42-6368

 

On 20 August 1944, a B-29, # 42-6368, assigned to 20th Air Force, 468th Bomb Group, 794th Bomb Squadron, departed the airfield at Pengshan, China, on a bombing mission of the iron and steel works at Yawata, Kyushu, Japan, from 26,000 feet altitude. It was last sighted over the target and had been struck by parts of an enemy fighter. The crew were:

                                              Pilot                             Capt Ornell J. Stauffer                         0-428386

                                              Co-Pilot                       1stLt Jimmie Wine                               0-750751

                                              Navigator                    2ndLt Irving S. Newman                      0-686122         POW/EUS

                                              Bombardier                  2ndLt Bon R. Bloom                           0-739536

                                              Engineer                      2ndLt Austin C. Shott                          0-683156         POW/EUS

                                              Radio                           TSgt Walter Adams Densby                15099518        POW/EUS

                                              Radar                           Sgt Raymond J. Keelan                       33367106

                                              Senior Gunner             SSgt Clinton A. Martin                        34054497

                                              Right Gunner               SSgt Michel J. Karlovich                     12204196

                                              Left Gunner                 SSgt James A. O’Brien                         35371241

                                              Tail Gunner                 TSgt Robert W. Bonner                         13027041

B-29 42-6368 was flying in # 4 position of a four-ship diamond formation. Lead B-29, 42-6334, was struck head-on by an enemy fighter and exploded. A piece of the wreckage struck the tail (vertical stabilizer) of 42-6368, separating it. 42-6368 was last seen in a spin over the target (MACR 9685). TSgt Dansby wrote that there was a report of six parachutes from 42-6368. Dansby bailed out at about 3,000 feet. He believed the others who were able to bail out included Newman (at about 14,000 feet) and Shott (at about 20,000 feet). Capt. Dexter C. Dean of the squadron informed reporter of this. Three were in the POW prison camp in Japan. Dansby was kept in solitary confinement for four months then was sent to the Tokyo Omari POW prison camp. Col. Carmichael Richard was brought to the POW prison later. When the war ended, there were about 150 B-29 crewmen who were in the Omari prison camp. Next-of-kin were listed as:

                                            Stauffer            Mr David D Stauffer, F, 662 Hendricks St, Berne, IN

                                            Wine                Mr Virgil W. Wine, F, Monitor, WA

                                            Shott                Mrs Hazel M. Shott, M, 6341 Cedar St, Huntington Park, CA

                                            Bloom              Mr Morris Bloom, F, 12 E. 8th St, La Junta, CO

                                            Newman          Mr Harry Newman, F, 36 Wilcock St, Dorchester, Mass.

                                            Dansby            Mrs Allibel Dansby, M, Ashorstdale, W.VA.

                                            Bonner             Mr & Mrs Patrick Bonner, P, 237 W. Holland St, Summit Hill, PA

                                            O’Brien           Mr Patrick J O’Brien, F, 1122 Woodlawn Ave, Indianapolis, IN

                                            Martin              Mrs Connie A Martin, M, Rte 2, Jefferson, GA

                                            Karlovich        Mrs Dorothy M. Karlovich, W, 404 E. Jackson, Windsor, MO

                                            Keelan             Mrs Catherine M. Keelan, M, 8324 Tulpehacken St, Elkins Parks, Philadelphia, PA

A brother of Karlovich, PFC Frank Karlovich, wrote to ask the status of his brother.