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Major Carswell
On October 26, a four-plane attack against a convoy reported in the South China Sea launched at 1715 hours from the 374th base at Liuchow.[1] Sent to strike ships east of the Liuchow Peninsula[2], the aircraft caught them by surprise and encountered no return fire during bomb runs under a bright autumn moon.[3] After slightly damaging a destroyer with several near misses from 600 feet altitude, Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr. piloting B-24J 44-40825 began a second attack on a 350-foot freighter from 600 feet at a 45 degree angle to the bow. Carswell’s bombardier, Walter W. Hillier, dropped three 500 Lb. RDX bombs. One splashed short but two large explosions indicated direct hits.
Prepared for the second assault, the entire convoy unleashed a fierce barrage of tracers and anti-aircraft shells against the lone Liberator. The ships’ gunners tracked the incoming aircraft across water lit by moonlight, and Carswell’s B-24 took a beating. "I don't know how many times we were hit," Navigator 2nd Lt. Charles A. Ulery said. "But it was plenty. One shell burst inside the bomb bay, another showering through the forward compartment. A shell struck the nose of the plane near Hillier, riddling his parachute pack. Other punctures turned the hydraulic fluid on Nose Gunner Schnepf's parachute pack.”[4]
Numerous holes and damage wracked the fuselage, knocking out the #1 and #3 engines. #2 sputtered from a hole in the fuel tank and the hydraulic system was gone. The damaged plane dropped toward the water and only Carswell’s strength and skill leveled the aircraft as he struggled to gain altitude on one and one-half engines.[5] “The plane dipped sharply towards the water. Everything loose and heavy was thrown out to lighten the ship. Engineer T/Sgt. Charles Maddox and the gunners unbolted some of the B-24s 50 caliber guns and dumped them. The plane was so damaged the bomb bay doors couldn't be closed and if we had landed on the water the ship would have sunk like a rock."[6]
Lt. James O'Neal found Co-pilot 2nd. Lt. James H. Rinker bleeding profusely from his right hand. O’Neal administered first aid to Rinker before assuming the co-pilot’s controls. "Carswell managed to get the ship to 1,500 feet. When we passed over the coast, he had it up to 3,500. He asked me the course. I told him we had to get to 4,000 feet to cross the mountains to an alternate base. Nobody thought it possible to get one of those planes from sea level on two engines. Carswell did it. Then Number 2 engine began to sputter and we lost 1,000 feet. This happened three times. Carswell would bring the ship up nearly into a stall and then dive a little to regain speed. This was a repetitious, cold sweat process, requiring consummate skill and knowledge of the plane. When squarely over the mountains, number two sputtered again. I looked out and saw mountain peaks right at our level. Carswell pulled up in a sharp turn. Rinker, who had been standing between the major and O'Neil, said, ‘Let’s get out of here.’ So we jumped."[7]
Schnepf, the last man to bail out, saw Hillier kneeling on his worthless chute between Carswell and O'Neil. "The Major and O'Neil were sitting there looking straight ahead. They knew the others were bailing out but made no move. They knew about Hillier's chute. I couldn’t see their faces. They were still trying to ride her in. Number 2 sputtered again. Then I jumped. The plane crashed about 500 feet away. It burned all night. I couldn’t get near the fire as ammunition was exploding. The three men must have been killed instantly."[8] Surviving crewmembers were unanimous that Carswell and O'Neil stayed with the crippled ship because Hillier could not bail out with his damaged chute.[9]
Information from the Chinese net indicated seven crewmembers were located alive behind enemy lines.[10] Engineer, T/Sgt. Charles H. Maddox, Navigator 2nd Lt. Charles A. Ulery, Radar Observer T/Sgt. Adam J. Hudek, Gunner S/Sgt. Norman Nunes, Ass’t Engineer S/Sgt. Carlton W. Schnepf, and Radio Operator T/Sgt. Ernest Watras all returned to duty on November 9, 1944.[11] They took nine days to reach Nanning with the help of Chinese soldiers, including one member of the British Air Aid Group, (BAAG) a secret group organized in China to rescue allied airmen and return them safely to home bases.[12]
Pilot, Major Horace S. Carswell, Bombardier 2nd Lt. Walter W. Hillier, and the crew’s regular co-pilot, 2nd Lt. James L. O’Neal, a passenger on the sortie, all died when the aircraft slammed into a mountain after Carswell kept her aloft for the rest of the crew to bail. Co-pilot, 2nd Lt. James H. Rinker died when his chute failed to open, probably unable pull the ripcord with his wounded hand. Gunner S/Sgt. Kaemper W. Steinman died when he struck the mountain before his chute fully deployed at the low altitude.[13]
Navigator Ulery’s casualty questionnaire in the Supplemental MACR submitted after his return to base revealed more details. “We were shot at by an enemy convoy of 12 ships while making the second attack at 600’. We were trying to reach Nanning, China on two engines if possible. We could not close the bomb bay because the doors were damaged, therefore we could not ditch the aircraft. Our heading was about 290 or 300 degrees. There was not enough power in the two engines to pull the B-24 up over the mountains. The ship started into a spin and we bailed out. (Between 2300 and 2330 on October 26th, 1944.)
The terrain was mountainous and covered with bushes and vines. The Chinese guerrillas were responsible for our getting out safely. We walked 15 to 20 miles a day and just made Nanning before the Japs took it. Apparently, Rinker and Steinman struck a mountaintop before their parachutes opened completely. We were hardly more than 300 feet above the ground when we bailed out. The bodies of Rinker and Steinman were located three days after the crash. We who were on the crew feel quite sure that Carswell, O’Neal, and Hillier never left the aircraft. It exploded and burned violently several hours after the crash. There were practically no remains except a few bones. These were placed in three coffins and buried along with the other bodies at a Catholic Mission near Tungchen, China. Father John J. Tierney, an American Missionary, was located there. I received a letter from him about three months ago stating the bodies had been moved to Kunming China by American Military authorities.”[14]
[1] Armstrong, Col. John G., MACR 9612, B-24J, 44-40825, 10-29-44
[2] ibid.
[3] Glines, Carroll V., Chennault’s Forgotten Warriors: The Saga Of The 308th Bomb Group In China. Schiffer Military/Aviation History Publishing, Atglen, PA, 1995 pp. 257-258
[4] Ulrey, 2nd. Lt., Charles A., as interviewed by Farnsworth, Cyde, Associated Press,published in CBI Roundup, Vol. III, No. 16, Delhi, India, December 28, 1944
[5] Armstrong, Col. John G., MACR 9612, B-24J, 44-40825, 10-29-44
[6] Ulrey, Farnsworth, Cyde,
[7] Ibid. Ulrey, Farnsworth
[8] Schnepf, S/Sgt. Carlton W., as interviewed by Farnsworth, Cyde, Associated Press, CBI Roundup, Vol. III, No. 16, Delhi, India, December 28, 1944
[9] Farnsworth, Cyde, Associated Press, CBI Roundup, Vol. III, No. 16, Delhi, India, December 28, 1944
[10] Armstrong, Col. John G., MACR 9612, B-24J, 44-40825 , 10-29-44
[11] Osborne, Capt. John J. Supplemental MACR 9612, 11-11-44
[12] Glines, P. 262
[13] Osborne, Capt. John J. Supplemental MACR 9612, 11-11-44
[14] Ulery, 2nd. Lt. Charles A. MACR 9612, undated hand written note attached to MACR
On October 26, a four-plane attack against a convoy reported in the South China Sea launched at 1715 hours from the 374th base at Liuchow.[1] Sent to strike ships east of the Liuchow Peninsula[2], the aircraft caught them by surprise and encountered no return fire during bomb runs under a bright autumn moon.[3] After slightly damaging a destroyer with several near misses from 600 feet altitude, Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr. piloting B-24J 44-40825 began a second attack on a 350-foot freighter from 600 feet at a 45 degree angle to the bow. Carswell’s bombardier, Walter W. Hillier, dropped three 500 Lb. RDX bombs. One splashed short but two large explosions indicated direct hits.
Prepared for the second assault, the entire convoy unleashed a fierce barrage of tracers and anti-aircraft shells against the lone Liberator. The ships’ gunners tracked the incoming aircraft across water lit by moonlight, and Carswell’s B-24 took a beating. "I don't know how many times we were hit," Navigator 2nd Lt. Charles A. Ulery said. "But it was plenty. One shell burst inside the bomb bay, another showering through the forward compartment. A shell struck the nose of the plane near Hillier, riddling his parachute pack. Other punctures turned the hydraulic fluid on Nose Gunner Schnepf's parachute pack.”[4]
Numerous holes and damage wracked the fuselage, knocking out the #1 and #3 engines. #2 sputtered from a hole in the fuel tank and the hydraulic system was gone. The damaged plane dropped toward the water and only Carswell’s strength and skill leveled the aircraft as he struggled to gain altitude on one and one-half engines.[5] “The plane dipped sharply towards the water. Everything loose and heavy was thrown out to lighten the ship. Engineer T/Sgt. Charles Maddox and the gunners unbolted some of the B-24s 50 caliber guns and dumped them. The plane was so damaged the bomb bay doors couldn't be closed and if we had landed on the water the ship would have sunk like a rock."[6]
Lt. James O'Neal found Co-pilot 2nd. Lt. James H. Rinker bleeding profusely from his right hand. O’Neal administered first aid to Rinker before assuming the co-pilot’s controls. "Carswell managed to get the ship to 1,500 feet. When we passed over the coast, he had it up to 3,500. He asked me the course. I told him we had to get to 4,000 feet to cross the mountains to an alternate base. Nobody thought it possible to get one of those planes from sea level on two engines. Carswell did it. Then Number 2 engine began to sputter and we lost 1,000 feet. This happened three times. Carswell would bring the ship up nearly into a stall and then dive a little to regain speed. This was a repetitious, cold sweat process, requiring consummate skill and knowledge of the plane. When squarely over the mountains, number two sputtered again. I looked out and saw mountain peaks right at our level. Carswell pulled up in a sharp turn. Rinker, who had been standing between the major and O'Neil, said, ‘Let’s get out of here.’ So we jumped."[7]
Schnepf, the last man to bail out, saw Hillier kneeling on his worthless chute between Carswell and O'Neil. "The Major and O'Neil were sitting there looking straight ahead. They knew the others were bailing out but made no move. They knew about Hillier's chute. I couldn’t see their faces. They were still trying to ride her in. Number 2 sputtered again. Then I jumped. The plane crashed about 500 feet away. It burned all night. I couldn’t get near the fire as ammunition was exploding. The three men must have been killed instantly."[8] Surviving crewmembers were unanimous that Carswell and O'Neil stayed with the crippled ship because Hillier could not bail out with his damaged chute.[9]
Information from the Chinese net indicated seven crewmembers were located alive behind enemy lines.[10] Engineer, T/Sgt. Charles H. Maddox, Navigator 2nd Lt. Charles A. Ulery, Radar Observer T/Sgt. Adam J. Hudek, Gunner S/Sgt. Norman Nunes, Ass’t Engineer S/Sgt. Carlton W. Schnepf, and Radio Operator T/Sgt. Ernest Watras all returned to duty on November 9, 1944.[11] They took nine days to reach Nanning with the help of Chinese soldiers, including one member of the British Air Aid Group, (BAAG) a secret group organized in China to rescue allied airmen and return them safely to home bases.[12]
Pilot, Major Horace S. Carswell, Bombardier 2nd Lt. Walter W. Hillier, and the crew’s regular co-pilot, 2nd Lt. James L. O’Neal, a passenger on the sortie, all died when the aircraft slammed into a mountain after Carswell kept her aloft for the rest of the crew to bail. Co-pilot, 2nd Lt. James H. Rinker died when his chute failed to open, probably unable pull the ripcord with his wounded hand. Gunner S/Sgt. Kaemper W. Steinman died when he struck the mountain before his chute fully deployed at the low altitude.[13]
Navigator Ulery’s casualty questionnaire in the Supplemental MACR submitted after his return to base revealed more details. “We were shot at by an enemy convoy of 12 ships while making the second attack at 600’. We were trying to reach Nanning, China on two engines if possible. We could not close the bomb bay because the doors were damaged, therefore we could not ditch the aircraft. Our heading was about 290 or 300 degrees. There was not enough power in the two engines to pull the B-24 up over the mountains. The ship started into a spin and we bailed out. (Between 2300 and 2330 on October 26th, 1944.)
The terrain was mountainous and covered with bushes and vines. The Chinese guerrillas were responsible for our getting out safely. We walked 15 to 20 miles a day and just made Nanning before the Japs took it. Apparently, Rinker and Steinman struck a mountaintop before their parachutes opened completely. We were hardly more than 300 feet above the ground when we bailed out. The bodies of Rinker and Steinman were located three days after the crash. We who were on the crew feel quite sure that Carswell, O’Neal, and Hillier never left the aircraft. It exploded and burned violently several hours after the crash. There were practically no remains except a few bones. These were placed in three coffins and buried along with the other bodies at a Catholic Mission near Tungchen, China. Father John J. Tierney, an American Missionary, was located there. I received a letter from him about three months ago stating the bodies had been moved to Kunming China by American Military authorities.”[14]
[1] Armstrong, Col. John G., MACR 9612, B-24J, 44-40825, 10-29-44
[2] ibid.
[3] Glines, Carroll V., Chennault’s Forgotten Warriors: The Saga Of The 308th Bomb Group In China. Schiffer Military/Aviation History Publishing, Atglen, PA, 1995 pp. 257-258
[4] Ulrey, 2nd. Lt., Charles A., as interviewed by Farnsworth, Cyde, Associated Press,published in CBI Roundup, Vol. III, No. 16, Delhi, India, December 28, 1944
[5] Armstrong, Col. John G., MACR 9612, B-24J, 44-40825, 10-29-44
[6] Ulrey, Farnsworth, Cyde,
[7] Ibid. Ulrey, Farnsworth
[8] Schnepf, S/Sgt. Carlton W., as interviewed by Farnsworth, Cyde, Associated Press, CBI Roundup, Vol. III, No. 16, Delhi, India, December 28, 1944
[9] Farnsworth, Cyde, Associated Press, CBI Roundup, Vol. III, No. 16, Delhi, India, December 28, 1944
[10] Armstrong, Col. John G., MACR 9612, B-24J, 44-40825 , 10-29-44
[11] Osborne, Capt. John J. Supplemental MACR 9612, 11-11-44
[12] Glines, P. 262
[13] Osborne, Capt. John J. Supplemental MACR 9612, 11-11-44
[14] Ulery, 2nd. Lt. Charles A. MACR 9612, undated hand written note attached to MACR