L4 “Grasshopper” crash ETO 1/2 Jan ‘45

[nicelyb]

I have searched for additional information about a fatal crash of one of the L4 Grasshopper airplanes assigned to my Grandfathers Field Artillery unit to no avail. LT Anspach and LT Emberts were assigned to the 270th FA Bn (240mm Howitzer) and were fatalities on 1/2 Jan '45 somewhere over Germany. Anyone have suggestions where to look, I am all ears. I have a request for information in to the Air Force Heritage Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, but COVID has them months behind. I found obituaries for both, the Bn's AAR doesn't have much other than a short blurb, nothing is mentioned in details about the crash.

I've searched a few other random WWII A/C databases trying to find tail numbers, etc.. to help narrow down things, but nothing has jumped out at me.

 

[Snautzer01]

I have searched for additional information about a fatal crash of one of the L4 Grasshopper airplanes assigned to my Grandfathers Field Artillery unit to no avail. LT Anspach and LT Emberts were assigned to the 270th FA Bn (240mm Howitzer) and were fatalities on 1/2 Jan '45 somewhere over Germany. Anyone have suggestions where to look, I am all ears. I have a request for information in to the Air Force Heritage Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, but COVID has them months behind. I found obituaries for both, the Bn's AAR and other than a short blurb, nothing is mentioned.

Try fold3.com

 

[nicelyb]

Try fold3.com

 

[Freddy]

I'm sorry, I was only able to find some information about the crew but absolutely nothing about the plane. I searched both Fold 3 and Joe Baugher's lists but with no results.

Name Eugene R Anspach
From New Jersey
Death January 1, 1945
War World War II
ID O-1179765
Rank Second Lieutenant
Branch US Army
Group 270th Field Artillery Battalion
Awarded Purple Heart
Eugene R Anspach is buried or memorialized at Plot B Row 2 Grave 45, Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.
Eugene R Anspach : Second Lieutenant from New Jersey, World War II Casualty

Name LaVerne G Emberts
From Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
Death January 1, 1945
War World War II
ID O-1179062
Rank First Lieutenant
Branch US Army
Group 270th Field Artillery Battalion
Cause Hostile, Killed in Action
Awarded Air Medal Purple Heart
LaVerne G Emberts is buried or memorialized at Plot I Row 5 Grave 14, Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.
LaVerne G Emberts : First Lieutenant from Wisconsin, World War II Casualty

 

[nicelyb]

I'm sorry, I was only able to find some information about the crew but absolutely nothing about the plane. I searched both Fold 3 and Joe Baugher's lists but with no results.

Name Eugene R Anspach
From New Jersey
Death January 1, 1945
War World War II
ID O-1179765
Rank Second Lieutenant
Branch US Army
Group 270th Field Artillery Battalion
Awarded Purple Heart
Eugene R Anspach is buried or memorialized at Plot B Row 2 Grave 45, Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.
Eugene R Anspach : Second Lieutenant from New Jersey, World War II Casualty

Name LaVerne G Emberts
From Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
Death January 1, 1945
War World War II
ID O-1179062
Rank First Lieutenant
Branch US Army
Group 270th Field Artillery Battalion
Cause Hostile, Killed in Action
Awarded Air Medal Purple Heart
LaVerne G Emberts is buried or memorialized at Plot I Row 5 Grave 14, Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.
LaVerne G Emberts : First Lieutenant from Wisconsin, World War II Casualty

Thank you for the reply Freddy. This particular crash doesn't seem to be well documented. Oh well, the search continues. Thanks again!

 

[nicelyb]

As my search continues, I have located the grid coordinates of the crash site, and a few other tidbits of information. Finding the tail number would be a great help IMO. The hunt continues!!

 

[nicelyb]

Bringing this topic back up from a few years ago. I am trying to find a little more info about a fatal crash of an American L4 observation bird assigned to the 270th Field Artillery Bn, 3rd US Army. The pilot and observer were killed. According to the Battalions AAR, LT Eugene Anspach and LT LaVerne Emberts perished at map coord. WQ220882 (modern Lat/Long 49.23.20N / 6.39.43E if my conversion is correct). I have scoured the internet and the more popular databases that list aviation crashes/fatalities to no avail. I am not sure this is the same A/C as the one that crashed but an L4 assigned to the Bn had a tail number of 479558(?) pic is kinda fuzzy. Any lesser known places to look?
Thanks!
v/r
Brian

 

[fubar57]

479558 survived the war and became a Swiss aircraft, HB-OUD. Baugers site.....79558 (MSN 11854) became HB-OUD

https://www.airliners.net/photo/HETRA-CLUb/Piper-L-4-Cub-J-3C/639740

 

[nicelyb]

479558 survived the war and became a Swiss aircraft, HB-OUD. Baugers site.....79558 (MSN 11854) became HB-OUD

https://www.airliners.net/photo/HETRA-CLUb/Piper-L-4-Cub-J-3C/639740

Thanks Fubar! Appreciate the info. Always fun to learn new things.