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| USMC 1st MAW VMTB-232 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Lester V. Swenson, USMCR (survived) Minneapolis, MN Radio Cpl F. E. Betz (survived) Gunner SSgt James A. Brooks, 337509 (survived) Seattle, WA Ditched January 14, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Grumman as model G-40. Delivered to the United States Navy (USN) as TBF-1C Avenger bureau number 24492. Wartime History Assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) to 1st Marine Air Wing (1st MAW), Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 232 (VMSB-232). No known nickname, nose art or squadron number. Mission History On January 14, 1944 at 6:15am took off from Munda Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. Billy Ray Ramsey with gunner Sgt Charlie J. Sciara armed with a single 1,000 pound bomb on a dive bombing mission against Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul. The bomber formation was led by flight leader Major McDaniel with 38 SBD Dauntless from VMSB-236 and VMSB-341 and VC-40 plus 18 TBF Avengers from VMTB-232 and VC-40. This was the first full scale strike against Rabaul by land based light bombers. On January 14, 1944 at 6:00am took off from Munda Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. Lester V. Swenson armed with a single 2,000 pound bomb as one of eighteen Avengers on a bombing mission against Rabaul. At 9:00am, the formation landed at Torokina Airfield on Bougainville to refuel and took off again proceeding northward over St. Georges Channel to Lombi then to the Rabaul area with the primary target Lakunai Airfield and secondary target shipping in Simpson Harbor. Arriving over the target area, they found Lakunai Airfield covered with clouds, so they looked for ships instead. Over the target, at 10,000' altitude, this Avenger was hit by anti-aircraft fire twice, causing large holes in the aircraft, possibly from a 4.7" Naval gun. The damage caused the controls to become ineffective, but Swenson managed to stay with the formation and successfully bombed a ship in the harbor and strafed other targets in the area before departing eastward towards Cape Gazelle and Mioko Island in the Duke of York Islands. Departing, three A6M3 Zeros spotted this aircraft straggling behind the formation and attacked. Rear gunner Betz fired at two of the Zeros from nearly point blank range and claimed one of them shot down, seeing pieces fly from the wings. The third Zero attacked from below and set the Avenger on fire, likely hitting the center fuel tank, causing the cockpit to fill with smoke at an attitude of 200'. Pilot Swenson made a perfect ditching in the center of St. Georges Channel roughly ten miles off Watpi and the entire crew successfully exited the Avenger and deployed their life raft before the Avenger sank. Two of the attacking Zeros circled them as they hid under the raft but neither Zero strafed. Afterwards, the crew rowed southward for 24 hours before reaching shore at Karong village near Adler Bay on the southeastern coast of New Britain and were met by friendly locals who signaled to them and hid their raft and them in a cave for five days while the Japanese searched. Prewar, the natives were mission boys at Vunapope and remained loyal to the Allies. Next, the natives told the crew to use their raft to paddle across Wide Bay. During the night, a Japanese barge passed nearby, but did not notice them. After 25 hours, they reached Lublun village, several Allied aircraft were spotted overhead including a PBY Catalina and fighters, but they had nothing to signal them. During late January 1944 Brooks found the crash site of B-24D Liberator 42-41210 and saw the bodies of the eleven crew and recovered a dog tag and three pistols. Based on his report, the remains of the crew were later recovered. Fates of the Crew On March 26, 1944 the crew were rescued. Memorials Swenson passed away on August 22, 2009 at age 88. He is buried at Genoa Cemetery in Genoa, NV. References Navy Serial Number Search Results - TBF-1C Avenger 24492 COMAIRSOLS Strike Command SBD Intelligence 14 January 1944 pages 11-12 (Page 11) "Observations: One TBF hit by Zeke, seen to go down in the water 5 mi. east of Cape Gazelle." E&E Report No. 41 - Swenson / Brooks, 29th March 1944 pages 1-7 FindAGrave - Lester Vernon Swenson (grave photo) South Pacific Air War (2024) pages 521-522 (January 14, 1944) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated April 19, 2021 |
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