B-25D and crew- Missing 11 May 1943 - s/n 41-(000)3?
 

On 11 May 1943 a USAAF B-25D went missing on a ferry flight between British Guyana and Belem, Brazil.
Pilot 2nd Lt Milton A. Moritz and crew are mentioned as MIA on the East Coast Memorial, NYC.

Somehow accident-report.com, aviationarcheology and entries for crew members on findagrave give as serial for the B-25 "41-3", "41-0003" or the like.
But "41-003" appears to have been an XB-29 instead (Joe Baugher), while accident-report has an AT-8 for "41-3".....

Any ideas which B-25 really went missing? Given the "41-(000)3", then B-25D "41-30003" a possibility?

Thanks for any info.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: B-25D and crew- Missing 11 May 1943 - s/n 41-(000)3?
 

MACR 16101 has the serial number as 41-0003. Says only B-25 without any model designation.

Kent

Re: B-25D and crew- Missing 11 May 1943 - s/n 41-(000)3?
 

Probably not going to resolve this, but on this link is a photo of 41-30003 at the Tulsa modification center, (probably in late 1942 or early 1943 rather than early in 1942).

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac6/N.A.%20B-25.html

The text says most of the planes went to the South Pacific, but it does note that 41-29996 went to Italy, so that seems to allow the possibility that the plane lost was 41-30003.

Joe Bauger's page for this group of planes is here:
http://cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-b...30048&content=

(Joe does have at least one error in his listings. 41-30118 was lost in 1943 not 1942.)
https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircra.../41-30118.html

Re: B-25D and crew- Missing 11 May 1943 - s/n 41-(000)3?
 

Indeed, Rolland, I had (also) noticed that picture, and that most of that batch went to the Pacific.
It looks like I must go after the Aircraft Record Card for 41-30003 to see what it says. That aside, it sadly doesn't change the fate of the missing crew....

Regards,

Leendert

Re: B-25D and crew- Missing 11 May 1943 - s/n 41-(000)3?
 

The B-25D-5 with the serials 41-30000, 41-30001 & 41-30002 all flew with 321st BG in the MTO in May 1943 according to this website: http://57thbombwing.com/321stHistory/321_BG_1943-05.pdf

Re: B-25D and crew- Missing 11 May 1943 - s/n 41-(000)3?
 

Rainer, 41-30005 is also on that same list. So planes on either side of 41-30003 went to the MTO.

Re: B-25D and crew- Missing 11 May 1943 - s/n 41-(000)3?
 

Received some interesting info. B-25 41-30003 was taken from the list on 4 June 1943, so some three weeks after it went missing and almost a week before searches for the crew stopped.
B-25 was destined for the 12th AF in N. Africa and crew came from 470th BS, 334th BG, a combat crew replacement unit.
Likely destination for them was either 320th or 321st BG.

Entry of "41-0003" on accident and perhaps other reports probably a typing error that started its own life ever since.

Regards,

Leendert