Mission History
During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, at approximately 10:30 am. This and two other B-17 were en route to attack shipping and were attacked by Zeros. One Zero managed to hit the pilot's compartment. Immediately, flame shot through the ship, spouting from the windows and tail. As it descended, it released its bombs (reportedly at a target). At 1,000' the tail wrenched off and floated earthward in weird gyrations. The remaining and main part of the ship, dove into the water. A few moments later it sank beneath the waves. Seven reportedly bailed out, but one fell out of his harness falling to his death. The other chutes all opened, and as they floated earthward, they were unmercifully strafed by 'clipped wing' (A6M3) Zeros.

A picture was taken after it had been hit, after the men bailed, and after the bomb run was completed. It was taken at about 7000 feet. That particular picture was an enhanced close-up, Ka-Puhio-Wela taken from "Lulu Belle" from which the picture was taken. The fire didn't spread and break the ship up until about 300-500 feet above the water.

Gordon Manuel recalls in 70,000 to One:
"A fortress from the 63rd Squadron was hit by flak. The flak just blew a tail off the ship and she started down. There was no saving her. It was dreadful to watch. Then six of her boys jumped. Their chutes opened and they started to float down. From nowhere, like vultures leaping on a wounded rabbit, the Zeros dove. They had been hiding up above in the clouds. They didn't aim at us or any of the other Forts but at the six men in chutes. They killed them, all right. I watched that, feeling cold and sick, and I said to myself. 'That's all, brother, that's all. Now I know. I know what we're fighting now. Not men - beasts."

Captain Willis E. Brady witness to the crash of the B-17:
"The four officers and one man remained in the plane. The bombing run was completed and the pilot pulled the plane up a little out of formation. He gave a salute and a big smile and headed the plane down for the water. The plane was observed to break in two pieces at an altitude of approximately 300 feet. This plane went down in the middle of the Jap convoy. Much strafing was done in this area later and anyone alive could quite possibly have been killed by our own planes."

The entire crew was recommended for the Silver Star after its loss, the officers earned the Silver Star and the enlisted men the Air Medal, posthumously. Alfred F. Westphal was also awarded the DFC, unsure if it was for this mission or a previous one.

Relatives
Tom Dow (nephew of Alfred Dow)

References
70,000 to One mentions this loss, pages 58-59
Forty of the Fifth mentions this loss, page 110-115
Pride of Seattle page 6
Thanks to Tom Dow and Edward Rogers for additional information

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Last Updated
November 8, 2009

B-17

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