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| USAAC 11th BG 50th RS   Star Bulletin February 1941  Gary Larkins 1980s  Ryan Hoagland 2000  Jason Marshall 2008 |
Pilot Captain Boyd Hubbard, Jr. (survived) Adair, Iowa Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Francis R. Thompson (survived) Engineer SSgt Joseph S. Paulhamus (survived) Radio Pvt William Cohn (survived) Passenger Pvt Fred C. Seeger (survived) Passenger Pvt Robert R. Stevens (WIA) Crashed February 25, 1941 Aircraft History Built by Douglas. Constructors Number 1747. On April 15, 1938 to the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) as B-18 Bolo serial number 36-446. Assigned to the 11th Bombardment Group (11th BG), 50th Reconnaissance Squadron (50th RS). Tail code 50R 81 on the tail and upper and lower wing. Engines R-1820-45 serial numbers 36-394 and 36-567. When lost, this B-18 had flown a total of 1,023 hours and 15 minutes. Mission History On February 25, 1941 at 7:00pm took off from Hickam Field piloted by Captain Boyd Hubbard, Jr. as one of four B-18s on a training flight for inter-island night navigation using instruments. At 10,000' over Hawaii, suffered a main bearing failure in the left engine and crash landed at an elevation of 3,500' in the Kohala summit swamps area west of Waimanu. The crew suffered only minor injuries and waited at the crash site to be rescued. Search The next morning, twenty-four bombers took off from Hickam Field and searched for the missing plane. By 9:00am the B-18 was found and later in the afternoon bombers dropped supplies to the downed crew including blankets and hot coffee. Rescue On February 27, 1942 at dawn a rescue team departs Upolu Airfield (Suiter Field) on horseback to locate the downed bomber and rescue the crew. The team included leader Fred C. Koelling plus Ronald May, Leslie Hannah, Hiroshi Nakamura and Melvin Johnson. The five rescuers followed the Kohala Ditch Trail from Kaukini Camp for 2 ½ hours. Dismounting, they cut a new trail over four hours across marshland and heavy brush to make an eight mile long trail. Unable to find the plane, they fired their revolvers into the air and listened for a reply. The team was about to give up and turn back when they heard a burst of machine gun fire and saw flares. By noon, they reached the downed plane. Wreckage This B-18 crash landed largely intact. When the rescue team arrived the crew removed the bombsight and flight instruments. Further salvage was impossible due to the remote location and the bomber was abandoned. During the 1980s, Gary Larkins visited this B-18 and photographed it with top turret intact. Internal fittings and the top turret were removed, including the retractable top turret and nose cone. These parts are to the USAF Museum for use in their restoration of B-18A Bolo 37-469, but the turret did not fit their aircraft. Today, the B-18 remains in situ on property owned by Laupahoehoe Nui LLC near Hamakua and Kohala. Chris Rathbun adds: "I am part owner of Laupahoehoe Nui LLC, the owner of the property where this B-18 crash landed. The plane is still sitting in a gulch on our property. The plane came to rest hanging over Waikaloa stream. Later it slid into the gulch, where it remains today. It appears to be surprisingly undamaged. Unfortunately people coming in by helicopter in recent years have taken everything that isn't nailed down, and the Air Force apparently made a salvage raid to restore the B-18A in their museum. This appears to be one of only two B-18's still in existence." Relatives Are you a relative of any of the crew members of this B-18? Contact Us to share more details about them References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-18 Bolo 36-446 "446 (11th BG) crashed on training flight due to main bearing failure on port engine at Waimanu, Hawaii Feb 25, 1941. Crew rescued 3 days later." USAF Biography - Boyd Hubbard - Unusual Experiences Star Bulliten "First pictures of Army bomber wrecked on the big island" February 1941 Air Pirates / Gary Larkins B-18 Bolo (page down since 2006) Accident Report - B-18 36-446 via Aviation Archaeological Investigation & Research Thanks to Chris Rathbun 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 February 23, 2024 |
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