98th BG B-24 loss March 18,1943 discrepancy

[kaki3152]

In MAW, (pg. 392) there is a B-24D loss reported for March 18,1943. The serial number is listed as 41-23789, with an asterisk "not 41-11798 as reported in Vol2". Unfortunately, the serial number was previously used for the 98th BG loss on March 1,1943.

Any ideas? The Pyramider Website uses 41-11798 as the serial number for the loss on this date.

[Alex Smart]

Macr 15677
Look up 15676 and scroll down to page 13 where 15677 starts

Same for 15673, scroll down 15672 to page 5 for 15673.

Also see my post -

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=50513

[Alex Smart]

From JB 's lists

41-23798 (MSN 593) On Apr 22, 1943, was damaged while parked on Baltra Island at the Galapagos AB when B-24D (41-23916) on
a night take off veered in to it, again damaged when it crashed on takeoff on Oct 20, 1943 at France Field
in the Canal Zone.

And
41-11798 (98th BG, 415th BS) MIA Mar 18, 1943 on mission to Naples Harbor from Benina, Libya.
All 9 crew MIA.

Also
41-11789 crashed during attempted forced landing at Jorhat, India Dec, 11, 1943.
Condemned overseas in India/China Dec 17, 1943.

[kaki3152]

Alex,

This all good information, but the fact still remains that MAW3 used the serial number for two separate B-24. I obviously don't have the time to go through the Mediterranean Air War series to check all the US aircraft serial numbers. Still, sometimes, I feel that that a good proofreader would have caught the obvious (and few, I need say) errors.
No matter how many reference books I have on WWII aviation, there are always a few omissions and typographical errors that are present in 50-60% of the books.

[edwest2]

I work as a book editor. Aside from the writer doing his best, we have two editors and a proofreader. Almost needless to say, a few typographical errors manage to remain.
Last night, I was going over a submission. I thought I caught everything before handing it in. But something made me look at it again. I had missed one typo. Then it went in.

[AndyMa]

Originally Posted by kaki3152

but the fact still remains that MAW3 used the serial number for two separate B-24.

My take on this is that this sort of error would have been likely to have been picked up if the book had been given to a "numbers nerd" (ooh, that's me).
I've lost count of the number of books where the grammar, spelling etc is perfect, but there are "numbers" errors which stand out like a sore thumb.
I've just finished reading something where there is a lovely profile of an aircraft, but the WNr. is slightly different to that in the description in the main text.
I appreciate that everyone makes mistakes, but some of these things can be easily spotted by an "independent" checker. As an author myself, I know only too well how easy it is to miss things in your own work.

[kaki3152]

Another one I found was when they repeated the same Luftwaffe loss (BF-109) on two different days.