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Re: A ditched B-24 16 August 1944 in the Adriatic
Russel, could you please write here the part of the report descriding this B-24 ? I am especially interested to see if it includes both location descriptions (44⁰ 35’N 13⁰ 04’ E 60-65km NE Ravenna) or only the longitude/latitude and you added the direction from Ravenna.
I have a number of RAF ORBs for Spitfire squadrons in Italy for August 1944, but found no reference to this in them so far.
Of the two losses suffered by 15th Air Force that day, both damaged by Flak over the target, one landed in Switzerland and the other was abandonned on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance. All airmen landed in Switzerland but the aircraft was reported to have crashed in Germany. As there is no KU attached to the MACR, I wonder if the bomber did not actually crash in the lake. As the MACR reported that the aircraft was seen leaving formation under escort by four P-51s, I wonder if this is not the B-24 that was seen "ditching" by the 332nd FG, but at a totally different location.
In this case, there would be no Spitfires in the area, but there could be have been Swiss aircraft. The other B-24 that landed at Dubendorf was intercepted and escorted by a Swiss C-36.
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