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| USAAF 13th AF 5th BG 394th BS  USN November 23, 1942 |
Pilot Captain William Cherry, Jr. (survived) Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. James C. Whittaker (survived) Navigator Lt. John J. DeAngelis (survived) Radio Sgt James W. Reynolds (survived) Engineer Private John F. Bartek (survived) Navigator Sgt Alexander T. Kaczmarczyk (survived, died 13th day November 2, 1942 MIA) Torrington, CT Passenger Col. Hans C. Adamson (survived) Varde, Denmark Passenger Captain Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker (survived) Columbus, OH Ditched October 21, 1942 MACR 900 and 802 Aircraft History Built by Boeing at Seattle completed as the 31st model D manufactured. Constructors Number 2117. Delivered to the the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) as B-17D Flying Fortress serial number 40-3089. On June 20, 1941 became part of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). Wartime History Assigned to the 13th Air Force (13th AF), 5th Bombardment Group (5th BG) "Bomber Barons", 394th Bombardment Squadron (394th BS). No known nose art or nickname. Mission History On October 21, 1942 at 1:30am took off from Hickam Field piloted by Captain William Cherry, Jr. on a flight over the Pacific Ocean bound for Canton Airfield. Aboard were two passengers: Col. Hans C. Adamson and Captain Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker who were on a Pacific tour to inspect conditions and operations in the South Pacific and deliver a secret message to General Douglas MacArthur. Flying overnight, the B-17 flew off course due to a navigation error caused by an out of true octant. When they realized they were lost, the bomber flew a box search and shut down the outer no. 1 and no. 4 engines and jettisoned excess equipment and cargo to lighten the bomber and conserve an estimated one hour of fuel while the radio operator Reynolds sent out S.O.S. messages. Meanwhile, the crew put emergency equipment into the radio room with five of the crew and passengers bracing in the compartment for the ditching. Low on fuel the B-17 successfully ditched into a trough between waves. When this bomber failed to arrive it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Search Afterwards, the U.S. Army searched for more than two weeks for the downed bomber with nil results. The press reported Rickenbacker had died but his wife convinced the military to extend the search for another week. Fates of the Crew During the landing, each person suffered minor injuries. Adamson who sustained a sprained back and Reynolds hit his nose. Afterwards, the crew successfully deployed the two life rafts. Floating at sea, the survivors tied their life rafts together with a 20' length of rope. In the first life raft was Captain Cherry, 2nd Whittaker and Sgt Reynolds. In the second life raft was Col. Adamson, Captain Rickenbacker, Pvt Bartek and Sgt Kaczmarczyk. On the second day, the crew began taking turns reading bible passages and praying in the morning and evening. For the first five days, the sea was calm and flat. Several of the crew threw away their socks and shoes or did not have hats and quickly became sun burned. The food they had including four oranges they stretched for eight days. On the eighth day a seagull landed on Rickenbacker's head, and he caught it and the men meticulously divided it equally. Using some of the sea gull as bait, they managed to catch two fish. That evening it rained allowing them to collect some drinking water but the lead raft capsized and they lost their flares, medical kit and other gear. On the thirteenth day, Kaczmarczyk died from ingesting salt water and from starvation. Rickenbacker assumed a role of leadership, encouragement, and browbeating to help the others survive, and encouraged them to turn to God for solace and recited Psalm 46. According to Rickenbacker, each of the crew converted to Christianity after the ordeal. Three of the survivors: Whittaker, De Angelis and Reynolds decided to separated and departed together. Later, they made landfall on a small island and found an abandoned native hut. Later, they were found by natives and taken to an English missionary on the island, until rescued later by a US Navy tender. On the seventeenth day, they saw an aircraft, but it did not spot them. Over the next two days, other planes were spotted but they did not see the life rafts. On the twentieth day, Cherry choose to separate and pointed his life raft in another direction. Rescue On November 12, 1942 in the evening of the twenty-first day, a U.S. Navy patrol plane spotted the life raft with Lt. Cherry off the coast of Island X near Samoa. He was rescued by a PT Boat. On November 13, 1942 in the evening twenty-two days after ditching a OS2U Kingfisher piloted by Lt. W. F. Eadie and radioman L. H. Boutte spotted the life raft with Rickenbacker, Bartek and Adamson and landed nearby. Already dark, the Kingfisher loaded Bartek inside the cockpit and strapped Rickenbacker and Adamson to the wing then taxied on the surface for more than 30 minutes to a PT Boat that took Rickenbacker and Adamson to safety. When rescued the three were suffering from exposure, dehydration, and starvation and recuperated in the hospital in Pago Pago. After two weeks of recuperation, Rickenbacker flew aboard another bomber complete his mission to deliver the message to General MacArthur. Afterwards, the crew were returned to the United States. Reynolds was hospitalized in San Francisco. Adamson at Walter Reed Hospital. On December 19, 1942 Rickenbacker reported to U.S. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. Their experiences resulted in improved navigation tools for planes and improved survival gear for air crews. Memorials Kaczmarczyk was officially declared dead on November 2, 1942. He remains listed as Missing In Action (MIA). AS the flight was deemed to be non-combat he did not earn the Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the mission, court 7. Adamson passed away September 11, 1968 at age 78. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery at section 13, site 734. Rickenbacker passed away July 23, 1973 at age 82 in Zürich, Switzerland. He is buried at Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, OH. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-17D Fortress 40-3089 "3089 (394th BS, 5th BG) lost Oct 2, 1942 due to mechanical trouble on routine flight." Missing Air Crew Report 900 (MACR 900) Missing Air Crew Report 802 (MACR 802) "Seven Came Through" by Eddie Rickenbacker We Prayed: Remarks at Press Conference of Secretary of War (1943) by Captain Edward V. Rickenbacker LIFE Magazine "Rickenbacker Rescue" Dec 7, 1942 LIFE Magazine "Eddie Rickenbacker's Own Story" January 25, 1943 pages 19, 21-24, 26, 29 LIFE Magazine "Pacific Mission - part II" by Edward Rickenbacker Feb 1, 1943 LIFE Magazine "Pacific Mission - part III" by Edward Rickenbacker. Vol 14 No. 6 8 Feb 1943 Captain Eddie (1945) YouTube - The Story of Eddie Rickenbacker World War I Aces of Aces 94th Aero Squadron Dogfights Auburn University - John Bartek Interview with Drs. David Lewis and Dwayne Cox November 20, 1998 Auburn University - John Bartek's speech about the Rickenbacker rescue: Track 01 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Alexander T. Kaczmarczyk FindAGrave - Sgt Alexander T Kaczmarczyk (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Col Hans Christian Adamson (grave photos) ANC Explorer - Hans Christian Adamson (grave photos) FindAGrave - Eddie Rickenbacker (photo, grave photos) Fortress Against The Sun (2001) pages 296, 436, 454, 461 Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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