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| USN VB-101 Formally VP-51 |
Pilot Lt. Stuart Trumble Cooper, O-083188, USNR (MIA / KIA) Wakefield, RI Co-Pilot Ensign Harold Augustus Elliott, O-137114, USN (MIA / KIA) Elgin, IL Crew AP1c William C. Fowler, 3286258, USN (MIA / KIA) MN Crew AMM3 Herman Riley Abbott, 4097368, USNR (MIA / KIA) Wyandotte County, KS Crew AMM3 Ernest Francis Adams, 3723494, USN (MIA / KIA) NM Crew AOM2 Howard Goldstein, 6020110, USNR (MIA / KIA) Baltimore, MD Crew AMM1 Bernard Taylor Hussey, 3758145, USN (MIA / KIA) San Francisco, CA Crew AMM2c Albert Tarpley Montgomery, 2686152, USN (MIA / KIA) Augusta, GA Crew ARM2c Otis Edward Nelson, 4008753, USNR (MIA / KIA) Melrose, MA Crew ARM3 Herman Thomas Sauter, 2438569, USN (MIA / KIA) NJ Crew AOM3c Andrew Ellison Sheek, 3721236, USN (MIA / KIA) CO MIA February 14, 1943 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation at San Diego. Constructors Number 1036. At the factory painted with olive drab upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces. Delivered U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-25-CO Liberator serial number 41-24241. Assigned to U.S. Navy (USN) as PB4Y-1 Liberator bureau number 31970. Wartime History Assigned to Patrol Squadron 51 (VP-51). Squadron number 51-P-3. This side number indicated it was the 3rd aircraft from Patrol Wing 51. No known nickname or nose art. This bomber was not repainted into a Navy color scheme. Ferried from Barber's Point Airfield on Oahu then across the Pacific to the South Pacific (SOPAC). On February 1, 1943 redesignated Bombing Squadron 101 (VB-101) and retained squadron number 51-P-3. On February 13, 1943 took off from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal off piloted by Stuart T. Cooper armed with a single 1,000 pound bomb on a bombing mission against Japanese shipping in the Buin-Shortland area. Mission History On February 14, 1943 one of nine PB4Y-1 Liberators that took off from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal piloted by Lt. Stuart T. Cooper armed with a single 1,000 pound bomb as one of nine PB4Y-1 Liberators led by LCDR William A. Moffett Jr. (C. O. VB-101) on a mission against Japanese shipping off southern Bougainville in the Buin-Shortland area. The bombers were escorted by ten P-38G Lightnings from 339th Fighter Squadron (339th FS) plus twelve F4U Corsairs from Marine Fighting Squadron 124 (VMF-124). Over the target by 11:45am, the bombers released their bombs against Japanese shipping and scored two near misses bracketing Hitati Maru (Hitachi Maru) and two near misses bracketing Kisaragi Maru. After the bomb run, the formation was intercepted by roughly thirty A6M Zeros and fifteen A6M2-N Rufe floatplanes from Shortland. During the combat, two Liberators were shot down, PB4Y-1 pilot Lt. Jay D, Bacon, Jr. or PB4Y-1 Liberator piloted by Lt. Stuart T. Cooper. One was shot down by head-on attack by enemy fighters over the target and crashed. The other crash landed or ditched off New Georgia. When this Liberator failed to return, the entire crew was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Due to the loss of eight U.S. planes, this mission became known as the "Saint Valentines Day Massacre". Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead on December 10, 1945. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. The entire crew earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. The crew was also memorialized on memorial to Patrol Squadron VP 11/54/51, VB 101, PATSU 1-2 at Bomber 2 Airfield on Espiritu Santo. Cooper earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Elliott earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Fowler earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Abbott earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Adams earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Goldstein earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Hussey earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Montgomery earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Nelson earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Sauter earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Sheek earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. References USAF Serial Number Search Results B-24D-25-CO Liberator 41-24241 (to US Navy as PB4Y-1 BuNo 31970) Navy Serial Number Search Results PB4Y-1 Liberator 31970 (ex USAAF B-24D 41-24241) USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List February 1943 for February 14, 1943 does not listed either PB4Y-1 loss History of Patrol Squadron-11F, Patrol Squadron-54, Patrol Squadron-51, VB-101, PATSU 1-2, and CASU F-56 "The next day, February 14,1943, off the coast of Southern Bougainville Island. nine PB4Y-1 aircraft fully armed, bombs and ammunition, bombed and sank a large enemy transport and a destroyer from 22,000 feet altitude. After the flack came 50 to 60 enemy fighters from Kahili airfield to intercept the bombers and their cover. The top cover consisted of 4 Army P-38's and the lower cover consisting of Navy F6F's and Marine Corps Corsairs (F4U). The Marine Corsair was in combat for the first time in this mission. Two PB4Y-1 Bombers -- 101-B-3 and 101-B-4 and entire crews were shot down. The entire top cover was destroyed and six of the lower cover aircraft were destroyed. It was reported by observers that the enemy lost 26 aircraft in this fight. This 'skirmish' was named in most military history books as the 'Saint Valentines Day Massacre'. The losses for both sides were very heavy for the day." Army Air Forces Historical Studies No. 35 "Guadalcanal and the Origins of the 13th Air Force" (1945) pages 182 (February 14, 1943), 240 (footnotes 12-16) via Wayback Machine May 20, 2006 (Page 182) "Next day [February 14, 1943] the Liberators tried again. Nine more went up to Buin, accompanied this time by 10 P-38's and 12 of the Marine's new F4U's. Again the Jap sent up 45 fighters to intercept, and again the cost was heavy. One B-24 [PB4Y-1] was shot down in a head-on attack, another crash landed off New Georgia; two of the Corsairs went down, while the 339th Fighter Squadron, on one of its blackest days, lost 4 of its P-38's. Bombers and escorts had shot down [claimed] 12 Zeros and the B-24s sank a large cargo vessel 2 miles off Kahili, but the price was too high. [Footnote 17] It was immediately apparent that operations of this type could not long be sustained. Consequently on 14 February daylight attacks on the Buin area were discontinued until more adequate fighter cover could be provided. (Footnote 18)" (Page 240) "Footnote 17. Ibid. War Diary, MAW-2, 14 Feb. 1943; History of the 339th Fighter Squadron (TE). One of the P-38 pilots, Lt. John R. Mulvey, was rescued the following day. Footnote 18. War Diary, MAW-2, 14 Feb. 1943; incl. (War Diary MAG-12), "Record of Events, Fighter Command, Guadalcanal, February 1, 1943 to July 25, 1943," in USMC Hist. Div. files." History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II (1952) page 135 "On 14 February, their third day in the combat area, the F4U pilots learned that Japanese flyers had not lost their skill or aggressiveness. About 50 well-alerted Zeros were waiting from the raid on Kahili Field in southern Bougainville. The Japanese shot down two F4U's, two Navy PB4Y's, two P-40's and the entire top cover of four P-38's, with a loss to themselves of only three Zeros, [sic only one was lost], one of which collided with a F4U. This 'Saint Valentine's Day massacre' was a painful blow to the Guadalcanal-based flyers of all services." We Flew Alone (2000) pages 13-14 13th Fighter Command In World War II (2004) page 118 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Stuart T. Cooper American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harold A. Elliott American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William C. Fowler American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Herman R. Abbott American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ernest F. Adams American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Howard Goldstein American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Bernard T. Hussey American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Albert T. Montgomery American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Otis E. Nelson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Herman T. Sauter American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Andrew E. Sheek FindAGrave - Lt Stuart Trumble Cooper (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Ens Harold Augustus Elliott (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AP1C William C Fowler (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AMM3 Herman Riley Abbott (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AMM3 Ernest Francis Adams (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AOM2 Howard Goldstein (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AMM1 Bernard Taylor Hussey (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AMM2 Albert Tarpley Montgomery (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - ARM2 Otis Edward Nelson (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ARM3 Herman Thomas Sauter, Jr (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AOM3 Andrew Ellison "Andy" Sheek (photos, tablets of the missing) Thanks to Jim Sawruk 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 February 15, 2023 |
 PB4Y-1  MIA 11 Missing |
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