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Crash of a Martin PBM-3C Mariner into the Atlantic Ocean: 12 killed

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Martin PBM Mariner
Operator:
Registration:
6722
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
3175
Location:
Atlantic Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in an anti-submarine patrol flight over the Atlantic Ocean. En route, the German submarine U-572 was spotted, cruising some 550 km off the Guyana coast. The crew of the Mariner attacked the submarine that was sunk. But it seems the Mariner was shot down as well and crashed into the sea at 11°35' N 54°06' W. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew:
Lt Clifford C. Cox 11.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina into the Atlantic Ocean: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
FP114
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Castle Archdale - Gibraltar
Location:
Atlantic Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Atlantic Ocean while on a flight from RAF Castle Archdale to Gibraltar. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina into the Gulf of Mexico: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 17, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
2372
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Gulf of Mexico
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Lost without trace into the Gulf of Mexico while on a maritime patrol flight.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III off the Fiji Islands: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
NZ2025
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Nausori - Nausori
MSN:
414-3845
YOM:
1941
Location:
Pacific Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a antisubmarine patrol flight off the Fiji Islands coast and left Nausori Airport that day. En route, the aircraft ditched in the ocean. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Crew (4th Squadron):
F/O Alistair Parata,
Sgt Albert Moss,
W/O Egbert Willis,
F/Sgt George Billson,
Sgt Michael Horgan.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be established but it seems possible that it was the consequence of a double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were poor and the experience of the crew was low, which was considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator III into the Atlantic Ocean: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1943 at 0030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
FL906
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
210
YOM:
1941
Location:
Atlantic Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft was involved in an escort mission. By night, the crew encountered technical problems with an engine and the captain decided to ditch the aircraft at 0030LT. Two crew members were killed while six others were rescued.
Crew (86th Squadron):
F/Sgt John Richard Fast,
Sgt Hollick.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina into the Atlantic Ocean: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
RP232
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Hamworthy - Hamworthy
Location:
Atlantic Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Hamworthy (Poole, Dorset) at 1900LT on a maritime patrol flight over the Bay of Biscay and was scheduled to return a day later around 1400LT. The seaplane failed to return and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in unknown circumstances. No trace of the aircraft nor the 10 crew members was ever found.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina into the Atlantic Ocean: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1943 at 1810 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
7273
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Ambulance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
442
YOM:
1941
Location:
Atlantic Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a SAR mission over the Atlantic ocean to localize the crew of a RAF Boeing B-17 registered FA704 that crashed into the sea after being shot down by a German submarine about 200 km northwest of the Feroe Islands. For unknown reasons, the seaplane landed hard and came to rest upside down. All nine occupants were able to evacuate and took refuge in two dinghies. Unfortunately, the crew of USS Symbol arrived on scene six days later only, on June 17. On site, only one survivor could be evacuated as all eight other occupants were found dead.
Probable cause:
As the cause of the accident is unknown, it appears that survivors suffered a storm during several days after the accident and the only survivor was seriously injured.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress into the Atlantic Ocean

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1943 at 1110 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
FA704
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
3612
Location:
Atlantic Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a mission to attack the German submarine U-417 cruising in the north Atlantic Ocean. During the attack, the aircraft was hit by bullets and the crew decided to ditch some 200 km northwest of the Feroe Islands. While the aircraft sank and was lost, all eight crew members were rescued.
Crew (206th Squadron):
W/C R. B. Thomson 7.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German submarine.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Fiji Islands: 15 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1943 at 0430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
NZ4006
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Suva – Auckland
MSN:
1338
Location:
Pacific Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Suva Airport in the night on a routine mission to Auckland. While cruising over the Pacific Ocean, the seaplane crashed in unknown circumstances. Some debris were found few days later on beaches near Lauthala Bay but no trace of the 15 occupants.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-194 into the Bay of Biscay: 17 killed

Date & Time: Jun 1, 1943 at 1254 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
G-AGBB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Lisbon – Bristol
MSN:
1590
YOM:
1936
Flight number:
2L777
Location:
Bay of Biscay
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Lisbon-Portela de Sacavém at 0730LT on a regular schedule flight to Bristol-Whitchurch Airport. While cruising over the Bay of Biscay, the aircraft was intercepted and shot down by eight German Junkers JU.88 fighters. The civil aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea some 350 km north of La Coruna. All 17 occupants, among them the British actor Leslie Howard, were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Quirinus Tepas Obe, pilot,
Cpt Dirk de Koning, pilot,
Cornelis van Brugge, radio operator,
Engbertus Rosevink, flight engineer.
Passengers:
Leslie Howard,
Alfred T. Chenhalls,
Kenneth Stonehouse,
Evelyn Peggy Margetts Stonehouse,
Rotha Hutcheon
Petra Hutcheon,
Carolina Hutcheon,
Cecelia Emilia Falla Paton,
Tyrrell Mildmay Shervington,
Ivan James Sharp,
Wilfrid Israel,
Francis German Cowlrick,
Gordon Thompson MacLean.
Probable cause:
Shot down by German fighters. Theories abound that the aircraft, a Douglas DC-3, was attacked because the Germans believed that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was aboard. Other theories suggest the DC-3 was targeted because several passengers, including Howard, were British spies. During the Second World War, British and German civilian aircraft operated out of the same facilities at Portela and the incoming and outgoing traffic was watched by Allied and Axis spies. The Lisbon - Bristol route frequently carried agents and escaped PoWs to Britain.
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