The Paths of Liberation—The Pilsen Region
Křimice
Křimice

A stone memorial to American pilots with a fragment of a crashed plane

In memory of the American pilots shot down on April 25, 1945.

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Event description

Ten American pilots died near Křimice—formerly an independent village, now a district in Pilsen—during the bombardment of the Škoda Works in Pilsen, which was the last major German arms plant in the final phase of the war. Nearly 300 bombers took part in the raid. Seven of these were shot down; four crash-landed very close to Pilsen, near Křimice and Vejprnice, and also Čemíny and Litice. A total of 22 American soldiers died during these events.

Monument

The monument in Křimice, which was relocated to the close vicinity of two other memorials in 2014, is dedicated to the airmen of two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. The first was hit by a German flak cannon and crashed into the meadows between Skvrňany and Křimice towards Radčice, while the second fell near Vejprnice.

Location: Křimice
Date of events: Wednesday, April 25, 1945

Army unit: 2nd US ID / 23rd IR

1 - Memorial site:
Stone memorial to American pilots with a fragment of a crashed plane
“PAMÁTCE AMERICKÝCH LETCŮ SESTŘELENÝCH 25. 4. 1945” (“IN MEMORY OF THE AMERICAN PILOTS SHOT DOWN ON APRIL 25, 1945”)
left side: R. J. Dobson, C. W. Evans, W. E. Fanning, D. L. Fay, F. H. Kelley
right side: W. W. Meikle, H. G. Moss, L. E. Slane, V. L. Stewart
Address: Křimické náměstí
GPS: 49°45'28.508"N, 13°18'24.030"E
Date of installation: 1996, relocated in 2014


2 - Memorial site:
Memorial plaque dedicated by the municipality of Křimice on the 50th anniversary of its liberation by the US Army in May 1945
Address: Městský úřad, Prvomájová 100/21, Plzeň - Křimice
GPS: 49°45'21.912"N, 13°18'16.227"E
Date of installation: 1995