Commando 44-77612

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77612

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33008

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1544

FATE: Written off

  December 1944 to March 1945

  44-77612 - USAAF (USA)

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23 December 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

Early 1945

Assigned to Air Transport Command, Caribbean Division, 1103^th AAF Base Unit, Morrison Field, FL.

15 January 1945

Damaged at Borinquen Field, PR in a taxi accident.

The Commando was probably being ferried to Europe via the South Atlantic route. While parked at Borinquen Field, PR it was struck by sistership 44-77597 which was being taxied nearby by Marvin E. Niemiller. Both airplanes were damaged.

1 February 1945

Assigned to the 8^th Air Force.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 9^th Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313^th Troop Carrier Group, 48^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Grevillers-Achiet (B-54), France.

Marked "Z7-U".

24 March 1945

Went missing over Germany during Operation Varsity (fatalities).

Crew:
1^st Lt. Joe T. Henderson, Pilot (bailed out, injured)
2^nd Lt. Sheldon J. Witt, Copilot (bailed out)
2^nd Lt. Edward J. Musall, Navigator (KIA, pictured right)
S/Sgt. John Badzo, Radio Operator (bailed out, injured)
T/Sgt. Harry A. Mosbaugh, Crew Chief (bailed out)

The Commando, flying as Chalk 49, dropped his paratroopers on the dropzone near Wesel, Germany - apart form a single paratrooper who refused to jump for unknown reasons. However, the plane was hit by concentrated small arms fire as it crossed the railroad over the dropzone. The hydraulic system was shot out and the belly caught fire, so Lt. Henderson ordered the crew to bail out about 500 meters southeast of Marwick, Germany. Lt. Witt relayed the order to bail out to the rest of the occupants, and he jumped at a height of 500 feet along with Sgt. Badzo, Sgt. Mosbaugh and the remaining paratrooper. When Lt. Henderson went to the back of the airplane, he found navigator Lt. Musall still in the cabin, and he had to order him twice to bail out before he headed for a door at the rear of the airplane. Lt. Henderson jumped from the opposite door at a height of 250 feet, injuring a leg on the landing. The airplane continued to fly unmanned, and its right wing blew up just before it hit the ground.

Lt. Henderson headed for the wreckage and found the body of Lt. Musall in it. The other three crew members and the paratrooper were shot at by the Germans while descending, and captured on landing. Sgt. Badzo injured his leg on landing and the paratrooper was shot in the right arm - both men were given first aid by the Germans. They were then brought to a civilian home which served as headquarters for that Wehrmacht unit, and interrogated in a friendly manner. The crew pretended not to understand the questions, and the interrogation soon stopped. The Germans said they would surrender as soon as the Allies arrived, which they did four hours laters when British troops advanced in the area.

Sgt. Badzo was taken to a British hospital while the other crew members were sent back to their unit.

28 April 1945

Condemned, missing in action.