daveT
Senior Airman
Questions from the Travis AFB Museum.
We are trying to build models of the B-24 and FW-190s that were involved in this incident.
We have the B-24 figured out, but we need the know the correct paint and marking for the FW-190s involved.
We have a bullet scarred window from the B-24 that was involved and we want to make models of all the aircraft involved. The B-24 was reported shot down by five FW-190s, unknown unit. Lt. Sooy is still alive and well and donated the window recovered from Germany.
The date of the raid on which Lt Sooy was shot down was 18th March 1944 and the mission number was 53, target Friedrichshafen. Bruce Sooy was the aircraft captain of B-24 numbered 42-99945. The B-24 was from the 578th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), part of the 392nd Bomb Group stationed at Wendling in Norfolk, England. The Squadron Code was EC and the individual aircraft letter was "O" - bar (that meant there was a bar underneath the ID letter). Aircraft were olive drab upper surfaces, much like the model in the Heritage Center, with light gray undersides. The fin and rudder were painted white on the outside surface (except for the de-icing strip on the leading edge) and there was a black stripe painted horizontally of about 3 feet height and on it was a letter "O" in white with a white bar of the same width as the letter beneath it.
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #03327 AIRCRAFT: #42-99945 "PINK LADY" "0-Bar" 23rd Mission
AIRCREW: SOOY * SQUADRON: 578th
CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS:
P 1/LT Sooy, Bruce L. POW
CP l/LT Mardis, Kenneth A POW
N 1/LT Jones, Orley R. POW
B l/LT Schwartz, Edward S. POW
R/O T/S Terrell, Paul J. POW
EnG T/S Serafine, John M. POW
WG S/S McBrayer, Henry G. Jr POW
BG S/S McArn, Henry W. POW
WG S/S Jones, Nixon J.E. Jr POW
TG S/S Dorgan, William J. POW
MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: There were no eye-witness accounts by returning aircrews about the missing status of this plane and crew. The only report of this aircrew's downing and capture was in a German Report #KU1231, Air Field Headquarters at Freiberg dated 28 March 1944. This reporting noted the crash site of this aircraft by correct tail number at a location of Mühlenbach near Haslach, (30) kilometers north east of Freiberg/Breiagen at 1500 hours and the ensuing capture of all (10) crew members who had parachuted to safety. Cause of the ship's downing was described as being "fighter", as obtained from a statement by local inhabitants.
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: No record exists in the MACR. All members were taken as prisoners by the Germans. The time of apprehending was given as 1500 hours for all (10) men. Sooy was captured at Hasslach/Kinzig Valley as were McBrayer, Mardis, Schwartz, McArn, Dorgan, Nixon, and Serafine. Jones and Terrell were taken prisoner near Kuehlenbach. This information is all that is available in these records.
We are trying to build models of the B-24 and FW-190s that were involved in this incident.
We have the B-24 figured out, but we need the know the correct paint and marking for the FW-190s involved.
We have a bullet scarred window from the B-24 that was involved and we want to make models of all the aircraft involved. The B-24 was reported shot down by five FW-190s, unknown unit. Lt. Sooy is still alive and well and donated the window recovered from Germany.
The date of the raid on which Lt Sooy was shot down was 18th March 1944 and the mission number was 53, target Friedrichshafen. Bruce Sooy was the aircraft captain of B-24 numbered 42-99945. The B-24 was from the 578th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), part of the 392nd Bomb Group stationed at Wendling in Norfolk, England. The Squadron Code was EC and the individual aircraft letter was "O" - bar (that meant there was a bar underneath the ID letter). Aircraft were olive drab upper surfaces, much like the model in the Heritage Center, with light gray undersides. The fin and rudder were painted white on the outside surface (except for the de-icing strip on the leading edge) and there was a black stripe painted horizontally of about 3 feet height and on it was a letter "O" in white with a white bar of the same width as the letter beneath it.
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #03327 AIRCRAFT: #42-99945 "PINK LADY" "0-Bar" 23rd Mission
AIRCREW: SOOY * SQUADRON: 578th
CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS:
P 1/LT Sooy, Bruce L. POW
CP l/LT Mardis, Kenneth A POW
N 1/LT Jones, Orley R. POW
B l/LT Schwartz, Edward S. POW
R/O T/S Terrell, Paul J. POW
EnG T/S Serafine, John M. POW
WG S/S McBrayer, Henry G. Jr POW
BG S/S McArn, Henry W. POW
WG S/S Jones, Nixon J.E. Jr POW
TG S/S Dorgan, William J. POW
MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: There were no eye-witness accounts by returning aircrews about the missing status of this plane and crew. The only report of this aircrew's downing and capture was in a German Report #KU1231, Air Field Headquarters at Freiberg dated 28 March 1944. This reporting noted the crash site of this aircraft by correct tail number at a location of Mühlenbach near Haslach, (30) kilometers north east of Freiberg/Breiagen at 1500 hours and the ensuing capture of all (10) crew members who had parachuted to safety. Cause of the ship's downing was described as being "fighter", as obtained from a statement by local inhabitants.
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: No record exists in the MACR. All members were taken as prisoners by the Germans. The time of apprehending was given as 1500 hours for all (10) men. Sooy was captured at Hasslach/Kinzig Valley as were McBrayer, Mardis, Schwartz, McArn, Dorgan, Nixon, and Serafine. Jones and Terrell were taken prisoner near Kuehlenbach. This information is all that is available in these records.
