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| USAAF 5th AF 90th BG 319th BS  90th BG c1944  90th BG c1944 |
Pilot 2nd Lt. Leonard J. Hogland, O-753216 (MIA / KIA) Kansas City, MS Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Harold H. Morton, O-695267 (MIA / KIA) Canon City, CO Navigator 2nd Lt Alexander Wasilenko, O-698803 (MIA / KIA) New York, NY Bombardier 2nd Lt Melvin R. Saxon, O-694802 (MIA / KIA) Iron River, MI Radio TSgt Jan D. Arnold, Jr., 18188108 (MIA / KIA) Corpus Christi, TX Engineer TSgt Harry E. Jones, 14161199 (MIA / KIA) Memphis, TN Tail Gunner SSgt Jack W. Spriestersbach, 39200520 (MIA / KIA) Everett, WA Nose Gunner SSgt Leslie E. Hoppel, 16162218 (MIA / KIA) Chester, IL Right Waist Gunner SSgt Charles A. Derby, 36639151 (MIA / KIA) Chicago, IL Left Waist Gunner Sgt Mettie J. Szelag, 11096401 (MIA / KIA) West Warwick, RI Crashed June 11, 1944 at 2:45pm MACR 6584 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated. Constructors Number 235. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-20-CF Liberator serial number 42-63986. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG) "Jolly Rogers", 319th Bombardment Squadron (319th BS) "Asterperious". Nicknamed "Louisiana Lullaby" in capital letters on both sides the nose. On the left side of the nose was a female future holding each edge of her her skirt. On the right side of the nose was a seated female with her legs crossed. On both sides of the nose was a scoreboard of bomb markings indicating missions flown and Japanese flags indicating fighters claimed by the gunners. The nose landing gear wheel hub had a five pointed star. When lost, engines R-1830-43 serial numbers 42-39579, 42-63874, 42-38806 and 42-38566. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns, makes and serial numbers noted in Missing Air Crew Report 6584 (MACR 6584) Appendix A, page 5. Prior to the mission, this B-24 staged from Nadzab Airfield to Hollandia Airfield. Mission History On June 11, 1944 in the morning took off from Hollandia Airfield piloted by 2nd Lt. Leonard J. Hogland armed with a bomb load 180 x 30 pound fragmentation bombs and a maximum load of ammunition of 400 rounds per gun on a flight to Wakde Airfield and was re-fuel with full load of 3,100 gallons of fuel and took off again on a bombing mission against Peleliu Airfield on Peleliu. A total of twenty-two B-24s took off and the formation included four B-24s from 319th Bombardment Squadron (319th BS) and seven B-24s from 400th Bombardment Squadron (400th BS). About fifty miles from the target, the formation was intercepted by an estimated forty enemy fighters that dropped aerial bombs and making attacks before and during the bomb run, along with accurate anti-aircraft fire. This B-24 was apparently hit by a fragment of phosphorous from a aerial bomb (Navy Mark 3 bomb) that lodged into the right wing, burning the right aileron, but this bomber managed to drop its bomb load over the target. This B-24 appeared to be damaged, but held formation, with a fire that had burned out the right aileron, and forced the no. 4 engine to be feathered, then restarted and dropped out of formation for 2-3 minutes and was attacked, and the gunners failed to returning fire, possibly because they were wounded or dead during 35 minutes of aerial attacks by enemy fighters. Although the B-24 but managed to rejoin the formation and appeared the fire were extinguished, it resumed burning and began loosing altitude and ditched into the sea, roughly 80 miles south of Palau. When this bomber failed to return it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Fates of the Crew Afterwards, two of the crew were seen in their life raft, and were seen waving. A 400th Bombardment Squadron B-24 dropped supplies to them and circled for two hours sending IFF and the men were last seen paddling towards the items dropped. PBY Catalina "Gardinia 1" was notified, but failed to respond. Search No PBY Catalina rescue was attempted, because fighter escort was not available. Other B-24s made strikes against the Palau area at that same time but failed to find any trace of them. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead on February 13, 1946. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Hogland earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Morton earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Wasilenko earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Wasilenko also has a memorial marker at Saint Vladimirs Russian Orthodox Cemetery in Jackson, NJ. Saxon earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Arnold earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Jones earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Spriestersbach earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Hoppel the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Hoppel also has a memorial marker at Lively Cemetery in Sparta, IL. Szelag earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Szelag also has a memorial marker at Saint Mary Cemetery in West Warwick, RI. Relatives Leslie G. Firestone (great nephew of Leslie E Hoppel) "By reading this information you provided I have learned that he was a nose gunner on the Louisiana Lullaby B-24 42-63986 90th Bomb Group, 319th Bomb Squadron. I have wondered what really happened and now knowing what really happened helped me be able to tell the rest of the family. I do have some of his stuff that I can post later. Again Thank you for the information. I do have pictures of him and my mom says she has a book that was his that has the plane in it and other planes. We were also notified that they may have found his remains but are still trying to find someone family to do a DNA test to make sure they are his. Hopefully we/they can find someone to do it." References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-20-CF Liberator 42-63986 "63986 (90th BG, 319th BS) shot down Wakde Jun 11, 1944" NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Harold H. Morton NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Melvin R. Saxon NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Jan D. Arnold, Jr. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Harry E. Jones NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Jack W. Spriestersbach NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Leslie E. Hoppel NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Mettie J. Szelag Missing Air Crew Report 6584 (MACR 6584) created June 13, 1944 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Leonard J. Hogland American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harold H. Morton American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Alexander Wasilenko American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Melvin R. Saxon American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jan D. Arnold, Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harry E. Jones American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jack W. Spriestersbach American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Leslie E. Hoppel American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles A. Derby American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Mettie J. Szelag FindAGrave - 2Lt Leonard J Hogland (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - 2Lt Harold H Morton (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt Alexander Wasilenko (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Alexander Wasilenko (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt Melvin Rudolph Saxon (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - TSgt Jan D Arnold, Jr (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - TSgt Harry E Jones (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSgt Jack W Spriestersbach (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSgt Leslie E Hoppel (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Leslie E. Hoppel (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Charles A. Derby (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Sgt Mettie J Szelag (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SGT Mettie J. Szelag (memorial marker photo) Legacy of the 90th Bombardment Group (1994) pages 120-121 Thanks to Leslie G. Firestone 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
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 B-24  Photo Archive  Map June 11, 1944  MIA 10 Missing |
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