SSgt Niles D. Loudenslager, waist gunner of the B-17 42-29767 “Boothill”, took off from Bristol, UK at 0830 on a bombing mission to the prisoner transit point at the Lorient train station. However, their ball turret went out of commission on the way over due to its oxygen valve freezing open after refilling the oxygen bottle. While the bombing results were good, the plane was hit during its bombing run by flak at 1205. No 3 engine was hit, then No 2. It poured smoke and oil onto the fuselage. Then the stabilizers were hit and they fell out of formation. Joining the following Bomb Group, they flew back over Brest, slowing to 150mph in order to stay together. But Fw-190 fighters came out and harassed them, poking more holes in the fuselage and killing their tail gunner. Loudenslager got hit in the leg. Dropping out of formation, the pilot ordered the crew to bail out at 1230, about 6 km NW of Spezet. Loudenslager jumped through the jammed waist door. Despite having holes, his chute carried him down, where he landed safely by hugging his injured leg. The French bandaged his leg, hid his parachute, and brought him into the woods to link up with Lt Haltom. Later that night, they linked up with Sgts Marshall and Wells, and Loudenslager escaped through the Bourblanc/Bourgogne/Pyrenees route. He returned to the UK on August 21st, 1943. His full E&E report can be read at http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-80.pdf.