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| USAAF 13th AF 5th BG 23th BS  5th BG c1943 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Karl G. Stubblefield, O-662841 (MIA / KIA) Rexford, MT Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. William E. Nevling, O-677853 (MIA / KIA) Smith Mills, PA Navigator 1st Lt. Walter C. Witherspoon, O-664358 (MIA / KIA) CA Bombardier 1st Lt. Robert J. Jones, 0-663274 (MIA / KIA) Fulton County, GA Engineer MSgt Lowell E. Symons, 6668566 (MIA / KIA) Howard County, IN Asst Engineer TSgt John L. Larson, 6926187 (MIA / KIA) GA Radio TSgt Thomas H. Shadrick, 6998338 (MIA / KIA) Garrett County, MD Asst Radio Sgt Don E. Christenson, 36207090 (MIA / KIA) WI Tail Gunner SSgt Louis Penven, 6978557 (MIA / KIA) Camden County, NJ Passenger Sgt Ranier P. Payton, 15087440 20th Airways and Communication Service Squadron (MIA / KIA) KY Crashed July 27, 1943 at 5:40am MACR 182 Aircraft History Built by Boeing at Seattle. Constructors Number 2600. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-17E Flying Fortress serial number 41-9128. Ferried overseas to the South Pacific (SOPAC). Wartime History Assigned to the 13th Air Force (13th AF), 5th Bombardment Group (5th BG) "Bomber Barons", 23rd Bombardment Squadron (23rd BS). Nicknamed "De-Icer" (with hyphen between De-Icer) with the nose art of a tan brunette woman wearing shorts laying on the beach with palm trees and a cloud on the right side of the nose. Above was a scoreboard with a single row of bomb markings indicating at least nine bombing missions flown. When lost, engines R-1820-65 serial numbers 42-79198, 42-24322, 41-22656, 41-23409. Armed with four .30 caliber machine guns in the nose makers and serial numbers unknown. The other gun positions had .50 caliber machine guns, makers and serial numbers unknown. Wartime History On July 26, 1943 at night took off from Carney Field on Guadalcanal on a night bombing mission over Kahili Airfield (Buin) on southern Bougainville. The weather was clear with a quarter moon visible. On July 27, 1943 in the early morning hours the formation made a successful bombing run. At 5:40am, this B-24 was last seen five miles northwest of the target. When this bomber failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Captain Roy Ballah statement via Missing Air Crew Report 182 (MACR 182) page 11: "I was co-pilot in airplane #2520 [B-17E 41-2520] with our Squadron commander, Major Berton H. Burns as pilot leading a formation of B-17s over Kahili Airdrome... I saw our right wingman, Lt. Stubblefield in airplane #9128 go down in flames. One or more enemy night fighters, unseen, attacked the formation and was last seen to be in flames going down. Our own plane was also attacked and the assistant radio operator and tail gunner were wounded. Our aerial engineer saw one night fighter and fired at him. However, we returned to base safely and [our] airplane had many holes in it." In fact, this B-17 was shot down by Japanese J1N1 Irving night fighter. Justin Taylan adds: "I researched the Japanese side of this mission in Japan at the Tokyo Defense Archives. According to Japanese records, a single J1N1 Irving night fighter was airborne and claimed two B-24 [actually B-17s] shot down at 03:45 JST [5:45 local time]. Likely both B-17E 41-9128 (shot down) and B-17E "Jap Happy" 41-2520 (damaged) represent these victory claims." Memorials The entire crew was listed as Missing In Action (MIA) until August 7, 1943 then officially declared dead on July 27, 1943. The entire crew (with the exception of Witherspoon) are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Stubblefield earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart, posthumously. Nevling earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Brisbin, PA. Witherspoon earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 5. Jones earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Symons earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Simpson Cemetery in West Liberty, IN. Larson earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Shadrick earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart, posthumously. Christenson earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Payton earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. Relatives Walter C. Witherspoon (nephew of Witherspoon) "I was named after the navigator who was my father's older brother. The family had always believed the plane went down over water but according to the MACR that is not the case. served 16 years in the Air Force and am involved in some wreck chasing myself here in the So Cal area." Susan (Penven) DiFilippo (great step niece of Penven) References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-17E Flying Fortress 41-9128 "9128 (72nd BS, 5th BG) shot down by enemy night fighter during raid on Kahili airfield, Bougainville Jul 27, 1943. MACR 182. All crew lost." Missing Air Crew Report 182 (MACR 182) created July 27, 1943 Kodochosho, 251 Kōkūtai, July 19, 1943 thanks to Minoru Kamada for translation American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Karl G. Stubblefield American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William E. Nevling American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Walter C. Witherspoon American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert J. Jones American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Lowell E. Symons American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John L. Larson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Thomas H. Shadrick American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Don E. Christenson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Louis Penven American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ranier P. Payton FindAGrave - 1Lt Karl Gibbons Stubblefield (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - 2Lt William E Nevling (photo, tablets of the missing photos) FindAGrave - William E Nevling (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - 1Lt Walter C Witherspoon (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 1Lt Robert J Jones (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - MSgt Lowell E Symons (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Lowell E. Symons (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - TSgt John L Larson (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - TSgt Thomas H Shadrick (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Don E Christenson (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSgt Louis Penven (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Ranier P Payton (photo) A History of IJN's Night-Fighters (2004) page 78 "At 0030 in July 27, a Gekko (CPO Hayashi with WO Ichikawa left Balalle. At 0319, the crew sighted smokes coming from Buin. 20 minutes after this, search lights caught B-24(s) flying from the direction of Guadalcanal, at the altitude of 4000 meters. When Japanese searchlights were not able to catch up with the bombers anymore, lights on wings were lit. The Gekko sneaked under the (#1) bomber and bursted at the root of a wing. The Liberator went down enveloped by a big flare. Now the interceptor went under another B-24 (#2) which commenced firing at the invisible Irving. The Gekko concentrated its bursts to the wing root of the second bomber and its wing was blown off from its fuselage. It fell down and exploded when it crashed on the ground." Thanks to Walter C. Witherspoon and Minoru Kamada for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated April 19, 2021
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