1938 — Mar 30, war games, 2 USN Consolidated patrol bombers crash, off Oahu, HI — 11
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 11-8-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–11 Bakersfield Californian. “Navy Bans Night Flying…11 Dead…3…Crashes.” 4-1-1938, 1.
–11 Oakland Tribune, CA. 3-30-1938, 1, and 3-31-1938, 1.
–11 Schmitt, Robert C. Catastrophic Mortality in Hawaii. 2-2-2009, p. 75.
— 5 1st plane. Oakland Tribune, CA. “Five Fliers Missing in War Games Crash.” 3-30-1938, 1.
— 6 2nd plane. Oakland Tribune, CA. “Second Navy Plane Missing Off Hawaii.” 3-31-1938, 1.
Narrative Information
Schmitt: “March 30, 1938: Two Navy Conshttps://www.usdeadlyevents.com/1938-feb-2-two-us-navy-pby-2-bombers-collide-mid-air-70m-off-san-clemente-ca-11/olidated patrol bombers crashed off Oahu in separate accidents. Five were killed in the first crash, six in the second.”[1] (Schmitt, Robert C. Catastrophic Mortality in Hawaii. 2-2-2009, p. 75.)
Newspaper
March 30: “Honolulu, March 30. – (AP) – Five Navy fliers were missing today and feared dead in the crash of a big patrol bombing plane off Waianae, on the Island of Oahu. A sixth man, unconscious, was brought to a hospital, and another reached shore safely.
“Returning to the naval base through a heavy rainstorm, after participating in scouting maneuvers, the twin-engined flying boat struck the sea and was partly submerged. Seven men were aboard. One, G. J. Nilles, radioman, third class, swam ashore, and notified the commandant’s office. Later, H. F. Bartz, aviation machinist’s mate first class, was washed ashore unconscious. He was removed to the Waianae Hospital.
“The plane fell three miles offshore and drifted to within 150 yards of the beach, to which Nilles swam. Those missing were:
Lieut. I. O. Crane. 30, pilot.
Aviation Cadet W. H. Lear, second pilot.
Naval Aviation Pilot B. I. Windham…
Radioman V. A. Luciana.
Aviation Chief Machinist’s Mate G. H. O’Neil.
“Naval officers said they believed the missing men were lost.
“Nilles, Bartz and O’Neil were able to climb to a wing of the partially submerged plane. Bartz apparently attempted to swim ashore with Nilles. O’Neil and four other men were not seen after the plane fell and may have drowned.
“The plane was a new type flown here in 1937.
“Extremely bad flying weather harassed Navy pilots the past four days. One patrol bomber sank at sea and at least five others were forced to alight on open water by rain, fog and mist. Flying without the use of radios, pilots feared to go far seaward because of navigational difficulties in thick weather. Likewise, they feared to approach islands closely because of danger of hitting mountains.” (Oakland Tribune, CA. “Five Fliers Missing in War Games Crash.” 3-30-1938, p.1.)
March 31: “Honolulu, March 31. – (AP) – The Navy sent 240 fighting planes into the air, and dispatched numerous surface vessels to the northwest of Oahu Island today, in a gigantic search for six bluejacket fliers who vanished last night in an old-style bombing plane.
“At the same time it became known that eight sailors had been injured, three seriously, and four boats have been wrecked in the landing of 1400 men at Lahaina Roads, in connection with the current Pacific maneuvers. Nine boats were swamped in the surf.
“Disappearance of the bombing plane occurred only a few hours after one of the Navy’s newest bombers crashed at sea, also off the northwest shore of Oahu, with a loss of five men. The two others aboard survived.
“The flying boat which vanished yesterday was identified as Number 7 of the-VP18 Squadron, in command of Lieut. Charles Signer. Members of his crew were: Aviation Cadet R. J. Rarrobina; P. B. Pancoast, aviation machinist mate first class; J. A. Bingham, aviation machinist male, first class; C. T. Williamson, radioman, first class; C. R. Oulundsen, radioman, third class.
“The five men killed yesterday died when their plane crashed off Waianae, Oahu Island, in the third major fleet air tragedy of the year. Two of the plane’s crew escaped with their lives. Bodies of two of the victims were recovered by Salvage craft. One was identified as that of Lieut. L. O. Crane of Nashville, Tenn., in command of the plane. The other body was not identified….
“Naval spokesmen said the 7VP18 was undoubtedly forced down at sea while maneuvering with five other aircraft through bad weather which made flying conditions extremely hazardous.
“The squadron took off al 4 a. m. yesterday, but only five planes returned at 11 a. m. One of the returning planes was lost for more than an hour before finding its way back to its base. The sixth plane, the 7VPI8, disappeared somewhere within an area 200 miles northwest of Oahu Island….
“Besides flying through continually bad weather, pilots have been navigating without radios in simulation of wartime conditions.
“The seaplane tender Avocet took over efforts to recover the bodies and salvage of the bomber which crashed off Waianae yesterday at the height of a great mock battle for control of Oahu Island, largest of the Hawaiian group.
“The bomber was flying low in a heavy rain squall, witnesses said, when its wing apparently clipped the edge of a bluff and the plane was thrown out of control. Both motors were torn loose by the crash and parts of the plane strewn over the ocean bottom 100 yards offshore.” (Oakland Tribune, CA. “Second Navy Plane Missing Off Hawaii.” 3-31-1938, p. 1.)
April 1: “Honolulu, April 1, (AP) – The United States navy today banned night flying in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands indefinitely as a result of a series of tragedies during recent mid-Pacific war games which cost 11 lives. Despite the fatalities and the loss of three $100,000 war planes, naval officials said the war games demonstrated the air fleet was an invaluable arm of Hawaii’s defense.
“Six of the victims were missing in their plane which dropped out of a six-plane formation during scouting duty Wednesday and never was seen again. Bodies of three other naval fliers were recovered from the wreckage of a bombing plane which crashed off Oahu island in a rain squall yesterday. Two more bodies were believed in the submerged fuselage.
“The crew of the third plane, forced down and sunk at sea earlier in the maneuver, was rescued by a passing ship.
“All of the ill-fated planes were from Pearl Harbor units which naval officials said rendered invaluable service in relaying information about the approach of a supposedly hostile fleet bent on capturing the Hawaiian islands.
Nine Planes Downed
“Despite the tragedies – six other planes were forced down at sea without damage – a high navy official said the aircraft ‘performed wonderful services’ in scouting thousands of miles of ocean in all directions from here.
“Whether the invading fleet was able to capture the United States’ mid-Pacific remained an official secret as officers turned to planning the next phase of the annual maneuvers, starting Monday after three days of rest from two weeks of strenuous war games.
“Sixty-five surface vessels and 240 aircraft engaged in a gigantic search for the missing bomber were called in last night after all hope had been abandoned for the crew. Those given up for dead were
Lieutenant Charles Signer,
aviation cadet R. J. Iarrobino,
aviation machinist’s mates P. B. Pancoast and
- A. Bingham and Radiomen G. T. Williamson and
- R. Culundsen.”
(Bakersfield Californian. “Navy Bans Night Flying…11 Dead…3…Crashes.” 4-1-1938, p. 1.)
Sources
Bakersfield Californian. “Navy Bans Night Flying as 11 Dead in 3 Plane Crashes.” 4-1-1938, p. 1. Accessed 10-8-2012: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=166760435
Oakland Tribune, CA. “Five Fliers Missing in War Games Crash [Oahu].” 3-30-1938, 1. Accessed 10-8-2012 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=46109733
Oakland Tribune, CA. “Second Navy Plane Missing Off Hawaii.” 3-31-1938, 1. Accessed 10-8-2012 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=46109745
Schmitt, Robert C. Catastrophic Mortality in Hawaii. 2-2-2009, 86 pages. Accessed 9-20-2012 at: Catastrophic Mortality in Hawaii – eVols – University of Hawaii. Accessed 11-8-2024 at: https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/adb83189-0281-4c84-adc0-c86f3d50a20b/content
[1] Cites: Honolulu Star Bulletin (HSB), Mar. 31, 1938, p. 4; HSB, Apr 1, 1938, p. 1 and 4; HSB, Apr 5, 1938, p. 4.