B24 or B29 Jungle Crash Pics

[jayb]

Just an observation, but the prop in the pictures appears to be four bladed, B-24's had three blade props. Both B-29's and B-24's had four engines and you didn't mention how many were in the jungle.

 

[exlegeconsulting]

The Airplane is Call sign Temper -11, Assigned to 315th Wing, 502 Bomb Group, 402 Sq. The Crew was Capt. Claude Lawson, Lt. Robert Kindig, Lt. Lawrence Honeycutt Jr., Lt Bernard Beine, Lt. Hartphey Haller., Sgt. Mike Myrick, Sgt. Ray Card, Sgt. Howard Robinson, Sgt. Chester Skorupa, Sgt. Mathew Schemer.

They arrived in Guam in July of 1945 and in August 1945 all were killed while flying a POW reliief mission. The plane hit the mountain in bad weather while attempting to land.

There were two Navy Reserve passengers on the flight Commander B.N. Olson and Lt. L.Q. Smith.

Definitely a 4-blade hub and the cylinder heads are intact evidenced by the intake and exhaust stack ports. They're part of the head. The 24 had a single wheel main gear. That bogey has 2. When you get a round engine on the ground it gives the appearance of being small.

R3350 Specs:

Wright Turbo-Cyclone 18R-3350-TC (972TC18DA2)

Judging from the factory-straight remaining prop blades I'm guessing there was no fire. It ran out of fuel. Those blades would have been pretty mangled had they been turning. Also, the jugs are largely intact as are the engines, generally speaking, which are usually molten messes after a fire when the wing breaks up and the fuel is thrown forward.

I use to be part of a crash recovery team salvaging aircraft wherever they ended up. I've seen more than I care to remember but this crash looks like the result of gliding in. Mother nature has had a lot of time to reclaim what was once hers. The tires are missing because islanders would strip them off and use them for shoe soles. Every bird I've ever salvaged has been visited by locals who typically have a use for something on the wrecks. Tubing, cabling, reservoirs/bottles, skin sections, bullets (the Yapese used them for their slingshots made from inner tubes and tree branch forks), etc. I used to strip that stuff off and barter with it for local goods and services near the site.

The #4 engine on the plane had gone out and was feathered at the time of the crash. And there was a fire and the plane was under power when it crashed. Actually they had no idea they were about to crash, it was a sudden and unexpected impact. So you may be looking at #4 itself. If any of you get back to the site. I'd love to have just a small piece of the plane, a nut or bolt to give my brother. I'd pay any shipping charges needed. contact me at: [email protected]

 

[katsongs]

My Dad was a crew chief on a B-29. He was stationed on Tinian in the Marianas. During a flight the aircraft was shot up and they landed in the jungle somewhere in the area, against a hillside if I remember correctly. I was just looking up WW II stuff about his squadron etc, when I came across these pictures. Can't help but wonder....except for him the entire crew was killed on impact. Somehow he was ejected out of the airplane and wandered around delerious in the jungles for days, until some indigenous people found him and took him to the Americans.

Every summer he would experience bouts of "jungle rot" in his feet and back. He soaked his feet in some purple stuff and it seemed to help. The nerves in his back were messed up from injuries in the crash and more than likely he had a concussion. No purple heart, but we always looked at him as our hero, among a inummerable company of heroes. He passed away in 2001. It would be funny after all these years to find out that was his plane...
Kathleen

 

[FLYBOYJ]

My Dad was a crew chief on a B-29. He was stationed on Tinian in the Marianas. During a flight the aircraft was shot up and they landed in the jungle somewhere in the area, against a hillside if I remember correctly. I was just looking up WW II stuff about his squadron etc, when I came across these pictures. Can't help but wonder....except for him the entire crew was killed on impact. Somehow he was ejected out of the airplane and wandered around delerious in the jungles for days, until some indigenous people found him and took him to the Americans.

Every summer he would experience bouts of "jungle rot" in his feet and back. He soaked his feet in some purple stuff and it seemed to help. The nerves in his back were messed up from injuries in the crash and more than likely he had a concussion. No purple heart, but we always looked at him as our hero, among a inummerable company of heroes. He passed away in 2001. It would be funny after all these years to find out that was his plane...
Kathleen

Hi Kat - what was his name or squadron? The date of his crash would really help.

 

[robwkamm]

Excellent post. this is why i joined this site. fantastic. people getting together figuring out history. ( I was so into the plane pics that i missed the blue shorts hottie also . LOL)