Navy Squadrons 106/102/14 Association
Newsletter - December 2014
by Lisa Kirk
4426 Maple Ave.
La Mesa, CA 91941

A PERSONAL STORY……

September 9, 1944 Bulldozer Incident

By Francis (Lenc) J. Lencioni, PPC, Squadron 102, Crew 8

Finally he called out the red boundary light and I looked up to see it about 100 feet ahead.  The aircraft should be airborne at this point, any further, and you’d be rolling into the immoveable knoll.  I hauled back on the yoke, lifted the nose wheel off the deck at just about lift-off air speed and the aircraft became airborne.  A few seconds of flying, I felt a heavy “thump”.  The aircraft seemed to bounce up and then slowly settled down.  The little airplane on my altitude indicator gage was slowly dropping down below the horizon bar, indicating that the plane was losing altitude.  I looked out and saw the white florescent beach line only ten feet below.  I quickly riveted back on the little airplane, which was still below the horizon bar (surely we’d be flying into the water), when suddenly it rose up to the horizon bar, meaning that we were maintaining level flight – a little more flying and the plane began to climb.  I looked out, and now, in the paling light, I could see the water and Saipan up ahead.  We were about twenty feet above the water and climbing.  At this point, Andy (Plane Captain), gave me a damage report:  The nose wheel had been driven back up into the nose wheel well, with hydraulic fluid all over the place.  The auxiliary, bomb bay tanks had been jettisoned.  There was a large, gaping hole in the bottom of the fuselage, from the bomb bay doors back to the starboard waist hatch.  The belly turret was hanging loose and the starboard tire appeared to have been damaged.  

I continued a shallow, left, climbing turn, back to the island.  My options, now were:  a controlled water ditching close to shore, parachute the crew over land, or gamble that the plane would hold together long enough to get me one thousand foot altitude and a good approach for a full flap landing.  I chose the latter option and radioed my intentions to the folks below.  The rest was routine – my gamble paid off as I nursed the ole bird back to the runway pattern.  It took two passes to get the plane properly aligned and into a good position for an emergency landing.  As I reached the point on the approach end of the runway to where, at my altitude, I could lose all power, and still make the field,  I called for full flaps, chopped the throttles, pushed the nose over and maintained minimum flying air speed.  It was like going down a roller coaster ride, aiming at the end of the runway.  Then, at the precise altitude, I hauled back the yoke, flared out the plane, and greased the wheels on the deck.  The lift from the wing ceased, and the full weight, and destiny, of the aircraft was transferred to the side mounts. 

We Made It!  As we shook, rattled and rolled down the runway, Proctor secured the engines and mags.  I held the nose up as long as possible, then the nose rotated down and with no nose wheel, she went down to the deck, creating a lot of drag and noise, but, bringing the ole bird to a shorter and quieter STOP!  As the crew quickly exited the plane, and since there was no fire or urgent need to move, I simply sat there and unwound, recounting all of my blessings.  I finally unbuckled my seat straps, rotated out of the seat and unsteadily exited the aircraft.  Chief Drott (Leading Chief) was my first encounter.  Approaching me with a large grin, seldom seen or bestowed on any human, thanked me for bringing his boys back safely.  “You’re welcome Chief.   It was a privilege and my pleasure.”

Note:  The above narration was my own personal accounting of events, as I conceived them, and with a little bit of embellishment, as to what occurred to “319” from take-off to landing.  The following report describes a more factual accounting of the cause and effects of the above events and the final disposition of “319”.  

This scheduled patrol was scratched before it started.  Due to a limited runway on Tinian the procedure was to take-off light and fly to Saipan, complete fueling and armament and then initiate the patrol from there.  We never made it to Saipan.  The take-off for that morning’s flight, which was made in complete darkness, did not achieve sufficient altitude to clear the obstacles as the end of the runway.  The obstacles being a 15 foot knoll and two bulldozers left there by the Seabees.  The decision, as to when to lift-off, was based on the approaching red boundary light, which probably was too late to gain sufficient altitude.  Had I had a visible concept of the situation, I’m sure I would have attempted an earlier lift-off.  However, the aircraft did become airborne and was flying and climbing when it struck a bulldozer, tearing a large section from the underside of the fuselage and damaging the right tire, immediately followed by the nose wheel impacting the top of the knoll and driving it into the wheel well.  The propeller tips luckily cleared the knoll and caused no problems to the engine’s  performance.  The combined impacts, however, were strong enough to slow the aircraft down to where:  at military  power and maximum nose attitude to maintain flight, the aircraft was no longer climbing but descending.  As we passed over the beach we had ten feet of altitude, a descending flight path with imminent contact with the water.  It was at this point that Penley (2^nd Mech), who was positioned at his take-off station, released (jettisoned) the heavy bomb bay fuel tanks.  This load-release was enough to check the aircraft’s descent, maintain a level flight attitude over water, until sufficient air speed was attained to change to a climbing attitude……and climb she did.  The rest of the flight was a series of positive events which eventually laid “319” safely back on Tinian.  The continuing assurance that engines were going to maintain their performance and that the damaged fuselage was going to hold together, ruled out a possible ditching or overland bail-out.  It also gave us the time necessary to:  set up communications with ground personnel, repair and prepare the aircraft for an emergency landing, the crew time to lighten the aircraft by jettisoning all available loose items, and me time to set up a good pattern and approach to execute an emergency landing…and land we did.

“Bone Yard” on the remote end of North Field, Tinian.  We’d like to believe that she still maintained her serviceability with VPB-102 through transplanted, serviceable parts, donated to her ailing sister aircraft.  

Footnote:  The basic cause of the accident was never clearly established.  However, it was reported that there was a slightly damaged bulldozer in the Seabee’s motor pool with a B-24 painted on its side???  Sounds reasonable to me!  

Epilogue:  A very significant change in the destiny of Crew 8 occurred on that early morning flight.  Thru the action of one crew member, a doomed flight was restored to a surviving flight.  Maurice Penley, acting on his own cognizance, executed the only survivable action left by jettisoning the heavy auxiliary fuel tanks in time to prevent the descending aircraft from crashing into the sea.  This was a meritorious action that has too long gone unrecognized or recorded.  Pen:  The existence of Crew 8 was allowed to continue on that morning only thru your dedicated performance of duty.  Crew 8 most respectfully and gratefully honor and thank you for that.  Lenc

Squadron 102, Crew 8:  Francis J. Lencioni (Lenc), PPC; Loey Proctor (Proct), PP1P; William F. Bley (Bill), PP1P; Eldridge G. Fincher (Finch), Bombardier; William B. Andrews (Andy), Plane Captain; Maurice L. Penley (Pen), 2^nd Mechanic; Donald E. Vaught (Doggie), 1^st Radioman; Angelo Lycas (Angie), 2^nd Radioman; Patrick A. Keane (Keeno), Ordnance; William R. Adams (Bill), Gunner

SCUTTLEBUTT

Don Haehnel (106) – Thanks so much.  Would like to keep in touch so sending $15 (dues).  Sure sorry to have to miss get together…...health just won’t allow it.  Have had great times in past.  Greetings to everyone and have a fun time.  Best wishes to everyone.

Helen K. Meyer, wife of Bernhard Meyer III (106) – Bernhard Meyer III will not attend the reunion, sorry to say.  Think of the good times at the reunions.  Bernie and I will be married 64 years in October.  Would love to continue to receive the newsletter.  Enclosed please find a donation to the committee.  (Helen:  Congratulations on your anniversary & a big thank you for your donation.)

Mike Kelly, son of Durwood Kelly (106) – Appreciate hard work of everyone on newsletter, reunion, etc.  Still enjoy reading about everyone – remembering all and past reunions of many years.  Won’t be able to stay for week’s activities in San Antonio (new job) but would like to see everyone Sunday around check-in at Liberty (Ready) Room assuming you still do that……I’ll just be saying hello and leaving same night and coming back to Houston for work on Monday.  Thanks, Regards to Bob.  (Mike did not make it on Sunday.  Sorry we missed you!)

Frank Lencioni (102) – I won’t be attending the 24^th Reunion, as I don’t travel long distances anymore.  However, I’m in good health, still drive, etc. and will keep electronically active thru the 24^th Reunion.

George Crocker (106) – Regarding the development of the PB4Y-2, our Privateer…..a remarkable aircraft during World War II……First, it’s of interest to note, the PB4Y-2,  was initially given the name:  “Sea Liberator”, later changed to “Privateer”, a more appropriate name for an aircraft designed for a low altitude patrol and bombing.  This approach to the bombing of enemy shipping was called “skip-bombing”, the bomb or bombs, skipping over the water’s surface, similar to skipping a flat stone over the surface of a creek or pond, as many of us did during our youth.  Ground crews often referred to the Privateers as “The Flying Tail” since it had that vertical single-fin tail, nearly 30 feet in height, and towered above all other aircraft flown during World War II.  To be exact, the single tail (stabilizer), was 29 feet 1 5/8 inches high.  The Privateer carried six turrets; two mounted on the dorsal spine, one just behind the cockpit and one ahead of the vertical tail, with one turret at the bow, and one at the tail.  On the port and starboard waist each had a teardrop-shaped blister.  Each turret housed a pair of 0.50-inch machine guns, twelve total.  The wingspan of the privateer was 110 feet, length 74 feet 7 inches, weight 39,400 empty, 64,000 pounds gross.  Maximum speed 248.3 at 12,000 feet, cruising speed 158 mph.  In total, 61 PB4Y-2 Privateers were lost in action during World War II.  Each Privateer had a crew of eleven or twelve men.  We were the lucky ones who survived……The Privateers were built by Convair/San Diego.  On October 15, 1943, 660 were ordered.  A year later a second order for 710 was received.  The last of the 739 Privateers was delivered in October of 1945.  The remaining Privateers on order were cancelled following VJ-Day.  

Thank you for writing in to us.  We would love to hear from more of you!!!

SQUADRON WEBSITES

As a reminder, you can get squadron information on the following websites.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/      VPB-106 & VPB-102/14

http://vpb_102.tripod.com/index.htm                    VPB-102/14

http://vpb106.com/index.html                                 VPB-106

http://www.navalaviationmseum.org/archive/       VB-106

SAN ANTONIO 24^th REUNION REVIEW

Embassy Suites Riverwalk

October 26 – 30, 2014

As usual, the days of our Reunion flew by too fast and maybe that is partly because we kept busy visiting all the sites that San Antonio had to offer.  As a group we cruised on the Riverwalk, rode on a double decker bus in the open air, traveled north of the city to the LBJ Ranch and the German town of Fredericksburg, visited two missions, and a garden created in an old quarry.  We had plenty of time to explore additional places on our own, and I believe we ALL saw The Alamo?!?!  By the end of our Reunion we were filled with a wealth of San Antonio’s history.  The Reunion is smaller these days but has more of an ‘extended family’ feel to it as we have more of an opportunity to get to know each other better.  In a nut shell, a friendly, fun and wonderful group.  We look forward to exploring another American city together next year!

We had 46 attendees this year:  6 squadron members and 40 family and friends.  

In Appreciation……  

A HUGE ‘Thank You!’ to all the following people who donated their time, gave from their wallets, or both.  Without your help, the Reunion would not have come to be what it was.