2 Lt LEROY S. RYTTER, 459th BG

[JohanSWE]

Hi!

I am looking for more info regarding of a lost plane (serial) and crew members.
Date of loss 1944 June 24
MACR?

The plane was ditched on the way back according to the sources i found.


459th BG, 759th BS
Navigator 2 Lt LEROY STERL RYTTER, O-670261



Do anyone know of any loss that day that match the airman?



Regards
JohanSWE

[Revi16]

This shows that Rytter was assigned to the Squadron on June 16, 1944
https://459bg.org/RYTTER_LE_ROY_S_RY...0261_459BG.cfm

This doesn't show any missing aircraft on June 24, 1944 for any of the Squadrons.
https://459bg.org/
https://www.459bg.org/wwii_missions.cfm


MACR's for June 1944, no 459th aircraft missing on the 24th.
https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/.../44JunMACR.htm

Accidents for June 1944, no 459th aircraft on the 24th.
https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/...y/Jun1944O.htm

[RSwank]

The MACR for the loss seems to be missing. The plane (possibly "322") was flown by a pilot named Leonard Levine and copilot Stuart Penn. The mission was to Craiova, Romania, a RR Depot.

The plane was hit by AA fire over the target. None of the crew were injured but the fuel transfer system was damaged. Over the Adriatic they ran out of fuel and ditched the plane. Two of the enlisted men were injured in the ditching. Apparently everyone got out of the plane initially, but at some point they lost sight of Rytter, the navigator, and of Richard D. Dosch, the bombardier.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...ard-dean-dosch
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...leroy-s-rytter


All of the crew were rescued except for Rytter and Dosch.

The information above comes from a letter in ancestry.com that was written to the Dosch family regarding the loss of Richard:
https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-vie...=successSource


There is more detailed information about the crash and rescue (both a pdf version and text version) here in the June 44 rescues. The old rescue site now only exists in the internet archives. They also list the entire crew:

https://web.archive.org/web/20161014...rshistory.html

Note the pages in the pdf file are mixed up a little, so you need to jump from page 26 down several pages to find 27.

You can also download a text version (the rescue starts on page 16). These two versions on the rescue site list the plane as “Sarah Doe”, a B-24C? No 322 so possibly 41-29322.


There is a condolence letter in fold3 (possible from the missing MACR ?) which was from Major General Nathan F. Twining to Mrs. Rytter:

https://www.fold3.com/image/38644401...rytter,twining

It says that Rytter was lost in the Adriatic but no details.

[edwest2]

While 41-29322 appears to be a good fit, joebaugher.com has no further information.


Ed

[JohanSWE]

Thanks for the information from all of you.


JohanSWE