[Laurent Rizzotti]

Sorry, for some reason I checked 24 JULY 1944, not June.

Actually, there is a rather long description of a rescue of a 459th BG crew on 24 June 1944:

" 24 June 1944

Another rescue by Lieutenant Milburn and crew ended a ten day famine and netted eight survivors. PBY No 958, having been assigned patrol duty in the vicinity of Peagrus Island, took-off from Foggie Main at 1140. Shortly upon arrival at the designated area, a radio “fix” on a “ditched” B-24G was received. The coordinates given were 410 40’ North and 170 30’ East. Navigator, Lieutenant Haynie, accurately plotted the course, and following less that ten minutes of search, two dinghies were sighted at 12:55. The sea was high with eight to ten foot swells, presenting not only a very real hazard but a frank challenge to both pilot and crew – which they were quick to accept. (It is secretly believed that the appearance of a plane from Flight “A” was the precipitating factor in promoting the never-the-less bold decision.) The Catalina in a cross-wind landing, hit the water with a resounding whack and bounced over the wave crests, its hull battered and its rudder crinkled. A section of Plexiglas, in the starboard blister hatch, shattered under the series of impacts. The damaged plane, leaking water through popped rivot holes, taxied to the rafts and the occupants, eight in number, were assisted aboard. It was debatable whether the plane could, in its present state, make a safe take-off. Two attempts proved unsuccessful, but by taxing at some distance and retracing its course over the wake of a newly erected trough the third try, with prayer and trembling, was more fortunate. The “Cat” was smacked once, twice and then leaping high cleared the water. The PBY was on the sea a total of forty minutes, from 13:05 to 13:45 and landed on Foggia Main at 14:55, where two ambulances waited to take the survivors to the 61st Station Hospital.

Interrogation of the survivors elicited this, an unusual story:

The crew of veteran “Sarah Doe”, a B-24C No 322 which had already completed its fourteenth mission and was therefore not a stranger to combat, finished it training at Lincoln, Nebraska and left the States in a B-24Y from Manchester, New Hampshire on 29 May 1944, arriving in Italy 9 June 1944. The crew are members of the 759th Bomb Squadron, 459th Bomb Group, located at Giulia Field, near Cerignola, Italy. It was their initial mission.
Take-off, of an echelon of forty-six bombers, was scheduled for 0610. All were successfully airborne with the exception for B-24G No 322, which because of a crash landing at the base, was delayed forty-five minutes. Meanwhile with all engines running, much of the 2,700 gallons of fuel was expanded. The tower issued instructions and the retarded Bomber took to the air, taxing its engines to the utmost to catch the formation, for it was discovered that the tail gun turret was not operational and therefore made the easily vulnerable to enemy fighter attack. To compensate for lost time and to remain in formation, the horsepower had to be increased up to 2,500 revolutions per minute, gas consumption was proportionally greater and the manifold pressure was run up to forty-five inches of mercury. The older B-24 models, of which this was one, are equipped with manually operated turbo-superchargers. No 4 engine, out of gas, sputtered alarmingly. Gasoline was transferred from tank Number 1, to Number 4 and the engine continued to run. The raiders reached their target objective, a railroad repair depot in Craiova, Romania, at 0933. No 322 salvoed its bombs making hits, but losing altitude, lagged behind; showing a marked tendency to swerve to the left. The accessory or “Tokio” wing tanks, holding 250 gallons each, were now empty. No 1 engine cut out and the controls were set on “Taking Engine – Cross – Feed”. Once more all motors began to function. At 17,600 feet and about thirty five minutes from the coast, two super-chargers indicated a noticeable elevation. Later check on the “Petrol” supply, revealed a figure approximating one hundred and seventy gallons. At 11:35 the radio operator, realizing that the fuel supply was insufficient to reach friendly territory, was ordered to send out “May Day” or calls of distress, informing all stations that a “ditching” was contemplated at or about 410 30’ North and 170 33’ East. The pilot leveled off and turned cross-wind with full flaps and a power setting for maximum range and minimum gas consumption. At this point the fuel supply was exhausted and the bomber, with nose held level and gliding fast (110 MPH), slapped the water in the cradle of a trough.

The B-24 immediately broke in two at the bomb-bay, the tail portion sinking in less than two minutes, The forward piece however, buoyant because of empty wing tanks remained afloat for about eleven minutes.

When the plane “ditched”, the top hatch and waist windows were open: and the Bombay doors closed. The pilot escaped through the top hatch and the co-pilot through the broken window in the Pilot’s compartment.

All crew members got out, but the Navigator and Bombardier, who, too weak of too seriously injured to pull the release cord and inflate their “Mae Wests”, drowned. All survivors now in life vests climbed into the two dinghies, one of which was capsized and had to be righted. Two B-24’s circling over head dropped additional life preservers, auxiliary kits and a “Gibson Girl” (Radio) by parachute. The survivors were in and on the water a total of one hour and twenty nine minutes. All expressed a willingness despite the mishap, to fly again.

SURVIVORS

Pilot 2nd Lt Levine, Leonard 0-816508 23
1647 Dahill Road No Injuries
Brooklyn, New York

Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Penn, Stuart L 0-705042 23
5204 Nottingham Road No injuries
Detroit, Michigan

Engineer S/Sgt Flader, Rudolph F 32714371 21
15 Ralph Avenue No Injuries
Oceanside, New York

Radio Oper S/Sgt Sardi, Frederick 32768318 21 Mt Komble Road No Injuries
Morristown, New Jersey

Ball T Gunner Sgt Reinhart, William L 32772165 20
23 Swan Road lacerations left side
Livingston, New Jersey of head

Tail T Gunner Sgt Meriweather, Nicholas R 18135443 20
Box 505 laceration left hand
Winnsboro, Louisana

Nose Gunner Sgt Penton, Palrh G 31300283 20
108 Park Ave (Ext) contusion forehead
Arlington, Mass

Top T Gunner Sgt Wadden, Jack R 13179274 21
319 59th Street deep lacerations left thigh
West New York, N. Y.

DEAD

Bombardier 2nd Lt Doseh, Richard D 20
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Navigator 2nd Lt Rytter, Leroy 26
Akron, Ohio

CREW:

Pilot 2nd Lt Milburn, Walter B 0-739838
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Busby, Murrel 0-750334
Navigator 1st Lt Haynie, Otho J Jr 0-725869
Engineer S/Sgt Cox, Allen B 38194913
Radio Oper Cpl Bols, Harold A 35625492
Engineer Sgt Lasater, Paul A 37133437
Radar Oper Sgt Hendrix, Louis L 37224826
Surgical Tech Cpl Giza, Stanley F 36602581"


Last crew is the OA-10 crew in this rescue attempt.