the330thbg wrote:
so how did the wing get bent so badly?
That isn't so bad really.
At least it is a complete wing.
There does look like a B-17 far off on L/H side of photo so probably the base isn't far.
Wing could have made contact when it 1st hit or on a bounce as he traveled thru the uneven terrain.
The drop tank on the L/H side still looks pretty well centered on the shackle.
If he had fuel in the fuselage tank that would have added to the sink rate.
Often though if they hit with a really high sink rate the horizontal will fail about 2/3 of the way toward the tip and can actually bend down or up.
Rich