Date:	Friday 15 June 1945
Time:
Type:	Boeing B-29A Superfortress
Owner/operator:	43rd BSqn /29th BGp USAAF
Registration:	42-93928
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	East of Pati Point -   Guam
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
On 15 June 1945, XXI Bomber Command flew Mission 203 against two aimpoints in Osaka and three in neighboring Amagasaki, just north of Osaka. 511 B-29s of 58th 73rd, 313th and 314th Bomb Wing were dispatched. Of these, 444 bombed the primary target between 0944 and 1155 hrs local time, dropping 3157.3 tons of bombs, and 25 bombed opportunity targets with 176.1 tons. It was the fourth urban area on Osaka of the war (and the third of the month). Only incendiary bombs were used during this mission, AN-M17 A1 and E46, 500-lb. clusters set to open 5,000 feet above target and AN-M47A2 100-lb. bombs with instantaneous nose. The target was covered by cloud and the crews bombed through the undercast. An additional 2 square miles of Osaka and 1/2 square mile of Amagasaki were burned out. During this attack, 475 people were killed, 2,452 people were injured, and 181,636 became homeless, as 53,327 buildings were destroyed or damaged.

One hundred P-51 Mustangs were launched as escort but turned back due to adverse weather. No Japanese fighter was met and AA fire was heavy, meager and generally inaccurate. One B-29 was damaged and two others were lost in crashes near their island bases. 43 landed at Iwo Jima.
___________________________________________________________

The B-29 42-93928 "City of Hartford" of 43rd BS, 29th BG was one of the two B-29 lost (MACR 14265). 1st Lt. Vertal reported seeing a B29 cross the path of his own aircraft, 300 feet lower and at about 90 degrees, while he was 12 miles north of Guam. Aircraft had landing lights turned on. A few moments later aircraft went into steep bank (80 degrees) to the left and was seen to crash into the water. The crash position was reported as being 4 miles east of Pati Point, Guam.

A rescue LGT patrolling off the coast of the island saw this aircraft crash. Calling a sister ship, they immediately proceeded to the scene of the crash and searched till late the following morning. No survivors were found among the wreckage which consisted of five flying jackets, one life raft, one gas tank, and one navigators kit. Also, two dumbos were dispatched to the scene and reported finding only oil slit. These planes kept up a continuous search until the following morning and returned with no additional information.

Crew (all killed):
Capt. Adolph Henry Heyke (aircraft captain)
1st Lt. Stanley V. Shaw (pilot)
1st Lt. Carl C. Livesay (navigator)
1st Lt. Robert G. Kelley (bombardier)
1st Lt. Bertram F. Nagy (flying engineer)
S/Sgt. William M. Barton (radio operator)
Sgt. Harold Eichman (central fire control operator)
Sgt. Donald J. Megargel (right gunner)
Sgt. Edwin J. Mergenthaler, Jr. (left gunner)
1st Lt. James O. Strong (radar operator)
Sgt. James F. McLear (tail gunner)

1.https://user.xmission.com/~tmathews/b29/56years/56years-4506a.html
2.https://user.xmission.com/~tmathews/b29/56years/missionsummary4506.html#15jun45
3.Effects of air attack on Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto", by United States Strategic Bombing Survey, 1947
4.https://osakakushu.wordpress.com/2015/06/
5.https://apjjf.org/-Yuki-Tanaka/2532/article.html
6.http://www.29bg.com/planeinfo.cfm?pid=19
7.http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Jun1945O.htm
8.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pati_Point
9.http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=13.598000&lon=144.955000&z=11&m=b

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Feb-2018 08:52	Laurent Rizzotti	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative]
13-Mar-2020 10:19	DB	Updated [Operator, Source, Operator]
31-Jan-2021 16:38	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]
06-Jun-2022 09:29	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]