25-Aug-44 Rostock

[RSwank]

On August 25, 1944 a B-24 (42-51086 from the 446th BG, MACR 8473) left the bomber formation at Teterow (the IP for the Rostock mission) with 2 engines smoking. Teterow is located south east of Rostock. According to the MACR, the plane was escorted by four P-38s, presumably as it flew northward toward Sweden. The plane never made it to Sweden. One crewman's body eventually washed ashore at Warnemunde/Rostock and the plane crashed to the west of Rostock near Kropelin. I think it quite possible the P-38s were from the 479th. There are records of three pilots (Claire Duffie, Berkley Hollister and Robin Olds) from the 434th FS of the 479th FG shooting down 7 planes just west of Rostock on this day. While this action is described in the book "Riddles Raiders" by Stanaway there is no mention of a B-24 leaving the formation. I don't know if there is more description in the book "479th Fighter Group in Wold War II: In Action over Europe with the P-38 and P-51" by Terry A. Fairfield (perhaps someone can check).

Is there a record of P-38s from the 479th escorting a B-24 from the Teterow area northward to the Baltic Sea on 25 August 1944? Is so, does the record show the flight path and note when and where the escort left the bomber?