The story of a B-17F bomber whose tail fell into the void with a gunner inside in WWII

World War II is full of amazing stories related to the many airmen who participated in it.

The anonymous Czech prisoner who saved an American B-17 bomber in World War II
Ye Olde Pub: The American B-17 bomber saved by a German Bf-109 fighter pilot

One of the most amazing stories took place on November 29, 1943, during a mission of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) over Germany. Hundreds of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers participated in that mission, including the B-17F-100-BO with serial number 42-30359, nicknamed "Rikki Tikki Tavi," belonging to the 339th Bomb Squadron of the 96th Bomb Group.

After dropping its bombs on its designated target in Bremen, the Rikki Tikki Tavi was hit by German fighter fire and fell behind the rest of its formation. Once out of the cover of the remaining bombers, the German fighters took advantage of the lone B-17F in revenge for the bombing of Bremen. The American bomber demonstrated extraordinary resistance to enemy fire, but its tail section eventually broke off.

The plane was carrying ten crew members. Only two survived. One of them was Second Lieutenant Jesse E. Orrison, the bomber's navigator, who managed to parachute out. The tail gunner, Sergeant Eugene P. Moran, fell into the tail of the plane, without having the chance to bail out, since he was badly wounded and his parachute had been damaged by the gunfire. The tail landed in a wooded area, which cushioned the impact, so that Moran managed to survive the fall in the German town of Syke, a few miles south of Bremen. Moran and Orrison were taken prisoner but survived the war.

Moran's incredible story might have been lost to obscurity if it weren't for the other survivor of the "Rikki Tikki Tavi" who confirmed his testimony. After a grueling captivity and upon his release, Moran was discharged on December 1, 1945, with the rank of Staff Sergeant and having received two Purple Hearts, the Air Medal with Gold Leaf Cluster, the European Theater Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. Moran returned to his hometown of Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, where he married and had nine children. On October 18, 2008, his hometown named a street after him. Moran passed away on March 23, 2014, at the age of 90.

A friend of Moran's, John Armbruster told his story in the book "Tailspin", published in April 2022. A few days ago, the Yarnhub channel posted an excellent video telling his story: