42-51275

B-24J Liberator serial 42-51275, assigned to the 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, departed Hardwick on 16 January 1945 on a bombing mission to Lauta, Germany.

Eyewitness S/Sgt. Metro Hereshko observed the aircraft drop out of formation about a minute after bombs away, peel off to the left and downward apparently under control, then go into a spin. No parachutes were observed from the tail position before visual contact was lost.

German records confirm the aircraft crashed on 16 January 1945 at approximately 1300 hours at the north border of the village of Saalau near Wittichnau, northeast of Kamenz, Saxony. The crash was reported as 100% destruction.

Of the nine-man crew, five were captured, one (F/O Robert A. Newell) was killed when his parachute failed to open, and five other crew members were killed in the crash. German authorities identified the five dead by name from information provided by T/Sgt. Charles W. Curran.