Second Lieutenant Bjerva was Killed In Action
aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-29 Superfortress
#42-24662, nicknamed 20th Century Limited.
While returning from a bombardment mission
to the Musashino Aircraft Engine Factory
near Tokyo, his aircraft was rammed by an
enemy Ki-46 fighter over Hachijo Island,
Japan and crashed into the sea with the loss
of all twelve aboard. Served with the 881st
Bombardment Squadron, 500th Bomb Group.
------------------------------------------------------------
Capt Joseph Robert Irvin and crew, loss narrative for the unnamed B-29, Serial Number 42-24662 (Z-2).
27 Nov 1944
This morning, the 500th Bomb Group put up 17 aircraft of 18 scheduled to participate in another attack on Target 357, the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory in Musashino near Tokyo. Secondary target was again the dock and industrial area of Tokyo.
Due to 10/10 cloud cover over primary target the secondary target was bombed during this mission.
The 500th planes were organized into two combat squadrons, as follows:
First squadron
Z-25, “American Beauty”, Van Trigt
Z-30, “Slick Dick”, LaMarche
Z-23, “Ramblin Roscoe”, Hays
Z-24, “Pride of the Yankees”, Tackett
Z-21, “Devils' Delight”, Pierce
Z-1, “The Rosalia Rocket”, Goldsworthy
Z-4, “Black Magic”, Oswald
Z-2, Irvin
Second squadron
Z-42, “Supine Sue”, Moreland
Z-6, “Draggin' Lady”, Field
Z-5, “There'll Always Be A Christmas”, Luman
Z-28, “Old Ironsides”, Gerwick
Z-49, “Three Feathers”, Feathers
Z-45, “Mustn't Touch”, McClanahan
Z-9, “Nina Ross”, Hatch
Z-50, “Fancy Detail”, Braden
Z-48, “Million Dollar Baby”, Black
On the way home the 500th Bomb Group suffered its first combat loss. Z-2, Irvin crew, had bombed the target on the wing of Z-1, Goldsworthy crew. After leaving the target area, Maj Goldsworthy “pulled over on Irvin's wing to fly a little formation. Later we gradually grew apart. I remember seeing the sun reflecting off the airplane for a while. Then I didn't see him again....” It was the last time anyone would see Z-2.
Later, Sgt Charles Maples, radio operator on Z-6, “Draggin' Lady”, Field crew, also on their way home and only about an hour out of Saipan, attentively picked up transmissions from Z-2, which was sending out distress calls and unsuccessfully trying to contact the ground station at Isley. Last position report 21° 0'0.00"N, 147° 0'0.00"E about 400 miles north of Saipan and about 200 miles east of the expected route back to Saipan.
At least three Dumbo search and rescue aircraft and two destroyers USS Roe (DD-418) and USS Fanning (DD-385) were assigned to search for the Irvin crew but nothing was found. Since there was no enemy opposition over the target, the most likely reason for Z-2's loss was a mechanical problem of some sort.
The crew of the lost plane were:
AC Capt Joseph Robert Irvin
P 2/Lt Robert Burke Clore
B 2/Lt Clay Derrick Shannon
N 2/Lt William Louis Moores, Jr.
FE 2/Lt Myron Clarett Bjerva
Radio Sgt Alfred J. Morton
CFC G Cpl Clifford M. Fleming
RG Sgt Richard L. Connell
LG Sgt Verdal Brown
Radar Sgt Everett Luther Abernathy
TG Sgt Marion E. Beery
Obs Maj Gerald Leonard Mosier (881st Squadron Operations Officer)
Source: Excerpt used here with permission from the 500th BG day by day combat journal, Jim Bowman 500th BG Historian.
aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-29 Superfortress
#42-24662, nicknamed 20th Century Limited.
While returning from a bombardment mission
to the Musashino Aircraft Engine Factory
near Tokyo, his aircraft was rammed by an
enemy Ki-46 fighter over Hachijo Island,
Japan and crashed into the sea with the loss
of all twelve aboard. Served with the 881st
Bombardment Squadron, 500th Bomb Group.
------------------------------------------------------------
Capt Joseph Robert Irvin and crew, loss narrative for the unnamed B-29, Serial Number 42-24662 (Z-2).
27 Nov 1944
This morning, the 500th Bomb Group put up 17 aircraft of 18 scheduled to participate in another attack on Target 357, the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory in Musashino near Tokyo. Secondary target was again the dock and industrial area of Tokyo.
Due to 10/10 cloud cover over primary target the secondary target was bombed during this mission.
The 500th planes were organized into two combat squadrons, as follows:
First squadron
Z-25, “American Beauty”, Van Trigt
Z-30, “Slick Dick”, LaMarche
Z-23, “Ramblin Roscoe”, Hays
Z-24, “Pride of the Yankees”, Tackett
Z-21, “Devils' Delight”, Pierce
Z-1, “The Rosalia Rocket”, Goldsworthy
Z-4, “Black Magic”, Oswald
Z-2, Irvin
Second squadron
Z-42, “Supine Sue”, Moreland
Z-6, “Draggin' Lady”, Field
Z-5, “There'll Always Be A Christmas”, Luman
Z-28, “Old Ironsides”, Gerwick
Z-49, “Three Feathers”, Feathers
Z-45, “Mustn't Touch”, McClanahan
Z-9, “Nina Ross”, Hatch
Z-50, “Fancy Detail”, Braden
Z-48, “Million Dollar Baby”, Black
On the way home the 500th Bomb Group suffered its first combat loss. Z-2, Irvin crew, had bombed the target on the wing of Z-1, Goldsworthy crew. After leaving the target area, Maj Goldsworthy “pulled over on Irvin's wing to fly a little formation. Later we gradually grew apart. I remember seeing the sun reflecting off the airplane for a while. Then I didn't see him again....” It was the last time anyone would see Z-2.
Later, Sgt Charles Maples, radio operator on Z-6, “Draggin' Lady”, Field crew, also on their way home and only about an hour out of Saipan, attentively picked up transmissions from Z-2, which was sending out distress calls and unsuccessfully trying to contact the ground station at Isley. Last position report 21° 0'0.00"N, 147° 0'0.00"E about 400 miles north of Saipan and about 200 miles east of the expected route back to Saipan.
At least three Dumbo search and rescue aircraft and two destroyers USS Roe (DD-418) and USS Fanning (DD-385) were assigned to search for the Irvin crew but nothing was found. Since there was no enemy opposition over the target, the most likely reason for Z-2's loss was a mechanical problem of some sort.
The crew of the lost plane were:
AC Capt Joseph Robert Irvin
P 2/Lt Robert Burke Clore
B 2/Lt Clay Derrick Shannon
N 2/Lt William Louis Moores, Jr.
FE 2/Lt Myron Clarett Bjerva
Radio Sgt Alfred J. Morton
CFC G Cpl Clifford M. Fleming
RG Sgt Richard L. Connell
LG Sgt Verdal Brown
Radar Sgt Everett Luther Abernathy
TG Sgt Marion E. Beery
Obs Maj Gerald Leonard Mosier (881st Squadron Operations Officer)
Source: Excerpt used here with permission from the 500th BG day by day combat journal, Jim Bowman 500th BG Historian.
Second Lieutenant Bjerva was Killed In Action
aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-29 Superfortress
#42-24662, nicknamed 20th Century Limited.
While returning from a bombardment mission
to the Musashino Aircraft Engine Factory
near Tokyo, his aircraft was rammed by an
enemy Ki-46 fighter over Hachijo Island,
Japan and crashed into the sea with the loss
of all twelve aboard. Served with the 881st
Bombardment Squadron, 500th Bomb Group.
------------------------------------------------------------
Capt Joseph Robert Irvin and crew, loss narrative for the unnamed B-29, Serial Number 42-24662 (Z-2).
27 Nov 1944
This morning, the 500th Bomb Group put up 17 aircraft of 18 scheduled to participate in another attack on Target 357, the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory in Musashino near Tokyo. Secondary target was again the dock and industrial area of Tokyo.
Due to 10/10 cloud cover over primary target the secondary target was bombed during this mission.
The 500th planes were organized into two combat squadrons, as follows:
First squadron
Z-25, “American Beauty”, Van Trigt
Z-30, “Slick Dick”, LaMarche
Z-23, “Ramblin Roscoe”, Hays
Z-24, “Pride of the Yankees”, Tackett
Z-21, “Devils' Delight”, Pierce
Z-1, “The Rosalia Rocket”, Goldsworthy
Z-4, “Black Magic”, Oswald
Z-2, Irvin
Second squadron
Z-42, “Supine Sue”, Moreland
Z-6, “Draggin' Lady”, Field
Z-5, “There'll Always Be A Christmas”, Luman
Z-28, “Old Ironsides”, Gerwick
Z-49, “Three Feathers”, Feathers
Z-45, “Mustn't Touch”, McClanahan
Z-9, “Nina Ross”, Hatch
Z-50, “Fancy Detail”, Braden
Z-48, “Million Dollar Baby”, Black
On the way home the 500th Bomb Group suffered its first combat loss. Z-2, Irvin crew, had bombed the target on the wing of Z-1, Goldsworthy crew. After leaving the target area, Maj Goldsworthy “pulled over on Irvin's wing to fly a little formation. Later we gradually grew apart. I remember seeing the sun reflecting off the airplane for a while. Then I didn't see him again....” It was the last time anyone would see Z-2.
Later, Sgt Charles Maples, radio operator on Z-6, “Draggin' Lady”, Field crew, also on their way home and only about an hour out of Saipan, attentively picked up transmissions from Z-2, which was sending out distress calls and unsuccessfully trying to contact the ground station at Isley. Last position report 21° 0'0.00"N, 147° 0'0.00"E about 400 miles north of Saipan and about 200 miles east of the expected route back to Saipan.
At least three Dumbo search and rescue aircraft and two destroyers USS Roe (DD-418) and USS Fanning (DD-385) were assigned to search for the Irvin crew but nothing was found. Since there was no enemy opposition over the target, the most likely reason for Z-2's loss was a mechanical problem of some sort.
The crew of the lost plane were:
AC Capt Joseph Robert Irvin
P 2/Lt Robert Burke Clore
B 2/Lt Clay Derrick Shannon
N 2/Lt William Louis Moores, Jr.
FE 2/Lt Myron Clarett Bjerva
Radio Sgt Alfred J. Morton
CFC G Cpl Clifford M. Fleming
RG Sgt Richard L. Connell
LG Sgt Verdal Brown
Radar Sgt Everett Luther Abernathy
TG Sgt Marion E. Beery
Obs Maj Gerald Leonard Mosier (881st Squadron Operations Officer)
Source: Excerpt used here with permission from the 500th BG day by day combat journal, Jim Bowman 500th BG Historian.
aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-29 Superfortress
#42-24662, nicknamed 20th Century Limited.
While returning from a bombardment mission
to the Musashino Aircraft Engine Factory
near Tokyo, his aircraft was rammed by an
enemy Ki-46 fighter over Hachijo Island,
Japan and crashed into the sea with the loss
of all twelve aboard. Served with the 881st
Bombardment Squadron, 500th Bomb Group.
------------------------------------------------------------
Capt Joseph Robert Irvin and crew, loss narrative for the unnamed B-29, Serial Number 42-24662 (Z-2).
27 Nov 1944
This morning, the 500th Bomb Group put up 17 aircraft of 18 scheduled to participate in another attack on Target 357, the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory in Musashino near Tokyo. Secondary target was again the dock and industrial area of Tokyo.
Due to 10/10 cloud cover over primary target the secondary target was bombed during this mission.
The 500th planes were organized into two combat squadrons, as follows:
First squadron
Z-25, “American Beauty”, Van Trigt
Z-30, “Slick Dick”, LaMarche
Z-23, “Ramblin Roscoe”, Hays
Z-24, “Pride of the Yankees”, Tackett
Z-21, “Devils' Delight”, Pierce
Z-1, “The Rosalia Rocket”, Goldsworthy
Z-4, “Black Magic”, Oswald
Z-2, Irvin
Second squadron
Z-42, “Supine Sue”, Moreland
Z-6, “Draggin' Lady”, Field
Z-5, “There'll Always Be A Christmas”, Luman
Z-28, “Old Ironsides”, Gerwick
Z-49, “Three Feathers”, Feathers
Z-45, “Mustn't Touch”, McClanahan
Z-9, “Nina Ross”, Hatch
Z-50, “Fancy Detail”, Braden
Z-48, “Million Dollar Baby”, Black
On the way home the 500th Bomb Group suffered its first combat loss. Z-2, Irvin crew, had bombed the target on the wing of Z-1, Goldsworthy crew. After leaving the target area, Maj Goldsworthy “pulled over on Irvin's wing to fly a little formation. Later we gradually grew apart. I remember seeing the sun reflecting off the airplane for a while. Then I didn't see him again....” It was the last time anyone would see Z-2.
Later, Sgt Charles Maples, radio operator on Z-6, “Draggin' Lady”, Field crew, also on their way home and only about an hour out of Saipan, attentively picked up transmissions from Z-2, which was sending out distress calls and unsuccessfully trying to contact the ground station at Isley. Last position report 21° 0'0.00"N, 147° 0'0.00"E about 400 miles north of Saipan and about 200 miles east of the expected route back to Saipan.
At least three Dumbo search and rescue aircraft and two destroyers USS Roe (DD-418) and USS Fanning (DD-385) were assigned to search for the Irvin crew but nothing was found. Since there was no enemy opposition over the target, the most likely reason for Z-2's loss was a mechanical problem of some sort.
The crew of the lost plane were:
AC Capt Joseph Robert Irvin
P 2/Lt Robert Burke Clore
B 2/Lt Clay Derrick Shannon
N 2/Lt William Louis Moores, Jr.
FE 2/Lt Myron Clarett Bjerva
Radio Sgt Alfred J. Morton
CFC G Cpl Clifford M. Fleming
RG Sgt Richard L. Connell
LG Sgt Verdal Brown
Radar Sgt Everett Luther Abernathy
TG Sgt Marion E. Beery
Obs Maj Gerald Leonard Mosier (881st Squadron Operations Officer)
Source: Excerpt used here with permission from the 500th BG day by day combat journal, Jim Bowman 500th BG Historian.
Inscription
2LT, 500 AAF BOMB GP WORLD WAR II
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Minnesota.
Family Members
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