◦NARA War Dept Files
2 LT William N. Hatcher
ID: O-764991
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Shackelford County, TX
Status: KIA
NARA War Dept Files
William N. Hatcher
ID: 0-764991
Entered the Service From: Texas
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 17th Squadron, 71st Reconnaissance Group
Died: Tuesday, December 26, 1944
Buried at: Manila American Cemetery
Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines
Plot: D Row: 1 Grave: 8
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From Robert Stava ([email protected]):
My great uncle John Stava was a tail gunner on that series of missions flown by the 17th Recon while being attacked by a Japanese Task Force at their new base at San Jose and I have plenty of mission reports plus the original Squadron History detailing it. It's also mentioned in General Kenney's memoirs.
William was a B-25 pilot with the 17th Reconnaissance and that the action during which he was killed was pretty intense. On the evening of December 26th, 1944, the Japanese sent a task force of one battleship, a heavy cruiser and six destroyers to destroy the new forward airfield at San Jose on Mindoro, Philippines which had just been established on December 17th. The only defenders were a squadron of B-25's from the 17th Recon plus a squadron of P-47's. They had to take off under an airfield that was shortly under fire from the task force as well as strafing runs from Japanese aircraft which set the ammo dump on fire. It was so dark that the some of the attacking B-25's turned on their landing lights at the enemy ships so they could pick out their targets. The 17th would lose 4 B-25's that night, one which crashed on take off, two ditched due to the weather and one while attacking the convoy (Lt. Hatcher's plane). I'll have to go over the records from the 17th Recon History but my understanding is that Lt. Hatcher of Albany, Texas, after his aircraft was mortally hit by anti-aircraft fire, crashed his B-25 into a Japanese destroyer, sinking it. None of the 17th Recon veterans I interviewed wished to talk about it.
The Japanese task force was driven off, the base at San Jose saved, and it was an important enough of an event for the commanding General George Kenney to mention it in his memoirs. Under his recommendation the 17th Recon was awarded a Presidential Citation via General McArthur for that action.
The mission reports, Squadron History, etc., are probably only of interest to family, friends, or an avid historian. I have copies but there are copies of the mission reports in the National Archives in Washington D.C. and Maxwell AFB has copies of the 17th recon Squadron history on microfilm.
2 LT William N. Hatcher
ID: O-764991
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Shackelford County, TX
Status: KIA
NARA War Dept Files
William N. Hatcher
ID: 0-764991
Entered the Service From: Texas
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 17th Squadron, 71st Reconnaissance Group
Died: Tuesday, December 26, 1944
Buried at: Manila American Cemetery
Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines
Plot: D Row: 1 Grave: 8
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From Robert Stava ([email protected]):
My great uncle John Stava was a tail gunner on that series of missions flown by the 17th Recon while being attacked by a Japanese Task Force at their new base at San Jose and I have plenty of mission reports plus the original Squadron History detailing it. It's also mentioned in General Kenney's memoirs.
William was a B-25 pilot with the 17th Reconnaissance and that the action during which he was killed was pretty intense. On the evening of December 26th, 1944, the Japanese sent a task force of one battleship, a heavy cruiser and six destroyers to destroy the new forward airfield at San Jose on Mindoro, Philippines which had just been established on December 17th. The only defenders were a squadron of B-25's from the 17th Recon plus a squadron of P-47's. They had to take off under an airfield that was shortly under fire from the task force as well as strafing runs from Japanese aircraft which set the ammo dump on fire. It was so dark that the some of the attacking B-25's turned on their landing lights at the enemy ships so they could pick out their targets. The 17th would lose 4 B-25's that night, one which crashed on take off, two ditched due to the weather and one while attacking the convoy (Lt. Hatcher's plane). I'll have to go over the records from the 17th Recon History but my understanding is that Lt. Hatcher of Albany, Texas, after his aircraft was mortally hit by anti-aircraft fire, crashed his B-25 into a Japanese destroyer, sinking it. None of the 17th Recon veterans I interviewed wished to talk about it.
The Japanese task force was driven off, the base at San Jose saved, and it was an important enough of an event for the commanding General George Kenney to mention it in his memoirs. Under his recommendation the 17th Recon was awarded a Presidential Citation via General McArthur for that action.
The mission reports, Squadron History, etc., are probably only of interest to family, friends, or an avid historian. I have copies but there are copies of the mission reports in the National Archives in Washington D.C. and Maxwell AFB has copies of the 17th recon Squadron history on microfilm.
◦NARA War Dept Files
2 LT William N. Hatcher
ID: O-764991
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Shackelford County, TX
Status: KIA
NARA War Dept Files
William N. Hatcher
ID: 0-764991
Entered the Service From: Texas
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 17th Squadron, 71st Reconnaissance Group
Died: Tuesday, December 26, 1944
Buried at: Manila American Cemetery
Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines
Plot: D Row: 1 Grave: 8
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From Robert Stava ([email protected]):
My great uncle John Stava was a tail gunner on that series of missions flown by the 17th Recon while being attacked by a Japanese Task Force at their new base at San Jose and I have plenty of mission reports plus the original Squadron History detailing it. It's also mentioned in General Kenney's memoirs.
William was a B-25 pilot with the 17th Reconnaissance and that the action during which he was killed was pretty intense. On the evening of December 26th, 1944, the Japanese sent a task force of one battleship, a heavy cruiser and six destroyers to destroy the new forward airfield at San Jose on Mindoro, Philippines which had just been established on December 17th. The only defenders were a squadron of B-25's from the 17th Recon plus a squadron of P-47's. They had to take off under an airfield that was shortly under fire from the task force as well as strafing runs from Japanese aircraft which set the ammo dump on fire. It was so dark that the some of the attacking B-25's turned on their landing lights at the enemy ships so they could pick out their targets. The 17th would lose 4 B-25's that night, one which crashed on take off, two ditched due to the weather and one while attacking the convoy (Lt. Hatcher's plane). I'll have to go over the records from the 17th Recon History but my understanding is that Lt. Hatcher of Albany, Texas, after his aircraft was mortally hit by anti-aircraft fire, crashed his B-25 into a Japanese destroyer, sinking it. None of the 17th Recon veterans I interviewed wished to talk about it.
The Japanese task force was driven off, the base at San Jose saved, and it was an important enough of an event for the commanding General George Kenney to mention it in his memoirs. Under his recommendation the 17th Recon was awarded a Presidential Citation via General McArthur for that action.
The mission reports, Squadron History, etc., are probably only of interest to family, friends, or an avid historian. I have copies but there are copies of the mission reports in the National Archives in Washington D.C. and Maxwell AFB has copies of the 17th recon Squadron history on microfilm.
2 LT William N. Hatcher
ID: O-764991
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Shackelford County, TX
Status: KIA
NARA War Dept Files
William N. Hatcher
ID: 0-764991
Entered the Service From: Texas
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 17th Squadron, 71st Reconnaissance Group
Died: Tuesday, December 26, 1944
Buried at: Manila American Cemetery
Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines
Plot: D Row: 1 Grave: 8
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From Robert Stava ([email protected]):
My great uncle John Stava was a tail gunner on that series of missions flown by the 17th Recon while being attacked by a Japanese Task Force at their new base at San Jose and I have plenty of mission reports plus the original Squadron History detailing it. It's also mentioned in General Kenney's memoirs.
William was a B-25 pilot with the 17th Reconnaissance and that the action during which he was killed was pretty intense. On the evening of December 26th, 1944, the Japanese sent a task force of one battleship, a heavy cruiser and six destroyers to destroy the new forward airfield at San Jose on Mindoro, Philippines which had just been established on December 17th. The only defenders were a squadron of B-25's from the 17th Recon plus a squadron of P-47's. They had to take off under an airfield that was shortly under fire from the task force as well as strafing runs from Japanese aircraft which set the ammo dump on fire. It was so dark that the some of the attacking B-25's turned on their landing lights at the enemy ships so they could pick out their targets. The 17th would lose 4 B-25's that night, one which crashed on take off, two ditched due to the weather and one while attacking the convoy (Lt. Hatcher's plane). I'll have to go over the records from the 17th Recon History but my understanding is that Lt. Hatcher of Albany, Texas, after his aircraft was mortally hit by anti-aircraft fire, crashed his B-25 into a Japanese destroyer, sinking it. None of the 17th Recon veterans I interviewed wished to talk about it.
The Japanese task force was driven off, the base at San Jose saved, and it was an important enough of an event for the commanding General George Kenney to mention it in his memoirs. Under his recommendation the 17th Recon was awarded a Presidential Citation via General McArthur for that action.
The mission reports, Squadron History, etc., are probably only of interest to family, friends, or an avid historian. I have copies but there are copies of the mission reports in the National Archives in Washington D.C. and Maxwell AFB has copies of the 17th recon Squadron history on microfilm.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Texas.
Family Members
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