Crash Site B-24D-1-CO "Cowtown's Revenge" 41-23750

B-24D-1-CO "Cowtown's Revenge" # 41-23750 was ditched into sea off Lifaba Island on 6 January 1943. Two crew members were killed.

Original Crew
1st Lt Walter E. Higgins (pilot), Ft. Worth Texas
2nd Lt Robert F. Paviour (bombardier), Rochester, New York
2nd Lt Lyle A. Schoenauer (co-pilot), Plainview, Nebraska
Myself (Navigator), Indianapolis, Indiana
Sgt. Gaudet (E), Sgt. Satterfield (G), Pvt. Izzo (AE), Sgt Wolf ( R), Pvt. Wolf (AR), Sgt Leonard (G)

Verbatim diary excerpt:

"January 6, 1943 (Retro)

Didn’t do anything up until today when we were slated for a Recco at 11:30. Just taxiing out to take off when we were called back. We were given instructions to bomb and shadow a convoy which had been sited by Dowie. Took off at 1200 and sighted convoy from distance at 1400. At 1415, while we were reconnoitering the convoy we were hopped by three Zekes. Dived away and lost them in a cloud bank a few miles south. No hits on either side.

Returned to the convoy at 1515 and reported it’s position, etc. again. Left a few minutes and returned to make a run at 1545. We made out run, driving in from 11,500 to 9,500 at release line. Picked up 9 Zekes halfway through the run and they stayed right in their own a/a making passes at us. Leonard got one on the first pass. His guns jammed so he decided to watch it go down. While doing so he saw Pave’s 1st bomb hit right beside a destroyer, but didn’t get to see the rest of them. A few seconds after the bombs were released our no. 1 engine was hit by a/a and set afire. Used the internal fire extinguisher to put it out then found that the prop would not feather. With the prop windmilling and dragging, we left the target at 180. In the meantime, Izzo got another Zeke and Wolf put a few holes in another, which went off smoking.

Called Gaudet out of the top turret to shut off the gas to No. 1. I took over the turret and just as I got my head into it a Zeke made a pass from 9 o’clock high. I couldn’t find the sight but I swung the guns around and started shooting. Think I might have put a couple of holes in him because as soon as I cut loose he broke off, left, and never came back. We headed for Milne Bay and had just reached Islet Island when No 1 prop started to work loose and she caught on fire again. Higgins says to prepare for a crash landing so I wrote out a message and Wolf sent it twice before we got down. It was a good landing but you just can’t land a B-24 on water without breaking it up. When we hit, the bomb bay doors came off and the ship filled up with water immediately. The top turret caved in and I think it must have pinned Gaudet because he never came out. I was thrown up into the cock pit but couldn’t find Higgins''s window to get out. I worked back into the flight deck and found the top hatch had closed. I opened it and pushed two men out. I think they were Wolf and Satterfield. Started out myself and noticed someone else going out at the same time, it was Schoenauer. Got caught on the door as I was going out and swallowed water for the third time while I was kicking loose. When I came up everyone was out but Gaudeland Pavoiur, who broke water right behind me. He had gone up to the cockpit and gone out Higgins''s window.

Schoenauer would have drowned (his life vest didn’t open and he had boots on) if Big Wolf hadn’t held him up. Higgins and I pulled the life raft releases from the outside and the one on the side came up. When he inflated it though, the damn thing opened upside down and it took four of us to turn it over. A loose raft in the back floated out so Big Wolf swam over and inflated it.

Satterfield had come up out cold so we got him in the raft and tried to work on him as we were rowing to shore. Couldn’t get him in position to perform artificial respiration so I flopped across him and squeezed and let loose alternately. Got a lot of water out of him that way but I was too weak and sick from drinking salt water to do much good. As soon as we got to the island I started artificial respiration on him. We worked alternately for three hours but couldn’t do any good. Buried him the next morning.

The first night we used one life raft to catch water when it rained and used the other as shelter for Leonard who had a bad scalp wound and had lost a lot of blood. We were afraid he would suffer from shock so we scrapped all our clothes around him to keep warm.

McMurria located us the next afternoon, January 7, 1943. A flying boat picked us up the next morning and took us to Milne Bay where we left Leonard in the hospital. Mac was there waiting for us and took us to P. M. where we stayed one night and we all came home to Iron Range, the next morning, January 9, 1943.

It is now January 11 and I think we get a leave starting this Friday in Sidney. We are still pretty stiff and sore but recuperating okay."

1st Lt. George W. Sellmer, Navigator
321 Bomb Squadron, 90e Bombardements Groep

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Dagboek George W. Selmer
• Photos: U.S. Air Force
• Pacific Wrecks