Disastrous IJmuiden Raid

On May 14^th 1943 the first ‘low level’, using B-26 Marauders of the USAAF was planned to hit a target on the European continent. Twelve aircraft of the 322nd Bombardment Group would participate in this raid. The mission would be part of a great combined Allied attack on the German war machine. The target was a generating station at Velsen near IJmuiden, Holland. This power plant served a large industrial complex, a submarine pen, and the rail system for the Amsterdam-Rotterdam area. The same target had already been hit twice on the 4th and 5th of May by the RAF without success.

A Google satellite photograph of the IJmuiden-Velsen area. The PEN power plant has been circled in red. The present name of the plant is Vattenfall Power Generation BV.

Initially it was thought that the raid was a success. During the debriefing, the crews voiced concern over the heavy flak encountered over the target, much more than what they had expected. On the other hand, the crews were very optimistic with the bombing results in that many of the crewmembers, including Lt. Col. Stillman, reported seeing bombs impact the target. The photographic reconnaissance to be done by the RAF the next day would be eagerly awaited.

Left: Lieutenant Colonel Stillman brief his crews prior to the 14th May raid. (Source: USAAF).

Right: the sand table model used during the briefing. (Source: USAAF).

On May 16th, two days after the IJmuiden bombing raid, Lt. Col. Stillman was called to Elveden Hall, 3rd Bombardment Wing Headquarters, for a conference. General Brady informed him his bombers had missed the target at IJmuiden. and a return trip was being planned for the next day. Lt. Col. Stillman was flabbergasted! How could this be, even he had seen bombs hit the target? Could it have been those 30-minute delay fuses, or the Germans carting the delayed bombs out of the generating plant before detonating? Due to a political agreement with the Dutch, only agreed upon targets could be hit and with only 30-minute delay fuses. This allowed the innocent Dutch workers time to evacuate the building before detonation. Furthermore, the British were broadcasting the agreement over public radio. Or could it be worse yet - did we miss the target completely? These and more questions raced through the men's minds in disbelief of the results. To make the situation even worse, Eighth Bomber Command wanted the 322nd Bombardment Group to go back and do it again.

Left: the PEN power plant (Source: via Historische Kring Velsen). 

Lt. Col. Stillman protested vehemently to General Brady about going back so soon, it would be suicide! The enemy's awareness of the failure on the first mission would surely mean they would be expecting another attack and increase their defences. Furthermore, the second mission would be attempted without any fighter cover or without the benefit of heavy bomber diversion. General Brady sympathized with Lt. Col. Stillman: after all he had witnessed the first mission, but explained that General Longfellow at Eighth Bomber Command was insistent on the operations for the next day. Lt. Col. Stillman then stated, "Sir, I won't send them out." There was a silence in the room. General Brady then turned and said, "You will, or the next group commander will." Obviously disturbed at having to order his crews on a mission he thought impractical. Lt. Col. Stillman returned to Bury St. Edmunds with the news of the return mission.

An pre-war aerial view of the target area. In the upper right hand part of the photograph the steel works are visible.

The PEN power plant is visible in the red circle. (Source: Noord-Hollands Archief / AJvH). 

The field order that came through to the 322nd Bombardment Group on the morning of May 17, 1943, called for 12 aircraft loaded as before (each aircraft carrying four 500 lbs delayed-action fused bombs). The plan and route would be identical with the exception that six of the B-26's would break off and bomb the generating station and gas works at Haarlem instead of Ijmuiden. However, with many aircraft still under flak damage repair, Lt. Col. Stillman could only muster 11 serviceable B-26's. The crews to fly this mission were selected and with the exception of four men were all freshmen crews. Lt. Col. Stillman would lead the formation and the lead flight to Ijmuiden, while his deputy, Lt. Col. W. R. Purinton, would lead the second flight to Haarlem.

Despite the confidence of the crews that they could succeed this time, all expected to meet stiff opposition and many were convinced they would not return. An air of hopelessness prevailed in the briefing room while rumors were running about that an officer was committed to sick quarters due to an anxiety attack. Even as Lt. Col. Stillman left the briefing room, Major Alfred Von Kolnitz said, "Cheerio." Stillman responded. "No, it's good-bye." Ignoring this strange response, Von Kolnitz said, "I'll see you at one o'clock." "It's good-bye'" repeated Stillman.

The Flight Plan for the raid of 17th May 1943. Lieutenant Colonel Stillman would lead the 'IJmuiden flight' whereas the 322 Bomb Group  Executive Officer Lieutenant Colonel Purinton would lead the 'Haarlem flight'. (USAAF) 

The Marauders took off at 1056 into clear skies, formed up on Lt. Col. Stillman, and headed east at 250 feet. Again, upon arrival at the Channel, the B-26's were nosed over to 50 feet to get under the German radar and take up a heading that would take them to their Noordwijk landfall checkpoint.

A little later, approximately 30 miles from the Dutch coast, Captain Raymond D. Stephen's aircraft, flying on Lt. Col. Purinton's right wing, began to experience electrical problems. His left engine did not give enough power and there were problems with the machine guns. As the problem worsened, Captain Stephens elected to abort the mission and head back to England. Without any written procedure for aborting aircraft, the crew turned the aircraft 160 degrees and climbed to 1.000 feet, what would be considered common sense with a lame aircraft. However, by climbing, the aircraft placed itself within German radar coverage thus alerting German defenses.

“About halfway across the North Sea to the coast of Holland, Stephens pulled up to what I estimated to be about one thousand feet and aborted. We later felt that his doing so alerted the Germans, because when we crossed the Dutch coast, we were met with a solid wall of small arms fire”. (Report by Judge Anthony A. Alaimo / via Aad Neeven).

At 11.47 hours, Capt Stephens left the formation. He was unable to inform Stillman, as absolute radio silence was necessary. Slowly gaining height Stephens returned to England, where he landed en the base at 12.15 hours.

#1 / 11.47 / #41-18058 / ER-‘S’ / Stephens / all crew members returned to base.

Pilot: Captain Raymond D. Stephens

Copilot: 1^st Lieutenant Rowland G. Thornton Jr

Navigator/bomb: 2^nd Lieutenant Perry O. Black

Engineer: Staff Sergeant J.A. Brosic

Radio Operator: Staff Sergeant J.W. Kleaser

Tail gunner: Staff Sergeant T.S. Cantrell

Note: all aircraft and the subsequent crashes have a '#', denoting the sequence of Return to Base or crash events.

As the remaining aircraft approached the Dutch coast, what they did not know at the time, was that a stronger northwestern wind had driven then from course: much more south of Noordwijk than planned. At five minutes from the Dutch coast speed was increased to 250 miles per hour. Fire was exchanged and Stillman lead the formation south of the ships to Holland and headed northeast afterwards, expecting to make landfall near Noordwijk. They did not make landfall near Noordwijk, but about 25 miles south: just south of Hoek of Holland, the Maas estuary: one of Dutch most heavily defended areas. In the meantime, the ships had radioed to on shore that ten allied bombers headed east at low level....

Above: the planned route (in black) versus the more southern route flown (in red). (AJvH).

As landfall was made, a wall of 20mm cannon fire filled the sky around the formation appearing as orange-red golf balls wiggling through space. Almost immediately, Lt. Col. Stillman's aircraft was hit with several explosions severing all flight controls and apparently killing Ist Lt. E. J. Resweber, the copilot. The aircraft then snap-inverted and Stillman saw the ground coming up to meet him. Miraculously, Stillman and three other members of his crew would survive the crash but would spend the rest of the war in a German prisoner of war camp.

Two Marauders were quickly shot down by the German naval flak. At 11.51 hours Stillman was the first to go down.  Hit by flak the aircraft crashed out of control into sand dunes at De Beer (near Rozenburg). Three members were made P.O.W. (among others Stillman himself) and the other three lost their lives. Remains of Stillman's Marauder were uncovered by the Dutch Air Force in February 1973.

“Miraculously, Stillman suffered only a broken little finger and some bruises and scratches.”.

(Report by Judge Anthony A. Alaimo / via Aad Neeven).

#2 /11.51 / #41-17982 / DR:‘P‘

Pilot: Lieutenant Colonel Robert M. Stillman /POW  

Copilot: 1st Lieutenant Ellis J. Resweber / KIA / Buried Margraten H-9-10

Navigator/Bomb.: 2nd Lieutenant William R. Betz / KIA / Buried Margraten I-7-16 

Engineer: Staff Sergeant Morgan F. Freeman/POW  

Radio Operator: Tech/Sgt Clyde P. Willis/POW 

Tail Gunner: Staff Sergeant Edward K. Hagetter / KIA / Buried Margraten J-9-9 

Left: Copilot: 1st Lieutenant Ellis J. Resweber. Middle:  2nd Lieutenant William R. Betz. Right: Staff Sergeant Edward Hagetter. 

On 19th December 2023 the last missing photograph (that of Staff Sergeant Hagetter) was kindly supplied courtesy of Mrs Shannon Zakrzewski via our American friend and research helper Robert Baumgardner.

Shannon also provided us with the above 'Citation of Honor' for Staff Sergeant Edward K. Hagetter.

Note that is is signed by General 'Hap' Arnold, the Commanding General of the US Army Air Forces.

Within a few miles of Lt. Col. Stillman's crash, Lt. V. Garrambone's aircraft was shot down crashing into the Maas estuary leading to Rotterdam, with him and three of his crew members surviving. Shot down by German naval flak Lieutenant Garrambone crashed in the Nieuwe Waterweg at Maassluis at 11.52.

#3 / 11.52 / #41-18052 / DR-‘N’

Pilot: 1^st Lieutenant Vincent R. Garrambone / POW 

Copilot: 2nd Lieutenant Lewis S. Lang / POW 

Navigator/Bomb.: 2nd Lieutenant James R. Hoel / POW       

Engineer: Staff Sergeant John L. Stefanowicz / KIA / Buried USA / Annville, Pennsylvania

Radio Operator: Staff Sergeant John Logan / POW                                    

Tail Gunner:  Sergeant Melvin O. Cage / KIA / Buried USA / Baltimore, Maryland

Left: Staff Sergeant John L. Stefanowicz                                                                            Right: Sergeant Melvin O. Cage

Jo Bergwerff from Rozenburg was in the area at the time on his cargo bike and remembers after the war: “Then I saw a plane coming over the Waterweg very low and losing altitude. The moment the plane disappeared from view behind the Buitendijk, a high column of water rose. When I came over the dike, panting, I saw four crew members swimming in the Nieuwe Waterweg."

The rest of the formation then flies towards the East, looking for new navigation points. The next day, a salvage team lifted the wreckage of the second aircraft from the water using a floating sheer leg and brought it ashore in the port of Maassluis. In one of the photos, the plane is just hanging in the cables above the quay, in the field of view of a large group of curious people who crowd together in front of the houses. Albert Pinkster from Maassluis was also there as a boy and still remembers it: “The fuselage of the plane was on the lower part of the Burgemeester de Jonghkade. That was Kriegsmarine territory, where civilians had no access. The name ‘Ronnie’ was painted on the right engine nacelle, ‘Francis’ on the left. The tail section was on the other side of the Outer Harbor, a few dozen meters from the railway bridge and was not guarded."

In one of the photos, salvage crews inspect the gun turret. Although the citizens are behind a barbed wire fence, they can see everything up close. About another image where a German leans against a propeller, Albert says: "The photo was probably taken by a German, but at the time the origin of the photos remained shrouded in vagueness. The local drugstore, who was the only one who developed and printed photos, may have made a few extra. At school there was a lot of trading in such pictures."

Source of the above text and photographs: Study Group Air War 1939-1945, 'Bulletin #432', "Berging B-26 Marauder".

Courtesy of Jeroen Rijpsma, Gerrit Pinkster, John Prooi and Peter van Kaathoven.

While repositioning after the loss of the formation leader Lt. Col Stillman, Captain N. Converse moved forward and took the lead. However, during his aggressive evasive manoeuvring, he collided with 1st Lt. R. C. Wolf's aircraft, then just off his right wing. Both B-26's went down in flames with only two gunners surviving each crash.

#4 / 12.00 / #41-18080 / DR:‘K‘ / Crashed near Bodegraven.

Pilot: Captain William Converse / KIA / Buried Margraten A-8-29 

Copilot: 2^nd Lt Berton H. Ramsey Jr / KIA / Buried USA

Navigator/Bomb.: 1^st Lieutenant Artur E. Garni / KIA / Buried USA / Syracuse, New York

Engineer: Tech/Sgt James D. Thompson / POW 

Radio Operator: Sergeant Kenneth B. Von Lindern / KIA / Buried USA / Twin Falls, Idaho

Tail Gunner: Sergeant Frank Lamonica / POW

From left to right:

Captain William Converse / 2^nd Lieutenant Berton H. Ramsey Jr. / 1^st Lieutenant Artur E. Garni / Sergeant Kenneth B. Von Lindern

#5 / 12.00 / #41-17991 / DR:‘S‘ / Crashed at Bodegraven

Pilot: 1^st Lieutenant Richard O. Wolfe / KIA / Buried Margraten A-8-21 

Copilot: 1st Lieutenant Jack E. Vandegrift / KIA / Buried Margraten M-17-14

Navigator/Bomb.: 2nd Lieutenant John H. Burns / KIA / Buried Margraten B-19-11

Engineer: Sergeant Kleber L. Jones / POW 

Radio Operator: Sergeant Chester J. Walas / POW 

Tail Gunner: Sergeant John L. Nash / KIA / Buried Margraten B-19-10

Note: Sergeant L. Jones, died in captivity on 14^th October 1943.

From left to right:

1^st Lieutenant Richard O. Wolfe / 1st Lieutenant Jack E. Vandegrift / 2nd Lieutenant John H. Burns / Sergeant John L. Nash

1st Lt. D. V. Wurst, doing some aggressive evasive action of his own, was situated directly behind the two colliding aircraft resulting in an unavoidable flight through the debris. Lt. Wurst, finding the aircraft now unmanageable, belly-landed in a field near Meije, Holland with the entire crew surviving.

#6 / 12.03 / #41-17999 / DR-‘W’ / ‘Chickasaw Chief’

Pilot: 1^st Lt David W. Wurst / POW

Copilot: 2^nd Lt Robert L. Starr / POW

Navigator/Bomb.: 2^nd Lt Arthur E. Speer / POW

Engineer: Corporal George Heski / POW

Radio Operator: S/Sgt Robert L. Dempsey / POW

Tail Gunner: Sergeant Reginald Foster / POW

Damaged by debris from the mid-air collision between #41-17991 and #41-18080, this aircraft (#41-17999) made a belly landing at Meije, 4 miles north-east of Bodegraven. All six crew members survived and became prisoners of war.

Now only 5 aircraft remained of the 10 that penetrated enemy territory. In belief that they were approaching the general target area, the pilots and navigators looked for briefed landmarks, but in vain as they were actually still several miles from their respective targets. Lieutenants F. H. Matthew and E. R. Norton, the only remaining crews from Stillman's flight, hopelessly lost and in desperation to salvage something out of this hair-raising mission, elected to form up with Lt. Col. Purinton's flight and bomb his target. However, Lt. Col. Purinton and flight were also lost and desperately attempting to find a landmark that would help them find the target.

After flying over 10 minutes without recognizing a single landmark, Lt. Col. Purinton decided, according to plan, to abort the mission and return to base. Purinton asked his navigator Lieutenant Jefferis the course for home: 270 degrees. Suddenly. 1st Lt. E. F. Jefferies. Purinton's navigator said. "Hold it a minute, I think I see the target. Yes, there it is." Bomb doors were opened and the aircraft aimed at what they thought was the Haarlem works, but what was actually the Amsterdam Zuidergasfabriek (gas works), a gas holder on the west side of Amsterdam. The other aircraft in Purinton's formation also attempted to bomb the same target, but all bombs fell short and caused no damage.

The wrong target.....The Zuidergasfabriek (gas factory) south of Amsterdam. Source: Nederlands Instituut Militaire Historie NIMH). 

At 12.10 hours the remaining bombers dropped 16 bombs on the Zuidergasfabriek. About 2 of the bombs exploded by itself. The day after another one went off. The remaining bombs were detonated by the Germans; the last one on 20 May 1943.  There were luckily no casualties on the grounds of the gas works, but material damage was considerable. The power station was out of action for 50 hours, during which the Westergasfabriek look over production. Due to strafing bullets wounded four persons elsewhere in Amsterdam.

In a Dutch after action report made by the Amsterdam Zuidergas Factory all bombs dropped were marked on a map. In the blue circles the bombs which exploded on impact. In the red circles the delayed action fused bombs which were quickly moved and exploded elsewhere (away from the factory) later without too much damage to the target. Note that one of the 16 bombs is unaccounted for!   

The red and blue circles were added by the author of this website.  Source: article 'Bommen op de Zuid' by M.G. Niessen.

For the attack the bombers had to climb and unknown to the crews, the heading taken from the target headed them directly for the heavily defended port area near Ijmuiden, all not familiar with the fire power of the place. German naval flak welcomed them warmly. Soon three Marauders ware shot down…

Again. a wall of heavy flak appeared damaging Lt. Col. Purinton's, Lt. Norton's, and Lt. J. A. Jones' aircraft all of which crashed once over water.

Hit by flak Lt.-Col Purinton’s aircraft ditched at 12.12 hours in the North Sea off the Dutch coast, 2 miles west of Ijmuiden, near some fishing boats and five men were rescued. The body of Lt Jefferis was washed ashore on 5^th June 1943 near Castricum, Holland, and was buried in the local cemetery.

#7 / 12.12 /#41-17979 / DR-‘O’

Pilot: Lieutenant Colonel William R Purinton / POW

Copilot: 2^nd Lieutenant William H. Kinney / POW

Navigator/Bomb.: 1st Lieutenant Edward F. Jefferis Jr / KIA / Buried Ardennes C-34-1  

Engineer: Staff Sergeant Jean J. Duhamel / POW

Radio Operator: Staff Sergeant Robert J. Guenther / POW

Tail Gunner: Sergeant Lester F. Miller / POW

#8

The copilot of Lieutenant Jones’ aircraft reported the following: “When we crossed the Dutch coast, we were met with a solid wall of small arms fire. I got a slug in my hip and one through my right leg. It is strange what flits through one’s mind in those circumstances. I remember vowing that the next time I went out, I was going to have some armor plate on that seat. As usual the navigation was not so good. We wandered around Holland for about thirty minutes trying to find the target.

The ship was streaming fire and smoke, one of our engines also was on fire. I turned to pull the extinguisher cable, the handle of which was clipped to the floor behind the co-pilot’s seat. I had to unhook my safety belt to reach it, and that probably saved my life, because I did not refasten my belt before we ditched. The extinguisher was not functioning because it had no effect on the fire. As we crossed the coast, our other engine was hit and was also on fire. It became evident that we would have to ditch. Jones shouted “Prepare for ditching”. I flipped open the overhead hatches and almost simultaneously, we hit the water. (In the North Sea west of IJmuiden).

A USAAF Training Manual 'How To Ditch The B-26' (Collection AJvh)

The next thing I remember is regaining consciousness under water, in a panic. My right leg was caught in some part of the plane. I kicked frantically and fortunately broke loose, surfacing with neither plane or any other member of our crew in sight. I pulled the inflating plugs to my May West, trying to regain my senses. In those frantic moments, I thought I was going to drown, and I was paralyzed with fear. In those fleeting moments I felt shame when I remembered how many times I had boasted while at college, that I had no fear of death. I did not suffer any very serious injuries other than the gunshot wounds. My right collar bone was fractures, my nose mashed, and I had some severe lacerations of my head. The salt water managed to act as a cauterizing agent, stopping the bleeding. I used the morphine needle from my survival kit. It filled me with a sense of euphoria which crowded out the depression I felt over the loss of my crew. Many times, after that I wondered about the irony of fortuitous circumstances which decreed that I should live and my buddies, who were better than I, should die.

Sometime later I heard loud explosions coming from the land, which was visible. I took that to be our thirty-minute-delay bombs going off. I could see the German patrol boats in the distance and, about then, I was praying to be captured. The icy temperatures of the North Sea did not tolerate long life. We had police whistles tied to our May West and I assure you that I gave mine a real workout trying to attract the attention of the patrol boats. Fortunately, one of them pulled alongside me, and one of the German sailors pulled me aboard. The laid me out on the deck, cut away the clothing from my right leg, bandaged it, gave me a shot of Brandy and covered me with a blanket. Several hours later, we docked at Amsterdam”. Here his life as a POW started. (Report by Judge Anthony A. Alaimo / via Aad Neeven).

#8 / 12.13 / #41-18086 / ER-‘U’

Pilot: 1^st Lieutenant Joseph A. Jones / KIA / Buried / Margraten O-21-7

Copilot: 2^nd Lieutenant Anthony A. Alaimo / POW

Navigator/Bomb.: 2^nd Lieutenant Norris K. Calkins / KIA / Buried USA, Hartford City, Indiana

Engineer: Sergeant Marvin L. Harbour / MIA / Margraten Walls of the Missing                           

Radio Operator: Technical Sergeant Robert P. Steffen / KIA / Buried Ardennes D-37-4

Tail Gunner: Staff Sergeant Milton F. Littrell / MIA / Margraten Walls of the Missing

From left to right: 1^st Lieutenant Joseph A. Jones / 2^nd Lieutenant Norris K. Calkins / Sergeant Marvin L. Harbour / Technical Sergeant Robert P. Steffen / Staff Sergeant Milton F. Littrell. 

The B-26 piloted by the Norton twins from Conway, South Carolina, was his by flak and crashed in the North Sea just off the coast near IJmuiden.  

#9 / 12.13 / #41-18090 / DR:‘L‘

Pilot: 2^nd Lieutenant Edward R. Norton / MIA / Margraten Walls of the Missing

Copilot: 2^nd Lieutenant James A Norton Jr / KIA / Buried Margraten P-16-5

Navigator/Bomb.: 1^st Lieutenant Alvin X. Zeidenfeld / KIA / Buried Margraten O-22-17

Engineer: Sergeant Ralph H. MacDougall / KIA / Buried Margraten P-22-3

Radio Operator: Staff Sergeant Harrison E. Kegg / KIA / Cambridge Tablets of the Missing

Tail Gunner: Staff Sergeant Bennett W. Longworth / POW

The bodies of Lieutenant Edward Norton and S/Sgt Kegg were never found and they are listed on the WOM Netherlands Cemetery and Cambridge Cemetery respectively. The other three fatalities were washed up in June, July and August 1943 and were temporarily buried in Den Helder Cemetery.

From left to right: 1^st Lieutenant Alvin X. Zeidenfeld / Sergeant Ralph H. MacDougall / Staff Sergeant Harrison E. Kegg.

The only remaining aircraft were those of Capt. J. Crane and Lt. Matthew's as they sped for the English coast at zero altitude. However, they, too, would never make the English coast.

At 11.55 hours II/JG 1 (the 2nd Group of Jagd Geschwader (Fighter Group) 1) had been scrambled and 24 FW-190’s took off from Woensdrecht to intercept the intruding bombers. The German pilots were led by Hauptmann Robert Olejnik.

Take off was 4 minutes after Stillman’s crash and 11 minutes after the first mention of the Marauders by the ships of Hook of Holland. At 3,000 feet the German fighters were directed north and at 12.18 hours the remaining two bombers were observed at 2.5 miles distance.

The remaining Marauders had progressed about 50 miles on their homeward journey when they would be attacked by two German FW-190A fighters. The German fighters found both B-26's and began an attack.

Above left: emblem of Jagd Geschwader 1. Source: Wikipedia.

Above middle:emblem of II./JG1 (2nd Wing of of Fighter Group 1). Source: Wikipedia. 

Above right: A Focke-Wulf 190 of II./JG 1. Source Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-361-2193-25 / Doelfs / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikipedia 

At 12.23 hours Feldwebel Niederreichholz (of Staff II/Jagd Geschwader 1) attacked Captain Crane's Marauder. He opened fire from starboard behind and low till 50 meters distance. The left engine caught fire and the bomber started diving down, climbed and went down again. She hit the water and turned around. It was Niederreichholz's tenth kill (100^th victory of Staff II/Jagd Geschwader 1 and number 532 of II/JG 1).

Only Staff Sergeant Williams (engineer / top turret gunner) and Staff Sergeant Lewis (tail gunner) ware able to escape from the sinking bomber and climbed into a dinghy. After 45 seconds the Marauder, with 4 crew members, had disappeared.

Sgt Williams and Lewis (the latter wounded) awaited a long journey. They rowed towards England and observed own planes and ships, but were not noticed. Eventually on Sunday 23 May 1943 (6 days later) they were rescued by a British vessel at 8 miles of the English coast. Both were decorated with the D.F.C. and the Order of the Purple Heart.

#10 /12.23 / #41-18099 / ER:‘V‘

Pilot: Captain Jack Crane / MIA / Cambridge Tablets of the Missing 

Copilot: 2^nd Lieutenant Charles F. Elliott / MIA / Margraten Walls of the Missing

Navigator/Bomb.: 1st Lieutenant John B. Champlin / MIA / Margraten Walls of the Missing

Engineer: Staff Sergeant George W. Williams / Rescued by ASR. Returned to base

Radio Operator: Tech/Sergeant Jesse W. Southworth / MIA / Margraten Walls of the Missing

Tail Gunner: Staff Sergeant Jesse H. Lewis / Rescued by ASR. Returned to base

From left to right:

Captain Jack Crane / 2^nd Lieutenant Charles F. Elliott / 1st Lieutenant John B. Champlin / Tech/Sergeant Jesse W. Southworth

At 12.24 hours Lt Matthew was shot down by Oberfeldwebel Winkler of IV./Jagd Geschwader 1, at 50 miles west of Noordwijk.

None of the crew members survived.

#11 /12.24 / #41-17998 / DR-‘V’

Pilot: 1^st Lieutenant Frederick H. Matthew / MIA / Cambridge Tablets of the Missing

Co-pilot: 2^nd Lieutenant Joe B. Dalton / MIA / Cambridge Tablets of the Missing

Navigator/Bomb.: 1st Lieutenant Joseph R. Chaswick / MIA / Cambridge Tablets of the Missing

Engineer: Staff Sergeant Joseph T. Vandling / MIA / Cambridge Tablets of the Missing

Radio Operator: Technical Sergeant W. Belote / MIA / Cambridge Tablets of the Missing

Tail Gunner: Sergeant Jose M. Basaldu / MIA / Cambridge Tablets of the Missing

From left to right: 1^st Lieutenant Frederick H. Matthew / 2^nd Lieutenant Joe B. Dalton / 1st Lieutenant Joseph R. Chaswick / Staff Sergeant Joseph T. Vandling / Technical Sergeant W. Belote / Sergeant Jose M. Basaldu. 

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

General Brady and Lt. Col. Nye anxiously awaited the return of the B-26 formation in the Bury St. Edmund's' control tower. As the bombers estimated time of arrival past, their apprehensions grew. Soon a report from a RAF listening post attached to 12 Group reported interception of a German fighter radio transmission that two bombers had been shot into the sea. By the time the bombers were 40 minutes overdue, it was obvious that the aircraft could no longer be airborne and the dreadful realization of a disaster had to be accepted. All 10 aircraft were lost.

The next day General Ira C. Eaker, Eighth Air Force Commander, ordered his inspector general to conduct an inquiry.

However, the results of this investigation drew no conclusions as to a primary cause of this fiasco, no one party was found negligent and no surveys were done to ascertain why. 

Above: the briefed route versus the actual courses flown. (USAAF)

The above 'route map' was made by Teunis Schuurman (aka as 'PATS') a fellow researcher from the Dutch Study Group Air War 1939-1945 who sadly passed away recently. The 'numbers in red' indicate the return flight (1) or crashes (2 to 11) as described in above text.