One such incident, involving conventional bombs, occurred on the night of July 5, 1943.
A memorial erected on the 50th anniversary of the incident.
Photo credit:Ryan Lowery/Flickr
The four B-17 bombers reached Boise City shortly before half past midnight.
By then most of the 1,200 residents of the town had already gone to bed.
Most of the lights of the small town had been shut off.
Only the lights surrounding the Cimarron County Courthouse was glowing.
The third bomb struck between the sidewalk and curb, and by sheer luck, missed a gasoline tanker.
The fourth bomb also came narrowly close to striking a parked fuel transport truck.
A memorial erected on the 50th anniversary of the incident.
Photo credit:Nate/Flickr
The county sheriff knew immediately that Dalhart trainees had somehow gotten off course.
He raced down the street to the telephone office and began calling the base.
His colleagues replied that they were positive.
Several minutes of confusion ensued with Dalhart tower insisting that the crew was on the wrong target.
Up above, the B-17 officers thought they had hit the main switch when the lights went out.
Although they made plenty of noise and left craters all over the town, no significant damage was made.
Incidentally, none of them hit the courthouse the rookies were targeting.
The blundering crew were hurriedly called back to Dalhart and an investigation was held.
The crew chose combat.
On the memorials dedication ceremony all surviving crew members of the ill-fated training mission were invited.
None of them showed up.
They were still too embarrassed.
Cimarron County Courthouse, the building that was targeted, still stands unhurt.
