MACR 6171

[HGabor]

Hi Folks,

I am looking for information on the fate of a downed 454. BG B-24H crew, plane S/N: 42-52297, lost on June 26, 1944, MACR 6171. The number of POWs (and maybe KIA) could help to identify the crash site, based on some police crash-reports. Any details would be much appreciated. Thanks,

Gabor

[Alain57]

Hello Gabor ,

Also this a/c 42-52297 " Buffalo Gall " came down in Austria .

Alain

[Peter Kassak]

I list this a/c as crashed in between Funfig b.St.Ruprecht and Raab, AU/HU
pilot D. Rymer

[HGabor]

Thanks Folks, but...: according to the police reports a lot more planes came down in Hungary this day, than the ones mentioned in the MACRs... Some MACRs are wrong this day, for sure. Planes crashed as far as Lake Balaton-N... In some cases MACRs say 'last seen' while these planes could easily fly many more miles even without crews before actually hitting the ground... Since identified planes from the 304. Wing crashed in the Gyor-Bratislava area, and the groups of the wings usually flew together, I think these 'mysterious' plane crashes are linked to the 459, and 454. BG... I think their MACRs are incorrect. That's why I am asking... So how many POWs?????

Gabor

[Leendert]

Gabor,

A post on www.armyairforces.com in Jan/Feb 2004 suggests that B-24 42-99762 "American Maid" of 98th BG, 343rd BS went down over Bacakovaci (Sopron/Gyor area?) on 26-6-1944.
MACR 6446.

In order to help find any "missing" crashes over Hungary that day, it would be nice to know what crashes were so far positively identified by you so we can eliminate those.
Also what towns the police reports originate from.

Regards,

Leendert
Brugge/Belgium

[Peter Kassak]

Gabor, I do not use MACRs as location data source BUt I do not say, that mine locations are correct. but may be closer to the truth as the one given in MACR...

[HGabor]

Alright, let’s check some Hungarian police crash reports (telegrams) for June 26, 1944:

„Tét (Hu, near the city of Győr,-SW): a four engined bomber has been shot down in a dogfight. The plane crashed 4-5 km away from Újmalomsok (now between Malomsok and Tét) and burned out. 8 crewmembers bailed out and got captured. ” or:

„Somorja (now: Samorin, Slo.) A four engined bomber crashed in an aerial battle. 8 crewmen bailed out. 3 of them were captured by the Hungarian Police, 5 by the Slovaks.” or:

„Mosonszolnok (Hu): A bomber crashed. 2 crewmen got captured, the rest is still hiding.” or:

„Nagymegyer (now: Calovo, Slo): 7 enemy flyers bailed out and got captured.” - doesn’t mention plane crash, only bail outs!!!! or:

„Four engined (enemy) bombers crashed at the (Hungarian) villages of Sótóny, Fertőszentmiklós, Tormáspuszta and Káptalanfa. 8 crewmen where captured. One parachute failed to open. He died.” – This telegram doesn’t mention the name of the village where these people got captured or died. or:

„Szentimrefalva (Hu, North of Lake Balaton): A four engined enemy bomber crashed in the morning. 10 crewmen bailed out and ALL got captured.” – this is the one mentioned at Káptalanfa in the other telegram, because it was the next village to it. Probably 2 different police stations reported the same event.

There are also reports for Nagyacsád (Hu) and for Balozsameggyes (Hu), etc., but those are all identified.

See, there were so many crashes in Hungary this day, which were all wrongly reported to Austria, and other countries. (This was a common mistake through 1944-45.)


Lost 15th AAF bombers on June 26, 1944 with identified crash sites, or crashes which most likely are NOT linked to the mentioned reports:

S/N: Group:

41-28777 98
42-31482 301
42-31701 301
44-40091 376
41-29221 450
41-29253 451
42-64450 451
42-50312 454
42-52265 454
41-29261 455
41-29570 455
42-52230 455
42-52238 455
42-52241 455
42-52249 455
42-78167 455
42-78292 455
42-95462 455
42-99771 455
41-28638 456
42-52233 456
42-52275 456
41-28674 459
41-28679 461
42-50401 464
42-95451 464
42-52702 485
42-94740 484


Potential cases where the planes COULD BE the ones, mentioned in the crash reports at Tét-Újmalomsok and Szentimrefalva-Káptalanfa. I basically would like to identify these two. So:

42-52297 454
42-51174 459
42-95300 459
41-28839 460
42-52538 460
42-78245 460
41-29491 485

Not an easy job. Any idea? The number of POWs might help...etc. Thanks,

Gabor

[Peter Kassak]

Originally Posted by HGabor

Alright, let’s check some Hungarian police crash reports (telegrams) for June 26, 1944:

„Tét (Hu, near the city of Győr,-SW): a four engined bomber has been shot down in a dogfight. The plane crashed 4-5 km away from Újmalomsok (now between Malomsok and Tét) and burned out. 8 crewmembers bailed out and got captured. ” or:

„Somorja (now: Samorin, Slo.) A four engined bomber crashed in an aerial battle. 8 crewmen bailed out. 3 of them were captured by the Hungarian Police, 5 by the Slovaks.” or:

THIS REPORT IS FOR ARTZ CREW. NOT KNOW CRASH SITE YET.

IN CASE OF DEATHS i WOULD TRY TO SEARCH FOR EXHUMATION LISTS....THE GOOD WAY TO START.

[HGabor]

Thanks Peter ;-))) (In the Somorja case I thought so.) Cheers,

Gabor

[Peter Kassak]

42-52297 454 Fu%nfig b.St.Ruprecht/Raab, AU/HU
42-51174 459 Drassburg, AU maybe Mosonzo??
42-95300 459 Po%llau, AU
41-28839 460 Himberg, AU
42-52538 460 Bockfliess, AU
42-78245 460 Stambach b.Grafend, AU
41-29491 485 Pressbaum, AU
that is what I list...but correction is possible...However I see the towns as very precise location so I doubt it is wrongly localized...whatr more source is Austrian so should know the country

for plane sthat I do not havelocation:
42-95462 455BG
42-99762 98BG
42-7737 449BG
42-78334 450BG