Mosquito loss in the Po Valley, Italy - 22 April 1945

[cmond22]

Hello,

I am looking for information about the crew of Mosquito MK XXX MT-482, belonging to the 416th Night Fighter Squadron, missing in action on 22 April 1945 in North Italy. As stated by MACR #14065 <<2Lt. Wesley E. Kangas, pilot, and his radar observer, 2Lt Jack C. Herron, took off from Pontedera Air Base, Italy at 11:10 hours 22 April 1945 for an armed recce of the Po Valley covering the Parma, Piacenza and Mantua area. Lt Kangas and his observer were due back at base at approximately 13:00 hours. When they did not return, 62nd Fighter Wing was notified by 3-2, this headquarters. 62nd Fighter Wing in turn notified Rhubarb and Blue Sector. Rhubarb tried to call them but received no answer. Lt Kangas and his observer were last sighted on take off at 11:10 hours, 22 April 1945. No serach was conducted by this unit. No reports received by this headquarters from other aircraft covering same area.>>

Both the airmen are listed as KIA. Can anybody tell me what happened to the aircraft and the place where it crashed?

Thanks for any suggestions or information you may have.

Carlo Mondani

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Buongiorno Carlo!
I do have the book NSG 9 of Nick Beale, who certainly is the most advise person you should contact. He wrote another book about the Italy Air War or Air War over Italian Front. Try to find him on the SEARCH item above!
He certailnly will try to help you...
I can have a look at his book when back home, in 15 days...so you will have to wait!
Hope someone will help you. Do you live nearby the crash-site?
Yours
Adriano Baumgartner

[cmond22]

Hello Adriano,

thank you for the info and suggestions. I live in Modena area, Po Valley.
As the mission flew by Mosquito MK XXX MT-482 was a day-time mission, I haven't found any info in the very interesting books of Nick Beale: Ghost Bombers and Air War Italy 1944-1945.

Maybe more info can be there in the book of Roy M. Atwell and Richard L. Hoover "Ghost drivers of the WWII fightin' four one sykes Night Fighter Squadron", 1980, that I don't have.

Thanks again

Carlo Mondani

Gentlemen,

416 NFS flew Mosquito night missions in northern Italy. The unit was scheduled for its FIRST daylight mission on 22 April and this proved a debacle with loss of several aircraft. Having no daylight experience, they flew as if they were still flying a night mission--at low altitude and little regard to enemy flak positions.

The wreckage of Lt. Kangas' Mosquito was located near San Benedetto on the Po River and both officers were buried in a military cemetery at Mirandola.

Norman Malayney

[cmond22]

Hello Norman,

thank you for the answer. Which are the sources of your information?

Carlo Mondani

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Hello Norman!
May I ask if 416th NFS was scheduled to take part in support of "Operation Clarion" or this was a purely 2nd TAF mission?
Yours
Adriano

Gentlemen,

Information detailing location of the Kangas Mosquito crash and crew burial is from the 416th NFS unit diary. The 416 NFS Association made hard copies from the microfilm of their WWII unit diary and sold copies to the membership. I copied one of these issues, and this is the source of the location and burial for the crew members.

After the war ended, the unit changed to P-61 Blackwidow aircraft and remained operational. As information slowly filtered in to squadron headquarters, in June 1945, they listed the above information in the daily squadron diary.

There is no mention in the 416 NFS unit diary relating to Operation Clarion.

The "3-2" listed on line five in Carlo's first above request, should read G-2 (Army Intelligence).

Norman Malayney

[cmond22]

Thanks Norman for your help in my researches.

Carlo Mondani

[barneybolac]

Found a colour photo of this aircraft.

[Nick Beale]

I looked into this when I was trying to identify a kill claimed by an NSG 9 Fw 190 pilot, Werner Hensel. What I came up with was:

If it was an American aircraft then it must have been one of the three 416th NFS Mosquitoes that failed to return from a strafing mission in the dawn hours of the 22nd. Although these too are understood to have fallen to Flak and their patrol area was in Map Square F (which did not reach as far south east as Ferrara).

I also have a note of information from Alex Smart: "I have NF30's serial numbers MT482...416 NFS...MACR 14065...22/4/45 NT248...416 NFS...MACR 14064...22/4/45"

My original best guess was that it was an RAF Mosquito that Hensel had shot down (the circumstances matched fairly well) but later established that it was a P-61: see this page.