Aircraft History
Instead, assigned to the USAAF, 3rd BG, 13th BS in Melbourne in early April, 1942 and nicknamed "Feather Merchant".

This B-25 participated in the Royce Mission to the Philippines during April, 1942 piloted by Criswell.

Later, nicknamed "The Queen" as nose art or secondary nose art.

Mission History
One of two aircraft that took off to attack on reported Japanese warships, but found nothing. It ditched approximately six miles offshore between Hood Point and Keppel Point (in Central Province) returning from a mission to Milne Bay.

Howard MacDonald (3rd BG) 30 August 1984 letter:
"I was with Gus and his crew the night he and his plane went down. We were returning from a run down at Milne Bay. There were supposed to be some cruisers and destroyers down there. We left about four in the afternoon but never found them by dark; so we started back. Our radios were all jammed by the Japs, so we had to use just compass. We were flying fairly low. I could see native fires below us and we were just out to sea a few miles. We still had our bombs on board.

We were headed back to Moresby when I looked on my right wing (Heiss' ship). He turned on the landing lights and peeled off to the right a little bit. Then he started losing altitude and went into the water. I saw the ship hit the water and then some flames, but not much. I don't think they ran out of fuel or they would have called on the radio. Our radios between planes were still working. I really never understood what happened. We had been climbing but I don't believe they stalled out. The way I got it figured out was they went down about 125-150 miles south of Port Moresby. I still believe the ship is intact. It may be broken up from the impact, but it's still there."

Relatives
Gus Breymann (nephew of Gustave Heiss)

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009

B-25

MIA

8.15
147.54