There is a artical i read discusses the destruction of an RAF B-17C Fortress I AN 525 WP-D by Lt. Jakobi on September 8, 1941 during a raid in Southern Norway. In May, 1941 five B-17s were delivered to England and became part of 90 Sqn of Bomber Command. On September 8, 1941 four B-17s were dispatched on a bombing mission to Southern Norway. The aircraft included:
AN 525 WP-D - Shot down by Lt. Jakobi over Norway.
AN 532 WP-J - Returned to England before reaching the target and was the only machine not damaged during this sortie.
AN 533 WP-N - Flown by Squadron Leader Mathieson also turned back and did not bomb the target due to technical problems.
AN 535 WP-O - Piloted by Mick Wood, was the second B-17 to come under attack by Lt. Steinicke and jettisoned its bombs. Two engined were severely damaged and the observer was mortally wounded. The crew's oxygen supply was also damaged and the pilot had a very difficult time making his way back to a landing in Kinloss, Scotland. This aircraft was thought by the Germans to have been destroyed along with WP-D.
Lt. Jakobi and Lt. Steinicke flew Bf109Ts and were at an altitude of 8600 meters flying a combat patrol from West to East when Lt. Jakobi first saw the formation of B-17s about 400 meters behind them. Lt. Jakobi identified the aircraft as Boeing's and got into attack position. He began firing his machine guns as he approached the nearest B-17 in the formation and almost simultaneously Lt. Steinicke became involved in the attack firing on a B-17 at a lower level.
As Lt. Jakobi closed on the B-17 he began firing his cannon and saw strikes on the forward section of the fuselage. He continued firing and saw strikes on the port outer engine which began emitting plumes of smoke. In his report of this mission, Lt. Jakobi indicated that the B-17 went into a spin and dove vertically until it exploded about 2000 meter below him at plan quadrant 7849. Lt. Jakobi later took a photo of portion of the rear fuselage and port blister of WP-D which crashed near Bygland.
General Lt. Harmjanz sent a congratulatory letter for destroying 2 B-17s on September 8, 1941. However, several facts and other accounts have drawn into question the details involving this incident. and in fact some have said that Uffz. Woite of I./JG 77 was the first to shoot down a B-17 Fortress although records indicate that his abschuss occurred later on September 17, 1941. As a last statement, the first US B-17 was recorded to have been shot down by Hptm. Meyer, Kommandeur of II./JG 26 on September 6, 1942 at 18:55 northwest of Amiens.
