09 March 1945 when 'Hellcat Hattie' went down on a gunnery mission over the Wash. Thirty-six planes were in the air during the afternoon. At 1603 2nd Lt Wilfred E. Miessler took his 367th plane out of formaton and shortly thereafterhis crew was seen to bail out. 2nd Lt. Stanley D. Burns (CP), reported that a fire first appeared under the top turret and as the crew was bailing out there was an explosion in the right wing, probably in the number 3 engine. Then the plane went into a dive. As the pilot was setting up the autopilot, Burns went ot the forward escape hatch, kicked off the door and jumped. He was followed by 2nd Lt. John S. Pappas (N), and 2nd Lt. Johnson. Burns and Johnson were picked up by a British Air-Sea Rescue launch, but none of the other crew members was found. 2nd Lt. Donald G. Kingsley, Jr. left the formation as the incident developed and circled the area, dropping three dinghies to the stricken men. Evidently only Lt. Johnson ever got into on e of the dinghies. The rescue launch reached the first dinghy twelve minutes after the SOS was sent. The accident occurred about seven miles north of Wells over The Wash. Kingsley circled the area until 1800, by which time several other aircraft and a launch had joined the search.

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