American pilots, Crew #15, who took part in the Doolittle Raid. The aircraft number is 40-2267. Target – Nagoya. 98th reconnaissance squadron.
American pilots, first row, left to right:
Crew Commander – First Pilot Lieutenant Donald G. Smith;
Co-pilot, Lieutenant Griffith P. Williams.
American pilots, second row, from left to right:
Navigator-bombardier, Lieutenant Howard A. Sessler;
Flight Engineer Lieutenant Thomas R. White;
Shooter, Sergeant Edward J. Saylor.
The crew of Lieutenant Donald G. Smith’s plane was tasked with bombing Kobe. Its targets were: the Venosita steel plant, the Kawasaki shipyard, the Kawasaki electrical machine plant, and the Kawasaki aircraft factory. What were the results of the bombing remains unknown. On the way back, the plane ran out of fuel before the American pilots reached the coast. Lieutenant Donald G. Smith had to make an emergency landing on the water about 500 meters from the shore. The crew members were not injured. The American pilots reached the shore on a liferaft. Local Chinese residents helped the crew get to the collection point.
Sources of information on American Pilots Photo:
1.www.goodwearleather.com
2.sad-rascko.livejournal.com
Location: Pacific Ocean
Photo Time: April 18, 1942