ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 98477
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| Date: | Saturday 24 February 1945 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Boeing B-29 Superfortress |
| Owner/operator: | 770th BSqn /462nd BGp USAAF |
| Registration: | 42-63479 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 13 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Bay of Bengal, 17 miles south of the Matla River -
 India
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Kharagpur Airfield, West Bengal, India |
Bell-Atlanta B-29-20-BA Superfortress 42-63479: Built under licence by Bell Aircraft Company, Marietta, Atlanta, Georgia. Delivered to USAAF 10 November 1944. To the Bedford Modification Center. Departed 23 November 1944 after completion of modifications. Departed CONUS (CONtinental US) for CBI (China-Burma-Indian Theater of Operations) 20 January 1945. Assigned to 770th Bomb Squadron, 462nd Bomb Group, Piardoba, India on arrival 30 January 1945.
Written off (destroyed) when Ditched 17 miles South of Matla River, into the Bay of Bengal, on February 24, 1945, during a flight from Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. Of the 13 crew on board, 5 crew were killed, but 8 were rescued by a fishing boat. (MACR 15970). According to the following published source (see link #4):
"BAY OF BENGAL SCENE OF B-29 CREW RESCUE
CALCUTTA - Eight members of a crashed B-29 were recently "fished" from the Bay of Bengal in a strange rescue by an American colonel and two enlisted men on an Army fishing cruise in which the rescued airmen were the only "catch."
The presence of the Army boat only 200 yards from the scene of the crash was a fortunate coincidence for the Super-Fort crewmen. Ten minutes later, the Army fishing boat would have been up a waterway in the Sunderbans and completely hidden from the scene of the crash by thick jungle.
When the huge plane was sighted coming in low and obviously in trouble, Lt. Col. M. C. Coop of Abilene, Texas, veterinarian for Base General Depot No.2, SOS, Calcutta, who was on a survey trip to investigate a new method of fishing to supply American troops in this Theater, ordered his boat to head "full steam" after the faltering plane.
200 YARDS AWAY
When the B-29 dropped into the water, Coop's boat was only 200 yards away and soon he, his two enlisted men - Corporal Gerald J. Witte of Omaha, Nebraska, and T/Sgt. William F. Lott, of Halls, Tennessee, and three Indian crewmen were pulling the airmen out of the water.
An auxiliary boat of a fishing concern which was assisting in the survey, also steamed up to the scene and rescued several men. This boat, piloted by Mr. Norman Caller of Calcutta, burned out its clutch in getting to the crash and later was tied to the Army boat to be pulled into port.
"I couldn't believe it when I heard someone call me to come aboard, and especially an Army boat," said Lt. Robert E. Mumma of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after he got his breath back from the exciting experience.
Others rescued were
Capt. Harold Ebbeler of San Antonio, Texas,
Lt. James E. Mills of Waterloo, New York
Lt. James R. Lyons of San Antonio, Texas
Lt. William S. O'Sullivan of Narberth, Pennsylvania
Lt. Leonard T. Olszewski of Shenandoah, Pennsylvania
Sgt. Rudolph E. Sagan of Detroit, Michigan and
Corporal George A. Snapp Jr., of Detroit, Michigan
RADIO POSITION
After two of the men who were injured had been given first-aid by Coop, it was decided to head for the nearest port with railroad facilities on the bay, which was approximately a 12-hour journey. Before crashing, the crew had radioed their position and continuous watch was kept throughout the night for a rescue plane.
Feature of the rescue for the hungry airmen was a wild boar steak dinner served by Coop and his two men. The boar had been shot by Witte from the deck of the boat more than 250 yards away on an island the day before. With the boar steak were french fried potatoes and tomato and onion salad - which really hit the spot for the airmen. They were made comfortable with blankets on the two boats during the night, while Coop, Witte and Lott kept watch for the rescue plane.
About 3 o'clock the next morning, a flying boat piloted by Lt. J. C. Grahame of Lodi, California, was sighted. The B-29 radioman was awakened to signal the plane in code with the powerful searchlight of the boat. The transfer of the airmen to the plane was accomplished without accident although the water was very rough. About three hours after landing, the rescue plane was able to take off with all eight Super-Fort men aboard."
Unusually, the above account lists and names the eight survivors, but the five crew that were killed are not named. Captain Harold Ray Ebbeler, one of the survivors, survived this accident, survived the war, later rose to the rank of Colonel, and died on 12 March 2001 aged 85 (see link #5)
Sources:
1. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_3a.html
2. http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbaloc.asp?Loc=ar&offset=6650
3. http://www.462ndbombgroup.org/Portals/0/Documents/462nd-Plane-list-master.pdf
4. http://www.cbi-theater.com/roundup/roundup032945.html
5. https://billiongraves.com/grave/Harold-Ray-Ebbeler/9474209
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Jul-2017 22:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Mar-2020 23:01 | DG333 | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 15-Apr-2020 15:19 | Reno Raines | Updated [Operator, Location, Operator] |
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