About the Airplane

The Missing Air Crew Reports No.
4658
The type of the plane.
B-24H
The plane ID.
42-52468
The name of the plane.
The squadron the bomber belongs to.
777th Bomb Squadron
The date of the bomber's crash.
1944-05-10
The reason for the bomber's crash.
Flak
The place the bomber targeted.
Wiener Neustadt
The place where the bomber crashed.
Breitenau am Steinfelde
Coordinates of the site the bomber was last seen at.
The city or village the bomber was last seen at.
Wr. Neustadt
The country or county the bomber was last seen at.
Time of the day the bomber was last seen at.
12:18
Time of the crash.
12:15
Comments.
Das Flugzeug wurde von Flakgeschossen getroffen. Das 2. Triebwerk ging in Flammen auf, die sich langsam bis zum Rumpf ausdehnten. Ein Teil der Besatzung konnte abspringen. Der Pilot versuchte einen der verletzten Bordschützen zu retten. Beide starben im zu Boden stürzenden Flugzeug, dass in Flammen gehüllt noch in der Luft auseinanderbrach.

Map of related places

The Crew

Name Rank Function Destiny
Bridges, John M. 2nd Lt Bombardier Rtd
Fields, John D. Cpl Gunner 2 Rtd
Flury, John N. Sgt Gunner 4 Rtd
Gibson, Robert C. Sgt Gunner 3 Rtd
Hardison, Rosbud J. S/Sgt Gunner 5 Rtd
Hayes, Harry B. 2nd Lt Co-Pilot Rtd
Johnson, Frank 1st Lt Navigator Rtd
Latimer, James T. Capt Pilot 0
Lechowicz, Walter S/Sgt Gunner 1 0
Rogers, Bulan A. Cpl Gunner 6 Rtd

How to cite

DAACDA – Downed Allied Air Crew Database Austria, edited by Nicole-Melanie Goll, Georg Hoffmann and Peter Andorfer, Vienna 2025 (https://daacda.acdh.oeaw.ac.at/a-00171.html)