Seeking feedback about the final mission of the Coleman Crew

Discussion about wrecks and losses as well as historic sites in the Pacific.

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ranfranz
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Seeking feedback about the final mission of the Coleman Crew

Post by ranfranz »

Re: Seeking feedback and help to create a simulation of the final mission of the Coleman Crew (MACR) #10023

I would like the feedback from others to help me flesh out the final Coleman crew mission. I have posted information and supporting documents at the following link:

? The Coleman Crew's Final Mission?25 June 1944: http://www.missingaircrew.com/25june44.asp

Here are my questions:

? The 372nd BS and the Coleman crew aircraft was the tail end group within the formation on 25 June 1944. The mission report states the plane was attacked by enemy aircraft about a minute and a half after bombs away. Is this statement referring to bombs away by the lead aircraft or the Coleman crew?
? The planes made a 090 breakaway turn after bombing the Yap Aerodrome and revetment areas. Was the Coleman aircraft likely attacked after the turn or before?
? After being attacked the Coleman aircraft did a loop and then fell off to the right in a spin and crashed in the water 2 miles south of the runway. Did the Coleman plane ?fall off to the right? from the view of the tail gunners flying south or to the right of the Coleman direction of flight to the south? I?m assuming the ?fall off to the right? is from the perspective of the planes looking back and seeing the Coleman crew (500 feet below the 370th BS) falling off to the east not the west. Any thoughts?
? The 5th Bomb Group and 307th Bomb Group mission reports (for the same mission) are very different when it comes to the account of the Coleman crew shoot down. The 5th Bomb Group reports NO strafing and no fire while the 307th Bomb Group reports a fire and that the plane was strafed all the water and while on top of the surface. Why so different and what account might be correct? Was the 307th BG report bias because they knew the crew and might have inflamed (staffed all the way down, etc.) the report due to the loss of their buddies?
? The 5th Bomb Group states the Coleman plane went down in a flat spin and crashed ?just outside? the reef south of the island. The 307th Bomb Group states the plane went down ?approximately three to five miles southeast of the southern tip of Yap Island.? Is the 5th Bomb Group visual account of ?just off the reef? more reliable since it provides a visual reference to the crash site?

Additional accounts of the shoot down including reports from the Japanese and a US Submarine on lifeguard duty can be viewed at the following link:

? The Coleman Crew Shoot Down?25 June 1944: http://www.missingaircrew.com/shootdown.asp

As always, I greatly appreciate the help from others to put together the historical pieces. We plan to return to Yap from September 13-29, 2006 to continue the search for the Coleman crew and other American planes and men lost near Yap Island during the war. I have put together a compressive list (with supporting documents) of American planes and men lost near Yap at: http://www.missingaircrew.com/yap/yapmissions.asp. Please let me know if anyone can help with additional information and documents to support this research. I?m trying to vet my research to see if I have missed any planes lost in the Yap area.

Thanks,

-Pat

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