B-24s of 7th BG lost over Rangoon in March 1943
 

In Osprey's "B-24 Liberator Units of the CBI" there's an information about two B-24s of 7th BG (USAAF), flown by Capt. James Baldwin and Lt. Willard Short, shot down by Ki-43 Oscars over Rangoon on 10 March 1943. It would have been the first such case in the CBI. The same information is repeated in another Osprey, "B-24 Liberator vs Ki-43 Oscar: China and Burma 1943" by the same author, but with a different date - 13 March 1943.
Could anyone confirm/correct this info, and possibly provide some details (a/c serial numbers, which Japanese unit was involved)?

OK, I've learned from "7th Bombardment Group/Wing, 1918-1995" by Robert F. Dorr that two B-24s of that group were indeed lost near Rangoon on 13 March 1943, but there are no details of how it happened. Were the two really shot down by fighters?

Re: B-24s of 7th BG lost over Rangoon in March 1943
 

According to MACR 16245 (for Baldwin), both B-24's went down due to enemy fighters 0n 13 March 1943. To quote the MACR, Four (4) B-24D's in formation took off from Pandavessar, India at 0630 hours to bomb Pasundaung Bridge. Each of the airplanes was loaded with 5-1,000 lb bombs. The formation was intercepted by enemy fighters which succeeded in disabling two of the ships in the formation which later crashed into the sea. At least seven (7) enemy aircraft made the attack. Three gunners were wounded in one of the other two remaining ships. The mission was successful and the flight returned at approximately 1800 hours. From this operation two of our aircraft were missing. Due to their superior number, the enemy fighters succeeded in fatally damaging the airplanes piloted by Lt. W.K. Short and Captain J.W. Baldwin. The crew of the two damaged planes fought gallantly until they crashed into the sea. After offering as much protection as possible to the damaged planes, the two remaining ones returned, landing at auxiliary fields.

Kent

Re: B-24s of 7th BG lost over Rangoon in March 1943
 

There is nothing about these losses in "Air War for Burma" by Shores on either 10 or 13 March 1943. There is no mention of 7th BG or any of its squadrons between 29 December 1942 and 31 March 1943.

My point of view of the book was that US units are less covered than British and Japanese ones, but still a fight between US bombers and Japanese fighters should have been included. So it seems that the Japanese fighters were not from 50 and 64 Sentai, the two Japanese fighter units best covered by the book.

Re: B-24s of 7th BG lost over Rangoon in March 1943
 

Thank you, guys!

Exactly! The two B-24s were the very first ones of the kind shot down by Japanese fighters in the CBI. Certainly an event worth mentioning. Oddly, Eric Hammel in his "Air War Pacific Chronology", which lists operations by the 7th BG quite meticulously, doesn't mention it either, hence my doubts.

Re: B-24s of 7th BG lost over Rangoon in March 1943
 

Could it be a typo for 31 March, because in "Air War for Burma" there is mention of a fight between 7th BG and 64 Sentai on this date (with an unconfirmed episode where an US airman after baling out was strafed under his parachute by a Japanese fighter, played dead and then shot back with his pistol when the Japanese pilot came close, believing he killed him).

Still, the ABMC database and the USAAFDATA American Air Forces lives lost during WW2 both have numerous airmen lost on 13 March 1943, even if both said Baldwin died on 13 July 1943 (a typo? died as POW?).

Edited: the link below says that Baldwin did not survive on 13 March 1943.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...ames-w-baldwin

Re: B-24s of 7th BG lost over Rangoon in March 1943
 

I found something on the official American war chronology for March 1943 (available here: http://www.znaci.net/00002/316_27.pdf)
"10 March 1943
Mingaladon airdrome and Pazundaung bridge at Rangoon attacked by 4 and 5 B-24's respectively; at the airdrome, several hits are scored on runway, buildings, and revetments; 5 hits scored on N end of bridge, but smole prevents observation of results. After leaving the target, the formation is attacked by 11-13 enemy planes, 3 of which are destroyed and several damaged.

13 March 1943
Pazundaung bridge at Rangoon is attacked for second successive day, by force of 4 B-24's; 2 near misses scored on bridge. Five-seven enemy twin-engine fighters intercept, 1 of which is destroyed, 1 probably, and several damaged; 2 B-24's destroyed."

In this document, the Japanese aircraft are identified as twin-engine fighters. And I guess that five-seven means five to seven, not fifty-seven, because this will be a huge number of fighters from this type.

The 21 Sentai flying Ki-45 twin-engine fighters moved from Sumatra to Mingaladon airfield near Rangoon during the month of March, so it was probably this unit that engaged the 7th BG bombers.

I know that a number of Japanese war diaries are available online, but as I can't read Japanese, I don't know if the one for this month and 21 Sentai is available, but maybe you can check it.

Re: B-24s of 7th BG lost over Rangoon in March 1943
 

Just a remark: I searched today a loss occurring on 13 March 1944 (B-25 41-30383 of 22nd BS, 341st BG) and of the six crew, five are registered by ABMC on 13 March 1944 and one on 13 July 1944.

So I wonder if ABMC was not using some kind of character recognition of files that will sometimes decypher a 7 in place of a 3.

Re: B-24s of 7th BG lost over Rangoon in March 1943
 

Thank you Laurent. This is all very revealing and informative to me.