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Crash of a North American B-25C-1 Mitchell in Columbia

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
North American B-25 Mitchell
Operator:
Registration:
41-13291
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Columbia - Columbia
MSN:
82-5926
YOM:
1941
Location:
Columbia
South Carolina
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing at Columbia Airfield and was damaged beyond repair. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a North American B-25C-1 Mitchell in Ballentine: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
North American B-25 Mitchell
Operator:
Registration:
41-13292
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Columbia - Columbia
MSN:
82-5927
YOM:
1941
Location:
Ballentine
South Carolina
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in Ballentine, some 24 km northwest of Columbia. All four crew members were killed.
Crew.
1st Lt Merritt M. Hopson,
2nd Lt Walter R. Bone,
S/Sgt Vernon L. Arenas,
Cpl Hal W. Reed.

Crash of a Martin B-26B Marauder near Shreveport: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-26 Marauder
Operator:
Registration:
41-17645
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Barksdale - Barksdale
Location:
Shreveport
Louisiana
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances 16 km west of Shreveport and was destroyed. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Doyce D. Harden,
2nd Lt John P. Petraitis,
S/Sgt John C. Aitchison,
F/O James E. O'Connor,
F/O Malcolm J. Tahl.

Crash of a Martin A-30A Baltimore in Saint Francis

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Martin 187 Baltimore
Operator:
Registration:
41-27710
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
3815
YOM:
1942
Location:
Saint Francis
Kentucky
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was forced to make an emergency landing in Saint Francis. There were no fatalities and the airplane was damaged beyond repair. The accident occurred shortly before the aircraft would be delivered to the Royal Air Force with registration FA128.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator at Sewart AFB

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
41-11888
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
384
YOM:
1941
Location:
Sewart AFB (Smyrna)
Tennessee
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on takeoff from Sewart AFB, Smyrna. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and there were no fatalities.

Crash of a Lockheed A-28A Hudson in Detroit: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1943 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
42-47215
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Detroit - Detroit
MSN:
414-7135
YOM:
1942
Location:
Detroit-Metropolitan-Wayne County
Michigan
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training flight at Detroit-Wayne County Airport. While in the circuit, weather conditions worsened and the approach was completed in icing conditions. The airplane stalled and crashed in a wooded area near the airport. A crew was killed and two others were seriously injured.
Crew:
2nd Lt Vincent A. Barsdis, instructor, †
2nd Lt Jack V. McGuire, pilot,
2nd Lt Earl Pifer, pilot.
Probable cause:
Subject aircraft was carrying a heavy load of ice [on the airframe]. This excessive load of ice resulted in a high-speed stall followed by a horizontal roll during which all flying speed was lost and the aircraft struck the ground descending at approximately 30 degrees. The aircraft was inspected ten minutes after the crash. There was an excessive ice formation on the outer surface of the wing and approximately one-quarter inch of ice on the deicer boots. The accident is attributed to two factors — a snow and rain squall moving in over and against the surface surface wind, plus the congestion of traffic caused by the sudden weather condition.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-27-BO Flying Fortress in La Baule-Escoublac: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1943 at 1140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-24620
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Molesworth - Molesworth
MSN:
3305
YOM:
1942
Location:
La Baule-Escoublac
Loire-Atlantique
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Molesworth in the morning on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed. Seven crew members were killed and three others became PoW. The ball turret gunner, though suffering shrapnel wounds, was thrown from the wreckage without his parachute at 20,000 feet, lost consciousness due to altitude, free fell and plunged through a glass roof of the Saint-Nazaire station. He was found alive but with serious injuries tangled in the steel roof girders of the railway station. Saved by German medical care, he spent the rest of war in prison camps.
Crew:
1st Lt Arthur Irwin Adams, pilot, †
2nd Lt Gene Adam Witterstetter, copilot, †
T/Sgt Dennis C. Hart, mechanic, †
T/Sgt Alfred Morris Union, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Glen Marshall Herrington, navigator,
2nd Lt Michael Lawrence Libonati Jr., bomb aimer, †
S/Sgt Edward William Durant, air gunner, †
Sgt Marvin L. Milam, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Alan Eugene Magee, air gunner,
S/Sgt James Ira Gordon, air gunner.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-27-BO Flying Fortress off Le Croisic: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1943 at 1130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-24608
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Molesworth - Molesworth
MSN:
3293
YOM:
1942
Location:
Le Croisic
Loire-Atlantique
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Molesworth on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea some 10 km south of Le Croisic. Seven crew members were killed and three others were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Frank Andrew Saunders, pilot,
2nd Lt Leonard W. Kirk, copilot, †
S//Sgt Lloyd E. Wagner, flight engineer, †
2nd Lt Oscar Franklin Forester Jr., navigator,
T/Sgt Walter M. Clevenger, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Norman Kossis, bomb aimer, †
S/Sgt Russell O. Chitwood, air gunner, †
Sgt Howard A. High, air gunner, †
Sgt Rufus C. Litton, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Leif Harald Hoklin, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-35-BO Flying Fortress off Noirmoutier Island: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-5084
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bassingbourn - Bassingbourn
MSN:
3623
YOM:
1942
Location:
Noirmoutier Island
Vendée
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn at 0900LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Over the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea 12 km off Noirmoutier Island. Nine crew members were killed and one was rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt William M. Anderson, pilot, †
1st Lt James L. Lee, copilot, †
T/Sgt Rex O. Barker, mechanic, †
1st Lt John Henry Roten, navigator,
S/Sgt Anthony C. McCauley, radio operator, †
1st Lt Lyle G. Karnath, bomb aimer, †
T/Sgt Robert E. Marrer, air gunner, †
S/Sgt La Vern A. Senn, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Herman Odegard, air gunner, †
Sgt Richard Q. Flint, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-20-BO Flying Fortress off Saint-Nazaire: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-24526
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Molesworth - Molesworth
MSN:
3211
YOM:
1942
Location:
Saint-Nazaire
Loire-Atlantique
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Molesworth on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off the city. All 10 occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt James B. Clark, pilot,
2nd Lt Paul Bouton Jr.,copilot,
2nd Lt Charles E. Hoffman, navigator,
S/Sgt Leroy W. Wilder, radio operator,
2nd Lt Don W. Lusk Jr., bomb aimer,
Sgt Arthur Brunnet, air gunner,
S/Sgt George F. Hall Jr., air gunner,
Sgt Jonathan S. Land, air gunner,
T/Sgt Thomas J. Reino, air gunner,
S/Sgt Merlyn D. Rukes, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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