Random Flights IV: Aviators from NARA’s Photo Collection of Aviators: One Day in August – Lieutenants Voorhis H. Day, Robert M. Stultz, and Arthur Sugas, August 17, 1943

In the nearly eight decades that have ensued since 1943, a huge amount of literature – popular, professional, and academic – has been devoted to 8th Air Force’s Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission of August 17, 1943.  Perhaps this has been inevitable, given the gravity and significance of the loss of sixty B-17 Flying Fortresses incurred during the “Mission Number 84”.  It would seem that most such literature has focused on the events of the mission from vantage point of the tactics and strategy of heavy bombardment.

However, another aspect of the Mission 84 – certainly recorded; certainly noted; certainly in the historical record – was the loss of three P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group.  As described by Martin Middlebrook in The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission – American Raids on 17 August 1943:

“The Americans suffered some casualties.  In the 62nd Squadron, Lieutenant Voorhis Day and his wingman, Lieutenant Robert Stultz, were seen to go down on some of the Messerschmitt 110s and, although their voices were heard happily talking about a possible success for Day, neither was seen again by their fellow pilots.  It is probable that both were caught by German single-engined fighters.  ‘Daisy’ Day’s friends later tried to secure for him the credit for shooting down two Messerschmitt 110s, but confirmation of this was not granted by American authorities.  The third American casualty occurred in that part of the 63rd Squadron which had remained aloft, the officer leading two flights of P-47s preferring to stay as high cover well above the battle – much to the annoyance of the other pilots in those fighters.  These American fighters were then ‘jumped’ by two German planes coming down from an even greater altitude and the P-47 of Lieutenant Arthur Sugas was shot down.  Lieutenant Harold Comstock promptly attacked and shot down one of the Germans but was later disgusted to be fined £5 by his flight leader for breaking formation without orders.  Comstock says, ‘My very first enemy aircraft destroyed had cost me twenty bucks!  I was sorry to have seen my friend Sugas go down but I have to be honest and say that the elation of my first success was by far the uppermost emotion at that moment.  I didn’t know he was dead; I really thought he would get out.’  Lieutenants Sugas, Day and Stultz, all original members of the 56th Fighter Group when it came to England, died.  Their P-47s crashed between Liege and Maastricht.  Five German pilots from three different Luftwaffe units claimed these American fighters.”

These three pilots were lost in the following aircraft; recorded in the following Missing Air Crew Reports:

1 Lt. Voorhis H. Day, 62nd Fighter Squadron: P-47D 42-7891, LM * M, in MACR 264

1 Lt. Robert M. Stultz, 62nd Fighter Squadron: P-47C 41-6398, LM * H, Joan L. Sullivan, MACR 263

1 Lt. Arthur Sugas, 63rd Fighter Squadron: P-47C 41-6372, UN * S, MACR 265

Something a b o u t the loss of these pilots – three fighter planes and three men, versus sixty bombers and some six hundred men – reminded me of a literary trope not uncommonly found in association with works of literature (typically fiction, but not always fiction) related to military history, pertaining to losses, casualties, and the deaths of soldiers, as viewed through the vastly larger scope of any randomly chosen day’s events.  To the effect that, “Our losses were light today.  We only lost ‘so-and-so’ number of men.”  Maybe so, but not so “light” if you’re one of that number. 

And so, when I reviewed the portraits in the collection Photographic Prints of Air Cadets and Officers, Air Crew, and Notables in the History of Aviation – NARA RG 18-PU, at the United States National Archives, and discovered images of Day, Stultz, and Sugas, a bell of recognition rang quietly within my memory. 

So, these images appear below.  

I’ve included links to the three pilots’ biographical profiles at FindAGrave, and for Day and Stultz, have included images of the German Luftgaukommando Reports reporting the shoot-downs of their planes.  These reports aren’t the (perhaps?) more well-known “J Reports”, but instead AV (Amerikaner Vorgaenge [“American Incident”]) reports: AV 245 / 43 for Day, and, AV 374 / 43 for Stultz; there doesn’t seem to be one for Sugas.  I’ve also included several Buffalo city newspaper articles about Voorhis Day, found via Tom Tryniski’s Fulton.History website.    

Notably, the Wikipedia entry for the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission mentions the loss of two Spitfires of Number 403 (RCAF) Squadron.  These aircraft, both Spitfire IXs, were on afternoon Ramrod 206 to Ghent, Belgium.  Aircraft MA615, piloted by F/Sgt. Graham Milton Shouldice, collided with aircraft LZ997, piloted by F/Lt. W.C. Conrad, DFC.  MA615 crashed into the sea, but Conrad was able to bail out successfully.  Evading capture, he returned to England via Spain by October 10, 1943.  Other Fighter Command losses that day were Mosquito VI HX826 of No. 25 Squadron (both crew POWs), Typhoon 1B DN553 of No. 182 Squadron (pilot killed), and a Spitfire IX of No. 341 Squadron (fate of pilot unknown). 

And so, the portraits. 

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First Lieutenant Voorhis H. Day

Voorhis H. Day, at FindAGrave

Amerikaner Vorgaenge (AV) Report AV 245 / 43

Note that at the time of the filing of this report, Voorhis was unidentified.

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Army Air Corps To Train Youth

Buffalo Courier Express

October 27, 1939

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Buffaloian Graduated From Army Air School

Buffalo Evening News

April 26, 1940

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Day-Zimmerman (wedding)

Buffalo Evening News

June 4, 1942

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4 From WNY Killed; Buffaloian Flying In Asia Shot Down

Buffalo Evening News

February 24, 1944

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In The Nation’s Service

by Betty Harries

Buffalo Evening News

April 1, 1944

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First Lieutenant Robert Mark Stultz

Robert M. Stultz, at FindaGrave

Amerikaner Vorgaenge (AV) Report 374 / 43

Note the English-language translation, below.

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First Lieutenant Arthur Sugas

MACR 265

While circling bombers over Ans approximately 30 FW 190’s made a head on attack on the bombers.  I was flying Postgate White 4, and Lt. Sugas, Postgate White 3.  Two FW-190s closed in on us at about 29,000 feet, and started firing.  I tried to contact Lt. Sugas over the R/T, but was unable to reach him.  I broke into the E/A and dove down.  This was the last I saw of Lt. Sugas.  I do not believe he followed me down.

George A. Compton

2nd Lt., A.C.

Arthur Sugas, at FindAGrave

References

Franks, Norman L.R., Royal Air Force Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War – Volume 2 – Operational Losses: Aircraft and Crews 1942-1943, Midland Publishing, Limited, Leicester, England, 1998

Middlebrook, Martin, The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission – American Raids on 17 August 1943, Penguin Books, London, England, 1985 (pp. 259-260)