schmidt /	Royan	Flew C sqn, 3rd element
15 Apr 1945	P R Powell /	Royan	Flew D sqn, 3rd element
16 Apr 1945	I W Rosenbaum /	Royan	�
17 Apr 1945	J A Lantz /	Aussig	�
19 Apr 1945	H L Hendricks /	Practice	Non sortie, flew A sqn, 2nd element
20 Apr 1945	H L Hendricks /	Oranienburg	�
20 Apr 1945	H L Hendricks /	Oranienburg;	�
25 Apr 1945	A Munoz /	Practice	Non sortie, flew A sqn, 3rd element
1 May 1945	A Munoz /	Chowhound - Hague	Food drop to Dutch civilians;
2 May 1945	J D McGeorge /	Chowhound - Schipol	Food drop to Dutch civilians
3 May 1945	H L Hendricks /	Chowhound - Bergen	Food drop to Norwegian civilians, D sqn, 3rd element
4 May 1945	R N Grover / C J O'Leary	Chowhound (scrubbed)	Non sortie
5 May 1945	R N Grover / C J O'Leary	Chowhound - Hilvresum	Food drop to Dutch civilians
6 May 1945	H L Hendricks /	Chowhound - Schipol	Food drop to Dutch civilians
7 May 1945	A Munoz /	Chowhound - Schipol	Food drop to Dutch civilians
15 May 1945	A Munoz /	Horsching	POW ferry
16 May 1945	Drottmer /	Horsching	POW ferry -- Undercarriage collapsed, bulldozed clear by tank
SALVAGED

PHOTOS:

The Latest Rumor Crash site of 351st aircraft EP-D (100th Photo Archives) 

 This is an official army photo of "THE LATEST RUMOR" nose art sent to me by a Richard Rock who gave me permission to use that photo, with official army id and numbers on it. Courtesy Joe Hall Collection 

The ground crew of "The Latest Rumor" (from the collection of Bill Carleton)

 Full side view of the B-17G "THE LATEST RUMOR" as taken by Joe Hall. Courtesy Joe Hall Collection 

 Full front view of "THE LATEST RUMOR" showing the two inside engines off the plane to be rebuilt... bare engine mounts showing. Courtesy Joe Hall Collection 

 "THE LATEST RUMOR" (100th Photo Archives) 

The Latest Rumor with undercarriage failure at Horching AF in Austria, 5/15/1945 Lt Drottar was Pilot. (100th BG Archives)

The Latest Rumor with undercarriage failure at Horching AF in Austria May 15, 1945, Lt Drottar was Pilot

The Latest Rumor on Hardstand 
EP-D The Latest Rumor pulling into hardstand. Photo courtesy of Al Arreola collection. 
		
The Latest Rumor (A/C 42-97126), Wilbur Kreamer's A-2 jacket. Wilbur was the CP on the 2nd Lt. Armand Munoz crew.
 T/Sgt J. Ingram and Sgt Jimmy Ball (ground crew) "THE LATEST RUMOR" 
 This is a photo of "Shorty." He was on the ground crew and was working on Joe Hall's bomber at the time. His job was to keep those four huge engines on "THE LATEST RUMOR" running at their best Courtesy Joe Hall Collection 
 The Armand Munoz Crew with The Latest Rumor. L to R Front: Frank Popoli, Armand Munoz, Wilbur Kreamer. Back: Jack Ford, Sal DiBartolo, George Holden, Red Schneider, Bob Shuck, Frank Accordino. (Photo from the John Ford collection, courtesy of Mark Harrington) Munoz crew information 
 "THE LATEST RUMOR" with her Ground Crew: Standing from left; (Last names only are available) Joe Niehaus (The Crew Chief), N. B. Newsome, and Bald. Kneeling is Ingram. (100th Photo Archives) 
Ralph N. Grover, Jr. Crew (left to right)
Standing: Robert L. Mayton, Ralph N. Grover, Jr., Cornelius J. O'Leary and John B. Murphy
Kneeling: Wilburn E. Rice, Clifford E. Sherman, Jr. and Howard T. Callaway.
Photo courtesy of Cornelius J. O'Leary