Missing crews July 24 & Aug 9 1942 98th BG

[Sean Welch]

Some more information regarding 9th August 1942 incident, I have the bail outs occurring over British held territory. By this time the Germans had pushed east to El Alamein so this would mean to the east of this line over Egypt.
Whilst the identity of the four crew who lost their lives can be traced what is less clear is the identity of the aircraft and the reason.

From "MR 203(2) Sec. 8 War Department Operational Summaries - August 1942"
"General Brereton reports that airplanes of the 98th Bombardment Group made a daylight attack on Bengazi on August 9. 67,000 pounds of bombs were dropped, and hits were obtained on two and possibly three ships, as well as on the moles. Two of our airplanes were seriously damaged by anti-aircraft fire."
From the 98th BG mission summaries one of these was 794 (41-11794) of the 344th flown by Uber and Gillette which was crash landed, the other is listed as 766 (41-11766) of the 415th flown by Francis and Zant with remarks "crew bailed out, four of crew lost". However 766 is shown as flying missions again on the 11th August with Zant and Francis and many more following this.
Looking at the mission summary for 2nd August; Rush (Col. Rush) as Command Pilot and Francis are shown as flying ship 808, however Francis and Zant are shown as flying ship 766 on the same mission. So either two pilots called Francis or confusion in the record.
808 is flown again on 4th August and the individual Sortie Report gives Col. Rush, Lt. Francis and Lt. Chapman as crew. 808 disappears from the record after this and Baugher has 41-11808 as condemned 9th August. The assumption is that 808 was the second aircraft seriously damaged by anti-aircraft fire on the Benghazi mission. In the 98th Bomb Group records what is not clear is if 808 was totally or partially abandoned, did it return to Ramat David to be written off?
In the World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel, the four crew who died are listed as DNB (died non battle) which implies that their deaths were due to misfortune bailing out or death after landing.
Interesting that MAW 2 page 302 has concluded that the aircraft involved was 41-11808 also.

[Sean Welch]

I am now able to answer some of the questions that I raised above thanks to a message sent to Washington at the time, I have repeated it in full:

INCOMING MESSAGE
From: Cairo
To: Agwar Wash DC

No: Amsme 671 August 11, 1942

Airplanes of Ninety Eighth Bombardment Group USAAFME
successfully attacked shipping and harbor facilities Bengazi
during daylight hours August nineth with six seven thousand
pounds of bombs. Intensive and accurate anti aircraft fire
encountered. For Arnold from Brereton. Direct hits on two
medium sized ships and on main central and outer moles with hits
or very near misses on one other ship. Two of our airplanes
badly hit by anti aircraft fire but succeeded in returning to
friendly territory where one crash landed with all crew safe.
Preliminary report on other airplane indicates six members
of crew made emergency parachute jump of which two had par-
achute failure and were killed the other four safe. Two mem-
bers of crew failed to bail out disabled airplane and were
killed in crash. Further details this airplane later. All
other aircraft returned.

I have not been able to trace the further details message, but will look some more.