Mission and Formation
The B-29 was part of a three-wing formation tasked with destroying railway bridges across the Yalu River at Sinuiju and Antung. Operating as the electronics countermeasure aircraft for the mission, its role was to confuse enemy ground radar using electronic jamming equipment and by dropping aluminum foil strips (chaff). The aircraft held the slot (last) position of the second group, placing it in the middle of the three groups.
Engine Trouble and Attack
Due to engine trouble stemming from age, the B-29 began to slow down. Rather than forcing its own group to decelerate, it dropped from the last spot of the second group and moved to become the lead plane of the next group (the 22nd Bomb Squadron). During this transition, Russian-piloted MiG-15s attacked, finding the B-29 isolated between two groups.
Crew Actions and Outcome
The MiG-15s damaged the aircraft, and a fire erupted. Seven crew members bailed out and became prisoners of war. The remaining crew extinguished the fire and nursed the aircraft back to Suwon Air Force Base in South Korea. Badly damaged, the crew did not attempt to land but instead bailed out, leaving the aircraft to crash into a hill near Suwon, approximately 10 miles south of Seoul.
Crew
The crew consisted of: 1st Lt Henry N. Anderson, 1st Lt Charles N. Banchiera, Cpl Edward F. Clements, Cpt Jack W. Frost, Sgt Floyd T. Hobbs, M/Sgt Owen M. King, 1st Lt Paul D. Lehman, 1st Lt Francis J. Liberatore, 1st Lt Charles W. Matt, 1st Lt Pierre E. Nys, S/Sgt John L. O'Flynn, Cpt Stanley N. Prewdzik, Cpl Thomas H. Protiva Jr., and Sgt John B. Tutt.