A-26 loss April 18, 1945

[Alex Smart]

Hello Kent,
Craig Fuller's site :
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/s...418&Submit2=Go

Confirmes the MACR Number as 15917 for the 18th April 1945 and gives serial number as 43-22618.
Fold3 has the Bomber Group & Squadron numbers, crew names/service numbers and NoK names & addresses, sadly no a/c serial number or weapons numbers. What is mentioned in a letter is that the a/c was on a single a/c mission to test "Shoran".
So Craig must have goten the serial number from either the BG or Sqdn records or from some other US report.
From Mighty 8th War Manual, page 240:"AN/APN-3 Shoran - Short range navigational system similar to "Oboe". The 8th AF initiated a programme of installation and trial for "Shoran" on 25th March 1945, but little progress was madebefore VE day. During April the first two installations were carried out at Alconbury on B-17's of the 305th BG.
On page 207 - Flown by a 25th Group crew A-26C43-22500 flew a first sortie over Northern Holland on the night of the 3rd January 45, followed by another on the 7th to Northern Germany it crash landed on return at Watton due to hydraulic failure. Further sorties were flown - 2nd March by 43-22524 to deliver agents to Berlin. Thereafter A-26 opswere carried out from Harrington under the 492nd Group. Five a/c being available. On the night of 20th March 43-22524 failed to return. The last A-26C op by the 492nd Gp took place on 9/10th May. The other A-26's were 43-22513,22610 ( crashed Rackheath)and 22626.
From "Support & Strike" ( old now 9th AF Book ) page 83, a brief history of 409th BG.
The Group moved to France in September 44 and converted from A-20's to A-26's in December 44. Its final mission was on 3rd May 45 an attack on an ammunition factory dump in Czechoslovakia. Squadrons were: 640th(W5), 641st(7G), 642nd(D6) and 643rd(5I). Group marking was a Yellow band along the trailing edge of the rudder.

Again from Craig's site it shows that this was the only A-26 lost by the squadron in action and that only two others were lost in accidents, A-26C 41-39195 on November 28th 1944 and A-26B 41-39206 on the 28th May 1945. The 409th Group lost in action at least 15 A-26's.

From "Foreign Invaders" 43-22618 was an A-26C-25-DT within the serial number range 43-22590 to 43-22751, Fuselage numbers 339/500, Construction numbers 18737 to 18898.

http://www.abmc.gov/search-abmc-buri...7#.VDCncFfgWr8

All the very best
Alex