Date:	Wednesday 29 December 1943
Time:
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Vc
Owner/operator:	5th FSqn /52nd FGp USAAF
Registration:	MA335
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	vicinity of Livorno -   Italy
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
On 29 December 1943 the 52nd FG USAAF was far more active than in the recent past and flew different types of missions. The 5th FS flew a B-26 escort mission and two reconnaissance missions. But on one of the latter, both pilots, Lt Robert W Hine (flying the Spitfire Vc MA335) and Lt Irwin Gottlieb (Spitfire Vb EP774), did not return. They were to check on shipping in the vicinity of Levanto and then to fly south along the coast to Piombino. Sector Operations picked up a call : « Hello Irv, I think I’ll have to bail out. » Both pilots were list in the vicinity of Livorno, Italy. An airborne search proved unsuccessful and they were never found. The 5th FS diary wrote : « It is surmised that they ran into a Flak bed in the form of harbor installations or an opportunity target. »

"Spitfires and yellow tail Mustangs. The 52nd Fighter Group in World War Two", by Tom Ivie and Paul Ludwig. ISBN 1-902109-43-0, page 67
"A history of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945. Volume Four: Sicily and Italy to the fall of Rome 14 May, 1943 – 5 June, 1944", by Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello with Russel Guest, Frank Olynyk, Winfried Bock and Wg Cdr Andy Thomas, ISBN 978-1-911621102, page 478
http://raf-112-squadron.org/52ndfghonor_roll42_43.html
http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p040.html
http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p057.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Sep-2014 18:02	TB	Added
11-Nov-2022 19:32	Laurent Rizzotti	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Source, Narrative]