Crew 16

On May 4, 1945, Crew 16 of the 39th Bomb Group was on their first bombing mission targeting Saeki Airfield in Kyushu. At approximately 10,000 feet and 20 miles north of Iwo Jima, the crew encountered broken clouds at 1,000 feet with visibility of 12 miles. According to Air Sea Rescue Report No. 5, a fire broke out in the plane without prior warning. Radio Operator Anderson first noticed the flames near the voltage regulators. Despite immediate efforts to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher and a flak curtain, the fire worsened, and the extinguisher became empty. Pilot Edwards declared an emergency, but electrical power failed, preventing the nose gear from deploying. Communication systems also went down. With heavy smoke filling the cockpit, Co-Pilot Hetherington tried to call for help but could not reach a buddy ship. The crew attempted to manually lower the nose gear amidst the smoke. Co-Pilot Hetherington, struggling to breathe and see, left his seat to get air in the bomb bay. There, he saw CFC Gunner Arundale heading to instruct the men in the back to bail out. Radio Operator Anderson pulled the emergency handle to open the bomb bay doors and jumped. The smoke and flames intensified rapidly, forcing the Co-Pilot, Navigator Fields, and others to jump. The plane, now in flames, made a final circle before exploding. Co-Pilot Hetherington observed four parachutes below him and was certain six crew members had bailed out. Survivors included the Co-Pilot, Navigator Fields, Radio Operator Anderson, Left Gunner O'Brien, and Right Gunner Nyholm. They were spotted by a Navy PBY, which dropped sea marker dye and smoke bombs. The Co-Pilot and Left Gunner were quickly rescued, while the Navigator, with severe burns, was eventually picked up after struggling to inflate his Mae West life vest. The Radio Operator, without a dinghy, was rescued by luck after several planes flew over him. Despite extensive search efforts, no other survivors were found, and the wreckage was surrounded by large sharks. The survivors were transferred to a destroyer escort and taken to Iwo Jima for medical attention, while a minesweeper continued searching for the missing crew until dark.

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