1945 — Aug 1, USAAF B-17 bound for US, engine failure/ditches, Tyrrhenian Sea off W. Italy–13

Compiled 12-24-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–13  Aviation Safety Network. USAAF B-17 engine failure ditching, Tyrrhenian Sea off Italy.

–13  Baugher, Joseph. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910). 8-24-2023 revision.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 110:

“Date:                          Wednesday 1 August 1945

“Time:                         09:30

“Type:                         Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

“Owner/operator:        United States Army Air Force (USAAF)

“Registration:              44-6873

….

“Fatalities:                   Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 25

….

“Location:                   Tyrrhenian Sea (40°01’N 12°35′ E) – Italy

“Phase:                        En route

“Nature:                      Military

“Departure airport:      Pomigliano, Italy

“Destination airport:   Port Lyautey, North Africa

“Narrative:

“Non-operational flight transporting Army personnel on the first leg of their return home to the United States. About an hour into the flight aircraft experienced engine failure and was ditched in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Aircraft broke in two on impact and sank within 30 seconds. Twelve survivors were rescued approximately 12 hours after the aircraft was ditched. Thirteen missing were later declared dead; only one of the bodies was ever recovered when it washed up on the Italian coast over four months after the ditching, some 300 miles from the crash site.

Baugher: “44-6751/6875 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-65-DL Fortress….

“6873 (MSN 23096) Accepted by USAAF at Long beach Field, CA 9Dec44….

 “The bomber departed Pomigliano, Italy with five crew and twenty Texas troops bound for Port Lyautey, French Morocco, on what was to be the first leg of their journey home to Texas 1Aug45. Engine trouble forced it to crash in the Tyrrhenian Sea. About an hour after takeoff an engine on the aircraft began to fail, it caught fire and eventually shook loose from its mount and fell off leaving a gaping hole in the wing. The pilot tried to ditch the plane in a controlled manner but there was a very heavy sea. The plane broke in two upon impact and sank in about 30 seconds. The location of the ditching was in deep water approximately midway between Naples and Sardinia. Five crew members survived the ditching and escaped the sinking aircraft but the co-pilot drowned before reaching one of the life rafts. As for the twenty Texas soldiers who were passengers, twelve were killed in the crash….” 

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 110. USAAF B-17 engine failure ditching, Tyrrhenian Sea off Italy, 1 August 1945. Accessed 12-24-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/98345

Baugher, Joseph F. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910). 8-24-2023 revision. Accessed 12-24-2023 at: https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_1.html