44th Bomb Group, 68th Bomb Squadron

Suggested edit: MACR #12007
Target: Dortmund, Germany
Mission Date: 28-Jan-45
Serial Number: #42-51101
Aircraft Model B-24
Aircraft Letter: H
Aircraft Name: CORKY
Location: Dortmund-Derne
Cause: FLAK
Crew of 10 8KIA 2POW

The MACR briefly states that this aircraft was flying at 21,000 feet, encountering intense, accurate flak. It was seen to take a direct hit in the bomb bay. At this time, 1200 hours, aircraft was seen to fall out of formation with a fire in its bomb bay. Three chutes were observed coming
out. One was on fire. The aircraft staggered, continually losing altitude, and then blew up.
The following details come from a lengthier article that appeared in the Winter 1995 edition of 8 Ball Tails: "CORKY was hit by flak with a direct hit in the bomb bay shortly before 12:00 just prior to bombs away. She pulled out of formation, losing altitude and exploded several thousand feet below. Maurice Corwine, the pilot, and Patrick colosimo, the radio operator, were the only two survivors. Three parachutes had been reported from the plane.
"While on the bomb run, Patrick Colosimo had gone down off the flight deck to open the bomb doors, as there apparently had been some technical problems with one of the doors which was partly stuck open. Glenn Mace had also come forward from his mid-ship position and was assisting him in opening the door. The gears were apparently stripped and the door on one side was only open about a foot. Corwine had told them to leave it and they were going to salvo the bombs later. Mace was returning to his waist position and Colosimo turned to go back up to the flight deck. At that point, the ship shuddered and there was severe heat on his back and flames all around him. His clothes caught on fire, and as he was disconnected from the intercom, he didn't know what was said following this. Apparently he was pushed out by someone else through the bomb bay. He was not aware of what happened for a period till he came around, his parachute deployed, with no signs of any other parachutes, but a large fire on the ground. Patrick indicated that he had been picked up by Germans and thrown into a village prison where the news of his crew was variable and was told that six were dead and then later that they were all alive. He was moved to several different prison camps following this, and on the 5th of May, his prison camp was liberated coincidentally by the 82nd airborne to which his brother was attached. Being injured, he was shipped out by ambulance to a hospital. His brother, Jim, only missed him by 20 minutes. He returned to the U.S. in late May where he contacted the relatives of his crew.
Maurice Corwine returned home shortly after and his story was basically similar, having been blown clear of the plane in the explosion and having been taken prisoner.
[According to] some copies of captured German documents...the story is that just before noon on a clear and cold wintry day, the American bombers flew over Dortmund. The anti-aircraft batteries hit a silver plane; the right wing, which went on fire, broke off, and the plane spun down. The witnesses only saw one parachute, though later information indicated that there were two survivors. The east wind blew the parachute towards Dortmund, suburb of Mengde, and the remains of the plane came down in Dortmund-Derne. Colosimo landed on a street called Am Ammerbaum. At this point, there was a flak unit 88mm crewed by members of the Arbeitsdienst (young men too young for military service) and 105-mm battery of the Luftwaffe. There was some argument as to who should take him prisoner and in the meantime, two police officers arrived and lifted him up and carried him approximately 1.5 km. to the local police station. He was wounded and bleeding from the head and his right leg was broken. On the way, they passed a number of civilians who were standing on the street, screaming "murderer' and who spat and kicked him. One of them kicked his broken leg and Patrick screamed. At this point, the police officers did not take any action and the witness said that the journey was like running the gauntlet. One of the little boys grabbed a heated glove that he was carrying. When they reached the police station, he was left on the steps and the police officers went inside. The two young boys came up to Patrick and saw that he was covered in sweat and that there were tears running down his face. At that point, the local Ortsgruppen Leiter (local Nazi party official) Franz Land arrived on his bicycle, ran up the stairs towards the prisoner. Patrick must have gotten a shock when he saw this real Nazi in his brown uniform coming towards him after what had happened on his journey from the street. However, Land entered the police station and there was a loud argument, the basis of which was that the policemen had not carried out their duty to protect the prisoner who hsd been abused. The police officers defended themselves saying that Dr. Goerbels had said (no mercy for the terror flyers). Patrick was then carried inside and put in a detention cell in the basement and the two boys saw him through a window. He was moaning, "Help me, help me." One of the police officers left the police station and fetched Dr. Hallermann, the local doctor, who came and gave him medical treatment."

CORKY Crew
Pilot 1st/Lt. Maurice D. Corwine POW
Flt/Off. Robert L. Lough Co Pilot KIA
2nd/Lt. Wayne S. Scott Navigator KIA
1st/Lt. Earl P Howser Radar-Nav. KIA
T/Sgt. Joseph H. Walker Engineer KIA
T/Sgt. Patrick N. Colosimo Radio Op. POW
S/Sgt. Vernon O. Kirkey Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Glen E. Mace Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Wilbert R. Steinmiller Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Edward I. Weinman Gunner KIA