Date:	Sunday 7 October 1945
Time:
Type:	Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Owner/operator:	435th BSqn /333rd BGp USAAF
Registration:	44-83964
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 11
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	400 miles off Guam -   Pacific Ocean
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Kadena AAF, Okinawa, Japan
Destination airport:	Harmon AAF, Guam

Narrative:
Bell-Atlanta B-29-50-BA Superfortress 44-83964: Built under licence by Bell Aircraft Company, Marietta, Atlanta, Georgia. Delivered to the USAAF 21 June 1945. With 435th BS, 333rd BG and named "Mighty Mouse" when went missing near Guam on October 7, 1945. (MACR 14979)

An engine failed then the propeller tore off. It was carrying a crew of 9 with 2 passengers from Okinawa to Guam. Most of the men survived, but 4 were never found. 44-83964 Crashed into the Pacific Ocean some 400 miles off Guam. There were three survivors. According to published sources (see link #3):

"William Shearman Doolittle was on board a B-29, nicknamed "Mighty Mouse", which, on 7 October 1945, crashed in the Pacific Ocean about 400 miles off Guam. As one of eleven army air force personnel from the 333rd Bomb Group, 435th Bomb Squadron, the plane departed Kadena Air Base, in Okinawa, Japan with a destination of Harmon Air Force Base in Guam. This was a "ferry" mission - the transportation of specific individuals, in this case, Brig. Gen. Joe L Loutzenheiser.

On this day there was continuous rain with a ceiling of 1,000 feet, and visibility of 5/16 to 5/8 mile. According to the reports of the three survivors, one of the engines caught fire, the propeller blew off and ripped out all the electronics in the process. With the radio gone, only those at the front of the plane knew to bail out.

Bill, was at the tail end and wouldn't have heard the order, in addition to six others. The weather made it difficult to do the search and rescue, but three survivors were rescued the following day. Two bodies were recovered and buried at sea. Bill's body was never found and is believed to have gone down with the plane."

Crew of 44-83964 included the following (all killed):

Sgt John W. Benson, confirmed killed, body not recovered
S/Sgt William S. Doolittle, confirmed killed, body not recovered
2nd Lt Wallace A. Hofmann, confirmed killed, body not recovered
Brigadier General Joe L. Loutzenheiser, confirmed killed, body recovered, buried at sea
2nd Lt Leonard J. Marrs, confirmed killed, body not recovered
2nd Lt Francis W. Rich, confirmed killed, body not recovered
S/Sgt Frank B. Santus, confirmed killed, body recovered, buried at sea
T/Sgt Clemens B. Wojcicki. confirmed killed, body not recovered

(The three survivors have not yet been identified).

1. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_6.htm]l . .
2. http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbaloc.asp?Loc=g&offset=14900
3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25525433
4. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1945/archives/crash-of-a-boeing-b-29-50-ba-superfortress-into-the-pacific-ocean-8-killed/]
5. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106893970
6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56121375
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56135789
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmon_Air_Force_Base
9. The Stanford Daily, Volume 108, Issue 14, 11 October 1945 at https://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford19451011-01.2.16

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Dec-2012 00:46	harro	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Source, Narrative]
27-Jun-2017 21:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
27-Jun-2017 21:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
27-Jun-2017 21:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
27-Jun-2017 21:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Source]
27-Jun-2017 21:47	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
13-Mar-2020 10:30	DB	Updated [Operator, Operator]
06-Jun-2022 08:39	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, Country]