USAAF
5th AF
22nd BG
2nd BS
Former Assignments
19th BS
1942
Pilot Gerald J. Crosson
Crashed January 3, 1943
Aircraft History
Assigned to the 22nd BG, 19th BS in 1941. Stateside plane number 31, assigned to pilot 1st Lt. Franklin S. Allen and crew chief Harrum.
Transfered to the 2nd BS in February 1942 at the Hawaiian Air Depot, Ferried overseas to Australia by 1st Lt. Hubert J. Konopacki arriving at Amberly Field near Brisbane on April 2, 1942.
Nicknamed "So Sorry", the first aircraft in the sqadron to get nose art, depicting a bomb falling, painted at Reid River Airfield.
It flew at leat 34 combat missions in the SWPA, the first combat mission was during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea on May 7, 1942 but aborted due to mechanical failure. Pilots included: Konopacki and Crosson. Crew chiefs included: Peters, Gill, Testa.
Mission History
Led a six bomber mission against Lae Airfield, piloted by Crosson. Hit by anti-aircraft fire in the bomb bay, damaging its elevator cables. Two of the crew were wounded by shrapnel: McCaskey and Johnson. It flew down the coast and sucessfully belly landed in a clearing near Kukuobata, near Dobodura behind the front lines of the battle. The aircraft was later salvaged.
References
Revenge of the Red Raiders page 106, 120. 163-164, 301, 490, 495, 517, 539-540
B-26
MIA
