Mission 178

Aircraft suffered mechanical failure and force-landed at Dübendorf airfield, Switzerland. Entire crew interned. MACR 2367.

On 7 January 1944 the aircraft departed Hardwick at 07:30 on a bombing mission to Ludwigshafen. While returning from the target the aircraft was attacked by Me 109s in the vicinity of Chartres, France. Engine number two was set on fire and the flames quickly spread to the wing. Pilot Lt. Walters dived the aircraft to 15,000 feet in an attempt to extinguish the fire. When this failed he ordered the crew to bail out and rang the alarm bell. The aircraft was traveling at approximately 200 mph when Walters dived headfirst through the bomb bay at roughly 2,000–3,000 feet. The aircraft exploded on impact with the ground and was completely destroyed. It came down within 200 yards of where Walters landed, near Brou, France, approximately 5–6 miles from Brie. Four crew members — Walters, Bickley, Del Guidice, and Hite — successfully evaded capture and returned to the UK on 24 February 1944. The navigator, bombardier, and three gunners (Kudej, Sweet, and Stainker) remained MIA.

B-24D serial 42-40990, assigned to the 328th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, was lost on 7 January 1944 during a combat mission to Ludwigshafen, Germany. The aircraft departed AAF Station 104 and was last seen over the Chartres area at approximately 1320 hours. Loss was attributed to enemy aircraft. No. 2 engine caught fire and the wing behind the engine was also burning. Controls were partially damaged and did not respond fully. The pilot ordered the crew to bail out at between 4,000 and 5,000 feet altitude. All crew members were observed bailing out with parachutes opening. The aircraft exploded before hitting the ground and exploded again on impact. It crashed into a forest near Chateau, approximately 17 km southeast of Foix, France. A German capture report dated 15 February 1944 confirmed the crash location. French witnesses reported that two bodies were found in the burned wreckage. Four crew members — the pilot, co-pilot, radio operator, and engineer/top turret gunner — evaded capture and returned to England together. Two officers, the navigator and bombardier, were assisted by French contacts and reached Paris but were captured by the Germans before reaching Spain. The fate of the remaining three crew members was not definitively established.

On 7 January 1944, the aircraft was on a mission to Ludwigshafen. The crew flew through thick clouds from Paris onward. Just before reaching the target area, a JU 188 made a pass at the formation and the waist gunner fired a burst at it. Flak was fairly heavy. The aircraft was hit by flak before dropping its bombs, with holes observed in the right wing and damage to the cowling of No. 4 engine (oil smoke pouring from a holed oil line). The crew bombed the target with the formation and started back. No. 2 engine then began to fail and was feathered, causing the aircraft to lose altitude and speed. After 20 more minutes on three engines they fell behind their group, and attempted to join another B-17 formation but could not maintain speed. No. 4 engine also failed. With No. 3 supercharger also out, the aircraft was reduced to two engines and descended to 8,000 feet. Coming out of the clouds, the crew observed the Fontainebleau Forest below. They threw out all available equipment but could not regain altitude. Flak began bursting to the right of the plane, and the interphone went out. A fragment of flak went through the fuselage behind the waist windows, after which the radio operator ordered the crew to bail out at approximately 1420. The aircraft went into a spin to the left as the last crew members were jumping. The bail-out occurred at approximately 4,000 feet altitude, approximately 47 km south of Paris near St. Sauveur, southwest of Melun.

B-24 serial number 42-7519, nicknamed "519-D," was assigned to the 328th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. On 7 January 1944, the aircraft departed AAF 104 on a combat mission to Ludwigshafen, Germany. During the mission, the aircraft was attacked by enemy fighters. No. 3 engine caught fire, Nos. 2 and 4 were feathered, and No. 1 went out of control. Co-pilot 2nd Lt. Edward C. Miller reported bailing out at approximately 13,000 feet, at around 1330 hours, between Paris and Melun (near St. Assisse). A cipher message received after the loss stated that an aircraft of the 93rd Bombardment Group, 328th Bombardment Squadron had landed in Switzerland. The intelligence officer's eyewitness report notes this was likely 42-7519, though confirmation was pending at the time of the report. Seven parachutes were counted by French helpers on the ground. Hearsay information from French sources indicated that crew members Stearns, Varbese, and Wahrheit were believed killed, while Carnahan and Long were captured. Miller also reported hearing that ground troops had fired on some men after bailout.

Aircraft departed Hardwick at approximately 0700 on 7 January 1944 to bomb Ludwigshafen. The crew flew in thick clouds from Paris onward. The aircraft was struck by flak before bombs were dropped, sustaining damage to the right wing and the cowling of engine No. 4. The formation bombed the target despite the damage. After leaving the target, engine No. 2 began to fail and was feathered. The aircraft lost altitude and speed, dropped behind the formation, and could not keep up with a second group of B-17s. Engine No. 4 then also failed. At 8,000 feet, a flak fragment penetrated the fuselage behind the waist windows and the crew was ordered to bail out. The aircraft went into a spin as the last crew members bailed out at approximately 4,000 feet. The aircraft came down approximately 47 km south of Paris near Fontainebleau Forest.