B-17 CC Additional Material by Robert M Stitt

Medium-altitude attack on ships in Lae Convoy by 38 th BG B-25s on
Jan. 7, 1943. Note the ship is getting underway as a landing barge pulls
away for the shoreline. (Roy L Grover Collection via Lawrence J Hickey)
View of Fortress 41-9234 taken from 10,000 feet (3,048 m) by a B-17 of the
8 th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron on January 26, 1943, 18 days after the
crash-landing. The Fortress approached from the upper left over Kaisenik Creek and
slewed 90º to the right after touchdown. Note how soil piled up at the port wing root
as the aircraft slid sideways. (via Donald Hoggan)
View across Kaisenik Creek
shows how pilot Ray Dau
ran out of options as he
wrestled to keep the Fortress
in the air on two engines
in rising terrain. (Phillip
Bradley)
41-9234 sits in a tranquil
field of kunai grass in August
1993, much as it would
have appeared following
the Lae Convoy mission 50
years earlier. The large break
in port side of the fuselage
coincided with the forward
end of the radio compartment
where several of the
crew were located during the
crash landing; radio operator
Robert Albright was unable
to secure himself and died
of his injuries six days later.
(Bruce Hoy)
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