Aircraft History
Built by North American Aircraft (NAA) in Inglewood. Constructors Number 122-30072. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-51D-20-NA Mustang serial number 44-63974. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the Central Pacific and reassembled.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 7th Air Force, 15th Fighter Group, 47th Fighter Squadron. Nicknamed "Sadie Hawkins". When lost, engine V-1650-7 serial number V-328870. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns, serial numbers noted in Missing Air Crew Report 14819 (MACR 14819).

Wartime History
On August 3, 1945 took off from Motoyama No. 1 (Airfield No. 1 Chidori, South Field) on Iwo Jima piloted by 2nd Lt. Ralph N. Heintz flying as "Yellow 3" on a Very Long Range (VLR) fighter sweep bound for Tsukuba Airfield in Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan.

Over the target, this aircraft was damaged and Heintz radioed that he was hit and successfully bailed out before his aircraft crashed into the sea roughly five miles south of Katori Airfield in Chiba Prefecture. His crash was observed by three other P-51 pilots in the formation and he was observed to deploy his life raft and release sea marker packs to mark his position. When this aircraft failed it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA).

Fates of the Pilot
Heintz landed in the sea and was observed by three other P-51 pilots in the formation and he was observed to deploy his life raft and release sea marker packs to mark his position.

Captain Ernest W. Hostetler via Missing Air Crew Report 14819 (MACR 14819) page 3
"Upon coming off Katori A/F our last target I heard Lt. Heintz said he would have to bail out. I did not see him leave the airplane but did see him descending in his parachute. He climbed into his boat and set off two flares. His position then was 20 mile out on a course of 240° from Choshi Point. After telling Yellow Leader to take those home who were low on gas I, with two wingmen orbited him for almost an hour before a B-29 approached to relieve us. When I left him he waved from his boat. During the time we circled him he expended four sea markers packs and was at all times plainly seen. No enemy aircraft were seen although weather was excellent."

1st Lt. M. Gilbride via Missing Air Crew Report 14819 (MACR 14819) page 3
"I was flying Virgin Yellow 2 on VLR mission to Tokyo area. As we came off our last target (Katori A/F) Yellow 3 (Lt. Heintz) called and said he was hit and would have to bail out. We headed out to sea and he bailed out about 7 miles out at approximately 6,000 feet. We watched him down and saw him get in his raft OK. He let two flares off and we circled him until a B-29 got there and we were about as low on gas as we dared get. We then returned to Iwo. He was waving to us from his raft when we left."

1st Lt. Donald F. Locke via Missing Air Crew Report 14819 (MACR 14819) page 3
"I was number 3 in Virgin Red Flight on a VLR mission to Tokyo area. We retired from our last target (Katori A/F) out to sea. As my radio was bad I did not hear Lt. Heintz call. However I saw his plane hit, watched him in his parachute to the water. He got in his raft OK. He then set off a smoke bomb, after which he put out sea marker dye. We circled him until we could get a B-29 over him. This took approximately an hour and we were low on gas. When we left he was paddling his raft out to sea. He was only 5 or 6 miles from the beach, approximately 20 miles southwest of Choshi Point."

Afterwards, Heintz was captured by the Japanese and became a Prisoner Of War (POW). At the end of the Pacific War he was liberated from Tokyo POW Camp (Shinjuku) Tokyo Bay Area 35-140 and returned to the United States.

Search
Unaware Heintz had been captured, On August 4, 1945 two B-29s searched from Choshi Point to 34° 30' N to 35 miles seaward with negative results. The search effort was led by Lt. Commander James Parker, USNR. On August 4, 1945 lifeguard submarine USS Aspro SS-309 was sent to search for this pilot, sighted the two B-29s near the coast and crash dove when two unidentified fighters came in fast and made a strafing attack and were unable to locate the pilot.

References
NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Ralph N. Heintz
Chicago Tribune "Win Combat Pilot Wings" April 2, 1944, page 48
"Among the 62 Chicagoans recently graduated as combat pilots by the army air forces central flying training command were 18 north siders They are... Lt. Ralph N. Heintz, 4942 N. Hoyne Av."
Chicago Tribune "Long Lost Yank Prisoners Tell of Living Hell" September 1, 1945 page 2
"Illinoisan's Liberated: Several Illinois men were listed among liberated prisoners. They include... 2d Lt. Ralph N. Heintz, AAF, 4942 Hoyne, Chicago."
NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File - Ralph N. Heintz
USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-51D-20-NA Mustang 44-63974
"63974 (47th FS, 15th FG, 7th AF) hit by AAA 5 mi S of Katori Airfield, Japan Aug 3, 1945. Able to fly out to sea and pilot bailed out 7 mi off coast of Japan and was seen on raft, but never seen again. MACR 14819."
Missing Air Crew Report 14819 (MACR 14819) created August 5, 1945
USS Aspro (SS-309) - Report of Seventh War Patrol pages 11-12
(Page 11)
4 August 1945.
Proceeded to south of Inubo Saki where we were to assist B-29 in search tomorrow for Mustang pilot in this vicinity. [2nd Lt. Ralph N. Heintz bailed out of P-51D 44-63974]
0807 Sighted two B-29s near coastline of Honshu, range about 20 miles. Also sighted 2 Zekes over them dropping aerial phosphorus bombs.
0811 SD contact at 15 miles, closing. Dived.
0852 Surfaced.
1115 SD contact at 10 and 12 miles. OOD [Officer On Deck] saw B-29s thought contacts were these planes.
1117 OOD sighted 2 unidentified fighters coming in fast; dived - a slow one.
1117-30 Heard straffing [sic strafing] above as we passed 40 feet.
(Page 12)
(B) Narrative: (Cont’d)
4 August 1945. (Cont’d)
1200 Position Lat. 35 - 09 N, Long. 140 - 00 E.
1307 Surfaced. Found several holes in vicinity of periscope shears [structures above the conning tower and the fairwater that provide a hydrodynamic fairing and structural support to the periscopes and masts.]. One 50 caliber bullet pierced eiffel tower on No. 2 periscope throwing splinters into one of the bearings. As periscope training jerky decided not to use it as it would become scored.
Chicago Tribune "Personals: World War II Squadron is having a reunion and desires to locate Ralph N. Heintz, Fighter pilot & ex-POW."
The Long Campaign: The History of the 15th Fighter Group in World War II (2006) by John W. Lambert pages 143, 144 (photo), 145-146, 151

Last Updated
October 24, 2024