His aircraft the B-17 #42-3216 “Joker” was on a mission to bomb the ball bearings factory in Schweinfurt, Germany when the aircraft was hit by enemy flak. The nose was blown off and the plane blew up over Rambluzin-et-Benoite-Vaux, Meuse, France. Kopf had been shot in the head and chest while in his pilot seat and he went down with the aircraft. Seven crew members were killed. Three parachuted out and evaded capture.

7 crew members KIA:

Pilot: 2nd Lt. William Kopf, IA

Co-Pilot: 2nd St. Alfred W. Scott, Jr., CA

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Toscha Massey, MO

Ball Turret Gunner: S/Sgt. Clyde Smith, WY

Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. Lee Roy Bernard, LA

Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. Anthony P. Perroni, MA

Tail Gunner: Sgt. Elton Buddemeyer, MO

3 Evaded capture and returned to duty:

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. Eugene Connor,

Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Sgt. Hugh Mauritho,

Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Herbert E. Yeryar,(1921-1973) IN

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

Leeroy Bernard