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| USN VP-16  USN 1944  USN 1944 |
Pilot Lt. Harry R. Flachsbarth, O-098490 USNR (MIA / KIA) Cook County, IL Crew Ensign Lyman E. Benson, O-290696 USNR (MIA / KIA) Highland Park, IL Crew Ensign Larsen G. Ruth, O-244353 USN (MIA / KIA) AZ Crew ARM3c Cecil Hertford Wiggs, 6566632 USNR (MIA / KIA) Sampson County, NC Crew AMM3c Austin Earl Hoskins, 3379787 USNR (MIA / KIA) Lohman, MO Crew AMM2c George Plant, 7262042 USNR (MIA / KIA) IL Crew AMM1c Robert Eugene Wise, 6261883 USNR (MIA / KIA) IN Crew ARM3c James Terry Greenfield, 5640403 USNR (MIA / KIA) CA Crew S1c Lee Roy Douglas, 6714690 USNR (MIA / KIA) CA Crew AMM3c Alexander Hilton, 350060 USNR (MIA / KIA) TX Crew AOM3c Wallace Blackwell Grant, USNR (MIA / KIA) Patten, ME MIA June 21, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Martin as a model 162D. Delivered to the United States Navy (USN) as PBM-3D Mariner bureau number 45216. Wartime History Assigned to Patrol Squadron 16 (VP-16) with squadron code 16-P-13. No known nickname, nose art or markings. Mission History On June 21, 1944 took off from Tanapag Harbor off Saipan piloted by Lt. Harry R. Flachsbarth on a night patrol mission to the west of Saipan. Before midnight, the last transmission to base was "investigating suspicious vessel". No other messages were received and efforts to reestablish communication were unsuccessful. When this aircraft failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA) on June 22, 1944. In fact, this Mariner spotted U.S. Navy (USN) vessels from Carrier Task Group 58 (CTG-58) at 11:12pm at roughly Lat 15-06N, Long 139-20E and made a low approach to within 8,000 yards of destroyers screening the force. In defense, the warships opened fire shooting down the aircraft in flames. After the crash, USS Brown (DD-546) investigated the crash site and located a wing tip pontoon and recovered printed matter which identified the plane as friendly. On June 23, 1945 CTG 58 reported the incident as a friendly fire shoot down to squadron VP-16 with profound regrets. Memorials The entire crew of eleven were officially declared dead on June 22, 1945. None of the crew appear to have earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. Seven of the crew are memorialized at the courts of the missing at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. Ruth and Plant on court 1. Flachsbarth, Greenfield, Hilton, Hoskins and Grant on court 3. Four of the crew are memorialized at at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing: Benson, Wiggs, Wise and Douglas. Hoskins had a memorial service on August 26, 1945 at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Jefferson City, MO. Wiggs also has a memorial marker at Pinecrest Cemetery in Warsaw, NC. Wise also has a memorial marker at Union Center Cemetery in Nappanee, IN. Relatives Steve Hoskins (nephew of Hoskins) "Hoskins was my dads cousin they were the same age and both served in the South Pacific Dad was on the USS North Carolina and as far as I know I am the only one in the family that still has this memorial pamphlet that I had found in dads things so this is all I have to go on." Linda Boss (niece of Hoskins) References Navy Serial Number Search Results - PBM-3D Mariner 45216 "45216 (VP-16) missing on combat patrol 6/22/1944. 11 MIA" USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List June 1945 - PBM-3D 45216 NARA VP-16 War Diary June 1945 pages 7-8 (Page 7) 22 June 1944: Six planes returned safely from night patrol operations with the exception of the following... 16-P-13, Lieut. Flachsbarth in command did not return. His last transmission to the base was: 'investigating suspicious vessel.' All efforts to reestablish communications with this plane were unsuccessful, and no report from other units furnished any information as to the planes' fate until 23, when the following dispatch was received from CTG 58: 'A friendly aircraft was shot down by ships of my division at 2312 King 21 June at Lat 15-06N, Long 139-20E. This plane appeared on the radar screen shortly unidentified aircraft had been picked up. Although it showed no IFF [Identification Friend or Foe] there was doubt as to its identity because of reports of search plane with IFF inoperative. Efforts were made to contact this plane by all communication channels available without success. The Marshall of DESDIV 104 which was in vicinity reported the same result. COMDESDIV 104 upon request stated that he had been unable to identify the aircraft as friendly. The aircraft seemed to be investigating DESDIV 92 and DESDIV 104. It maneuvered just out of range for some time and then started an approach on the Division at an altitude sufficiently low to make it clearly visible on the SG radar screen. Evasive tactics were being employed by the Division during the entire period of contact. Upon observing the apparently hostile approach of the aircraft several ships of the division requested permission to open fire. I granted permission to open fire if the plane approached within 10,000 yds. The plane continued its approach directly toward the division fire was opened at about 8,000 yards and the plane was shot down and burned. The Brown [USS Brown (DD-546] was sent to search the area where the plane crashed and reported locating a wing tip pontoon and recovering printed matter which identified the plane as friendly. NPM H 4454 reporting that a search plane was investigating a radar contact was received in the body at approximately the instant of opening fire. The report of this tragic incident is submitted with my profound regrets.' (Page 8) The following personnel were aboard 16-P-13 [crew list] Memorial Services Austin E. Hoskins AMM3c USNR Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Program, August 26, 1945 via Steve Hoskins News "Austin E. Hoskins Is Killed In Action" American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harry R. Flachsbarth American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Lyman E. Benson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Larsen G. Ruth American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Cecil H. Wiggs American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Austin E. Hoskins American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - George Plant American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert E. Wise American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James T. Greenfield American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Lee R. Douglas American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Alexander Hilton Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Wallace B. Grant FindAGrave - Lt Harry Rudolph Flachsbarth (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Ens Lyman Edwin Benson (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Ens Larsen G Ruth (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ARM3C Cecil H Wiggs (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Cecil Hertford Wiggs (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - AMM3 Austin E Hoskins (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AMM3 George Plant (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Robert Eugene Wise (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - ARm3 James T Greenfield (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - S1 Lee R Douglas (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AMM3 Alexander Hilton, Jr (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AOM3 Wallace Blackwell Grant (courts of the missing photo) Thanks to Steve Hoskins 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 October 24, 2022 |
 PBM MIA 11 Missing |
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