12 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Ghost Plane at The Battle of the Bulge

by Ralph Coleman Graham

The cloud cover had finally begun to clear after 8 days and nights. It was time for action. Both the Allies and the German forces had prepared for what was coming. It was likely to be the turning point of the air battle over Europe. Like most other airmen on both sides of the war, we knew how important our mission was this day. It could very well be the beginning of the end for the Nazi air forces, or it could set back our surge into Germany many months. Such was the mindset of most every member of the air group as we set our sights on the beginning of the most ambitious air assault ever. We were all nervous and afraid yet anxious to take off and do what we had trained for so long. Our ship was brand new and had been tested over and over for any possibility of malfunction. We were ready and so was our ship. Then, the unthinkable happened... The events which followed, set the stage for one of the most mysterious happenings of that day. It was to haunt everyone in the crew for the rest of their lives and change the course of history for all on board.

82 pages, Paperback

Published August 24, 2020

Reviews

[Graham Clayton · Rating 2 out of 5]

A misleading title for the book. The "Ghost Plane" was a B-17 of the 487th Bombardment Group that was delayed, and took part in the second wave of attacks against German forces in the Battle of the Bulge. The first wave were attacked by German fighters and received terrible losses. When Graham and his crew returned to their airfield after the raid, their squad commander thought he was looking at a ghost. He wasn’t told they had missed their original assignment and presumed they too had been shot down. There wasn't any paranormal vision of a B-17 - just a breakdown in communication.
The episode is only a very small part of the book, which is basically a small autobiography of the author after leaving high school in 1940.

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as I can tell from this rambling, confusing account, the untold story of this ghost plane remains untold.

[Tanya Kiefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one man's story of his military career during WWII. It is a short quick read and decently written.