Crash of a Douglas C-47A-70-DL in Jacobs Well: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-100766
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Newbury – Valenciennes
MSN:
19229
YOM:
1943
Location:
Guildford
Surrey
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While cruising north of Guildford, the aircraft went out of control and dove into the ground, crashing in Jacobs Well, north of Guildford. All four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
According to the USAAF, the cargo shifted en route, causing the center of gravity to be modified and the aircraft to be uncontrollable.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-41-CU Commando in Lüliang

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
42-107317
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
27004
YOM:
1944
Location:
Lüliang
Shanxi
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crash on landing for unknown reason. No casualties.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Väylä

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
7U+GK
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Nautsi – Kaamanen
MSN:
6844
Location:
Kaamanen
Lapland
Country:
Finland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The three engine aircraft left Nautsi Airport, Murmansk Oblast, at 0805LT on a flight to Kaamanen. En route, it was shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Air Force fighter and crashed in a wooded area located in Luppovaara, near Väylä. All three occupants were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew (2./TGr.20):
Ofw Franz Blume,
Fw Georg Zeissler,
Fw Helmut Born.
Source & photo:
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/toulbujarvi.html
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Air Force fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Tuolpujärvi

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
7U+HK
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Nautsi – Kaamanen
MSN:
6343
Location:
Utsjoki
Lapland
Country:
Finland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The three engine aircraft left Nautsi Airport, Murmansk Oblast, at 0805LT on a flight to Kaamanen. En route, it was shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Air Force fighter and crashed in a wooded area located in Tuolpujärvi, southeast of Utsjoki. All five occupants were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew (2./TGr.20):
Ofw Willi Enderle,
Uffz Werner Jagode,
Ogfr Wilhelm Tönnes.
PassengerS:
Uffz Hermann Keller,
Uffz Helmut Dietrich.
Source & photo:
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/toulbujarvi.html
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Air Force fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Luppovaara: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
7U+GM
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Nautsi – Kaamanen
MSN:
6399
Location:
Väylä
Lapland
Country:
Finland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The three engine aircraft left Nautsi Airport, Murmansk Oblast, at 0805LT on a flight to Kaamanen. En route, it was shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Air Force fighter and crashed in a wooded area located in Luppovaara, near Väylä. Eight occupants were rescued while a passenger was killed.
Crew (2./TGr.20):
Fw Gustav Kunzmann,
Uffz Ludwig Rohnacker.
Passengers:
Ofw Fritz Hartwig,
Ofw Paul Kaufmann,
Ogfr Rudolf Gilga,
Ogfr Ludwig Stuhldrein,
Uffz Hans Bernd,
Stgfr Hermann Königs,
Stgfr Wladis Marmella.
Source & photo:
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/toulbujarvi.html
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Air Force fighter.

Crash of a Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman near Camp Cameron: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Noorduyn Norseman
Operator:
Registration:
43-5134
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
125
YOM:
1943
Location:
Camp Cameron
All Iceland
Country:
Iceland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances 7 km northwest of Camp Cameron. Sole on board, the pilot was killed.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Muddusjärvi: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
7U+OK
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
6816
Location:
Muddusjärvi
Lapland
Country:
Finland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
En route over Lapland, the three engine aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Air Force fighter and crashed in a lake located in Muddusjärvi, some 15 km north of Inari. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Gef Erich Adams,
Ofw Alfed Böhm,
Ogfr Alf Schuhmacher.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Air Force fighter.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL near Leizhou: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1944 at 2130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-15387
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Cheng Kung – Chengdu
MSN:
19853
YOM:
1944
Location:
Leizhou
Guangdong
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
En route, the crew informed ATC about the poor weather conditions and that he was about to bail out. No further contact was heard and the aircraft crashed some 30 miles north of Leizhou. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87CF Liberator Express near Alingsås: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1944 at 0030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express
Operator:
Registration:
NC18618
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Leuchars – Stockholm
MSN:
99
Location:
Alingsås
Västergötland
Country:
Sweden
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft was bearing the civil registration NC18618 but was in fact registered 43-30619. This was some sort of secret operation. It seems that the plane was a part of Operation Carpetbagger, which was a special program to deliver supplies to resistance groups in enemy-occupied countries, to deliver personnel to the field, and occasionally to bring back personnel from the field. It is believed that this plane was being used to fly back to the UK Norwegian aircrew trainees and American internees from Sweden. En route to Stockholm-Bromma and while flying over Sweden, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility due to fog. The group of five airplanes decided to divert to Göteborg Airport when flying at an altitude of some 300 feet, the four engine aircraft hit a hill located near Alingsås, some 50 km northeast of Göteborg. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Truett K. Bullock, pilot,
1st Lt Paul R. Buchanan,
T/Sgt Donald J. Johnston, radio operator,
Cpt Colin T. Campbell, navigator,
Cpt Earl K. North,
T/Sgt Oakley J. Ragland, radio operator.
Source & photo:
http://www.forcedlandingcollection.se/USAAF/USAAF139-441020-C87.html
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
Final Report:
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