Assigned to 4BS, 34BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Kiel, Germany 24-Aug-44; Hit by flak in #1 engine and wing, causing a fuel leak. Engineer reckoned 3 minutes of fuel remaining. 9 crew members baled out. The command pilot decided to fly on until the gas ran out. Eventually he reached England, baling out. The aircraft crashed into a house at Holt, Norfolk. 9 x MIA, 1 x RTD. MACR 8462



Statement of the Command Pilot, Major Joseph C. Garrett:

'About two or three seconds before the bombs were away, our left wing received a direct hit by a burst of flak, knocking part of the wing off, making the left aileron and flap inoperative as well as knocking out #1 engine and the hydraulic system. There was also a leak in #1 gas tank, as well as holes in both wings.

After we left the target, we were losing about 500 to 800 feet per minute at 142 to 145 MPH. Is was very hard to hold the ship level because of the drag caused by the left wing. After throwing out guns, ammunition, etc, from the ship, we were able to keep the ship in a level flying altitude and only lose from 100 to 300 feet per minute.

As we left the enemy coast, the engineer reported that we had 700 gallons of gasoline. Fifteen or twenty minutes later he stated that we had only 200 left. A few minutes later he said that we had 25 in #4, 25 in #3 and 90 in #2 tank. We figured that we had 3 minutes gas left. I instructed the crew to fasten on their dinghies and line up on the catwalk, then while the pilot held the ship straight, I put my dinghy on. The pilot then left his seat, put on his dinghy and went back to check on the rest of the crew. I looked back once and they had started jumping, when I looked again they had all gone.

I then set the ship on a level course and started to get out of the co-pilots seat. My dinghy got hung up between the seat and control column and when I looked up the ship was in a dive headed towards the water and slipping violently. I get back into the seat and finally levelled off at 1,200 feet. Thinking that I was too low to try the same thing again, I decided to wait until the A/C ran out of fuel and try ditching it. (Ditching was thought of before the crew left the ship, but because the stalling speed was increased to 130 MPH, I thought it best not to ditch.)

A P-51 was circling the men that had left the ship and the pilot stated that all 9 men were in their dinghies and apparently were all alright. He also gave the Air-Sea Rescue their position which was approximately 534N-040E.

After flying for about an hour and forty-five minutes longer, I reached the English Coast, made a 180° turn to put the ship out over the North Sea and jumped out. However the ship did a sharp 180° and came back to crash into a house. No one was hurt.