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MACR PILOT: 1Lt  Ralph D  Horne  - O-748415
MACR: 04948 FICHE : 01768

ORGANIZATION
LOCATION: AAF Station #139 COMMAND: VIII AF GROUP: 100th Bomb Gp (H) AAF
SQUADRON: 349th BS DETACHMENT:  
     

DETAIL
DEPARTURE:AAF Station #139 INITIAL COURSE: E  
INTENDED DESTINATION: Berlin    
MISSION TYPE:Operational    

WEATHER & VISIBILITY AT TIME OF LAST REPORT
CONDITION: 2 to 5/10 cumulus clouds    

GIVE
DATE: 1944-05-19 TIME: 15:08 LOCATION: Btwn 5430N-1200E & 5430N-0920E

SPECIFY:

Information not available

CONFIRMED OR BELIEVED REASON FOR LOSS
LOSS DUE TO : Other circumstances

OTHER REASON FOR LOSS:

Not known

AIRCRAFT: 42-97607
TYPE: B-17 SERIES: G  
     
     

ENGINES:
MODEL: R-1820-97    
A: SW-004870
B: SW-004889
C: 43-57774
D: SW-005575
    

INSTALLED WEAPONS:
A: 728799
B: 905529
C: 722441
D: 948056_		 E: 907779
F: 224921
G: 224605
H: 224617		 I: 224634
J: 728891
K: 728797
L: 447844

PERSONS BELOW ARE LISTED AS:
CASUALTY TYPE: Battle casualty  
NUMBER OF PERSONS ON BOARD:    
CREW: 10 PASS: 0 TOTAL: 10

PERSONNEL:

POSITION NAME RANK SERIAL
P1
P2 Ralph D  Horne 1Lt O-748415
CP John M McGrath 1Lt O-697436
NAV (N) Douglas L Hiley 2Lt O-814316
BOM (B) Jack T Evans 2Lt O-752743
RAD Lawrence C Wiley TSgt 31296559
ENG Robert L Fosdick TSgt 19057033
BAL Carlee G Hunt SSgt 14074545
WG (W) Shelly M Hall SSgt 34707374
WG (W) Joseph Perinsky SSgt 12208825
TG (T) Joseph G Staron SSgt 19079220

PERSONS WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE LAST KNOWLEDGE OF AIRCRAFT

John P Keys 2Lt O-810894
Last sighted
Lawrence E Townsend 1Lt O-747527
   

PERSONNEL WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE SURVIVED

REASON: Parachutes were used OTHER: See eyewitness report  

EYEWITNESS DESCRIPTIONS OF CRASH

Report: 
No specific information concerning the loss of this A/C is available.  Two unidentified B-17’s were seen to peel out of formation on route back from target to station.  One of them was observed under control and apparently in no serious trouble at 1506 hours near 5420W-1200E heading for Sweden.  The other was going down under control at 1534 hours near 5430N-0920E.  All props were turning.  5 chutes were seen.  It is believed this A/C later crashed and burned.
   
   
Second Witness: No Data  
Report: 

      

    





  
DESCRIPTION OF SEARCH EFFORT

  

    

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PREPARING OFFICER


PREPARED BY: Claude L. Hosford
Capt. Air Corps, 
Assistant Adjutant.  


DATE PREPARED:
  1944-05-22


  



TRANSCRIBER NOTES



    
    REPORT: 
From 1st Lt John M. Mc Grath, CP (November 2003)
"I would like to correct and add to the bio of my crew under 349th SQ- crews. Ralph and I were both 1st lieutenants when we were shot down. It was also our 20th mission. We were hit by FW190's from 12 o'clock high. The number 3 and 4 engines were hit and lost all power. We tried to feather the two props but to no avail. That's why we looked like we were in no serious trouble.

As we dropped out of formation we were attacked from the rear. The tail section was severely damaged. How Joe Staron escaped with a scratch is a miracle. As I glanced out my side window the FW190 was overtaking us and was no more than 20 yards off our right wing. He must have been wounded; no sane pilot would come that close and slow. He continued slowly to pass us and continued in a slow left turn in front of us where the bombardier and navigator finished him. We were losing altitude fast and our navigator said with our rate of decent we would never reach the channel, but we might reach Sweden. We opted for Sweden but never made it. We ditched as stated, were captured in Denmark and spent the rest of the war in various German POW camps"

1st Lt John M. Mc Grath, CP