Date:	Friday 21 January 1944
Time:
Type:	Curtiss P-40F Warhawk
Owner/operator:	66th FSqn /57th FGp USAAF
Registration:	41-14540
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Hvarski Channel -   Croatia
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
During a fifteen ship dive-bombing and straffing mission in Split area, Yugoslavia, the P-40F-10-CU 41-14540 of 2nd Lt Sheldon A Weber of 66th FS, 57th FG, was hit by small arms fire. After completeing a strafing pass against a Siebel ferry, white smoke was seen coming from the fighter that flew over Hvarski Channel, towards Hvar Island. When the plane started losing altitude the pilot made a 180° turn and pulled the nose of the plane up and bailed out at about 1500 feet. His chute opened just as he cleared the plane. The P-40 that was now burning badly crashed into the water and sank instantly.

Two other pilots of Weber’s unit circled his parachute, saw him hit the water, get into his dinghy and wave as them. When last seen he was paddling in his dinghy between the islands of Brac and Hvar and was apparently unharmed. The position of his loss was reported at 43°14 N 16°48E. An Allied boat was sent to pick him up and six pilots of 66th FS were sent to help it but they were unable to locate him or his dinghy.

Weber evaded capture and returned to the Allied side, reaching his unit on 4 February, but apparently was posted missing long enough for a MACR (number 1807) to be created for him.

It was the last mission of 66th FS with P-40 before conversion to P-47, and the 2nd mission of Weber.

1.http://raf-112-squadron.org/57thfghonor_roll42-43.html
2.http://www.shrani.si/f/1a/dK/CUQg7HD/yucrashes.xls]
3.http://www.57thfightergroup.org/macr/1807.html
4.http://www.57thfightergroup.org/operational_reports/66_5_sep43_feb44.pdf
5.https://www.mapquest.com/?utm_source=classic&utm_campaign=winston.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jan-2017 22:26	Laurent Rizzotti	Added
16-Mar-2020 09:06	DG333	Updated [Operator, Source, Operator]