When Germans Cut His B-17 in Half at 24,000 Feet — He Kept Shooting All the Way Down
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“The Unlikely Survivor: How Tail Gunner Eugene Moran Defied the Odds After Falling 24,000 Feet”
On November 29th, 1943, Staff Sergeant Eugene Moran experienced something that defied every law of probability. At 19 years old, a farm boy from Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, Moran found himself in the most dangerous position imaginable: the tail section of a B-17 Flying Fortress named Ricky Tikitavi. The mission was a bombing raid over Bremen, Germany, and it would prove to be the defining moment of Moran’s life.
At 11:32 a.m., Moran was sitting at his post in the tail gunner’s seat, one of the loneliest positions in the bomber. Behind him lay 40 feet of fuselage, a distance that separated him from the rest of the crew. His job was simple but vital—he had to protect the bomber’s most vulnerable spot from German fighters, but today, that job would put him in the crosshairs of an enemy determined to take him down.
The Bomber Raid Over Bremen
The Ricky Tikitavi was part of a larger formation of B-17 bombers sent by the Eighth Air Force to target the industrial city of Bremen, a vital hub for the Nazi war machine. This was to be one of the most dangerous missions of World War II. Bremen was surrounded by strong German defenses, and the bomber crews knew it. Six B-17s had already been shot down within the first hour of the raid. The skies were filled with German fighters, swarming toward the bombers like angry hornets.
Moran’s B-17 was just one of over 300 aircraft participating in the raid, and as the mission progressed, the situation became increasingly dire. Each bomber formation flew in tight boxes, offering overlapping fields of fire to defend against the fighters. The strategy was designed to provide protection for the bombers by concentrating their firepower into a single unit. However, it was a dangerous tactic. A direct hit on one aircraft often took down others, as shrapnel and debris could easily damage neighboring planes.
As Ricky Tikitavi approached Bremen, the sky erupted with bursts of flak from anti-aircraft batteries, and the planes had to maintain a straight, level flight path for the bomb run. It was a sitting duck in a storm of shrapnel. Moran, sitting at the rear of the aircraft, felt the first tremors of what was to come. The bomber formation was already under attack when Ricky Tikitavi dropped its bombs on the target, 4,000 pounds of high explosives tumbling toward the factories below.
The mission was accomplished. But now, the crew had to survive the flight home.
The Attack on Ricky Tikitavi
As Ricky Tikitavi began its turn toward England, the aircraft faced yet another wave of attacks. The bomber’s number two engine was hit by a burst of flak and began to lose power. Without the speed and maneuverability of the full formation, Ricky Tikitavi was now a sitting target.
Moran, isolated in the tail section, saw the German fighters begin to close in. They came at the bomber from every direction, first appearing below, then diving from above. As the tail gunner, Moran was their first target. His job was to fire upon any fighters that approached from behind, but now, with the bomber in trouble, the German pilots were coming from all angles.
Despite the overwhelming odds, Moran held his position and kept firing. His twin .50 caliber machine guns roared to life, sending tracer rounds streaking through the sky. The first fighter broke off its attack after Moran’s burst of fire. But there were more—many more. The Germans attacked in waves, some coming in pairs, while others targeted Moran directly.
Moran swung his guns from target to target, his arms growing tired from the constant firing. The cold at 24,000 feet was unbearable, and the temperature inside the bomber dipped to 43 degrees below zero. His fingers were numb from the cold, and the machine guns heated up from continuous use. Still, Moran didn’t stop. He couldn’t.
The German pilots knew their tactics. They focused on disabling the bomber by targeting its engines and gunners first. The German fighters made their passes, and with each one, the Ricky Tikitavi took more damage. Moran heard the impacts of cannon shells as they ripped through the aluminum fuselage. The bomber began to shudder, and Moran realized something was wrong. He could feel the aircraft starting to break apart.
The Fall From the Sky
Moran’s worst fear was about to be realized. With the bomber losing speed and altitude, the German fighters continued their relentless attack. Then, disaster struck.
A powerful impact struck the tail section. The tail gunner’s compartment began to shake violently as the plane’s fuselage split just forward of Moran’s position. The entire tail section of Ricky Tikitavi broke away from the rest of the aircraft. Moran was sent tumbling out of the sky, still strapped into his seat, surrounded by the wreckage of the bomber.
The tail section continued to spin end over end, and Moran’s body was tossed violently against the walls of the compartment. His arms were severely injured, and blood poured from his wounds. His parachute had been shredded by cannon fire. He was falling, helpless, 24,000 feet to the earth below.
The Impossible Survival
In a moment that seemed like something out of a movie, Moran refused to give up. Even though the tail section was plummeting at terminal velocity, he kept firing his machine guns. The German fighters, who had been circling the wreckage, came too close to the falling tail section, and Moran fired back. One fighter took multiple hits and spiraled down in flames.
Moran’s arms were broken, his body battered, and his parachute destroyed, yet he kept fighting. The tail section’s broken structure acted like a crude glider, and for a brief moment, Moran’s fall slowed, just enough for him to use his remaining strength to keep shooting.
As the ground rushed up to meet him, Moran braced for impact. The tail section collided with the treetops, shattering branches and sending debris flying. The wreckage cartwheeled through the trees before crashing violently to the frozen earth.
Surviving Against All Odds
Miraculously, Eugene Moran survived the fall. His body was badly damaged—both of his arms were shattered, his ribs cracked, and a portion of his skull was exposed. But he was alive.
The German soldiers who discovered him at the crash site saw a man who had defied death itself. They thought he was already dead, but they moved him anyway, dragging him to a military facility where he would spend the next few days in critical condition, surrounded by German soldiers and hopelessness.
Moran’s condition worsened. Without proper medical treatment, his wounds became infected, and he was near death. Yet, against all expectations, he lived. Two Serbian doctors, prisoners of war themselves, performed a grueling surgery to save him. They worked without anesthesia, using crude tools to set his broken bones and repair his skull.
Moran’s body fought the infection, and after several days, he began to heal. His injuries were severe, but he had survived against all odds. His incredible story spread, and his reputation as the man who fell from the sky and kept fighting became legendary.
A Long Road to Recovery
Eugene Moran’s journey didn’t end there. He was moved from one prisoner of war camp to another, enduring unimaginable hardship during his captivity. His health remained precarious, but his determination never wavered. The war raged on, and Moran survived a forced march across Europe in the harshest of conditions.
On April 26th, 1945, Moran and his fellow prisoners were liberated by American forces. He weighed just 93 pounds—nearly half of what he had weighed before the war. But he was alive. He had survived the impossible.
Moran returned to Wisconsin, where he lived a quiet life, raising a family and working on the farm he had dreamed about before the war. Despite his physical scars, Moran’s spirit remained unbroken. He rarely spoke about his experiences, but his legacy lived on.
In 2007, Moran was honored with the Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award by the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs. His story, which had been kept quiet for so many years, was finally shared with the world. Eugene Moran had become a symbol of resilience and courage—an example of what it truly means to fight for survival.
Conclusion:
Eugene Moran’s story is a testament to the indomitable human spirit. From the terrifying moments in the tail gunner’s seat to the incredible survival after falling 24,000 feet, Moran’s life exemplifies what it means to refuse to give up, no matter the odds. His story will continue to inspire generations to come, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, hope and determination can lead to the most extraordinary of outcomes.
The End
