Workmen in the Netherlands discovered the remains of an Army Air Forces P-47 that crashed in 1943 during a bomber escort mission returning from Germany. Workmen found the wreckage in April and Royal Netherlands Air Force and local officials near Oude-Tonge began excavations that led to its identification as a fighter flown by Lt. Robert Stover, a member of the 56th Fighter Group “Wolfpack,” part of Eighth Air Force. A German Fw-190 hit Stover’s P-47; he bailed out but died upon impact after his parachute failed to deploy.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
