Date & Time:
Oct 5, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-9196
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Mareeba - Port Moresby - Mareeba
MSN:
2668
YOM:
1941
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
9
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Mareeba, Queensland, then made a fuel stop at Port Moresby-Seven Mile Airport. It then continued to Rabaul on a mission to attack the Vunakanau Airfield. Approaching the target area, it was attacked and shot down by 11 Mitsubishi Zero and crashed. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew (19th BG):
1st Lt Earl L. Hageman Jr.,
1st Lt Dale E. Hanson,
2nd Lt Angelo P. Bianco,
2nd Lt Wade H. Lowry,
S/Sgt Michael G. Adamow,
Sgt Thomas H. Jack,
Cpl Frank J. Mehock,
Pfc Thomas W. Wilzbacher,
Sgt Frank W. Plunkett, air gunner.
Crew (19th BG):
1st Lt Earl L. Hageman Jr.,
1st Lt Dale E. Hanson,
2nd Lt Angelo P. Bianco,
2nd Lt Wade H. Lowry,
S/Sgt Michael G. Adamow,
Sgt Thomas H. Jack,
Cpl Frank J. Mehock,
Pfc Thomas W. Wilzbacher,
Sgt Frank W. Plunkett, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by Japanese fighters.
