57th FG P-40s Wiped Out By A B-24

[Old MacDonald]

Supposedly something like 3 to 8 - 57th Fighter Group P-40s being rebuilt from hulks on the Pachino, Sicily, airfield, were wiped out by a B-24 during its emergency landing there on 1 Aug 43. I know the 57th officially left Pachino the day before, 31 Jul 43, for their new base at Scordia, Sicily. Therefore it appears the P-40 rebuild operation at Pachino must have been accomplished by 57th (and/or 112 Sq RAF) mechanics left behind to finish the rebuilds. (Note 112 Sq RAF, also flying P-40s, was based at Pachino the same time as the 57th, and left for Scordia at the same time).

At this point I can only say this is legend, as I've been able to find no official (or even anecdotal) information in 57 FG sources. Carl Molesworth's 57th Fighter Group "First in the Blue" book does not mention it. I've only seen this sgtory in a postwar history of the 93rd Bomb Group.

Can you point me to a reliable (preferably official) source for this story? What actually happened? How many P-40s were damaged or destroyed? What happened after the incident?

TIA

Ol' Mac

 

[mjfur]

Here's a searchable data base for Air Force accidents.You can do various searches, P-40, ITA (Italy), 57 (Fighter group, etc.. Nothing really pops up from what you mentioned above.

Search USAF Accident Reports 1911-1955

AAIR, Aviation Archaeological Investigation & Research, is a source of U. S. military aircraft accident reports, pictures of aircraft crash sites, MACRs (Missing Air Crew Reports) and individual aircraft history cards and historical research. Historic aircraft crash site surveys, search and...

www.aviationarchaeology.com

 

[Old MacDonald]

Hi MJ

First, thanks for the link to the accident report database. This will be useful for many future projects.

Agree your database does not have info related to this incident. I have the B-24 serial number* but not any of the P-40s--which in any case, if the story is correct, would have had accident reports (if filed) dated on unknown various days in the second half of July 1943. In other words, before the B-24 ran them down.

As I understand it, the original accident reports were filed at the Air Force Safety Center, which at one point was located at Norton AFB, CA. In the early '90s the records were purged and all reports filed prior to 1956 were microfilmed and the originals (with excellent photos) were burned. The microfilm and 3x5 index cards file were sent to the Simpson Research Center (now Air Force Historical Research Agency) at Maxwell AFB. I couldn't find any evidence of this incident in the card file, so not surprised your database also shows no hits (but your database is WAY easier to use!).

It occurs to me this accident, if real, might not have been officially documented as such since there appears to have been no "command" structure at Pachino on the day it occurred, the 57th & 112 Sq RAF having departed the day before. The bomber crew would have been exclusively interested in getting their plane repaired and back home, and the P-40 mechanics, after exhausting a copious supply of bad words, had planes to re-repair.

So, still looking for confirmation this event actually occurred, and the details.

* The B-24 serial number is listed in your database twice, both for accidents late in 1944, nearly a year and a half after this incident.

 

[Snautzer01]

On baughers list when entering Pachino only 4 incidents wide apart are registered.

 

[Old MacDonald]

Thanks. I note Baugher's various lists, while extraordinarily helpful, do contain holes. He, like the rest of us, is slave to the references we can find.

Very good idea to check his database, though, so thanks.

 

[Snautzer01]

Thanks. I note Baugher's various lists, while extraordinarily helpful, do contain holes. He, like the rest of us, is slave to the references we can find.

Very good idea to check his database, though, so thanks.

Indeed even Baughers list is not perfect. But such an event with multiple destruction in 1 place would have been noted real good. Think the change this not happening are slim.

On Fold3.com i can not find it either.

 

[Old MacDonald]

The incident almost certainly happened; it's the details I'm hoping to find.

The B-24 crew's Sortie Report (filled out by the squadron intelligence officer who interviewed each crew after every mission) specifically describes this event, including the statement three P-40s were damaged when the bomber ran over them upon landing. Furthermore, at least one photo of this specific B-24 exists showing a crane lifting a P-40 wing (fuselage removed) from under the B-24's wing. The evidence seems conclusive there was some sort of event, which is why I'm hoping to find additional corroboration and details.

 

[Snautzer01]

On that report a serial for the plane should be there. What is it?

Furthermore, at least one photo of this specific B-24 exists showing a crane lifting a

Unless it is labelled with Pachino or there are visable clues it is, remember many accidents occured.

 

[Old MacDonald]

Regarding Joe Baugher's list (and any other list of accidents), recall that damaged planes being rebuilt or cannibalized could have been damaged in combat and therefore wouldn't show up on any accident list. Also, today I went through all the Maxwell 57 FG and all its FS's records again for July & Aug 43 and this incident does not show up. The surviving official records are more than a little disappointing since they contain very little information--except lists of squadron kills and in a couple of cases very short engagement reports. WAY predating this incident the records do contain considerable information on the Palm Sunday Massacre, but that's outside the scope of my inquiry.

The B-24 serial was 41-24215 of the 93rd Bomb Group.

 

[Snautzer01]

Regarding Joe Baugher's list (and any other list of accidents), recall that damaged planes being rebuilt or cannibalized could have been damaged in combat and therefore wouldn't show up on any accident list. Also, today I went through all the Maxwell 57 FG and all its FS's records again for July & Aug 43 and this incident does not show up. The surviving official records are more than a little disappointing since they contain very little information--except lists of squadron kills and in a couple of cases very short engagement reports. WAY predating this incident the records do contain considerable information on the Palm Sunday Massacre, but that's outside the scope of my inquiry.

The B-24 serial was 41-24215 of the 93rd Bomb Group.

B-24 Liberator #41-24215 'Dogpatch Raider' a war weary B-24 re-tasked as a high visibility formation assembly ship for the 445th BG. Was originally a...


B-24D Liberator #41-24215 'Lucky Gordon', sometimes called just 'Lucky', was originally an aircraft of the 409th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF. Flew on the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, diverting to Sicily. After returning to the ETO and further missions it was declared war weary and renamed 'Dogpatch Raider' and served with the 703rd BS, as a high visibility assembly ship for the 445th BG, flying from RAF Tibenham, Norfolk. The large letter "F" on her fuselage, the Group's call letter, contained bright navigation lights for dim lighting conditions.

1. Archive | American Air Museum
2. https://www.fold3.com/image/3244337...-of-the-2nd-bomb-division-8th-?terms=24215,41

 

[Old MacDonald]

Photos of this ship taken during this period show only the name "Lucky" above a reclining female figure on the right side nose and the 409 BS insignia on the left side nose. I've seen the claim this ship was named "Lucky Gordon," but "Gordon" was certainly not included in the nose art and I do not know the provenance of that claim.

This is definitely the ship that hit multiple P-40s at Pachino since decent quality color home movie footage exists of the fuselage-less P-40 wings in desert camo being removed from under the B-24's left wing.

I'm now confident something happened to multiple P-40s at Pachino that day, but how many were damaged or destroyed still remains an open question.

Ol' Mac

 

[Snautzer01]

Would like to see the photos and movie clip.

41-24215 was in 2 incidents both in 1944 and England.

 

[fubar57]

Went through this book up to when the 57th swapped over to P-47s, no mention of the incident