42-107087 BIG BARN SMELL
MACR: NONE
MISSION #116
TARGET: EINDHOVEN AIRFIELD
MACR: NONE
MISSION #116
TARGET: EINDHOVEN AIRFIELD
Crew on August 9, 1944
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Big Barn Smell was damaged by flak and aborted with one engine
feathered at @ 23,000 feet. Lt Gilbert ditched the plane in the English
Channel and the crew was picked up by Air Sea Rescue.
The following account is from SSGT Knudson in a letter to Edward
Hinrichs, who wrote the book Missing Planes of the 452nd Bomb Group:
"It was the crew's 13th mission. On our way to the target we were hit by
flak and one engine was damaged. We were ordered to return to base. We
were over Nuremburg when they threw everything at us. We dived
several thousand feet to get away from them. By the time we leveled out,
we had two engines out and the radio damaged.
We had our work cut out for us from then on. We unloaded all excess
equipment, bombs, guns, etc. When we were over the North Sea, we lost
another engine. We started dropping 500 feet a minute. We threw out the
parachutes the last thing, and prepared for ditching. It was about 12
o'clock noon.
It was foggy and misty over the water and hard to see anything. We were
about 100 feet from the water when we set down. The nose went in and
the plane broke in two at the ball turret. The plane sank in about 40
seconds.
There were two dinghies, one on each side. We all got out. We all had
Mae West's on. Two of us went to the dinghy on the right and it was only
half inflated! We finally got it over to the other dinghy and got it inflated.
We were about 50 miles from the English coast. We didn't have any food
or cigarettes and the radio and rescue kit didn't work! We saw planes
returning to England, but they were at high altitude. We shot flares, but
they could not be seen. We talked about what we would do when we got
home...anything to keep our spirits up. About 4 o'clock that afternoon, a
large porpoise kept us company. He was sure welcome. Some of us had
never seen a porpoise before.
At about 5 p.m. we heard a plane some distance off. It kept getting closer.
We heard later that it was flying a pattern looking for us! We had one
flare left and when they got near, we shot it! They saw us! They dropped
flares for wind direction, then they dropped a big container that was a
large dinghy about 12 feet across. Then we got another container of
supplies: cigarettes, candy, etc. Within 20 minutes, we had a P-47 circling
us and shortly afterwards, a P-51 joined them. Were we ever glad to see
them...felt we were being taken care of!
A British rescue ship came, but could not get to us as we had floated into
the middle of a mine field! It was about 11 p.m. when they finally got to us
and had to come in by radar. We had been in the water 11 hours, but we
were all alive!
We all felt that good training had helped us and the ditching procedure
went just as we had practiced, practiced, and practiced!"
feathered at @ 23,000 feet. Lt Gilbert ditched the plane in the English
Channel and the crew was picked up by Air Sea Rescue.
The following account is from SSGT Knudson in a letter to Edward
Hinrichs, who wrote the book Missing Planes of the 452nd Bomb Group:
"It was the crew's 13th mission. On our way to the target we were hit by
flak and one engine was damaged. We were ordered to return to base. We
were over Nuremburg when they threw everything at us. We dived
several thousand feet to get away from them. By the time we leveled out,
we had two engines out and the radio damaged.
We had our work cut out for us from then on. We unloaded all excess
equipment, bombs, guns, etc. When we were over the North Sea, we lost
another engine. We started dropping 500 feet a minute. We threw out the
parachutes the last thing, and prepared for ditching. It was about 12
o'clock noon.
It was foggy and misty over the water and hard to see anything. We were
about 100 feet from the water when we set down. The nose went in and
the plane broke in two at the ball turret. The plane sank in about 40
seconds.
There were two dinghies, one on each side. We all got out. We all had
Mae West's on. Two of us went to the dinghy on the right and it was only
half inflated! We finally got it over to the other dinghy and got it inflated.
We were about 50 miles from the English coast. We didn't have any food
or cigarettes and the radio and rescue kit didn't work! We saw planes
returning to England, but they were at high altitude. We shot flares, but
they could not be seen. We talked about what we would do when we got
home...anything to keep our spirits up. About 4 o'clock that afternoon, a
large porpoise kept us company. He was sure welcome. Some of us had
never seen a porpoise before.
At about 5 p.m. we heard a plane some distance off. It kept getting closer.
We heard later that it was flying a pattern looking for us! We had one
flare left and when they got near, we shot it! They saw us! They dropped
flares for wind direction, then they dropped a big container that was a
large dinghy about 12 feet across. Then we got another container of
supplies: cigarettes, candy, etc. Within 20 minutes, we had a P-47 circling
us and shortly afterwards, a P-51 joined them. Were we ever glad to see
them...felt we were being taken care of!
A British rescue ship came, but could not get to us as we had floated into
the middle of a mine field! It was about 11 p.m. when they finally got to us
and had to come in by radar. We had been in the water 11 hours, but we
were all alive!
We all felt that good training had helped us and the ditching procedure
went just as we had practiced, practiced, and practiced!"
Big Barn Smell: This plane was named
because the ball turret gunner, Louis
Hodson, on this plane came from the small
town of Pratt, Kansas, and was born and
raised on a farm with a barn and lots of
different types of farm animals. Paul N.
Gilbert was the pilot.
because the ball turret gunner, Louis
Hodson, on this plane came from the small
town of Pratt, Kansas, and was born and
raised on a farm with a barn and lots of
different types of farm animals. Paul N.
Gilbert was the pilot.
Additional note: This plane was involved
in a taxiing accident after landing at the
aerodrome at Castle Bromwick on May 13,
1944. Herman R Beuchat was the pilot at
the time. The plane was repaired and
returned to duty.
in a taxiing accident after landing at the
aerodrome at Castle Bromwick on May 13,
1944. Herman R Beuchat was the pilot at
the time. The plane was repaired and
returned to duty.