The Mystery of Three Photographs of B-24H 41-28816 "Scrappy"

Photo #1: This photograph was posted on Reddit in r/WWIIplanes; the date given on the Reddit page for its posting is "1y ago" and since this Blog page is being created on January 11, 2025, the photo was posted on Reddit sometime around the same date in January 2024. The caption provided with the photo by the Reddit poster was: "A Consolidated B-24 Liberator of the 15th Air Force comes through an intense and accurate flak barrage over Vienna on October 13, 1944."

Points to note on Photo #1: The large flak burst at top middle of the photo; the large cloud formation at the right of the photo; and in the upper right corner of the photo is a portion of the inside of the port vertical stabilizer of another B-24 (thus it would appear that the photograph was taken from the port waist window).

 

Photo #2: Unfortunately, I only have a small low quality image of this photograph. I have not been able to find a better copy (or any copy) of this photo online). I found this version some years ago and it included this caption: "A Consolidated B-24H Liberator of the 725th Bombardment Squadron, 451st Bombardment Group (H), 15th US Air Force, emerges from “Flak Alley” over Vienna, Austria with its No. 2 engine smoking but homeward bound. It's not known for sure if it made its way back safely to base in San Pancrazio, Italy. 17 March 1944. The combat mission was to destroy an aircraft assembly plant at Schwechat near Vienna in Austria. Weather clear to Yugoslavian coast, then solid overcast all the way over target. Clouds up to 20,000 feet. Encountered some ack-ack at different points en route and returning from target. None over target. All aircraft returned bar one, which had to turn back at Zagreb and ditched in the Adriatic (all crew lost)."

As you can see it is nearly identical to Photo #1, yet it has a different date: 17 March 1944 while Photo #1's caption stated October 13, 1944. Your first inclination is to simply say, "They are two different photographs taken at two different times." But are they? How can two photos taken months apart look almost identical? The cloud formation is identical; the flak formation is identical, especially in the upper half of the photo; note the large flak burst in the middle top of the photo - it is the lower portion of the large flak burst in Photo #1. Also, note the flak bursts in the lower portion of the photo: some can be found in Photo #1, but some cannot. Especially note the flak bursts just below the inboard port engine, which are not there in Photo #1 (those bursts are not really "below" the engine, of course, they were actually some distance away from the actual plane at the time, but for the purpose of this discussion they are "below" the engine). Also note in the upper right corner a portion of the port stabilizer of the B-24.

Photo #3: Okay, so at first glance this looks like a totally different scene and you might just say that this is a different plane on a different mission on a different day. But look closer. Note the cloud formation and the flak formation - there are many similarities and in some cases, there are parts that are identical to the cloud formation in Photos #1 and #2. I believe that Photos #1 and #2 were taken just a second or two apart, while Photo #3 was taken several or more seconds after the first two and the plane was moving away from the flak and clouds and that the photographer was able to get a more clear photo. Again, note in the upper right corner a portion of the port stabilizer of the B-24. The chances of two or three photos taken on different days/missions having that stabilizer in exactly the same position in each photo would by improbable if not impossible.

Photo #3 can be seen on literally dozens of web pages and the caption is almost identical in every case: "B-24H Liberator “Scrappy” with the 725th Bomb Squadron trails smoke and is losing altitude east of Zagreb, Yugoslavia, 23 August 1944." Some also add this to the caption: "The plane crashed near Zdenci, Yugoslavia." Note that this photo caption gives yet a third date: 23 August 1944.

Photo #1 I have seen several times online, but Photo #2 I only saw it once and have been unable to find it again.

Here are some additional details:

First, I am convinced that all three photos show the same B-24 on the same mission, but what day did this mission take place? Since Photo #3 gives the nickname of the aircraft as "Scrappy" as well as the bomb squadron, 725th, that makes it easy to get the bomb group, 451st. Note that Photo #1 only provided the 15th Air Force, but not the squadron or group, while Photo #2 gave all three.

By searching for the plane's name "Scrappy" this information was obtained, compiled from various web sites:

The first web site provided this: "28816 (451st BG, 725th BS, *Scrappy*) lost Aug 22, 1944 over Hungary on mission to Vienna.  MACR 8005" from Joe Baugher's "USAF Serial Number Search Results" page.

And also from Joe's web site we find this: 28816 (451st BG, 725th BS, 15th AF, *Scrappy*, based at Castelluccio Airfield, Foggia, Italy). Crashed Aug 22, 1944  at Konsarnoz, Yugoslavia Due to Engine Failure While Returning From a Mission on The Lobau Oil Storage Installations at Vienna, Austria. All (11) Crew Bailed Out and (7) Were Captured and Became POWs. Released in 1945. (4) Crew Evaded Capture. MACR 8005" ["1941 USAAF Serial Numbers" page]

From a table on the 451st Bomb Group web site there is a table featuring the "451st Bomb Group Aircraft Inventory" and this information is provided: Serial number 41-28816; Aircraft block number H-15-DT; Project 90527-R; Aircraft finish OD; Squadron 725; Aircraft number 57; Date assigned 4/9/1944; Aircraft name Scrappy; Disposition MIA; Date 8/22/1944; IARC ACR-34; MACR 8005.

Note that this table claims that "Scrappy" was in an OD = Olive Drab finish, which as we can easily see that it was in natural metal finish in these three photos. Of course, it may have been in OD finish originally, and then stripped before this mission.

At another web page, "World War II Flight Training Museum and 63rd AAF Flying Training Detachment, Douglas, Georgia, Class 1944-A" comes this information for 2nd Lt. Robert Louis Worsthorn, pilot of "Scrappy": "He graduated from Turner Field in Albany, GA, S/N: O-820925. He was assigned to the 2nd A.F. at Salt Lake City. He flew B-24s with the 15th A.F., 451st Bomb Gp, 725th Bomb Sqdn. in Italy. On Aug. 22, 1944, he was flying a B-24H (S/N: 41-28816 "Scrappy") on a bombing mission from Castellucio Air Field, Italy to Vienna, Austria when it was hit after bombs away. One engine was feathered and it dropped back. The crew bailed out over Yugoslavia and most were taken P.O.W.s (MACR #8005). He evaded capture and returned to the base."

MilitaryImages.Net web site has Photo #3 posted on 23 August 2022 with these details: B-24H Liberator “Scrappy” with the 725th Bomb Squadron trails smoke and is losing altitude east of Zagreb, Yugoslavia, 22 August 1944. It seems most of the crew bailed out and was captured. The pilot, co-pilot, and left waist gunner were not captured and made it back to base. The last question on the third page (part of a questionnaire filled out by returning crewmen after the war) I uploaded provides these details from another crew member: "Pilot and copilot made it back to the base and completed their missions. Left waist gunner also made it back but was killed later in a crack-up on take off. Written to me by my nose gunner who contacted folks when he reached the states." This is again shown on the list of crew on the fourth page where the pilot, co-pilot and Cpl Cross (the tail gunner) are listed as "fugitive, has been returned". I believe the left-waist gunner was Clinton E Cross who was killed a few months later in November of 1944. A few other crew members I was able to find graves for were Loren Urseth -- Tail Gunner (passed away in 1971) and Jerome B Finegold -- Bombardier (passed away in 2009).

From the book "B-24 Liberators of the 15th Air Force/49th Bomb Wing in World War II" comes this information: "41-28816 SCRAPPY (725th #57) Departed the USA on March 20, 1944. She was flown overseas by Crew #30, commanded by Joseph Younger. SCAPPY was lost on Mission 108 to Vienna. R.L. Worsthorn and his crew were able to bailout. (MACR # 8005)."

And from the same book is this information: "44-10632 (725th ) Left the USA for Italy on August 8, 1944, and arrived at the group on August 11, 1944, to replace 4128816 SCRAPPY. Left the group for unknown reasons on November 11, 1944, and returned on December 16, 1944. Crash landed at Foggia Main on January 20,1945, returning from Mission #182 to Linz, Austria."

Unfortunately there is no photo of this aircraft in the book, but it might be safe to assume that this aircraft was never in OD and was delivered in Natural Metal finish. So, could it be that the plane in Photos #1-3 is this B-24 and not "Scrappy"? And that OD "Scrappy" 41-28816 was lost on the August 22, 1944 mission (while still in OD finish?) and Photos #1-3 are of 44-10632 during the January 20, 1945 mission to Linz, Austria, which fits some of the details in Photos #1-3; or was 44-10632 damaged during a mission or or around November 11, 1944 and then underwent repair and returned to the group on December 16, 1944?

The same book does have a photo of the OD finish "Scrappy":

This is the nose of 41-28816 "Scrappy". Note the panel with the mission markings - there is a similarly shaped panel on the aircraft in Photos #1-3, in the same position on both aircraft. There does not appear to be any nose artwork on the aircraft in those three photos, but that could have been removed when the aircraft had its camouflage finish removed. The aircraft number "57" can be faintly seen in Photos #1 and #3, just forward of the bomb bay doors, apparently in a light colored paint (yellow?). [Photos #1 and #3 are large format photos and you can download a copy by clicking on the photos above and then save a copy of each image.]

The National Archives has Photo #1 which I accessed through the Fold3 web site. Information included on the photograph itself lists the date as October 13, 1944, however this is incorrect; the August 22, 1944 date is correct for this photo. No other photos of this aircraft were found on Fold3.

So, it may be that the B-24 in Photos #1-3 are "Scrappy" 41-28816 after having had its camouflage finish removed prior to the August 22, 1944 mission.

If so, then the three photos show 41-28816 on the August 22, 1944 mission when it was hit by flak and later crash-landed and most of its crew captured, while the rest managed to escape captivity.

This is what can happen when facts are mixed up or incorrect dates and details are contained in documents and photograph captions. I have come across this sort of thing fairly often over the years.