WW2 USAAF

328 Bomb Squadron - 93 Bomb Group

Aircraft B24 42-7614 "BUCKEYE" (testimony William "Bill" HANSEN. Name chosen because three crew's airmen came from Ohio) shot down by enemy flak 7 January 1944 near Melun, Seine et Marne, France, on return road from bombing mission over Ludwigshafen, Germany.

The B24 was first hit by flack over Germany before bombing. Cooling of engine N°4 seemed damaged. On return engine N°4 was hit by Flack and stopped. The B24 left the formation and lost speed and altitude. Engine N°2 stopped too, hit on another Flak area. Fuel tubes were broken, crew's men had to use their oxygen masks to protect them from the gas fumes. The B24 passed over the Eiffel tower and turned. It was later hit several times by more Flak near Melun. The radio exploded: intercom an compasses, no longer functioned. The Engineer (LONG) was hit on the right leg. Radio operator was hit by little fragments of Flak shrapnel's on the stomach. One engine was on fire. Pilot gave the crew order to bail out.

Two men didn't and were KIA when the plane crashed in Montgermont woods at Pringy, Seine et Marne, France. It is possible that they were KIA before the crash as HENSEN told it into an interview.

William D WAHRHEIT and Jay W STEARNS  were provisional buried in Pringy cemetery. French people came secretly at night to honor his memorial with flowers. Germans were worry about it and threatened local people of reprisals. After the Liberation, their bodies were given to the USA authorities.

Crew members:

*PILOT 2Lt James R CARNAHAN, ASN O-736472, POW

*COPILOT 2Lt Edward C MILLER, ASN O-806491, ESC

*NAVIGATOR 2Lt Sigmund SPRITZ, ASN O-682256, POW

*BOMBARDIER 2Lt William "Bill" HANSEN JR, ASN O-741514, POW

*RADIO OPERATOR S/Sgt Willis E SPELLMAN, ASN 15107422, WWA/ESC

*TOP TURRET GUNNER S/Sgt Warren Hall LONG, ASN 15329104, WIA/POW

*BALL TURRET GUNNER Sgt Jay W STEARNS, ASN 35515624, KIA

*WAIST GUNNER S/Sgt Robert Kenneth FRUTH, ASN 15329708, ESC

*WAIST GUNNER S/Sgt Daniel J PARVESE, ASN 12168556, POW

*TAIL GUNNER S/Sgt William D WAHRHEIT, ASN 32504330, KIA