Category: Aviation

The Missing Photos – II: Upon an Endless Sea – A B-24 Liberator Shot Down Over the Central Pacific, 1944 – An Addendum

The prior post – covering photographs of the loss of the 42nd Bomb Squadron B-24 Liberator Dogpatch Express – ended on an uncertain note. 

Both the Missing Air Crew Report and 42nd Bomb Squadron history present detailed accounts of the bomber’s loss.  However, both documents are ambiguous about the specific cause of the aircraft’s loss, let alone what ultimately befell the few survivors of the plane’s ditching.  Given that PBY rescue planes later reported neither survivors nor wreckage at the site of the Express’ ditching, the Squadron history suggested that any surviving crewmen may have been captured by the Japanese, or, they were killed by strafing Zeros. 

There, the matter seemed to rest. 

A search for additional information about the “Grey Geese” and Dogpatch Express yielded a new and rather unexpected account, which appears in the 1996 book 11th Bomb Group (H): The Grey Geese.  There, some fifty-three years after the Taroa bombing mission of December 21 1943, veteran Jesse Stay – whose account of the loss of Dogpatch Express appears in MACR 1423 – presented an account of the event that fully and sadly clarifies what happened to the plane and crew. 

Mr. Stay’s account – presumably written in the 1990s – is presented below. 

It turns out that the plane was initially struck by anti-aircraft fire in the cockpit (oddly, not mentioned in either the MACR or squadron history), to the extent that Lt. Smith was forced to fly, and ditch, the aircraft unassisted.  As for the survivors, the impression is given that they were strafed in the water by more than one Zero (again, not mentioned in the MACR or squadron history). 

Notably, Mr. Stay wrote that the pilot of the Express, 1 Lt. George W. Smith, was filling in for the crew’s regular pilot, Lt. Thompson, who was wounded over Wake on July 24, 1943.  This may explain an aspect of the photo of the Express’ crew, which appears both below, and in the prior blog post:  The fact that a member of the plane’s crew – probably having been wounded – is seated in a wheelchair. 

Could this man be Lt. Thompson? 

THE DOGPATCH EXPRESS AND THE BELLE OF TEXAS
By Jesse Stay

A mission out of Funafuti is worth remembering.  It was on Dec. 20, 1943.  We were bombing Maloelap Island in the Marshall group.  This was shortly after we had taken Tarawa and the Japanese were able to bomb Tarawa from Maloelap.  Our squadron was scheduled to bomb the target in three flights of three planes each.  I was leading the second flight.  We were to bomb from about 12 thousand feet at approximately noon.

My right wing man was scheduled to be Les Scholar but he became ill and was scratched from the mission.  With Les out of the formation, that left only two planes in my flight.  The pilot of the second plane, Lt. Charlie Pratte, flying the “Belle of Texas,” also got sick and began to throw up right after take-off.  He had a capable co-pilot, however, so they decided to continue the mission.

When we reached Maloelap, the first flight went over the target and dropped their bombs without too much difficulty.  We learned later that a 90 mm shell had come up through the open bomb bay doors, through another open door into the back of the airplane and out through the roof of the plane, directly over the heads of the two waist gunners and exploded harmlessly several hundred feet above the plane.

I then led my flight of two planes across the target and we dropped our bombs.  As we cleared the target, we were picked up by a dozen or so Zeros so we tried to close up with the first flight for our mutual protection.  Our tail gunner then told us that the “Dogpatch Express,” flown by Lt. Smith in the third flight, had been badly hit by anti-aircraft fire and was falling behind the formation.  The Zeros were on him like a pack of wolves.

I made a 360 turn with my flight and got in formation with the stricken airplane to try to give him some protection.  At the same time, the leader of the first flight, Lt. Warren Sands, made a turn in the other direction and brought his formation up on the other wing of the plane that had been hit.

Apparently an anti-aircraft shell had exploded inside the cockpit, killing the co-pilot and the top turret gunner.  There was blood all over the cockpit.  Two engines on the right side were out, one of which was on fire.  We fought Zeros and tried to encourage Lt. Smith at the same time.  His crewmen were throwing out all extra weight in the hopes that the plane could fly on the two left engines.  It was too much for the pilot to handle, however, and he finally ditched the plane about 90 miles south of Maloelap.

The plane sand in about 30 seconds.  It appeared to us that some of the crew were in the water so we dropped our life rafts as close as we could to the crash site.  The other flights had left by this time because of lack of fuel.  I stayed around for a few more minutes circling below the clouds at low level, until the Zeros left to return to Maloelap.  They were machine gunning the debris from the crash and any survivors.  We were trying to discourage this with the few guns we had on our two plans.  We were still under attack by the Zeros and there were times on this mission when I could see a hail of tracers coming between my airplane and the “Bell of Texas” on my wing.

Finally Charlie Pratte also had to leave and headed for Tarawa to re-fuel.  He had over 300 holes in his airplane but didn’t have one man wounded.  On one pass the Japanese machine guns had stitched holes the length of his fuselage and had blown up the oxygen tanks which had knocked down the two waist gunners in time for the machine gun bullets to pass through the fuselage where they had been standing.  I later found out that his hydraulic system was also shot out and he landed at the new strip at Tarawa with parachutes tied to the waist and tail guns and which the crewmen deployed as they touched down to slow the airplane because they had no brakes.  We had talked about this possibility before but the crew of the “Belle of Texas” received a commendation from General “Hap” Arnold, Chief of Staff of the Army Air Corps for making the first recorded parachute landing.  This technique is now used for many of our high speed aircraft and on the space shuttle to slow down on landing.

We called for Dumbo rescue but Smitty and the “Dogpatch Express” were never found.  There were no survivors.  Lt. Smith was flying on this mission with the crew of Lt. Thompson who had been wounded over Wake Island on July 24, 1943.

Lt. Pratte had his crew were lost on January 22, 1944 on a low level mine laying mission out of Guam over Chichi Jima.

I landed on Tarawa on the old, bomb pocked strip a little later and after taking on 1,000 gallons of fuel from give gallon cans, we took off for Funafuti, a small atoll about six hundred miles to the south.  We didn’t want to waste fuel climbing to the south, so we decided to stay below the clouds.  For this reason we couldn’t get a fix on the stars and by this time it was dark so that we couldn’t measure our wind drift from the waves below us.  We navigated by dead reckoning for what we estimated to be six hundred miles and then started a square search for our little island.  On our second right angle turn of our square search we saw some faint lights a few miles away and we were soon back on the ground after being gone for 19 hours with 17 hours in the air.  We didn’t have a single hole in our airplane when we examined it after landing.

Reference

May, Bob; Parker, Bud; Gudenschwager, Phil, 11th Bomb Group (H): The Grey Geese, Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, Ky., 1996.

The Missing Photos – II: Upon an Endless Sea – A B-24 Liberator Shot Down Over the Central Pacific, 1944

Previously, I presented photographs from two Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) covering the loss of two 416th Bomb Group A-20 Havoc attack-bombers over France in 1944.  That post concluded on an “upbeat” note:  The six aviators from both planes safely parachuted and survived the war as POWs, eventually returning to the United States.

The circumstances surrounding “this” post – covering the loss of an 11th Bomb Group (…”Gray Geese”…) B-24 Liberator in the Central Pacific Ocean in late 1943 are, sadly, very different.  Though at least some members of the plane’s crew initially survived the ditching of their plane in the Central Pacific, they were never seen again.   

In that sense, this Missing Air Crew Report and the two photographs within it epitomize – in a manner far more powerful than words – the nature of the Pacific air war, some seven decades ago.

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The aircraft in question, B-24D 41-24214 (Dogpatch Express) was one of a group of eight B-24s of the 42nd Bomb Squadron, 11th Bomb Group, 7th Air Force, which staged through Nanomea (the northwestern-most atoll in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu) for a strike against Taroa Island (not to be confused with Tarawa, in the Gilbert Islands!), in the Maloelap Atoll of the Marshall Islands, on December 21, 1943.

Here is a superb photo of Dogpatch Express’ nose art, from Pinterest (via Hawaii.gov):

Here’s another view of the plane (the crewmen are unidentified) appropriately from B-24 Best Web:

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What happened?

The MACR (# 1423) describes the sequence of events surrounding the loss of the bomber in very great detail, an aspect of MACRs covering 7th Air Force B-24 losses which seems to have been quite consistent.  

After the squadron’s bombing run on Taroa, Lt. Smith’s plane was observed to lag behind the other seven bombers, though the specific cause is not delineated in either the MACR or squadron history.  Five other B-24s turned back to provide protection for the Express, with one escorting pilot, Captain Jesse Stay (whose account is presented below) maintaining radio contact with Lt. Smith.  Having already lost his #4 engine, the Express’ #3 engine soon began emitting smoke, upon which 252nd Kokutai Zeros and Hamps (assigned to the defense of Taroa, as described at Pacific Wrecks) – which had been attacking the formation from the time it left the target – began to especially concentrate their fire upon Smith’s aircraft.

Heavily damaged, with its #4 engine out and #3 engine smoking, Lt. Smith lost altitude, and, eventually ditched. 

The Liberator broke in two immediately behind the flight deck, with part of the tail remaining afloat for several minutes.  Throughout, three Zeros, which had probably expended their ammunition, remained in the area to observe the scene. 

Taken together, the accounts of Captain Stay and Lt. Sands indicate that at least three – and possibly four – of the crew survived both the ditching and a strafing run by a solitary Zero.  Two life rafts were deployed, and “water marker” (dye marker?) at the scene was visible from a distance of 10 to 12 miles.

So, at least some of the crew – presumably gunners in the rear of the aircraft – remained alive after the crash. 

Later that day, upon the arrival of two PBYs at the location of the ditching (the time of their arrival is not listed and the naval squadron is unidentified) – nothing was found.  To quote the squadron history: “It was later found that upon arriving at the spot, no trace was found of the survivors, and it is presumed that they either were strafed by returning Jap airplanes or taken prisoner.”  

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The accounts of Captain Stay and Lt. Sands are presented below verbatim, along with a summary of the mission from the records of the 42nd Bomb Squadron:

Captain Stay’s Account

My flight, consisting of myself and Lt. Pratte in A/P #156 followed Capt. Storm’s flight of three airplanes over the target on Taroa Island.  We were followed by “C” flight in which Lt. Smith in A/P #214 was No. 2 man.  We made our run and turned off to the left, increasing our power and diving to catch up with Capt. Storm’s “A” flight.  We had been off of the target approximately 12-15 minutes when S/Sgt. Blackmore, my tail gunner called me to say that one A/P in “C” flight had become a straggler and was being attacked by several Zeros.  As he told me this Lt. Sands in A/P #073, who was flying #2 position in “A” flight pulled out of formation and started a turn back.  My flight of two ships turned with him and at the same time my Co-pilot informed Capt. Storm of the straggler.  Lt. Sands fell in on Lt. Smith’s right wing and I took up a position on his left wing with Lt. Pratte flying on my left wing.

Shortly after this Capt. Storm and his remaining wing man, Lt. Perry in A/P #007 fell into our formation.  At this time we noticed that the #4 engine on A/P #214 was feathered and he had many holes in the fuselage and emphennage of his A/P, and he was losing altitude fast.  Approximately 3 minutes after we joined him in formation his no. 3 engine caught fire giving off a heavy white smoke.

I spoke to Lt. Smith over V.H.F. and suggested that he feather no. 3 engine and try to put cut the fire with his Lux System.  Lt. Smith called back asking me to get Dumbo service for him and I acknowledged.  Shortly after Lt. Smith feathered #3 engine and the fire was apparently extinguished.  From the time that we had left the target we had been having a running fight with from 15 to 20 Zeros.  When Lt. Smith’s #3 engine began to smoke the Zeros began to press their attack and from 7 to 8 overhead passes were made at the formation before Lt. Smith landed his ship in the water.  The Zero pilots made excellent use of the sun and they seemed very experienced in this type of attack.

Lt. Smith had been losing altitude rapidly and when he was at about 3,000 ft. he started #3 engine again and it immediately began to smoke again.  We dropped down through a .4 cumulus cloud cover and our formation circled through a hole to 1000 ft. to watch his landing.  At this time there were still four Zeros in the air but they were apparently out of ammunition because they made no more passes.

Lt. Smith landed in the water at 13:45 L.W.T. at a position of 08 04 N and 172 33 E. The ship broke in two and the nose appeared to go down leaving the trailing edge of the wing and very little of the bomb bay afloat.  The whole ship was under water in approximately 3 minutes.  We observed at this time one life raft with one man lying prone across it.  The rest of the formation left for their base and Lt. Sands, Lt. Pratte and myself circled the scene for cover and to give what aid we could.  Three Zeros were still in the area but appeared to be only observing the crash.  Our top gunner was only able to fire a few shots at any of them.

Lt. Sands dove in low over the raft and dropped a life raft then we dove in and dropped a box of emergency rations.  Both the raft and the rations remained intact and afloat.  We called for Life Guard service on command voice on 6210 K.C. giving our distance of 90 miles and our course of 120° M from the target.

The Zeros left and we climbed above the clouds and Lt. Pulliam took a sun shot over the raft and confirmed our position.  At the same time my radio operator was calling first Tarawa, then Makin, then Apamama but receiving no answer from any of them he again called Tarawa and sent through a request for Dumbo Service.  Our three planes left the scene for Tarawa and after we had been on course for approximately 10 minutes the men in the back of my A/P reported seeing what they thought was a submarine wake behind us.  I turned around and headed back to the raft hoping to be able to assist the Submarine but on approaching the life raft we were able to see the water marker for from 10 to 12 miles from 1000 ft.

As we dove over the scene to fifty feet we saw that there were two rafts inflated and three men ware in one and possibly one on the other.  We set our liaison up to transmit on 6210 and called for Life Guard Service again.  We left the scene finally at 1434 L.W.T. and landed at Tarawa to refuel where we learned that two PBYs had been sent out 2 hours before.

Captain Jesse E. Stay

Lt. Sands’ Account

I was flying A/P # 073 in the Number 3 position of “A” Flight.  We had left the target about five minutes when the tail gunner called and said there was a B-24 smoking and losing altitude and was alone.  I told my crew that we were going to make a 90° turn so I could get a look at it.  When I observed the conditions under which Lt. Smith was placed I continued my turn and went back to get in formation with him.  We pulled in on his right wing as that was the side that about 10 Zekes were making overhead passes at the crippled plane.  We had been in formation with Lt. Smith about three or four minutes when the four other planes pulled into formation on his left wing.  We continued to escort him until he landed in the water at about 13:45 L.W.T.

The plane appeared to break in two just back of the flight deck.  The entire plane with the exception of the tail surfaces sank almost immediately.  The tail surfaces floated for about four minutes.  One man was definitely seen to be laying across a partly inflated, overturned life-raft with possibly one other person in the water.  I ordered my crew to get a life raft ready to throw overboard which was done as we passed over at a minimum altitude.

One Zeke was seen to make a strafing attack at the spot where the plane sank.  The Zeke then left the area.  We circled for another ten minutes, and seeing no more Zekes, we departed for Tarawa.  My radio operator immediately sent out a position report of the crashed plane which was unanswered.

1 Lt. Warren H. Sands

42nd Bomb Squadron History

TAROA MISSION * 20 December 1943

Lt. Kerr in 143, Captain Storm in 155, Lt. Gall in 100, Lt. Perr (431st) in 007, Lt. Schmidt in 838m Lt. Stay in 960, Lt. Sands in 073, Lt. Smith in 214, and Lt. Pratte in 156, staged through Nonomea for a strike against Taroa on Maloelap Atoll.  Each airplane carried 6 x 500 GO bombs.  Interception began as the airplanes pulled away from an AA spattered bomb run, with 20 – 30 Zekes and Hamps rising to the attack.

AA began as the airplanes neared the island, in some cases not reported as occurring until the run had started, with a majority of the bombs landing in or near the target area.  Lt. Gall did not reach the target due to malfunction.  It was on this mission that Lt. Smith had two engines shot out either by AA or cannon fire, and found it necessary to make a water landing about 75 miles from Taroa.  Covered by other elements of the flight, he made what was described as “an excellent” water landing, from which at least four men were seen to leave the badly damaged airplane and crawl onto two rafts.  Captain Stay had, prior to the crash, radioed to both Dumbo and Lifeguard to come in, and this was later found to have reached both agencies through other intercepting mediums as well as the original call.  It was later found that upon arriving at the spot, no trace was found of the survivors, and it is presumed that they either were strafed by returning Jap airplanes or taken prisoner. 

Several Jap interceptors were knocked off on this mission, by Sergeant Kernyat of Sands crew, Sgt. Brannan of Lt. Kerr’s, Sgt. Roth, Sgt. Ball, and S/Sgt. Tanner of Captains Stay’s crew.  They were all confirmed…

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To give you a better understanding of the setting and location of this incident, the following series of maps and illustrations show the location of the Marshall Islands in general and Taroa in particular, the island’s appearance in 1943 (and 2017), as well as the location where Dogpatch Express was lost in relation to surrounding islands.

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Here is a map of the Marshall Islands (from Wikimedia Commons) illustrated on a global view of the earth, centered on Polynesia.

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The map below, from the Diercke International Atlas, shows Taroa Island (right center) and the other islands comprising the Maloelap Atoll. 

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This undated Air Force photograph shows the “Bombing of the Japanese Airfield on Taroa Islet [sic]…”  The image is from the WW II U.S. Air Force Photo Collection at Fold3.com.  (Image A42044 / 73717 AC)

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Here’s a Google Earth satellite view of Taroa, circa 2017.  The island’s miniscule size is evident by the distance scale (one thousand feet!) in the lower right corner of the image.  Note the changes in the island’s shape that have ensued since World War Two, and, the still-visible remnant of one of the two runways.

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This Google map shows the location of Taroa (via the red pointer), relative to surrounding islands.  Obvious (in reality, not-so-obvious) is the fact that the Maloelap Atoll and Taroa are “invisible” at the scale of this map. 

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This map, generated by entering latitude and longitude coordinates in Google Earth, shows the location where Dogpatch Express was ditched (denoted by the red pointer).  Akin to above, at this scale, Maloelap and Taroa do not appear.

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This map shows the location of Nanomea Island (red pointer once more) relative to the Marshalls.  Akin to the above map views, Nanomea is so small as to be “invisible”

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The plane was lost. 

Ten men were lost.

Who were they?

Typical for MACRs, Report 1423 gives the names of the plane’s crewmen, their crew positions, and, their serial numbers.  However, the Report does not contain any “contact” information; the names and residential address of next-of-kin.  If you were to go by the MACR alone, the men would be, in a sense, “anonymous”: names, ranks, serial numbers, and nothing more.    

However, there is one set of records in the National Archives that gives these men fuller identities. 

This information is present in Records Group 165, in the “Bureau of Public Relations Press Branch” releases covering military casualties (specifically Missing in Action, Killed in Action, Wounded in Action), which were issued throughout the war to the news media by the War Department.  

Within these press releases, casualties are listed by theater of war (Europe, Mediterranean, Pacific, etc.), with mens’ names listed alphabetically within each category.  The name of a casualty was usually (usually) released approximately one month subsequent to the calendar date on which he was killed, wounded, or missing.  The predictably of this time-frame is a very reliable way (at least, through the late spring of 1944) to identify the year and month when the press release listing a serviceman’s name, his next-of-kin, and emergency address, was released to the news media.   

(Maybe more about this in a future post?)

Given that Lt. Smith’s crew was lost in late December of 1943, it was assumed that their names could be found in Press releases issued in late January of 1944.  Research in RG 165 verified this:  The men’s names appeared in Casualty Lists issued on January 21, 22, and 24, and (one man) February 9, of 1944.

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The crew’s names are other relevant information are presented below, along with (in parenthesis) the calendar date of the relevant Press release.  

They were:

Pilot     Smith, George W.     1 Lt.          0-374301     (1/22/44)
Mrs. Ida R. Smith (mother), Prairieton, In.

Co-Pilot     Lowry, John E., Jr.     2 Lt.     0-800907     (1/21/44)
Mrs. Margaret E. Lowry, Jr. (wife), Spring St., Smyrna, Ga.

Navigator     Mortenson, Carl A.     2 Lt.     0-738872     (1/22/44)
Mr. Harry Walter Mortenson (brother), 1380 Riverside Drive, Lakewood, Oh.

Bombardier     Ortiz, Ralph P.     1 Lt.    0-663307     (1/22/44)
Mr. Daniel C. Ortiz (father), 603 Agua Fria, Santa Fe, N.M.

Flight Engineer    Sopko, Clarence T.     T/Sgt. 35308715     1/22/20     (1/22/44)
Mrs. Mary S. Sopko (mother), 2138 West 26th St., Cleveland, Oh.
Memorial Tombstone – at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery – Section M, Plot 6 (Photo by Douglas King)

Radio Operator     Gearon, Roy T.     T/Sgt.     20616199     (1/21/44)
Mrs. Catherine Ann Gearon (mother), 5464 Woodlawn, Chicago, Il.
Crew Picture and related  information from Patrick Maher (Second Cousin)  (See below.)

Gunner     Hudman, Jesse Harvey S/Sgt.     12146959     1918     (1/21/44)
Mrs. Florence L. Hudman (wife), 10 Marble Place, Ossining, N.Y.
Mrs. Carrie Hudman (mother), Gilbert Park, N.Y.
Memorial Tombstone – at Dale Cemetery, Ossining, N.Y. (photo by Jean Sutherland)
Notices about Sgt. Hudman appeared in the Citizen-Register, of Ossining, N.Y., on May 22 and 25, 1946, concerning a memorial service that was held in his behalf on May 19 of that year. 

Gunner     Paradise, Arnold J.     S/Sgt.     36264577     (1/21/44)
Mrs. Fern Paradise (mother), Garden Acres, Chippewa Falls, Wi.
WW II Memorial – June Havel (sister)

Gunner     Dell, Carl N.     S/Sgt.     13038323     4/19/20     (2/9/44)
Mr. William J. Dell (father), Route 1, Middle Road, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Memorial Tombstone at Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Photo by “Genealogy-Detective”)

Gunner     Nielsen, Earl Dewayne     S/Sgt.     39831608     7/29/21     (1/21/44)
Mrs. Vera P. Nielsen (mother), Cleveland, Id.
Memorial Tombstone at Cleveland Cemetery, Franklin County, Id. (Photo by Bill E. Doman)

All the crewmen are memorialized in the Courts of the Missing (Court 7), at the Honolulu Memorial, in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, at Honolulu, Hawaii.

Remarkably, there is a photograph of this crew… 

Mr. Patrick Maher, a second cousin of T/Sgt. Roy Gearon, has posted a picture of the crew at the Memorial Page for his relative at FindAGrave.com, with the message, “We are 2nd cousins Roy.  Know you were remembered then and still by your family with a proud military tradition. May you and your crew forever rest in peace at the bottom of the ocean.  Your last mission was accomplished Sir.  Sorry on behalf of your government for your case and many like it.  Your death date was December 21, 1943 not 1946.  Silver Star recipient.  Rest in Peace Sir.”  

Mr. Maher’s entry also includes a close-up image of the final moments of Dogpatch Express, identical to one of the photographs in the MACR below.

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The photos?

Unlike the images for the A-20s, these two photos are unattached to the documents in the MACR; they’re “loose” in the file.  Here they are:

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Here’s the “first” image.  This shows Dogpatch Express heading back – well, trying to head back – to Nanomea, showing Lt. Sand’s B-24 to the right and slightly above Lt. Smith’s aircraft.  This may be the point at which – as described by Capt. Stay – the squadron dropped to an altitude of 3,000 feet, upon which the Express’ #3 engine emitted smoke when it was restarted.

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This is a 2,400 dpi crop of the above photo.  The damage to Dogpatch Express is obvious.  The #4 engine has been feathered, and there’s a large hole in the starboard rudder.  Close examination shows that the ball turret has been rotated downwards and retracted into the fuselage, while in the dorsal turret – rotated to the rear – the guns have been elevated to 70-80 degrees.  The trail of smoke – thick smoke; dense smoke; white smoke – emitted from the #3 engine is plainly evident.

Given that the direction of flight from Taroa to Nanomea was approximately south-southeast, by looking “into” this image –  the viewer is looking west-southwest. 

Beyond and below the aircraft, and into the indefinite horizon, there are clouds, water, and, more clouds and more water. 

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This picture shows the scene of Dogpatch Express’  ditching. 

(Though this post doesn’t pertain to camouflage and markings, this image illustrates the Insignia Blue overpaint of the Insignia Red surround to the National Insignia, which had been a feature of the national insignia of American military aircraft between 28 June and 14 August 1943.)

Though intended as a historical record – for which it more than serves its purpose – this photograph – like the image above – is extremely evocative of the war over the Pacific:  Distance.  Water.  Emptiness. 

The point of the B-24’s impact – a trail of churned water perhaps several hundred feet long – is obvious.  However, compared with the expanse of sea encompassed by the image and receding into the distance, the site is miniscule.

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This is a 2,400 dpi crop of the above image.  Though the resolution is too low to identify details, four objects can be seen floating at the top of the “ditching trail”.  Captain Stay mentioned that the scene was visible up to 12 miles away, due to dye marker in the water.  Is the gray patch of water in the upper left of the ditching site the dye marker? 

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The survivors – whoever they were – were never seen again.

The 42nd Bomb Squadron mission summary suggests two possibilities for their fate:  They were strafed by Zero fighters during the interval between the departure of the other B-24s and the arrival of PBYs, or, they were captured by the Japanese, via naval vessels.

Given the location and circumstances under which the crew was lost, and, the passage of time, what ultimately happened to the few survivors will probably forever be unknown.  There is a slight – (very slight?) – possibility that IDPFs filed for the crew may include more definitive information about their fate, but even those documents, I suppose, will be ambiguous as well.

What is not supposition was – and will always be – their bravery, and the bravery of many men like them.   

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A Brief Digression on Names and Numbers

Did the Army Air Force (or post-1947, the Air Force) ever complete statistical studies comparing the chances of survival for WW II USAAF bomber aircrews lost over the Pacific, to those for aviators lost in the European / Mediterranean Theatres of War?  I don’t know!

I’ve attempted a brief comparison of that sort.  Or, at least half of a comparison…  This was based on an evaluation of statistics about 7th Air Force B-24 losses, with information derived from MACRs (my own review of those documents, extending over some years), and, miscellaneous references. 

MACRs and other sources for losses of 7th Air Force B-24s (75 aircraft covered by “wartime” MACRs, 6 aircraft covered by post-war “fill-in” MACRs, and 11 B-24 losses mentioned by books and other sources) cover a total of 92 aircraft.  (Doubtless there were other planes for which MACRs were never filed…)

Among those 92 B-24s, there was a total of 950 airmen, of whom there were 237 survivors and 713 fatalities.  The 237 survivors represent 24% of the 950 crewmen.  (There were no survivors from 51 planes, while entire crews survived among 5 of the 92 lost aircraft.)

In light of these statistics, and bearing in mind that these figures represent people, not simply “numbers” – I wonder if…it seems that…despite the greater aircraft losses incurred by the 8th and 15th Air Forces, as opposed to the 7th (and 13th, and 5th)…the chances of survival for an aircrew lost in the Pacific Theater of war were actually far lower than in Europe and the Mediterranean.

If so, I’d attribute this to the utterly different geography encompassed by and overflown in the Pacific, where combat missions by nature occurred over vast, near-featureless expanses of water; abruptly changing climatic conditions; the challenges inherent to locating downed airmen at sea, during both aerial and sea-borne searches; the lower chances of simple physical survival (aside from enemy activity) for those few aviators who may have been able to parachute onto land or sea; and last – but hardly insignificantly – the ethos of the Japanese regarding captured members of the Allied Air Forces.  (Thirteen 7th Air Force B-24 crewmen survived the war as POWs of the Japanese.*)

So, to conclude (if there is a conclusion) let these photos stand as a reminder of those who didn’t return, and the very few who did. 

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Notes

For an essay on Taroa illustrated with stunningly beautiful contemporary photographs, visit The World War II Legacy of Taroa Island.

For a historical overview of Taroa, specifically focusing on the island during World War II and as a tourist destination (circa 1995), see the essay Dirk H.R. Spennemann (of the Institute of Land, Water and Society, at Charles Stuart University), at Taroa, Maloelap Atoll – A brief virtual tour through a Japanese airbase in the Marshall Islands.

* These POWs were:

ABEL, WILLIAM E.                   S/Sgt.                   36440823            Gunner (Tail)
CARTWRIGHT, THOMAS C.    2 Lt.                      0-831661             Pilot
EIFLER, HAROLD                    2 Lt.                      0-721673             Pilot
GARRETT, FRED F                 1 Lt.                      0-740163             Pilot
HRYSKANICH, PETER             2 Lt.                      0-806683             Co-Pilot
MARTIN, WILLIAM R., JR         2 Lt.                      0-2065804           Navigator
MINIERRE, LINCOLN S.           T/Sgt.                   11073217             Radio Operator
PHILLIPS, RUSSELL A.            Capt.                    0-726463             Pilot
SELLERS, CLYDE J.                Sgt.                       36871713            Gunner
SMITH, RICHARD M.                2 Lt.                      0-692346             Navigator
STODDARD, LOREN A.           Capt.                    0-428873             Pilot
WALKER, ARTHUR JAMES       Col.                      0-022462            Pilot
ZAMPERINI, LOUIS S.               1 Lt.                     0-663341             Bombardier

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References

(Books)

Bell, Dana, Air Force Colors Volume 2 – ETO & MTO 1942-45, Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Tx., 1980.

Cleveland, W.M., Grey Geese Calling – Pacific Air War History of the 11th Bombardment Group (H) 1940-1945, 11th Bombardment Group Association Inc., Seffner, Fl., 1992.

Doll, Thomas E., Jackson, Berkley R., and Riley, William A., Navy Air Colors – United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aircraft Camouflage and Markings, Vol. 1 – 1911-1945, Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Tx., 1983.

Forman, Wallace R., B-24 Nose Art Name Directory, Specialty Press Publishers and Wholesalers, North Branch, Mn., 1996.

Rust, Kenn C., Seventh Air Force Story …In World War II, Historical Aviation Album, Temple City, Ca., 1979.

(Web Sites)

11th Bombardment Group History, at http://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/browse?type=subject&value=11th%20Bombardment%20Group%20(H)

At OAKTrust Digital Repository of Texas A&M University – Special Collections
http://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/

In connection with / related to biography of T/Sgt. Paul Fredrick Adler
42nd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy).  Monthly Squadron Histories and Documents, 20 May 1943 – 5 March 1944
http://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/90568/3%20History-42dBS-1943-44-Missions.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (On pages 89 of 104 of PDF.)

Dogpatch Express nose-art (Pinterest), at https://www.pinterest.com/pin/551268810615004024/

Dogpatch Express crew photo (B-24 Best Web), at http://www.b24bestweb.com/dogpatchexpress-v1

Dogpatch Express nose-art (B-24 Best Web), at http://www.b24bestweb.com/dogpatchexpress-v1-1.htm

Dogpatch Express nose-art (B-24 Best Web), at http://www.b24bestweb.com/dogpatchexpress-v1-2.htm

Marshall Islands (at Wikimedia Commons), at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Islands.

Nanomea Island (Wikipedia entry – listed as “Nanumea”), at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanumea

Taroa Island (at Pacific Wrecks Database), at http://www.pacificwrecks.com/airfields/marshalls/taroa/index.html

Taroa Island (at Charles Stuart University), at http://marshall.csu.edu.au/Marshalls/html/japanese/Taroa/Taroa.html

The World War II Legacy of Taroa Island (at Nothing Unknown), at https://www.nothingunknown.com/content/2016/10/7/taroa-island

(United States National Archives)

Records Group 165 “War Department Special Staff Public Relations Division News Branch Press and Radio News Releases, 1921-1947” (arranged chronologically), at Stack Area 390, Row 40, Compartment 3, Shelf 6.

The Age of Advertising: Robinson Airlines

Here’s an advertisement for Robinson Aviation / Robinson Airlines, from 1945, featuring a sketch of a Fairchild F24.

The airline was founded in 1945 by C.S. Robinson, and was based out of Ithaca Municipal Airport, at Ithaca, New York, servicing routes in the Mohawk Valley of New York State.  Renamed Mohawk Airlines in 1952, the company survived until the early 1970s, when it merged with Allegheny Airlines. 

Reference

Mohawk Airlines (Wikipedia), at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohawk_Airlines. 

The Missing Photos – I: A Panorama of Havoc – Two A-20 Attack-Bombers Over France

In an earlier post – The Missing Photos: Photographic Images in Missing Air Crew Reports – I described the 58 Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) which include photographs. 

This post – covering two such MACRs – brings you an example of one of these images.  (One image for two MACRs?  I’ll explain…)

The MACRs in question are numbers “5033” and “5032”, covering two 416th Bomb Group A-20G Havoc light bombers.  Respectively, the Reports cover A-20G 43-10203 (5H * R), piloted by First Lieutenant Lucian J. Siracusa, and, 43-10206 (2A * F), piloted by First Lieutenant Allen W. Gullion, of the 668th and 669th Bomb Squadrons.  Both planes were lost during a mission to Amiens, France, on May 27, 1944. 

Fortunately, all six crewmen aboard the two planes parachuted safely, to spend the remainder of the war as POWs.

The circumstances under which the two planes were lost were identical.  Both Havocs were shot down by flak which struck their right engines – at an altitude between 11,300 and 11,500 feet – shortly after 1800 hours (local time), during the 416th’s bomb run. 

The witnesses to the planes’ loss – 1 Lt. Gustave Ebenstein, S/Sgt. Holley Perkins, and Sgt. S.P. Newell – the crew of A-20G 43-9907 of the 668th BS – were the same for both MACRs. 

The maps filed with the two MACRs show the last location of the Havocs as having been north of the Somme River. 

Specifically, Lt. Gullion’s aircraft was north-northeast of Amiens / west-northwest of Albert, as seen in the map from MACR 5032:

Lt. Siracusa’s plane was last seen between Amiens and Albert.  In his postwar Casualty Questionnaire (the only such document in either MACR), he mentions that his plane crashed “10 miles west of Amiens”.  The last position of his bomber is depicted in the map below, from MACR 5033:

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On the “contemporary” side of things, Google maps of this region are shown below.  The first map shows northern France, specifically the locations of Amiens and Albert…

…while the map below shows the area between Amiens and Albert in more detail.

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But, what about the airmen themselves?  They were:

A-20G 43-10203 (MACR 5033 / KU 809A)

Pilot: 1 Lt. Lucian J. Siracusa                    POW (camp location unknown)
Mrs. Philomena Siracusa (mother), 325 13th St., Palisades Park, N.J.

Gunner: S/Sgt. James N. Hume                POW at Stalag Luft 4 (Gross-Tychow)
Mrs. Edith R. Hume (mother), South Side Road, York Village, Me.

Gunner: S/Sgt. Floyd E. Brown                POW at Stalag Luft 4 (Gross-Tychow)
Mrs. Evelyn G. Brown (wife), 9 Linden Ave., Moundsville, W.V.

A-20G 43-10206 (MACR 5032 / KU 807A)

Pilot: 1 Lt. Allen W. Gullion, Jr.                POW at Stalag Luft III (Sagan)
Mrs. Allen W. Gullion (wife), 3333 Rittenhouse St., Northwest, Washington, D.C.
c/o Mrs. Thomas Moorman

Gunner: S/Sgt. Gerald L. Coffey             POW at Stalag Luft III (Sagan)
Mr. George L. Coffey (father), Route Number Two, Dardanelle, Ak.

Gunner: S/Sgt. Grady F. Cope                POW at Stalag Luft 4 (Gross-Tychow)
Mrs. Myrtle V. Cope (mother), Route Number Two, Gould, Ok.

The Germans filed Luftgaukommando Reports for both crews, which – at least as Luftgaukommando Reports go! – contain only nominal information about the planes and crewmen.  Report KU 807A indicates that the crew of 43-10206 was captured at Vignacourt, while Report KU 809A, for 43-10203, mentions that Siracusa and Hume were captured at Bertangles, and Brown at Amiens.  

The somme-aviation-39-45 website reveals that 43-10206 crashed 1 kilometer west of Vignacourt, at Boise de Parisiens.  The website includes a remarkable series of images of the recovery of the plane’s wreckage (in 2006) with added commentary, which is quoted below:

As described:

“L’excavation de Vignacourt a eu lieu le samedi 28 octobre 2006.  Les prévisions météorologiques laissaient craindre des averses mais finalement le travail pourra s’effectuer convenablement.  L’agriculteur a eu la gentillesse de différer ses semis à l’emplacement du crash afin de nous permettre d’effectuer les recherches.
“Le Boston IV A20 G du 416ème Bomber Group de la 9ème Air Force des USA a ainsi été retrouvé.

“Les deux moteurs, de type radial WRIGHT R-2600, ont été retrouvés à un peu plus de 2 mètres de profondeur, ce qui laisse à penser que le bimoteur, s’il n’est pas arrivé en vol rasant, a tout de même heurté le sol avec un angle faible.  Ces moteurs ont tous deux été brûlés et l’un des deux est d’un volume moindre car il a certainement été atteint par un obus de la DCA [Défense Contre Avions].  Nous avons également retrouvé quelques cylindres, également brûlés, dont nous pourrons extraire quelques soupapes qui semblent en bon état.

“Eu égard à l’emplacement des deux moteurs dans la terre, cet avion arrivait probablement du Sud / Sud-Est (trajectoire courbe à partir d’Amiens s’orientant vers Vignacourt se trouvant au Nord-Ouest d’Amiens).

“D’autres pièces ont également été retrouvées : les deux moyeux d’hélice tripale, 3 pales plus ou moins endommagées et très corrodées, des douilles de 12,7 mm brûlées.

“Quasiment toutes les pièces ont été brûlées et sont corrodées à cause de l’incendie de l’appareil.

Translation?

“The excavation of Vignacourt took place on Saturday, October 28, 2006.  The weather forecasts threatened showers but eventually the work could be done properly.  The farmer was kind enough to postpone his seeding at the crash site to allow us to do research.

“Boston IV A-20G of the 416th Bomb Group of the 9th Air Force of the United States has been recovered.

“The two engines, Wright R-2600 radials, were found at a depth of a little more than 2 meters, which suggests that the twin-engined [aircraft], if it has not [landed] in flight, nevertheless struck the ground at a low angle.  These engines were both burned and one of the two is of lesser volume as it was certainly hit by an anti-aircraft defense shell.  We also found some cylinders, also burnt, from which we could extract some valves that seemed in good condition.

“In view of the location of the two engines in the ground, this aircraft probably came from the South / South-East (curved trajectory from Amiens to Vignacourt, northwest of Amiens).

“Other parts have also been found: the two three-bladed propeller hubs, 3 blades more or less damaged and very corroded, burned 12.7 mm shells.

“Almost all the parts had been burned and are corroded because of the fire.”

All well and good, and genuinely good:  All six men returned. 

____________________

Other 9th Air Force A-20 losses that day, with relevant MACR and Luftgaukommando Report numbers, comprise the following:

409th Bomb Group

43-9694, 640th BS, piloted by 2 Lt. Raymond L. Gregg (3 crew; no survivors) – MACR 5086; KU 1997
43-9446, 640th BS, piloted by Capt. Leland F. Norton (4 crew; 2 survivors) – MACR 5087; KU 1992

410th Bomb Group

43-9665, 646th BS, piloted by 1 Lt. Richard K. Robinson (3 crew; 2 survivors) – MACR 5046; KU 1993
43-10218, 647th BS, piloted by 2 Lt. Warren A. Thompson (3 crew; all survived) – MACR 5037; KU 1996

416th Bomb Group

43-9983, “2A * J”, 669th BS, piloted by 2 Lt. Harry E. Hewes (3 crew; all survived) – MACR 5035; KU 1977

____________________

But, what about the photos…? 

That’s where things become interesting. 

Both MACRs include a photograph of the two damaged planes falling below and behind the 416th’s formation.  A comparison of both pictures (not possible via Fold3) shows that the images are actually identical, having been printed from the same negative.  The only difference is that the photographic print in MACR 5032 – notably darker than that in MACR 5033 – was presumably developed (by the 416th BG photo lab?*) longer.  The notations at the bottom of the image in MACR 5033, such as focal length of 6 3/8”, probably argue for this being the “original” print.

But, what about the photos…? 

That’s where things remain interesting.

For a photograph taken under combat conditions – very likely by an automatic camera, at that – it’s actually a very good photo.  By sheer luck, the “focus” of interest – the two mortally damaged A-20s – are situated within the center of the image.  From the towns, forests, and farms on the earth below, to the 23 (ugh!) flak bursts in the upper left, to the four A-20s in flight, the resolution and clarity are excellent.  

Beyond this, the picture imparts an impression of depth (well, there was over 11,000 feet of “depth” beneath the planes), as if the viewer is not only looking at the four A-20s, but looking through and beyond them, as well. 

And ultimately, in this year of 2017, we are not only looking through space, but into the past.   

And with that discussion – oh, yes! – here are the pictures….

____________________

The MACR for Lt. Siracusa’s bomber, first…

Here’s how the image looks in the actual MACR.  Both the photographic print and the original documents comprising the MACR are in excellent condition. 

Here’s the photograph itself, scanned at 1200 dpi.  Notice information at the bottom of the image covering date of mission, focal length of camera, and target. 

The image once more, scanned at 2400 dpi, and cropped.  The arrow is pointing to Lt. Siracusa’s plane.  The fire enveloping his starboard nacelle is striking, even from a distance.   

____________________

And now, the MACR for Lt. Gullion’s plane…

As before, here’s the print as it appears in the MACR.

And, the image itself, at 1200 dpi.  Notice the obvious differences from the image in the previous MACR.  No information has been recorded on the print.  The photographic developing process brought out background details richly and deeply. 

Zooming in at 2400 dpi.  The arrow points to Lt. Gullion’s Havoc  This cropped view shows both their smoking (and burning!) starboard engines quite clearly, with the canopy and dorsal turret of Lt. Gullion’s plane being readily visible.

____________________

I hope to bring you more MACR photos in the future.

Acknowledgements and References

     Further information about the 416th Bomb Group can be found at the extraordinarily comprehensive 416th Bomb Group website, which covers the Group’s history and activities in a depth and breadth rarely found among most other websites covering Army Air Force Combat Groups.  (Examples: The 416th BG website includes detailed information about men wounded or injured.  Similarly, it includes combat mission loading lists.  Such details are unusual, and moreso, unusually valuable.)

416th Bomb Group Mission of 27 05 1944 to Amiens, at http://www.416th.com/missions/mission58.html

France-Crashes 1939-1945 website, (Daniel Carville), at http://francecrashes39-45.net/index.php

A-20G 43-10206 (at France-Crashes website), at http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=1848

Somme Aviation website, at http://www.somme-aviation-39-45.fr/index_.html

Recovery of wreckage of A-20G 43-10206, at http://www.somme-aviation-39-45.fr/pages-dossiers-decouverte/boston-iv-a20-g-vignacourt-27-mai-1944/boston-a-20g-vignacourt-27-mai-1944.html

____________________

*Photo lab?  Hey, what’s a photo lab?

Flying Your Fortress From Foggia: A 15th Air Force B-17 Pilot’s Information File (P.I.F.) from World War Two

Aviation – particularly military aviation – is fascinating for several reasons: The technologies that enable and support manned aerial flight; the myriad forms of insignia and markings (national, commercial, and personal) carried by aircraft; the effect of aircraft, aerial transportation, and aerial warfare upon economics, foreign policy, and ultimately the pace and nature of human thought.

Most books (and I suppose, most websites…) covering aviation focus upon these topics, emphasizing – particularly for military planes – camouflage, insignia, and nose art, or, the application of technology to warfare. 

Somewhat less attention is accorded to another aspect of military flying: Leadership.  The melding of men – individuals and groups – into an effective flying force, in a geographic setting that is very much a “new world” to most.

The document presented in this post – a Pilot’s Information File (a “P.I.F.”) issued to new members of the 96th Bomb Squadron (2nd Bomb Group, 15th Air Force) upon their arrival at the 2nd BG’s base at Amendola, Italy, in 1944 and 1945 – exemplifies this aspect of military flying.

Twenty-five pages long, the File includes the following sections:

Chaplain’s Welcoming Message

Introduction and Statement of Purpose by the Commanding Officer of the Squadron

Discussion of “S-2” (Military Intelligence)

Map showing layout of Amendola Airfield (shared between the 2nd  and 97th Bomb Groups) showing location of areas assigned to the 2nd’s component squadrons (20th BS, 49th BS, 96th BS, and 429th BS).

Radio Navigation Aids for the 15th Air Force, with listing of locations of radio beacons and their associated call sings, frequencies, and associated information.

Diagram of instrument letdown procedure using Amendola and Lesina radio beacons

Aeromedical information, covering basic human anatomy, pressure points in case of injuries or wounds, and medical effects of altitude changes

Basic description of the 2nd Bomb Group as a combat organization

Activity before, during, and after a typical combat mission

Flying Clothing

Advice from the Squadron Flight Surgeon

Radio

Rank and Crew Position in the 96th BS

~ and finally ~

Miscellaneous Information (Rest Camps, Passes, Mail, Quarters, Relations between flying and ground personnel, laundry, and (inevitably!) PX.)

____________________

Some images and graphics from the PIF are shown below.

If you’re interested, I’ve created a PDF version of the document (available here) which combines the graphics, diagrams, and cartoons in the original document, with digitized text.

____________________

But, what about the source of this book?…  Some years ago, I spent an afternoon with the late William Randall Bedgood, Jr.  Mr. Bedgood served as a B-17 pilot in the 2nd Bomb Group, where rising to the rank of Colonel, he flew 41 missions and earned – among other awards – the Silver Star.  Mr. Bedgood kindly loaned me his mimeographed copy (remember mimeographs?!) of the PIF, and as a result, I’m able to present you with a digital version of the document, 73 years after its creation. 

Here is an excellent photograph of (then) Colonel Bedgood, from the website of the 2nd Bombardment Association, the caption reading “WWII 2nd Bomb Group 300th Mission Lead Plane, Jerry Hofmann, Bombardier Col Randall Bedgood, Pilot Jim Merritt, Navigator Amendola Foggia Italy.”  (To be specific, Colonel Bedgood is second from left in the photo.)

____________________

Front page

____________________

A WELCOME FROM THE CHAPLAIN

As chaplain of the 2nd Bomb Group I extend to you a most hearty welcome to our organization.  And I urge upon you from the start a realization of the value of habitual church attendance.

Following is the schedule of services for the three faiths:

Protestant:     Sundays at 10:30 and 19:00  Weekdays as announced.

Catholic:         Sundays at 09:00 and at 18:30 (this PM service at the 97th Bomb Group.)  Thursdays at 18:30      (Our Chapel)

Jewish:           Friday evening at 19:00

Overseas offers many temptations to forsake the high standard which ruled our lives and gave us happiness at home.  Through the services and whatever personal service we can render, my Catholic colleague, Fr. Musch of the 97th., and I stand ready to aid you in keeping the faith.  Use us.

Donald E. Paije

____________________

Map of Amendola Airfield

____________________

I N T R O D U C T I O N

You are now in a Combat Organization.  You are in the oldest Squadron and Group still in existence, dating back to the First World War.  You have a fine tradition to live up to.

We realize the change from conditions existing in the United States to those in combat.  Rather than let you learn haphazardly, this booklet has been prepared to carry you over the, period of false first impressions.

Use this only as a sampler.  Important details are for you to read for yourself in the memorandums and other material placed at your disposal.  Learn the right way now.

We assume that at least your first night and day have passed, that you have been billeted, and that your papers have been processed by the Orderly Room.  Squadron Operations will now be the center of most of your activity.  Read the bulletin board carefully, and any orders posted there are to be treated as Battle Orders.  All training and flying schedules are posted there.

For the first week your time will be spent in Orientation lecture periods, scheduled both morning and afternoon . They will include the primary Orientation Lecture, and then Group History, Theatre Orientation, Security and Censorship, Engineering and Personnel Equipment, Evasion and Escape, Armament, Communications, Briefing and Interrogation, Prisoner of War Procedure, and a Medical Lecture.  This training will be centered about S-2, Squadron Intelligence and the Line.  Each lecture will be a vital contribution to the element of safety in YOUR missions.  Listen and Learn.

During this Orientation week you will have learned the location of the various Squadron Units, the ranking personnel, and the one very important fact: along with Combat missions, an intensified ground and air training program is in effect.  Thus may in time become a drudgery, but a man must constantly be learning and practicing to be efficient in combat.  An inefficient man is as dangerous to YOU as is the enemy.  This training will include each of you until the time you finish your coir of duty.

An orientation flight will be scheduled for a new crew in order to familiarize them with the general area and to give them confidence after not having flown for several weeks.

As soon as possible, the first pilot will be scheduled for a combat mission as Co-Pilot, and will fly as such for about five missions, or until he is deemed satisfactory for combat.  The rest of the crew will also be checked out with experienced crews before they will fly together again as a team.  You must realize the value of experience, and do not hesitate to learn when flying with men who have many missions.

You will soon learn the varied differences between combat flying, and flying in the United States.  There is less red tape, but the rules, though fewer, are more clearly defined and must be followed, as more than one life is at stake.  A Tight formation is the primary MUST, as there will be more planes in the air then you have ever seen, and each plane has been designated to be exactly a certain place at a certain time.  You will hear what happens to stragglers.

____________________

THE MISSION

You now have a rough idea of the set-up.  And now what happens on the first mission?  What will it be like?

It starts the day before, with the Squadron being notified through channels by Air Force of what, will be demanded.  The Battle Order is made out by the Operations Officer and his assistants, and posted early in the evening.  The lead bombardier and navigator go to a pre-briefing at Group that night to receive general information about the target.

The C.O. awakens the men approximately one hour before briefing time to allow for breakfast.  Briefing time varies, but is usually between 0500 and 0600.  It is imperative that you are there at the scheduled time, as latecomers are fined.  Only the Pilot, Navigator, and Bombardier go to the main briefing.  The Radio Operator goes to a special briefing at Group.  The rest of the crew _____ and get the shop ready for the mission.  The Co-Pilot is in charge of supervising chocking the ship prior to the mission and is responsible for briefing the gunners on “Search and Fire Control”.  The engineer will pick up rations for the entire crew at the moss hall before leaving the area.

All pertinent information is given at briefing.  Mimeographed sheets are given out containing items that you could not trust to your memory.  These sheets are classified Secret and must be returned at interrogation.  The Navigator will pick up the Escape Kits before briefing, and distribute them to the crow at the airplane.

Pilots leave after the general briefing, and bombardiers and navigators stay for special target information.

You will have had bins assigned in Personnel Equipment for your flying clothes.  Those you will draw along with electric suits and be taken; by truck to the ships.  The engineer will draw electric gloves for the entire crew.  Every man will be in position ten minutes before briefed taxi time, and each man should take it upon himself to see that his position has been checked and is dressed before that time.

When the bombardier and navigator arrive, the enlisted men will be briefed and given all pertinent information about the mission.  Do not neglect this.  Teamwork is essential and this can be accomplished only by having each member of the crew know what will happen during the flight.  Special emphasis should be placed on that days special escape procedure.  This crew briefing will be given out of hearing of anyone except your crew.  This is not a reflection on the integrity of the ground crews, but security must be maintained and ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WILL BE TOLD ABOUT THE MISSION UNTIL IT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.  In case of a scrubbed mission, nothing will be told about the briefed target.

Engines will be started before taxi time as seen as you see the lead ship starting up.  Starting at this point radio silence will be maintained unless in an emergency.  Listen closely to all radio calls, and follow instructions.

Your turn to taxi will come when you see the ship scheduled ahead of you taxi.  Do not waste time — follow him closely, but safely.  Prepare for take-off before you turn on the runway, and move up with the ships ahead to make room for the ships behind.  Take-Off will be at a MAXIMUM 30-second interval.  The longer the take-off interval, the longer it takes to join formation in the air.

After take-off the squadron lead ship will fly at 145 I.A.S., and will follow a specified pattern.  There is no need to build up on excessive airspeed, as cutting corners will bring you up much faster.  Attain safe altitude after take-off, and maintain it before joining.

After the Squadron has assembled, the Squadron lead will then be free to maneuver into position in Group Formation.  The Group Assembly will have a specified time and altitude over the field, and then altitude is gained for Wave rendezvous.  This will usually be near the Adriatic Coast, and the next and most important item to meet is Key Point.  Key Point is similar to a three-dimensional traffic crossing.  Wave traffic must be controlled here to give a clear route to the target.

From, rendezvous to Key Point the flight will be crossing into enemy territory, so all crew members will be at their position and on the alert.  Oxygen checks must be called regularly.  Guns will be test fired on orders from the Group Lead.

The route to the target is planned to avoid flak areas.  Mobile flak may be encountered with the changing war situation.  Enemy fighters may intercept at almost any point, so your tight position in formation should be gained at first and held constantly because of this threat.  A moment’s relaxation in the air may moan your life and others.

Bombing altitude will be reached before the Initial Point, and airspeed, altitude,, and course of the lead ship must be held constant on the bomb run regardless of the flak or fighters.  It is at this crucial period that a tight formation is of the utmost importance.  A good bombing pattern is the result.  A target that is knocked out brings you one step further towards home.

There will be a turn after bomb away to Rally Point, and a slow let-down will be started.  However, altitude may be maintained to take advantage of tail winds.

Before reaching the Italian Coast, the pilot will give the order to clear all guns.

A good pool-off and landing is essential, as there are many ships that must land in a short time.  Ships in trouble have the highest priority, and formations have priority over single ships.

Interrogation is the next step, at Group Briefing Room.  All crew members will be present, and any gun that has not been cleaned before leaving the line will be cleaned after interrogation.  The navigator is responsible to see that all escape kits have been turned in.  The pilot will be responsible for the mimeographed briefing forms.

An intelligence officer will be the interrogator, and accurate reports are necessary for safe and well informed future operations.  The navigator will give weather information, and all crew members will give their reports on bomb strikes if seen.  All observations in the air should have been given to the navigator and noted in his log.

Your mission has been completed, coffee and doughnuts are there for you, and two ounces of whiskey awaits you at the dispensary.

Thirty-five missions is the present number to be flown on a tour of duty.

Do what is required the way it is required; do not under-estimate the enemy-rand above all, fly good formation and you will finish all thirty-five.

Not all your flying time will be obtained on combat missions.  An intensified air training program makes it necessary that every crow member knows the area for all training flights, and that al pilots know the facilities at hand for weather flying.

An orientation flight will be given for all new crews, giving them a picture of the area, and an idea of the radio facilities available.  On Combat missions, learn all good chock points in the Adriatic Area.

On practice flights, such as air-to-ground gunnery, or bombing, study your route beforehand, and ask questions until you KNOW what will take place, when-where-and how.

Study the following maps, which are also posted in Operations.  Carry a copy of the instrument let-down procedure on all local flights.

Practice flights include the following:

1.    Formation – Squadron and Group.
2.    Instruments and Instrument Calibration.
3.    Navigation.
4.    Practice Bombing and Camera Bombing.
5.    Slow Time on Engines.
6.    Ferry hops.
7.    Acceptance checks and test flights.
8.    Night Flying.

Make use of the time available to you, as it will improve your combat flying.

____________________

References

2nd Bombardment Association, at http://www.2ndbombgroup.org/

Rust, Kenn C., Fifteenth Air Force Story, Historical Aviation Album, Temple City, Ca., 1976

This is Where I Belong: Army Air Force Recruiting Advertisement – The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 9, 1943

The “flavor” of an era is found in all manner of words and images.

Case in point, the following advertisement – seeking candidates for pilot, navigator, and bombardier positions in the Army Air Force – which appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on September 9, 1943.

The text of the ad – presented below, verbatim – evokes purpose and achievement, within a context of teamwork.  Patriotism is certainly implied, but that’s secondary to both challenge and adventure.

Following the verbal “hook” (a well-written and meaningful hook, at that!) forming the core of the advertisement, information is presented about the practical steps of entering the Army Air Corps for qualification as a Pilot, Bombardier, or Navigator.

The artwork, depicting a B-17 pilot, is by Robert L. Benney, who, during his very lengthy career as a professional artist, served as a civilian correspondent with the armed forces during the Second World War, focusing on military activity at Saipan and the Marianas Islands.  Several powerful examples of Benney’s work – which has a very distinctive, clearly recognizable style, in terms of visual texture, and the use of light and shadow – can be found at the website of the Naval History and Heritage Command. 

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THIS IS WHERE I BELONG…

We’re almost there…

Only four minutes to go – and the plane up ahead will drop the first flare.

Only four minutes to go – and Joe will give us our speed, the doors will open and we’ll start our run…and the ship will quiver like a thoroughbred who’s been given her head…

And Bob will center the target and we’ll come in – and the ten seconds or fifteen will seem like a year before we hear him call “Bombs Away”…

And then – they’ll go out of the bay, nose over and fall, and begin their march over the land with the stamp of a giant’s tread.

This is where I belong.

Not down there but up here…with my ship and my crew…in a world of our own.

Up here, where the clean, sharp air bites to the bone, I can see things clear.  I can see the kids we were, and the team we’ve become and the men we’ll be.

Up here in the night, I remember nights with the books – when numbers and formulas jumbled and blurred and I couldn’t get them into my head.  But I swore that if other men had done it before – I could, and I would.  And all at once they came clear and I understood.

And I remember the time when I took over the stick and the ship lost speed and she stalled out and spun…and my mouth went dry and my hand shook.  And then, my instructor’s voice was quiet in my ear and the fear left me – for good.

And, now up here, alone, and all of us closer together than we’ve ever been, I hear once again the words of a pilot I knew: “I can’t tell what it means to fly with a bomber crew,” he said, “that’s like telling a blind man what you mean by the color red.”

As the target comes nearer, and the fighters slide up, and the guns start their chatter, I know this is where I belong…this is what matters…

This is my air.

This is my future.

This is what I was born for…to fly with the Army Air Corps!

If you can qualify – you, too, belong in the Army Air Forces as a Bombardier, Navigator or Pilot.  And here’s what you can do about it right now.  Go to your nearest Aviation Cadet Examining Board – or see the commanding officer of the Army Air Force College Training Detachment neatest you.

If you are under 18…see your local Civil Air Patrol officers about taking C.A.P. Cadet Training – also see your High School adviser about taking H.S. Victory Corps prescribed courses.  Both will afford you valuable pre-aviation training.

If you are 17 but not yet 18…go to your nearest Aviation Cadet Examining Board to take your preliminary examinations to see if you can qualify as a Junior Cadet in the Air Corps Enlisted Reserve.  If you qualify, you will receive your Enlisted Reserve insignia but will not be called for training until you are over 18.

If you are 18 but under 27…go to your nearest Aviation Cadet Exam, using Board…see if you can qualify as an Aviation Cadet.  If you are in the Army, you may apply through your commanding officer.  When called, you’ll be given 5 months’ training (after a brief conditioning period) in one of America’s finest colleges…a you’ll get dual-control flying instruction…then go on to eight months of full night training during which you will receive as $10,000 life insurance policy paid for by the Government.  When you graduate as a Bombardier, Navigator or Pilot – you will receive an extra $250 uniform allowance and your pay will be $246 to $327 per month.

And after the war you will be qualified for leadership in the world’s greatest industry – aviation!

(Essential workers in War Industry or Agriculture – do not apply)

U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES

THIS ADVERTISEMENT HAS THE APPROVAL OF THE JOINT ARMY NAVY PERSONNEL BOARD

 “NOTHING CAN STOP THE ARMY AIR CORPS”

Reference

Obituary for Robert L. Benney, at New York Times wesbite. (June 3, 2001)

The Missing Photos: Photographic Images in Missing Aircrew Reports

We live in a visual world.

In terms of photographs pertaining to the WW II United States Army Air Force, sources of pictures include the U.S. Air Force Still Photography Collection (accessible at the National Archives by directly researching original photographic images, or digitally via Fold3.com), foreign archives (the National Archives of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, as well as the archival holdings of most any nation which was involved in the war) regional and local newspapers (often only accessible as 35mm microfilm), and – perhaps the best source for “one-of-a-kind” images – the private collections of veterans, their families, and descendants. 

Images from these sources have long been featured in publications about the Army Air Force, or World War Two (in general), and the Internet as well, and will certainly continue to do so for the future.

However, there is one small but interesting source of images has long been (ironically!) missing: Photographs in Army Air Force Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) of World War Two.

MACRs – referred to in previous blog posts – will doubtless need little introduction for many visitors of this website.  However, for those unfamiliar with these records, NARA publication M1380, Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) of the U.S. Army Air Forces, 1942-1947, will give you a great start.

The overwhelming majority of the 16,605 MACRs are by nature comprised of documents, and, maps.  However, a very small but notable group of MACRs – 58 to be precise – include something else:  Photographs…of the aircraft (and in an unusual case, a solitary parachuting airman) covered by these documents.

Of these 58 MACRs, most – 43 – include one photograph, while the bulk of the remaining 15 include 2, 3, or 4 images.  Two contain 9 photographs, and one includes 15 photographs.  The total number of photographs among all these 58 MACRs is 101.

The MACR photographs appear to have been taken by either 1) automatic, down- or rear-facing cameras, on low-level bomb-runs, or, high altitude bombing missions, or, 2) hand-held cameras, in “air-to-air”, “air-to-ground”, and “ground to ground” situations.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of this set of 58 MACRs – 56, to be specific – pertain to bomber or transport aircraft.  One covers an F-5A reconnaissance Lightning, and another a P-40K Warhawk.

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The quality of the MACR photographs is highly variable. 

The main aspect of these images is that many – especially the air-to-air and air-to-ground images – were captured by happenstance.  Some were taken fortuitously, by a crewman seeing, sensing, and and quickly “snapping” a photograph through the nearest available window – without much time for composition or centering! – in combat conditions.  As such, the relative sized of the subject (the aircraft in question) occupying the image is relatively small.

Images of shot-down aircraft “on the ground” unsurprisingly tend to be of much better quality, at least in terms of subject size and framing. 

Overall, what these images may lack in resolution and detail is outweighed by their importance as the last reminders – both historically and symbolically – of a conflict and era that is receding into the past.  As such, these pictures don’t manifest the photographic composition, lighting, and focus of the stereotypical “official” publicity photo of an aircrew patiently posing beneath the nose-art of their bomber. 

But by nature, they do show an aspect of the nature of WW II that cannot be depicted in posed photographs.

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The table below, based on and extracted from a much larger spreadsheet covering WW II USAAF aircraft losses (based on data in MACRs, and, a variety of other sources) presents nominal information about the 58 “photographic” MACRs.  Information in the table comprises the number of the relevant MACR, the name and rank of the aircraft’s pilot, the date the aircraft was lost, the aircraft’s serial number, the type and sub-type of aircraft, the total number of photographs contained within “that” MACR, and the manner of photography of the photograph(s) therein.

The information shown “here” is limited in order to simplify and streamline the appearance of “this” blog post.  A presentation of this and other relevant information about the 58 MACRs is available in a PDF file here.

Once you open the above PDF, you’ll see the information therein arranged as listed below, with three lines of “data” per MACR:

Line 1
MACR Number
Pilot’s name and rank
Date of incident
Squadron
Group
Air Force
Fate of Crew: “Total number of crew and / or passengers (Total survivors, Total Fatalities)”
Line 2
Aircraft type and sub-type
Aircraft serial number
Squadron Designation (alphabetical, numerical, or alpha-numerical) (if any; if known; in italics)
Nickname (if any; if known; in italics)
General location where aircraft was lost or last seen (with German KU or ME Report number, if relevant)
Line 3
Total number of photographic images in MACR

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A note, and more than a note…

An acknowledgement, and more than an acknowledgement…

It is my understanding that upon their declassification in the early 1980s, MACRs were made available to the public as the “original” documents, but, with the realization of the importance and heavy use of the documents, this policy was rescinded, with the records then being made available in microfiche format – at some time in the mid-1980s – by which they could be purchased from, or directly viewed at NARA.  Fiche format MACRs are presently available at NARA, digitally through Fold3.com, and in many and varied websites in PDF, word (transcribed or summarized), or JPG formats. 

It was through a review (albeit a lengthy and intermittent review; conducted over some years!) of MACRs in fiche and digital formats that I discovered the 58 particular Reports that are the subject of this post.  That review focused on the approximately 14,900 wartime MACRs, and a smaller number of the post-war, “fill-in” MACRs which were created for gaps in wartime coverage, and, pre-mid-1943 aircraft losses.   

After I identified this set of MACRs, the National Archives very kindly granted me access to the “original” documents in order to scan photographic images within them. 

As a result of their generosity – for which I’m deeply appreciative – I’m now able to bring you this post.

And, I hope to bring you a few of the better images in the future. 

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Here are a few examples…

MACR 1087.  (Refer to this account at Justin Taylan’s Pacific Wrecks Database.)

MACR 5032.  (Refer to this account at the 416th Bomb Group website (maintained by Wayne G. Sayles, Rick Prucha, Chris Adams and Carl Sgamboti).

 

MACR 8440.  (Refer to this account at the 303rd Bomb Group website.)

 

MACR Pilot Date Aircraft Serial   Type of Camera
64 Perkins, John H. 1 Lt. 7/14/43 B-17F 42-3049 1 Automatic
150 Flavelle, Brian F. 1 Lt. 8/1/43 B-24D 42-40563 1 Hand-Held
304 Miller, Ralph R. 1 Lt. 8/19/43 B-17F 42-29807 1 Automatic
394 Moore, Don W. 1 Lt. 8/27/43 B-17F 42-29530 1 Hand-Held
489 McDonald, Harry L. 1 Lt. 8/30/43 B-24D 42-40217 3 Hand-Held
614 Boren, William T. Major 9/21/43 B-26B 41-31721 1 Automatic
935 Stookey, Donald L. 1 Lt. 10/16/43 B-25D 41-30561 1 Automatic
1057 Manley, Daniel 1 Lt. 10/9/43 B-25D 41-30363 1 Hand-Held
1087 Smith, Richard F/O 11/3/43 B-25G 42-64850 1 Hand-Held
1146 Gullette, Frank E. 1 Lt. 11/20/43 B-25D 41-30572 1 Hand-Held
1170 Paschal, James M. 1 Lt. 10/19/43 B-25C 41-12631 4 Hand-Held
1416 Meister, Robert A. 1 Lt. 12/17/43 B-25D 41-30661 2 Hand-Held
1423 Smith, George W. 1 Lt. 12/21/43 B-24D 41-24214 2 Hand-Held
1544 Besley, Charles E. 1 Lt. 12/21/43 B-25D 41-30771 1 Automatic?
1620 Unruh, Marion D. Col. 12/30/43 B-24D 41-24186 3 Hand-Held
1629 Morse, Roger W. 1 Lt. 1/3/44 B-24D 42-41205 1 Hand-Held?
2450 Sutphen, Harry S. Capt. 2/22/44 B-25G 42-64779 1 Hand-Held
2578 Ecklund, Robert D. 1 Lt. 12/27/43 F-5A 42-13068 2 Recon & Hand-Held
2761 Fletcher, William H. 1 Lt. 2/21/44 B-17G 42-37796 1 Hand-Held (Ground)
3680 Rauh, Theodore A. 1 Lt. 4/2/44 B-24J 42-73150 1 Hand-Held
3971 Rogers, Robert J., Jr. 2 Lt. 4/2/44 B-24H 41-28698 1 Hand-Held
5032 Gullion, Allen W. 1 Lt. 5/27/44 A-20G 43-10206 1 Automatic
5033 Siracusa, Lucian J. 1 Lt. 5/27/44 A-20G 43-10203 1 Automatic
5303 Moran, Bart 2 Lt. 5/29/44 B-17G 42-107052 9 Hand-Held (Ground)
5536 Randolph, Benjamin D. 1 Lt. 6/3/44 A-20G 43-9959 1 Automatic
5628 Jackson, Loren E. 2 Lt. 6/12/44 B-17G 42-31762 1 Hand-Held (Ground)
5982 Burch, Richard W. Capt. 6/20/44 B-17G 42-97892 1 Automatic
6070 Casey, Thomas V. 2 Lt. 6/22/44 B-25J 43-27656 1 Hand-Held
6455 Dunn, Lamar J. 1 Lt. 6/26/44 B-24H 42-50401 1 Hand-Held
6456 Carter, Thomas J. Major 6/26/44 B-24H 42-95451 1 Automatic
6996 Jones, Ellsoworth D. 2 Lt. 7/28/44 B-24H 41-29275 1 Automatic
7419 DeMatio, Donald H. 2 Lt. 7/19/44 B-24H 42-94893 2 Hand-Held
7685 Hoschar, John P. 1 Lt. 8/15/44 B-25J 43-27783 1 Automatic?
8187 Carpenter, Floyd B. 2 Lt. 9/2/44 P-40K 42-9860 15 Automatic
8440 Litman, Arnold S. Capt. 8/15/44 B-17G 43-37838 1 Hand-Held (Ground)
9750 Barnsley, Daniel V. 2 Lt. 10/21/44 B-24J 44-40557 3 Hand-Held
9906 Yaeger, William C. 1 Lt. 9/17/44 C-47A 42-100648 1 Hand-Held
10154 Levitoff, Julius 2 Lt. 11/6/44 B-17G 42-97330 1 Hand-Held
10156 Campbell, Robert G. 1 Lt. 11/2/44 B-17G 43-38670 1 Automatic?
10303 Alleman, James E. 2 Lt. 11/5/44 B-17G 43-38363 1 Hand-Held
11392 McKanna, Ellis J. Capt. 1/18/45 B-25J 43-27649 2 ?
11555 Smith, Edmund G. 1 Lt. 1/27/45 B-29 42-24769 1 Automatic
11574 Eisenhart, Oliver T. 2 Lt. 1/13/45 B-17G 43-38689 1 Automatic
11576 Statton, Roy F. 1 Lt. 1/10/45 B-17G 42-97861 1 Hand-Held (Ground)
11577 McGinnis, Martin S. Capt. 1/13/45 B-17G 42-107099 1 Hand-Held
11713 Murchland, Robert K. 1 Lt. 1/18/45 B-25J 43-4069 2 Hand-Held
12050 Bierwirth, Herman L. 1 Lt. 2/8/45 B-24L 44-41470 1 ?
12092 Figler, Roman H. 1 Lt. 2/13/45 B-25J 43-27670 1 Hand-Held
12130 Ross, Charles D. 1 Lt. 2/5/45 B-25J 43-36098 1 Hand-Held
12680 Smith, Jay B. Lt. Col. 2/22/45 B-26C 42-107745 3 Hand-Held (Ground)
13419 Kreiser, Joseph R. Capt. 3/24/45 C-46D 44-77582 1 Hand-Held (Ground)
13421 Phillips, Moorhead 1 Lt. 3/24/45 C-46D 44-77595 1 Hand-Held (Ground)
13422 Hamilton, Gerard E. 2 Lt. 3/24/45 C-46D 44-77512 1 Hand-Held (Ground)
13431 Barton, Junior R. 1 Lt. 3/24/45 C-46D 44-77474 1 Hand-Held (Ground)
13515 Bauer, Christian C., Jr. 2 Lt. 3/6/45 B-25J 43-36150 2 Hand-Held
14351 Custer, Glenn R. 2 Lt. 5/4/45 B-24M 44-42058 1 Automatic
14408 Larsen, Leonard G. 1 Lt. 5/10/45 B-25J 43-36149 1 Hand-Held
15098 Norton, Charles E. Capt. 9/24/42 B-17E 41-2420 4 Hand-Held (Ground)

References

NARA Publication M 1380: Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) of the U.S. Army Air Forces, 1942-1947, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington. D.C., 2005

“B-25G-5 Mitchell Serial Number 42-64850″, at http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-25/42-64850.html.

B-17G Fearless Fosdick, at http://www.303rdbg.com/pp-fearlessfosdick-crash.html. (Website copyright by Gary L. Moncur.)

“416th Bomb Group Mission # 58”, at http://www.416th.com/missions/mission58.html.  (Website copyright by Wayne G. Sayles.)

Far Away, So Close: The Fall of a B-24 Liberator off the Coast of Italy – III (References)

References

Books

Birdsall, Steve, Log of the Liberators – An Illustrated History of the B-24, Doubleday, New York, N.Y., 1973
Blue, Allan G., The B-24 Liberator, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, N.Y., 1975
Davis, Larry, B-24 Liberator in Action, Squadron / Signal Publications, Carrollton, Tx., 1987
Rust, Kenn C., Fifteenth Air Force Story, Historical Aviation Album, Temple City, Ca., 1976

Web Sites

Aircraft

Marty the Rubble Maker, at http://www.450thbg.com/real/aircraft/martytherubblemaker.shtml
Marty the Rubble Maker, at http://www.450thbg.com/real/biographies/kostro/kostro.shtml
Marty the Rubble Maker, at http://www.450thbg.com/real/crews/bertling.shtml
Marty the Rubble Maker, at http://www.b24bestweb.com/martytherubblemaker.htm
Satan’s Gal, at http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/21270.
Satan’s Gal, at http://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/b-24/b-24-leevus-bee-and-satans-gal-ii-450th-bg/.
Satan’s Gal, at http://www.b24bestweb.com/satansgal4.htm.

Crew

J.C. Word crew, at http://www.450thbg.com/real/crews/wordcrew.shtml
S/Sgt. Harry M. Beightol:  Chautauqua News and Sherman Advance 6/2/44, 6/9/44; Jamestown Post-Journal 10/21/43, 6/26/44, 10/27/44, 12/7/44, 2/5/49, 2/7/49, 10/28/54; Daly Sentinel (Rome) 3/5/45
S/Sgt. Paul D. Boaz, Biographical information by Jeff Barefoot, at FindAGrave.com
2 Lt. Edward F. Garrett: Albany Times Union 6/16/45; Troy Times Record 6/15/44, 6/19/44, 9/2/44, 6/13/45; Knickerbocker News 6/19/44, 6/12/45
S/Sgt. Gilbert W. Hatfield, Biographical information by Sally Wise (niece), at FindAGrave.com
2 Lt. J.C. Word: The News From Paris, Texas, June 14, 1945; Miami Daily News-Record (Miami, Oklahoma) June 19, 1944

Miscellaneous

Cold Water Survival, at http://www.shipwrite.bc.ca/Chilling_truth.htm
Cold Water Survival, at http://www.ussartf.org/cold_water_survival.htm
Mediterranean Sea Water Temperature, at http://seatemperature.info/may/santo-stefano-al-mare-water-temperature.html
Giannutri Island and Italian coastline, as photographed by Bernard Lafond, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lafond/3769229709/in/photostream/.
List of Newspapers for Chautauqua, New York, at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nychauta//Newspapers.htm

Far Away, So Close: The Fall of a B-24 Liberator off the Coast of Italy – II

     This post presents the three images showing the loss of B-24H 42-52096: Marty the Rubble Maker.

     MACR 4836 includes eyewitness statements about the loss of the aircraft by two members of the 722nd Bomb Squadron: 1 Lt. Willoughby J. Hodge and S/Sgt. Glenn K. Platt, the navigator and aerial gunner of B-24H 42-99805, “Madame Shoo Shoo”, Squadron Number 47 (otherwise known as “Termite Chaser II”). (1)

     Platt’s account:

     On 12 May 1944, our group was on a mission to bomb the Harbor Installations at Port San Stefano, Italy.  I was flying as tail gunner in ship #805 in #4 position in the lead box in the lead attack unit.  Lieutenant Word was flying ship #096, leading the low left element of the lead attack unit.  Approximately two minutes after target time Lieutenant Word was hit by flak which knocked off his left rudder.  This caused the ship to go partially out of control.  The ship then went into a dive.  One man bailed out while it was in the dive.  As the ship approached the sea, Lieutenant Word pulled the ship out of the dive which gave sufficient time for the remainder of the crew to bail out.  I observed a total of nine chutes before the ship nosed into the sea.

     Hodge’s account: 

     On May 12, 1944, our group was on a mission to bomb the Harbor Installations at Port San Stefano, Italy.  I was flying as navigator in ship #805 in #4 position in the lead box in the lead attack unit.  Lieutenant Word was flying ship #096, leading the low left element of the lead attack unit.  As we came off the bomb run, a burst of flak blew the left rudder completely off of Lieutenant Word’s ship.  Lieutenant Word’s ship maintained level flight for about four minutes.  It then started to climb, as it turned back towards the target.  The ship then rolled almost completely over on its back.  As the ship partially righted itself, it went into a steep turning dive.  I then saw nine chutes leave the ship.  It crashed into the sea at 0906 hours.  The Coordinates were 42 16 N, 11 08 E.

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     Where was the plane lost?

     Using the coordinates and the map within MACR 4836, GoogleMaps was used to generate maps – at successively larger scales – of area of the plane’s loss.  These are presented below. 

map-1      Western Italian coast, Tyrrhenian Sea, and Corsica.  Porto Santo Stefano is directly east from Corsica. 

map-2      Zooming into the Tyrrhenian Sea, between Corsica and Porto Santo Stefano.

Map 4 42-16 N 11-08 E     Porto Santo Stefano, with Giglio Island to the West, and Giannutri Island (unlabeled) to the south.  Google Maps’ red position locator shows the loss location of Marty the Rubble Maker, based on coordinates of 42 16 N, 11 08 E reported by Lt. Hodge, and, shown in the map below, from MACR 4836.

04836-42-52096-4____________________

     The photographs?

     A review of photographs in the U.S. Air Force Pre-1954 Official Still Photography Collection at the United States National Archives reveals three images of the loss of Marty the Rubble Maker, which are also shown at the 450th BG Website. The original photographic prints are contained in “Box 100” of the World War II series in this photo collection.

     The pictures are listed and described below.  The “original” USAAF photographic print number is given first, followed by the the corresponding NASM (National Air and Space Museum) Videodisc Frame Number (the “3A” prefix).

     62062AC / 3A-24479 – This image shows the B-24 in horizontal flight, seen from starboard rear, with the Italian coast in the distance.  This is the image published in Log of the Liberators.

     62063AC / 3A-24480 – This image shows the aircraft “standing” on its starboard wing and banking past vertical, before its recovery by Lieutenants Word and Bertling.  Visually, the plane is “framed” between the port tail of a nearby Liberator, while to the right is Satan’s Gal, B-24G 42-78231, squadron number 5, of the 720th Bomb Squadron.  A nice image of Satan’s Gal appears at the website of the American Air Museum, and another photograph – showing the aircraft in the 450th BG’s late-war “tiger-stripe” yellow and black tail markings – from the World War Photos gallery, appears below.

b-24s-leevus-bee-and-satans-gal     62064AC / 3A-24482 – This image shows the aircraft in a steep dive, flanked by the wing and tail of B-24s heading west, with the Italian coastline – southwest of Porto San Stefano – in the background.  This is the image that appears in Fifteenth Air Force Story.

      The three photographs were probably taken in the sequence listed above (62AC, then 63AC, then 64AC), which is consistent with the accounts given by Platt and Willoughby.

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     The photographs, in sequence…

     The three photographs are presented below.  The first and last images include GoogleEarth 3-D virtual views best conforming to the location and perspective of the photograph, and, a Google Map matching the locality of that 3-D virtual view.  (The “second” image of the sequence – 62063AC / 3A-24480 – does not include Google Map or 3-D virtual views.)

b-24h-42-52096-24479-1-600     62062AC / 3A-24479 – Precisely because of the clarity of this photograph, with the aircraft silhouetted against the sea, and the coast of Italy not far off in the distance – but alas, still too far – this is the most evocative and haunting of the three photographs. 

     It evokes two words, “If only…”

b-24h-42-52096-24479-2-2400     This is a 2400 dpi enlargement from the original NARA photographic print, enhanced to bring out details.  All four engines are undamaged, while the ball turret, with its guns pointed downward, has probably been vacated.  The almost completely missing port tail is strikingly evident, suggesting that the flak burst exploded very close to S/Sgt. Whitley’s tail turret.  Though probably not visible in your web browser, the aircraft has a two digit tail number, which appears to be 45 or 46. 

coast-photo-2-3d     Due to the subtlety of the coastline, atmospheric haze, and the angle of view, generating a 3-D view matching this image was challenging.  However, this 3-D view of the coast of Italy appears to be the “best fit” for the geographic features seen in the above photo.  This section of the Italian coastline encompasses a view of Tarquinia, Civitavecchia, and Santa Marinella. 

coast-photo-2     A vertical view of the same area.

coast-map-2     A map view of Tarquinia, Civitavecchia, and Santa Marinella. 

b-24h-42-52096-24480-1-600     62063AC / 3A-24480 – This image is testimony to the flying skill of Lieutenants Word and Bertling.  The plane has banked well past vertical, and yet they still made a recovery… 

b-24h-42-52096-24480-2-3200     This image is a 3200 dpi enlargement from 3A-24480.  No new details have emerged, but the picture does stand out more clearly.

b-24h-42-52096-24482-1-600      62064AC / 3A-24482 – The last of the three pictures, with the diving Liberator silhouetted against the western coast of Italy.  In Lt. Hodge’s words, “It then started to climb, as it turned back towards the target.  The ship then rolled almost completely over on its back.  As the ship partially righted itself, it went into a steep turning dive.”  This photograph was probably taken just at that moment. 

b-24h-42-52096-24482-2-3200     A 3200 dpi enlargement from the above image.  Obvious is just how closely to the tail position the anti-aircraft shell exploded; virtually nothing remains of the port empennage.  It appears – from the bright glint of sunlight off the starboard fin – that the plane’s de-icer boots have been removed, similar to the wing of the Liberator in the left side of the photograph.

coast-photo-1-3d     A 3-D view of the coast and nearby area in  62064AC / 3A-24482.  The geographic features in the image (coastline, roads, farmland, forested areas, and a lake paralleling the coastline) are identical to those visible in the photograph.  In the original image, Marty the Rubble Maker is visually superimposed against forested area just to the left (northwest) of Sgrillozzo. The image shows the Italian coastline with Spacco della Regina to the northwest, Capabio Scalo in the center, and Lago di Burano just inland from shore.

     Assuming the accuracy of the location reported in the MACR, the crew parachuted over the Tyrrhenian Sea just over one mile northeast of the island of Giannutri.  However, going by this image – alone – it appears that the crew parachuted and the aircraft crashed closer to the Italian mainland.  This discrepancy may actually be due to the perspective from which the photograph was taken.

coast-photo-1     A vertical view of the area seen above.

coast-map-1     A map view of Spacco della Regina, Capabio Scalo in the center, and Lago di Burano.     

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     What happened?

    Nine parachutes emerged from an aircraft carrying ten men.

    None returned.

     The tenth man?  He could have been the tail gunner, S/Sgt, Whitley, perhaps mortally wounded or killed by anti-aircraft fire.   

     He could have been Lieutenant Word, who remained behind to give his crew a chance to escape.

     The tenth man could – in actuality – have been any of the other eight men aboard the aircraft (except for Sgt. Beightol, whose body was eventually recovered and returned to the United States).  (2)

     Lt. Hodge’s account suggests that Lt. Word, realizing the predicament of his plane and crew, may have been attempting to reach the Italian mainland to allow a bail-out over land.  They bailed out when the plane when out of control.  They landed at sea, somewhere between the Italian mainland and Giannutri Island.  They were almost certainly within sight of both as they descended in their parachutes. 

     A distance of about ten miles separates the western coast of Italy from Giannutri. 

     Ten miles is not far – “as the crow flies”. 
     Ten miles is a short distance – on a map. 

     But, a clearer impression of the nature of their situation can be seen in this remarkable photograph showing Giannutri Island, with Porto Santo Stefano and the Italian coastline in the distance.  The image, from Bernard Lafond’s flickr Phostream was taken in 2009, and gives a striking impression of this section of the Tyrrhenian Sea and western Italian coast.

giannutri-island-and-italian-mainland-bernard-lafond     The crew parachuted close to land, but not close enough to land.  Without immediate rescue, in water at a temperature of around 60 degrees, burdened by heavy flying equipment, with only a Mae West for flotation, ten miles of water might as well have been one hundred.

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     As Sergeant Beightol wrote five days before his final – and 50th – mission, “I haven’t done so much, but in a sense of the word I can say I have done a little something for my country.  I hope to be able to do more.  Perhaps I’ll get the chance.”   It is more than ironic – but then again, life in general is often ironic – that he did far more than he could ever have imagined.

     His name, and the name of his nine fellow crewmen, would become part of the total of over 407,300 American war dead of the Second World War, and would pass into history. 

     Perhaps the best we can do, in turn, is remember.    

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(1) A photo of Hodge, Platt, and their crew standing before the 450th BG B-24 Termite Chaser I can be found here.  That aircraft was ditched in Naples Harbor by 2 Lt. Layman E. Shain (ironically, an original crewman of Marty the Rubble Maker) on May 19, Shain losing his life in that incident.  Superb in-flight photos of “Madame Shoo Shoo” – from which they witnessed the loss of Marty the Rubble Maker – can be found at this 450th Bomb Group web page.

(2) More information about this can probably be found in his IDPF, which might clarify similar questions about Lt. Bertling. 


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