Aviation secrets

Hello All,
one special question i have since long:
Have there been any orders for pilots in case of going down in enemy area how to save and protect military secrets regarding the plane and its technics? Should they destroy plane parts, (when, how?), should they prefer a crash  instead of a belly landing or better always bail out.
Thanks for information
dnalor
 

I recall a small panel located approximately center on the top of the cockpit instrument panel with two RED buttons, to set off explosives,in the event of crash landing in hostile territory.
 
An item other than the Norden Bombsight, was the IFF radio..("I"dentification.."F"riend or "F"oe), installed at the Radio Operator's station.
 
When we were routed thru Valley, Wales, (we had a three day layover, on our ferry flight to deliver a new B-17 to Italy,and the 15th AF), a cloth holder with pockets with pyrotechnic  thermite bombs and other devices, was installed opposite the aft main entrance entrance door, to be used if we had to either land, or crash land in Spain, on our ferry flight to Italy.
 
If we survived a crash landing,we were to destroy the sensitive equipment, burn the aircraft, and attempt to escape and make our way to friendly territory,if possible.
 
If we had to land  in Portugal, we were to turn the aircraft and ourselves into the Portuguese Authorities...and the aircraft and crew, would be traded for a C-47,......and the B-17, with our crew, and the crew of the traded C-47, would return to England.
 
We had a bit of a scare when there was a break in the cloud cover below us, and we saw land...which meant we were over Spain....and we quickly made our way back over to the ocean,and then continued our ferry flight to Marrakech, Morocco, and on to Italy.
 
Spain was friendly to the Germans during WW II.
 
I logged 10 hours and 10 minutes on the ferry flight from Valley,Wales,to Marrakech, Morrocco.
 
Jim :-)
 
 

Richard...I am not sure of the exact location of this panel...but,there was a similar one on top of the cockpit instrument panel...and if I recall correctly there was one above  the radio operator's table in the B-17.
 
I don't know the function of both of them..but, I recall seeing both of them.,
 
A radio operator could better explain the location and function of them....I was the flight engneer,and I had my hands full with the aircraft structure,engines,and systems other than the navigator,bombardier,and radio equipment,
 
Bill Runnels was a bombardier, and I think that there are  others who were radio operators.
 
My scanty knowledge was picked up through listening and observing.
 
Jim :-)

Hello dear Contributors,
thanks for this great information, precise, reliable, exciting.
All I knew about was by "hear say", now I have truth not rumor.
Glad to say, that Bill Runnels is in my mailing list, will contact him as well.
On German side I knew about the secret construction of the "Command apparatus" for raising the Me 106 engine power. It was highly protected against espionage during its assambling.
Nowadays a little computer in every modern car is stearing the car engine on the former technical idea.
Greetings
 dnalor
 

I have also read that at some point there was a metal box with a thermite grenade inside it, and the bombardier was to remove the bomb sight and put it in the box and then pull a ring which would set off  the grenade.   I think at different times during the war, or in different groups the method of destruction varied.  

On related note, did Germans ever managed to get their hands on a working Norden Bombsight?

Any records of them trying to reproduce it? Did they even thought of it as significant?