MACR's 15673 & 15677
 

Hello,
I have looked in Fold3 at both MACR's.
They do not give much away.
However
MACR 15673 has pilot as ANDERS.
MACR 15677 has pilot as McHUGH.

My reason for the question is twofold.

McHUGH.
Firstly correspondence from the mother of Archie B. Tomlinson suggests that he was co-pilot in the a/c on the fatal flight.
However the NoK address list has his name at the top, so to me suggests that he was the pilot and not McHugh.

ANDERS
Volume 3 of "the history of the MEDITERRANEAN AIR WAS 1940-1945" has the following.
Page 368
Monday 1st March 1943.
US Casualties
415BS/98BG
B24D 41-23789 Thunderbird shot down over Naples; 1/Lt. Virgil M. Anders and eight crew Mia.
And on
Page 392
Thursday 18th March 1943
US Casualties
415BS/98BG
B24D 41-23789 Zombie shot down near Naples ; 2Lt. Harry K. McHugh and nine crew Mia.
There is an annotation though.
Not 41-11789 as stated in vol 2.

So I would not expect that the same a/c 41-23789 would have been shot down with loss of crew on two different dates and two different crews and two different artwork/names ?

Has this been resolved yet ?

I just checked B-24 Nose Art Name Directory , and for "Zombie" 98BG/415BS, the serial number is given as being 41-11790, photo(s) exists, but didn't this a/c survived the war ?

Thanks
Alex

Re: MACR's 15673 & 15677
 

For your information, Vittorio Minguzzi (22° gruppo) claimed a B24 shot down near Capri island on 1st March 1943 (17:30). He was flying a Dewoitine D.520.

Re: MACR's 15673 & 15677
 

Hello Roncosano,
Many thanks for the info re the D.520, it backs up the same detail in the book Mediterranean Air War vol 2.
Thank you
Alex.

Re: MACR's 15673 & 15677
 

Hello,
Had a look at taracopp.com documents today.
Found that for the 1st March 1943, ANDERS , pilot with VanWinkle, co-pilot were in a/c 789.
So this must have been 41-23789 -"K", or 41-11789 -"F" ?
Also for the 18th March 1943, McHugh pilot with Tomlinson co-pilot were in a/c 798.
So this must have been 41-11798 - "F".

Thanks
Alex

Re: MACR's 15673 & 15677
 

FYI, the 41-11789 is an C-87 Liberator Express used by ATC, United Airlines.

/Johan

I found this thread with great interest as I am distantly kin to Virgil Anders, and am helping some of his nieces piece together his “puzzle”

I am not a member of Fold 3, is there anything in the MACR worth the subscription?

Also, am I correct that his plane was 23789?

Thanks for any help that can be provided. One niece seems to think there may have been a picture of Anders and his crew that she is looking thru her mother’s stuff to find.

I am a distant cousin of Virgil Anders, and am working with his nieces trying to put his story together for family history.

I’ve seen the reports as shown on taracopp.

Family believes they have a photo of crew and the plane

Any more input?

Best Regards
Virgil Roberts
Grandson of WWII vets, one serving under Patton, the other in Rommel’s Afrika Korps

Re: MACR's 15673 & 15677
 

So just to clarify the information




1st March 1943, ANDERS, Pilot with VanWinkle, co-pilot were in a/c 41-23789 K "Thunderbird".
Crashed into sea somewhere in Tirreno sea, (Mediterranean Sea) near Naples, Italy.

Shot Down possible by Uffz. Lt. Rudi Dassow, 7./ZG 1, Me-210

Or was it shot down by

MAGG Vittorio Minguzzi 22 Gr AUT CT, D 520 ?



18th March 1943, McHugh pilot with Tomlinson co-pilot were in a/c 41-11798 F "Pink Lady".
Shot down and crashed into sea somewhere outside Naples.

Any more information regarding what happened to this plane than
nor trace of either crew or plane?
Any claim? and by who?

/JohanSWE