[Frank Olynyk]

VB-1 lost 3 SB2C-1c Helldivers in the morning mission at Chi Chi Jima. The losses are covered in VB-1 ACA-1 report #23 which does not give the aircraft BuNos. Crew losses were Hintz/Woellhof, Wright/Pryor, and Drysdale/Dalton. Two sources give further information, including BuNos. In Record Group 24, Bureau of Naval Personnel (I do not know the Entry Number), in Box 45 and 46 are four folders of losses by name, mostly covering 1944-45, but incomplete for that period. In addition, in box 46 there are four folders of aircraft losses by aircraft type and date. Both of these RG 24 sources give the BuNos, respectively 01169, 18547, and 18548 (to match the above names). Finally, Yorktown's Deck Log for July 4, 1944 lists these losses with BuNos, which agrees with the above.

Campbell's three World War 2 loss books are basically a copy of the aircraft losses in Box 46 (Naval Aircraft Losses Outside the Zone of the Interior). No additional research in the losses was done for the books, so errors in the Box 46 material are duplicated in Campbell's books.

Enjoy!

Frank.