FUGARI
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42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/06/2008 07:04:57 PM
Looking for the serials of the 3 B-25s downed on March 4, 1945.
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spsct
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/07/2008 08:02:08 AM
The MACR database on this site does not show any b-25s of the 42nd BG lost on 3/4/1945. Is the date corect?
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FUGARI
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/07/2008 08:14:32 AM
Yes, I'm sure.
That list is very incomplete unfortunately.
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captn17
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/07/2008 09:38:14 AM
Go to photo album on this site for a discription of the loss and a photo of one of the planes lost. ArmyAirForces
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shooshoobaby
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/07/2008 05:36:04 PM
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<message edited by shooshoobaby on 02/07/2008 05:57:52 PM >
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FUGARI
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/07/2008 05:51:23 PM
First Lieutenant Frank "Raunchy" Rauschkolb, pilot of "Playmate Four Two" 2nd ERS, departed Morotai at 0515, on a mission to cover a 42nd BG B-25 strike on Zamboanga. He arrived at Malanipa Island, his orbit point, at 0930. Immediately upon arrival at his destination, he received a radio message that B-25's had been shot down off the target. The air was filled with distress calls and directions to the survivors. Lieutenant Rauschkolb headed for the target and sighted a crew down in the water about one mile of shore. As he was circling to land near the raft, Lieutenant Rauschkolb observed several Jap barges firing at him. He called for the B-25's to strafe the barges and keep them off until he could effect the rescue of the surviving crew. He landed and taxied to the raft through a hail of machine gun and mortar fire and took five members of the crew aboard, the sixth having gone down with the ship. Except for minor bruises, none were seriously hurt. The Catalina then taxied toward the second crew down on a reef 500 yards off shore. As Lieutenant Rauschkolb approached the crew, shore batteries opened up on the rescue plane but he continued on and took the six survivors aboard. During the taxiing one of the engines was shut down for fifteen minutes due to overheating. As soon as the survivors were aboard, Lieutenant Rauschkolb taxied through the coral reef toward the open sea, out of gun range of the Japs. The sea provided to be too rough for take-off, so Lieutenant Rauschkolb elected to taxi the 15 miles to the other crew, which was down just off Malanipa Island near the Southern tip of Zamboanga Peninsula.  The rescue ship was guided to the third surviving crew by two B-25's. Water was leaking into the ship thru flare tubes in the tunnel hatch, flooding the rear compartment. The crew members and survivors bailed vigorously to keep the water down. At 1130, the third crew was sighted and taken aboard. The ship proved to be overloaded so Lieutenant Rauschkolb jettisoned 400 gallons of fuel and began his take-off run with 25 men aboard and a badly leaking hull. The ship was airborne at 1140 and headed for home. The two circling B-25's dipped their wings and likewise headed for home. The rescue ship arrived at Morotai at 1645, where the survivors were transferred to the 155th Station Hospital. The survival of 17 out of 18 crewmembers is a tribute to the training of the B-25 crews in ditching procedures. The crewmember who was lost had left the ship and appeared to be unhurt. However, he suddenly disappeared below the waves. Presumably, he was killed by enemy fire from shore as he was floating in the water. Lieutenant Rauschkolb displayed the highest courage and skill in effecting the rescue of these three crews, fulfilling the highest traditions of the rescue service. The survivors stated that they were on a low level bombing and strafing mission on Zamboanga and adjacent military objectives. They had been over the target on previous occasions and had encountered very little anti-aircraft fire, but this time the anti-aircraft fire was intense and accurate, shooting down three planes and hitting several others. They were fortunate to escape being injured or wounded.
Lieutenant Frank Rauschkolb received the DSC for this mission.
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shooshoobaby
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/07/2008 06:01:46 PM
Jack - Sorry I misread your Post. Maybe No MACRs because Crews Rescued ? Have you checked Online Macrs at www.footnote.com ? Mike
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Terry T.
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/07/2008 06:23:29 PM
Missing air crew reports are usually generated 24 to 48hrs & sometimes even 72hrs after the loss, since the crew was rescued on the same day one would not be needed..
Terry T.
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k9iua
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/08/2008 06:54:26 PM
If the squadron insignia in the story about the Dumbo pilot is significant, then you are looking for someone who has the microfilm records for the 390th BS, as their monthly history summary document for March 1945 will likely list the planes lost in the water on that mission.
I seem to recall that someone who reads this forum does have at least some of the 390th BS records. Hopefully that person will respond.
Kevin Anderson
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FUGARI
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/08/2008 07:12:48 PM
I was mainly interested in the 1st B-25 crew rescued(75th BS)which was Lt Clampit's crew. The navigator was 2Lt Russell Johnson better know has the 'Professor' on Gilligan's Island ! A few years ago we invited him to go for a ride in our 390th BS marked B-25J but he declined not wanting to relive that part of his past. This was the greatest air rescue in history and Oregon born Lt Frank Rauschkold probably was more decerving of the MOH rather that the DSC he received.
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mickeyb
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/08/2008 10:19:27 PM
Lt. Harry Piatt was the pilot that crashed on the reef. He was my brother's best friend.
My brother was killed 3 April 1945. Harry was killed in May.
Mickey Devoted Sister of S/Sgt George L. Winkler 13th Air Force/FEAF/Jungle Air Force KIA 3 April 1945 Cebu, Philippines "A Place Called Home" WWII Families
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bobholland
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/09/2008 08:46:55 PM
Kevin may have been thinking of me since I have 390th Micro film and 390th Combat Mission reports. Unfortuantely my records stop with Feb 1944
Bob
Oregon
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imaxfli
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/24/2008 08:36:50 PM
My Dad flew his last Mission on 3-4-45(75th Bombardier) to Zamboanga from Morotai.
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mickeyb
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RE: 42nd BG B-25s Shot Down On 3-4-45
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02/24/2008 09:59:04 PM
Jack
These planes crashed? Location?
Thanks
Mickey Devoted Sister of S/Sgt George L. Winkler 13th Air Force/FEAF/Jungle Air Force KIA 3 April 1945 Cebu, Philippines "A Place Called Home" WWII Families
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