United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947)

The aircraft departed Leyte Island at 0700LT on a flight to Clark Field. Near Manila Bay, the flight ran into rough weather as it flew through clouds for about 30 minutes. Still over water the crew became lost. The radio operated radioed several messages but did receive any response. Meanwhile, the cabin was prepared for a ditching. At 1210LT the crew spotted two small islands and prepared to land on an airstrip there. A USAAF P-51 Mustang pilot was circling in the area because another P-51 had gone down in the water near the islands and the pilot knew the island was occupied by Japanese forces. He decided to prevent the C-47 to land on the occupied island and opened fire, hitting the right hand engine of the C-47. The P-51 returned and fired at the left hand engine. The airplane was flying low, stalled and hit the water about 300 yards from the shore. All aboard got out into three rafts. They paddled out to sea to avoid machine gun and rifle fire from the shore. They were joined by the P-51 pilot that had been shot down earlier. The next morning all were rescued by a Catalina.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450210-3

While approaching Manila at an altitude between 500 and 1,000 feet, the aircraft was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire. A wing broke, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed near the Nichols AFB, killing all 10 occupants. The pilot may have entered the battle zone on purpose as he made remarks on the day of the accident that he wanted to take photos of the battle scene.
Crew:
Cpl Max L. Greene,
T/Sgt Herschel H. Hickman,
F/O David G. Jolly,
2nd Lt John K. Myers.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450210-4

While on an operation to the Nakajima Aircraft Factory in Ōta, the bomber collided with a second USAAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress registered 42-24815 that was carrying 11 crew members. Following the collision, both airplane dove into the ground and crashed in Takashima. All 23 crew members in both airplanes were killed.
Crew:
Col Birrell Walsh,
Cpt Carmel McC. Slaughter Jr.,
1st Lt Kenneth E. Swanson,
2nd Lt Dan E. Godsy,
2nd Lt Joseph F. Jarosz,
2nd Lt Herbert Weiner,
S/Sgt Nick Carbo,
S/Sgt Robert K. Yonce,
S/Sgt Kenneth F. Mago,
S/Sgt Ralph J. McClellan,
Sgt James E. Melvin,
Sgt Frank R. Katzenmeier.

While on an operation to the Nakajima Aircraft Factory in Ōta, the bomber collided with a second USAAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress registered 42-24784 that was carrying 12 crew members. Following the collision, both airplane dove into the ground and crashed in Takashima. All 23 crew members in both airplanes were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Owen O. Barnhart Jr.,
1st Lt Hugh Donald Burner,
2nd Lt Harley H. Hazelwood,
2nd Lt Cornelius R. Kerns,
2nd Lt Donald Mac Auley Morrison,
S/Sgt Norman Edward Smith,
Sgt Harvey J. Fitzpatrick,
Sgt James F. Greup,
Sgt Harry J. Hartz Jr.,
Sgt Donald A. W. Kissinger,
Sgt George B. Wilbur III.

The crew was engaged in a bombing mission over an oil refinery located in Lützkendorf. Enroute, while approaching Eisenberg, the B-17 registered 43-39149 collided with a second USAAF B-17 registered 42-31060 and also carrying a crew of 9. The first B-17 went out of control, dove into the ground and crash in the city of Eisenberg. Eight crew members were killed and ten people on the ground as well. Only one crew member survived. The second B-17 flew to the east over 400 km and then crashed in a field in Jaraczewo, Poland. Five crew were killed and four others were injured.
Crew of 42-31060:
Sgt Marion L. Canfield, air gunner, †
Sgt Floyd C. Doherty Jr., air gunner, †
F/O Odus C. Litzelfelner, copilot, †
1st Lt Alfred K. Nemer, pilot, †
Sgt Peter M. Volpini, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Harry H. Schultz, navigator,
T/Sgt Howard H. Ganson,
Sgt Floyd S. Bohrer, air gunner,
Sgt Paul L. Kerr, air gunner.

Crew of 43-39149:
2nd Lt Robert J. Barrat, pilot, †
F/O Shirl P. Best, navigator, †
2nd Lt Dean Harvey, copilot, †
S/Sgt William T. Karp, †
S/Sgt Matthew Lazarowicz, radio operator, †
Sgt Louis N. Linhart, air gunner, †
Sgt Herbert D. Link, air gunner, †
Sgt George H. Emerson, air gunner,
S/Sgt Raymond F. Reiss, flight engineer. †

The crew was engaged in a bombing mission over an oil refinery located in Lützkendorf. Enroute, while approaching Eisenberg, the B-17 registered 43-39149 collided with a second USAAF B-17 registered 42-31060 and also carrying a crew of 9. The first B-17 went out of control, dove into the ground and crash in the city of Eisenberg. Eight crew members were killed and ten people on the ground as well. Only one crew member survived. The second B-17 flew to the east over 400 km and then crashed in a field in Jaraczewo, Poland. Five crew were killed and four others were injured.
Crew of 43-39149:
2nd Lt Robert J. Barrat, pilot, †
F/O Shirl P. Best, navigator, †
2nd Lt Dean Harvey, copilot, †
S/Sgt William T. Karp, †
S/Sgt Matthew Lazarowicz, radio operator, †
Sgt Louis N. Linhart, air gunner, †
Sgt Herbert D. Link, air gunner, †
Sgt George H. Emerson, air gunner,
S/Sgt Raymond F. Reiss, flight engineer. †

Crew of 42-31060:
Sgt Marion L. Canfield, air gunner, †
Sgt Floyd C. Doherty Jr., air gunner, †
F/O Odus C. Litzelfelner, copilot, †
1st Lt Alfred K. Nemer, pilot, †
Sgt Peter M. Volpini, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Harry H. Schultz, navigator,
T/Sgt Howard H. Ganson,
Sgt Floyd S. Bohrer, air gunner,
Sgt Paul L. Kerr, air gunner.

The aircraft left Xi'an (Hsian) Airport at 1500LT bound for Kunming with 35 passengers and a crew of four. While cruising at an altitude of 23,000 feet over the cloud layer, the left engine caught fire. The captain ordered the radio operator and the flight engineer to bail out. Shortly later, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed 123 km west of Hechi, killing all 37 occupants. Both crew that bailed out survived. The pilot, Major Carrol D. Gregory, and the copilot 2nd Lt Ralph R. Young were killed.

The crew was performing a night training exercise when approaching Lyons, an engine failed, forcing the captain to divert to Lyons-Bron Airport to attempt an emergency landing. Due to low visibility, the crew completed several circuits over Lyons when the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in the district of Terraillon, near Bron. A crew member was injured while eight others were killed.
Crew (857th Squadron):
Sgt Mose C. Boren Jr., air gunner,
2nd Lt Merrill Burt, copilot,
2nd Lt Charles H. Edwards, pilot,
F/O Edwin London, bomber,
Sgt James D. Matthews, flight engineer,
Sgt James O. Melotte, radio operator,
2nd Lt Gerard L. Roy, navigator,
Sgt John L. Strickey, air gunner,
Sgt Russell G. Wolfersberger Jr, air gunner.

Crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all six crew members.
Crew (850th Bomb Squadron):
Br Gen William H. Eaton, pilot,
2nd Lt Alfred A. Faflik Jr., copilot,
2nd Lt Helmer O. Balland,
S/Sgt Fred H. Thorton,
2nd Lt Garry I. Leonard,
Cpl Drayton P. Mannies.

While approach RAF Polebrook, the Boeing B-17 registered 43-38080 collided with a second USAAF Boeing B-17 registered 43-37595 and carrying a crew of 9 and that was approaching the same airfield. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located in Lutton, east of the airbase. All 19 crew members on both aircraft were killed.
Crew on board B-17 43-38080:
T/Sgt James S. Allman,
1st Lt Edward R. Ashton,
F/O George Y. Bowman,
Sgt John C. Connelly,
S/Sgt Bruce Shaffer Cook,
2nd Lt Donald A. Cornell,
S/Sgt John P. Folks Jr.,
2nd Lt John F. McNeill,
Sgt John Y. Nelson,
Sgt Harold R. Wieland.

Crew on board B-17 43-37595:
St Albert Bingham Cantrelle,
Sgt Emerald G. Cutting,
F/O Stanley L. Dietel,
Sgt Francis T. Leonard,
Sgt Philip M. Singleton,
F/O Robert Earle Sollers,
Sgt Joseph E. Ventress,
2nd Lt Reinhold W. Vergen,
S/Sgt Robert L. Wheatley.