OS2U-3 Kingfisher - BuNo 5321 - 13 April 1943

[Leendert]

May I suggest another correction to the AAIR USN loss list.
OS2U-3 #5321 is stated as being lost on 13 April 1943 while operating from the USS Santee off Norfolk, VA (in itself peculiar, since this was an escort carrier).

In reality, #5321 was on the cruiser USS Santa Fe (CL-60) according her War Diary and the Kingfisher was lost after a landing mishap enroute to the Aleutians. Plane was sunk by gunfire from destroyer USS Gansevoort. Pilot Lt. Farrell (?) and ARM2c P.V. Moon safe.

As it happens, the USS Santee did see a deck crash on 13 April 1943, but this was a SB2C-1 Helldiver with pilot Ens. R.L. Ganville, indeed off Norfolk,VA.

Regards,

Leendert

[Stig Jarlevik]

Very interesting Leendert, thank you!

I take it the actual date is correct for the OS2U-3?
Also you don't happen to have the BuNo for the Helldiver?

Cheers
Stig

PS: AAIR is quite surprising. After my answer here I intended to add your data to the list over
w/o OS2U in their files.
This is what he lists there....
430413, OS2U-3, 5321, VCS-13, USS Santa Fe (CL-60), RACC, A, Tunnell, Richard M., USA, HI, Hawaii area, Spotting, Moon, Paul V.

[R Leonard]

Re VCS-13 on 13 April 1943 -

The pilot was Richard McClellan Tunnell (82670), LT USN, naval aviator #10904.

Rich

[Leendert]

Thanks for correct name of Lt. Tunnell. Handwritten War Diary of USS Sante Fe hard to decipher (de-letter?) at places...

The 13 Apr 1943 record of USS Santee only says that a "model SB2C-1 type airplane" crashed on landing, resulting in several damages and a buckled fuselage. Perhaps not a write-off.

Regards,
Leendert

[twocee]

Gunville's Helldiver was BuNo 00027 of VB17; it was not repaired.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Leendert

Thanks for checking! Appreciated!!

George

Thanks for coming to our rescue....lost count on the number of times you have....

Cheers
Stig

[R Leonard]

LTJG Ralph Lee Gunville, AV(N) (145736) was later killed in a take-off crash from USS Bunker Hill, probably engine failure, at approx. 0732 on the morning of 11 Nov 1943. His backseater, E S Burns, ARM3c (657-07-34), was recovered. Gunville went down with the plane, SB2C #00078, side number 27.

[twocee]

That's correct about Gunville. The engine lost power on lifting from the deck and the aircraft settled into the water. The pilot was unable to get clear.