USAAF
5th AF
3rd BG
8th BS
Aircraft History
A-24 Dive Bomber. The US Army's version of the USN's SBD Dauntless. Savannah , SACD 21/10/41 To PHAD 02/11/41, Project"X" 02/01/42, "X" 08/01/42 Brisbane Qld Australia(Pensacola Convoy) Condemned 07/11/42.
Mission
History
Three A-24s, this aircraft and A-24 41-15820 and A-24 41-15783 (Piloted by Rogers, Doan & Holcomb) crash land at Aiyary Airstrip, in an attempt to rescue the crew of B-25C 41-12478 It is not clear which pilot flew which A-24 to Aiyary on May 24, 1942. Two crashed on landing Floyd "Buck" Rogers (engine failure on landing), Doan nosed up, Holcomb landed successfully piloting this A-24.
The next morning on May 25, 1942, 2/Lt James T. Holcombe attemted to take off with the single surviving A-24. On take off, it flipped over and killed him. Passenger Floyd Rogers in the gunner's seat was wounded, but survived.
Edward Rogers adds:
"According to Michael Claringbould three mechanics later went up to Aiyura to see if any of A-24's could be repaired and flown out. They decided that they were beyond repair and were all stripped of useable components (instruments and armament supposedly)."
Reference
Thanks to Edward Rogers for this information.
A-24
