Last Mission of Lady Jane II: The Life and Death of an 8th Air Force B-17 and Her Crew

On March 18, 1945, the B-17G "Lady Jane II" lifted off from her base at Deenethorpe, England; she never returned. The story is one of deep tragedy and survival, of sacrifice, and of the love the crew had for each other as brothers in arms. The bomber was severely damaged by flak as she flew over the target in Germany; as she limped out of Berlin and headed back to her base, she was set upon by a group of Hitler’s secret weapon, the Me 262 jet fighter. This was the first time in history that an entire group of jet pursuit aircraft had fought as a unit in combat. The bomber was struck in the number 2 engine and erupted in flames. Most of the crew bailed out; somewhat mysteriously, one did not. Three crew members were senselessly shot after they landed safely in their parachutes. This book delves deeply into that tragedy.

Lisa A. Vans is a veteran of the US Army Military Police Corps. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Nevada and is a lifelong lover of military history.