My father, 1st Lt. Joseph Simpson Amos, Jr., was the pilot of  this ship on 01/03/45 and subsequently ditched on the return flight from a bomb attack on Nagoya. Because of this web site I have recently communicated with Paul Judd, the grandson of the co pilot, Lt. Otis Perriman. JSA was assigned to this ship as the second crew with Capt Vance E Black. Capt Black was then issued 42-65247, which was renumbered Zsq 48 and named Million Dollar Baby. Capt Black shared this ship with Capt McClanhan and Lt(?) Hoffman. Capt McClanhan flew the search mission for JSA and crew on 01/04/45. The JSA crew was located @ appox. 1500hrs and the search plane dropped additional supplies. Surface vessels were contacted and were enroute to their pos. Near nightfall and as the seas were becoming very rough, a submarine, which was about 5 miles from the crew's pos, had to submerge due to jap vessels and machine gun fire. A second ship was sent out on 01/05/45 and never found the crew or their rafts. Another search was mounted the next day but, had to pull back due to enemy activity in the search area.
The crew was declared missing on about 01/13/45. Capt Black stated that, to date, this was the largest rescue attempt undertaken at that time.
The above info was furnished to my mother by Capt. Black in personal letters. Anyone with any info, or
relationship to the JSA crew, please contact me.
Thank you,
Joseph Simpson Amos III

There is a website http://b-29.org  for the B-29rs of WW II and Korea.  Have you posted there for information ?
 
JIm :-)

James S. Peters Sr. T/Sgt
B-17 Flt Engr, 27 missions
99 BG, 348BS, 5th Wing, 15th AAF
Tortorella, (Foggia#2), Italy
My Tour was from 12/03/44-06/19/45
M/Sgt USAF (Retired)

Can the Capt. Black mentioned here be the Vance Eugene Black who bailed out of a 98th B-29 during the Korean Conflict and died in a North korean POW Camp?
 
Herb Harper

Joseph,
    I may be able to obtain any information which is in the 500th Bomb Group records.  I have all four rolls of the microfilm from the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, AL.  Your father flew B-29 serial # 42-24766 to Saipan.  My father was the navigator for Maj. Wilbur E. "Barney" Hurlbutt, who flew 42-24766 after it arrived on Saipan.  It was named "The Leading Lady", Z Sq 22, when Maj. Hurlbutt took command.  Interestingly, Maj Hurlbutt and his crew, (without my father onboard that day), was lost over Nagoya on January 3, 1945 as well.  As you probably know, your father's airplane and Maj. Hurlbutt's were the two airplanes lost from the 500th BG on that Jan 3rd mission.
   If you would like for me to go through the microfilm, I would be more than happy to do so.  Please let me know.  I will not be able to do this until the first of February as I will be out of the country until then.
  Additionally, I don't know if you belong to the 73rd Bomb Wing Association or not.  The 2007 reunion will be in Covington, KY from May 2 through May 6.  It provides an opportunity to meet some of the veterans who may have known your father.  Last years reunion in Memphis, TN had around 300 to 350 in attendance, many of them veterans and their families.  Let me know if you want more information.
Sincerely,  Ken Fine

Son of Lt Kenneth F Fine, original navigator on Z Square 22, "The Leading Lady", crew #201. Dad had been with the crew since 1944 in Victoria, KS.

Ken,  What were the dates that your Dad flew out of Walker AAF?  Did he live on base on in Russell or Hays?   I have a lot of items and data from Walker.  Researched and am continuing  to find items and historical data from Walker.  Thanks Phillip Schulz

JSA - Nose Art Photo of " Million Dollar Baby " 500th BG :
B - 29 Superfortress in Action by Larry Davis  Page 37
Mike
 

This has been a profound journey. I posted on this forum looking for info regarding 42-24660 on 12 -06.
Ken Fine responded to me and the following transpired:
I attended the 31st reunion of the 73rd Bomb Wing association in May 2007.
I met my guiding light Ken Fine
I met William Agee who was on the search mission for my father on 01/04/45.
At the reunion I made it my goal to meet everyone with the 500th BG. When Mr. Agee and I met, I stated that my father, 1st Lt. Joseph S. Amos was with the 883rd squadron. Mr. Agee replied that he knew my father. I asked how he knew him and he replied, "we found them". I asked what he meant and he stated we found them the day after they ditched. I said, " you were on the Mc Clanahan crew?" Mr. Agee responded, "we did everything we could to save them." He began to cry ---- I told him I KNEW his crew did everything possible. I shook his hand and hugged him. The attendee's who witnessed this fell silent and surrounded us as we talked about that day. The emotion between us was electric and the most profound experience of my life. I met the last man of the US forces who saw my father's crew alive. The Amos crew was 1100 miles from Saipan. An allied sub almost got to them--- the sub was within 2 miles of the Amos crew, but had to dive to avoid an IJN attack. My dad's crew was never relocated on subsequent missions  the next two days. While this recap parallels my previous info, nothing can compare to meeting Bill Agee and  learning of the heroic eforts of the McClanahan crew who tried to save them. Capt. McClanahan's crew was airborne for 20.35 hours on this mission. 
 
There was a guiding hand that brought us toghter. The fate of my father's crew is the same, but I now have a first hand account of the efforts to save them.
 
My gratitude to this web site can not be over stated. Thank you for the forum that made this happen.
 
Joseph Simpson Amos III
Sole Surviving Son of
Joseph S. Amos, Jr.  

Joe Amos III, sole surviving son of 1st Lt Joseph S Amos, JR., Aircraft Commander, 883rd squadron, Zsq 48 # 42-24660, Million Dollar Baby.