Douglas A. Schetter.

Douglas Schetter joined the crew as co-pilot following the death of Peter Scott over Hamburg in November 1944, stepping into a role that carried its own weight. He appears in the crew photo taken March 24, 1945, seated in the bottom row — one mission away from the end.

On April 7, 1945, during Mission 34 over Geesthacht southeast of Hamburg, a German fighter closed on the formation. In the chaos of the moment, it was recognized too late — possibly initially mistaken for friendly P-51s. A 30mm cannon shell came through the armor plate beside the pilot's seat, angled rearward, and exploded behind the pilots. A fragment from the blast drove through Schetter's left knee and lodged near his hip.

He was rushed to the hospital after landing. The crew's 35th and final mission flew the following day without him.