Assigned to the 34th Bomb Group in Spring 1945, and flew 15 missions with George Mehling's crew from 2 March 1945 to 15 May 1945, which included two missions to pick up French Prisoners of War after VE Day.



On 5 April 1945, at bombs away, one bomb of Niatas' aircraft got hung up on one end of the shackle. The plane left formation and began trailing behind, eventually losing sight of formation due to low visibility. Crossing the coast 5-7 miles East of Dunkirk, flak and machine gun fire hit the plane and a fire broke out behind #2 engine and the left alerion was shot out. The crew ditched in the English Channel, Niatas was one of men 6 rescued from the Channel and one the 5 members of the crew who returned to duty after the accident