Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East

Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East Please use this forum to discuss the Air War in the Far East.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 29th March 2019, 11:29
Black6 Black6 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 196
Black6 is on a distinguished road
B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

Hi, I have a 4 page MACR somewhere for this aircraft which was 677 BS of 444 BG, it simply states MISSING. Pleased can anybody advise if there is any post-war research which matches it to a claim by fighter or flak ?


Please can anybody tell me what shot it down and where it crashed.
Thank you.

Last edited by Black6; 29th March 2019 at 13:39.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 29th March 2019, 13:45
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,014
RSwank is on a distinguished road
Re: B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

The report can be downloaded from here:

https://catalog.archives.gov/search?...estorNaIds=421

This plane. "Big Ain't It" was one of 26 B-29s lost that night in a fire bomb raid on Tokyo.
The MACR has no information on where the plane was lost. "Airplane took off from West Field, Tinian at 0800Z on Combat Mission - No messages were received." There is no mention of any search being conducted.

There is some information about the raid on this link, search for "42-65273":

https://user.xmission.com/~tmathews/...ars-4505b.html

There is a photo of the plane here, again search for the serial number.

https://www.444thbg.org/677thsquadron.htm

There does not seem to be any specific info available as to exactly where or how it was lost. All the crew is still listed MIA.

Last edited by RSwank; 29th March 2019 at 18:51.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 29th March 2019, 13:58
Black6 Black6 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 196
Black6 is on a distinguished road
Re: B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

Thanks for your help, yes I had a search and found the MACR but wondered if anything had been discovered in cooperation with Japanese researchers.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 29th March 2019, 14:14
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,014
RSwank is on a distinguished road
Re: B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

Not that I am aware of. There are some Japanese sites that come up now on a Google search, but none seem to have specific info. (I have used them in the past and they did sometimes contain very specific info on some losses.)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 29th March 2019, 16:39
Sean Welch Sean Welch is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 64
Sean Welch is on a distinguished road
Re: B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency website gives a small clue as to where the crew were lost, it states "Marianas Islands".

Sean
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 29th March 2019, 17:48
Black6 Black6 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 196
Black6 is on a distinguished road
Re: B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

Thank you, thats a good lead !
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 5th April 2019, 21:35
25Kingman49's Avatar
25Kingman49 25Kingman49 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Utah, USA
Posts: 138
25Kingman49 is on a distinguished road
Re: B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

Given that there is no Japanese record of this B-29, 42-65273 crashing on land it is more likely this plane was either damaged by Japanese AA artillery or enemy aircraft or experience mechanical difficulty causing it to ditch/crash at sea somewhere between Japan and Tinian.

The exact reason for the loss of this aircraft is likely never to be known.

Here are the Findagrave memorials for this crew with content added by me.

Major John Bratton DuBose, Jr. (AC) O-421743, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...bratton-dubose
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...john-b-du_bose

2nd Lt Lois Franklin Beard, Jr. (P) O-937616, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...6/lois-f-beard

2nd Lt William “Buck” C Powell, Jr. (N) O-2079095, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...m-clyde-powell

F/O Howard R George (B) T-136546, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...-robert-george

Sgt Harold W McWilliams (FE) 37662942, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...d-w-mcwilliams

2nd Lt John F Flynn, Jr (Radar) O-2076611, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...8/john-f-flynn

Sgt Alfred B Nowlin (RO) 16189701, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...d-bruce-nowlin

Sgt Ivan D Barker (CFC) 36902696, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...an-dale-barker
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...an-dale-barker

Cpl Curtis L Meadows (RG) 35903173, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...s-loyd-meadows

Cpl Harry R Anderson (LG) 19179062, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...dolph-anderson

Cpl Leon R Weber (TG) 13159057, MIA/KIA
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...6/leon-r-weber
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...-r-weber/photo
__________________
Scott M

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."- referenced - J. Robert Oppenheimer
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 7th April 2019, 19:48
Black6 Black6 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 196
Black6 is on a distinguished road
Re: B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

Thank you, I appreciate your help.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 7th April 2019, 21:19
25Kingman49's Avatar
25Kingman49 25Kingman49 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Utah, USA
Posts: 138
25Kingman49 is on a distinguished road
Re: B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

Pleased to be of assistance.

As Rolland noted in post #2 there were many 21st Bomber Command (XXI BC) B-29 losses during this mission. It is a little unusual that there was no radio contact from this ship, perhaps suggesting damage to their radio and or catastrophic loss with no time for a message of trouble to be sent.

By late May 1945 XXI BC had a fairly sophisticated Air-Sea Rescue plan implemented for all missions to the "Empire" with USN submarines and and surface vessels on life guard duty, as well as aerial dumbos waiting to assist downed crews.

Here is a link to the XXI BC Tactical Mission Report for this Mission No 183 which may aid your research.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rkut5cnqw8...t-183.pdf?dl=0
__________________
Scott M

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."- referenced - J. Robert Oppenheimer
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 9th April 2019, 18:25
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,014
RSwank is on a distinguished road
Re: B-29 42-65273 lost 25 May 45 Tokyo

Scott,

Thanks for posting the link to the mission report. I had already started to work through the lifeguard submarine reports for the mission that are available on fold3. It appears some pages are missing from the mission report you gave the link for, in particular page 18 which had some info on Air Sea Rescue. That may have had info on lifeguard submarine locations. Am I correct that the page is missing?

For anyone interested, some info on lifeguard submarines:
https://www.archives.gov/files/publi.../lifeguard.pdf

COMSUBFORPAC (Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet)
Main Reports for May and June


May
https://www.fold3.com/image/296081760

June
https://www.fold3.com/image/296569469


One of the subs on lifeguard duty during the raid was USS Tigrone. There were others that need to be identified.

2nd War Patrol USS Tigrone, 19 May to 3 July, 1945
https://www.fold3.com/image/296528894
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
British Second-Line Aircraft lost in France Sept. 1939 - June 1940. Martin Gleeson Allied and Soviet Air Forces 23 23rd March 2020 22:36
Zerstorer Staffel Er. Kdo 25 Peter Kassak Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 7 8th April 2014 22:37
Most One Sided Luftwaffe Victory over the 8th Air Force Rob Romero Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 22 18th August 2010 23:55
Me110: Ill-used in BoB Jim Oxley Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 46 25th July 2010 11:10
29 Sqd Beaufighter Lost 21/11/41 Trevor Matthews Allied and Soviet Air Forces 3 7th August 2009 17:43


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 16:25.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net