409th Bomb Group / June 24, 1944
 

Hi/Bonjour,

I am looking for information (serial number and squadron) about a Douglas A-20 belonging to the 409th Bomb Group that made an emergency landing in France on its way home from a mission on a German fuel storage and ammunition depot on June 24, 1944. Loss of an engine.

Best regards,
Frederic

Re: 409th Bomb Group / June 24, 1944
 

Only one that I can find at the moment is A-20G 43-9690 that was 24/07/44. A second one was from a different Group.
Nothing more given in 8th & 9th AAF Losses vol 4.
But there was another noted as salvaged a few days later but both the one above and the one salvaged were both in the UK.

Re: 409th Bomb Group / June 24, 1944
 

Hello Alex,

Thank you for looking in that book of losses. The only indication I had was a historical excerpt, which was: "Fuel storage and ammunition depot mission led by the Davis - Salzmann team. One A/C lost an engine and make an emergency landing in France." Probably an error of month in this unit history, since the day remains the same. Once again, merci beaucoup for the answer.

Best regards,
Frederic

Re: 409th Bomb Group / June 24, 1944
 

I doubt if an emergency landing would appear in a loss list other from not repairable at all?
Also, no accident report (as we know them) would have been filed, because on an operational mission.
Therefore only details would be in a Group/Squadron report of that day/month. There used to be a dedicated website about 409th BG with many details, but it seems to have moved to the web archives or vanished at worst...

(9th AF had MB missions to fuel dumps in France on 24 June 1944. Mentioned Salzmann, though not involved in emergency landing, may be identified as 1st Lt Eugene H. Salzmann, 1922-2001)

Regards,

Leendert

Re: 409th Bomb Group / June 24, 1944
 

Hello Leendert,

I also had some doubts about a mention of an airplane that made an emergency landing because of an engine failure - and then certainly later came back to its English air station. Indeed, the mission is led by Lt. David G. Davis (Pilot) and Lt. Eugene H. Salzman (Bomb/Navigator) team. Unfortunately the history of the 409th BG (...found through web archives) does not give many details about this mission, as well as the following July 17, when the group was again involved in a bombing of the same fuel storage and ammunition depot.

Best regards,
Frederic

Re: 409th Bomb Group / June 24, 1944
 

Hello Leendert,
Can you confirm or otherwise ?
Wasn't it around this date that the 409th moved from the UK to a new base in France ?
If so maybe the a/c landed at its base in France .
Alex