ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 277064
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| Date: | Friday 27 July 1945 |
| Time: | 06:00 |
| Type: | PB2B-2 Catalina |
| Owner/operator: | Lt. Robert O. Nicholas |
| Registration: | BuNo 44244 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 10 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Pacific Ocean - |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | NAS Tanapag, Saipan |
| Dumbo station 18-00N 144-30E |
July 27, 1945, War Diary: At 0427K, PB2B-2 bureau number 44244 took off from NAS TANAPAG to take assigned DUMBO station at 18-00N 144-30E. The patrol plane commander was Lt. R.O. Nicholas, A1, USNR. While en route to the assigned station and when 25 miles from the position, the plane flew into the water. The aircraft was completely demolished causing the death of seven of the crew. The flight en route was without incident. A number of rain squalls were by-passed, average altitude was 1200 feet. About 0600K the pilot descended to a very low altitude, remaining as that of normal flight with floats up. The nose of the plane struck a swell, dug in and total destruction of the aircraft resulted. The tail section completely disappeared after about five minutes, it was the last portion to remain afloat. Three survivors boarded a life raft from the plane, searched the area for other survivors, with negative results.
The three had been in the raft a short time when Pitts attracted, with a mirror, several B-29s returning from an Empire strike. The B-29s orbited the survivors and led the submarine USS Threadfin, returning from a patrol, to the scene. Lt. Arnold and crew on standby station #16 relieved the B-29s. The submarine took all three survivors aboard, but Kummer was subsequently transferred to the Air-Sea Rescue Station ship USS Cook Inlet, whose medical officer rendered medical assistance. Pitts and Tanzman were put ashore at TANAPAG NAB that evening. The area was further thoroughly searched by surface vessels and Dumbos with negative results. It is concluded there were no other survivors of the crash.
Dead:
Francis H. Needle, LtCdr, Flight Surgeon
Robert O. Nicholas, Lt.
Alfred K. Johnson, Ensign
John L. McDonald, AMMF1c, Plane Captain
David L. Cox, 1st Radioman
Peter P. Koenig, AMMF2c, 2nd Mechanic
Wilber D. Johnson AMMF3c, 3rd Mechanic
Survivors:
Howard W. Pitts AOM2c - minor injuries
Herbert M. Tanzman ARM3c – serious injuries
Keith F. Kummer AMMF2c – serious injuries
Sources:
US Pacific Fleet Rescue Squadron Two - July 1 - July 31, 1945 WAR DIARY (Found in Fold3.com when researching LtCdr Francis Needle)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Apr-2022 19:57 | Bunrat06 | Added |
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