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| USAAF 20th AF 505th BG 482nd BS  USAAF 1945 |
Aircraft Commander 1st Lt. Edward T. Kelby, O-826194 (rescued) Tuscaloosa, AL Co-Pilot 1st Lt. Louis J. Koutnik, O-778145 (rescued) Nampa, ID Navigator 1st Lt. Philip B. Peterson, O-698338 (rescued) Galena, IL Bombardier 1st Lt. Frederick A. Dimit, O-773312 (rescued) Bartlesville, OK Radio SSgt Bernard G. Marich, 16008934 (rescued) Chicago, IL Engineer MSgt John E. Rhodes, 16041107 (MIA / KIA) Altamont, IL Radar SSgt Walter K. Eisele, 33874614 (rescued) Columbia, PA Central Fire Control SSgt Alfred W. Chin, 19188106 (MIA / KIA) San Francisco, CA Right Waist Gunner Sgt Paul W. Deutsch, 12017948 (MIA / KIA) New York, NY Left Waist Gunner Sgt William H. Davis, 32185535 (MIA / KIA) Elizabeth, NJ Tail Gunner Sgt Joseph A. Cerone, 42060991 (MIA / KIA) New York, NY Ditched May 14, 1945 at 4:00pm MACR 14429 Aircraft History Built by Boeing in Wichita, Kansas. Constructors Number 4454. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-29-50-BW Superfortress serial number 42-24793. Wartime History Assigned to the 20th Air Force (20th AF), 499th Bombardment Group (499th BG), 878th Bombardment Squadron (878th BS). Nicknamed "Country Gentleman". Tail code K△10 in black vertical on the tail with the serial number 224793 between the △ and 10. On the spine of the tail was a stripe. The nose had code K-339. The no. 3 outer engine cowling had "lile" in black block letters and no. 4 outer engine cowling had "lay" in black block letters. Both were likely names. When lost engines R-3350-23-A serial numbers DW203786, DW202101, 43-149757, DW203229. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns makers and serial numbers noted in Missing Air Crew Report 14429 (MACR 14429). Mission History On May 14, 1945 took off from North Field on Tinian piloted by 1st Lt. Edward T. Kelby on Mission 174 an incendiary bombing mission against the urban area north of Nagoya. At 4:00pm low on fuel, this B-29 was observed to ditch into the ocean off Iwo Jima. Another B-29 in the formation saw the bomber successfully ditch and circled. They observed the crew deploying their life rafts and made a fix on their position and reported the downed B-29 to Air & Sea Rescue that notified a nearby U.S. Navy destroyer. Fates of the Crew After ditching, four of the crew were never seen again: Chin, Deutsch, Davis and Cerone. All four remain listed as Missing In Action (MIA). At least six of the crew survived and deployed their life rafts. Later, all six were rescued by a U.S. Navy PBY Catalina. Memorials The five Missing In Action (MIA) crew are memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing on court 7. Rhodes earned earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Saint Clare Cemetery in Altamont, IL. Chin earned the Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Deutsch earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Davis earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Cerone earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-29-50-BW Superfortress 42-24793 "24793 (505th BG, 482nd BS) ditched off Iwo Jima May 14, 1945 after ran out of fuel while returning from mission to Nagoya, Japan. MACR 14429. 5 crew killed, 6 were rescued by Navy PBY." Missing Air Crew Report 14429 (MACR 14429) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John E. Rhodes American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Alfred W. Chin American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Paul W. Deutsch American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William H. Davis American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Joseph A. Cerone FindAGrave - MSgt John Edward Rhodes (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - John Edward Rhodes (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Alfred W Chin (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Paul W. Deutsch (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt William H Davis (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SGT Joseph A Cerone (courts of the missing photo) 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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