​bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Dead > Service Data > MTO - Air, Naval, CommZ, © 2025 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated 17 Feb 2025
​
WWII Germany units covered: The MTO Air War (16 dead), The MTO Naval War (seven dead), The MTO Communication Zone (three dead). Total dead 26.
North Africa   Italy   Mediterranean Theater - Air, Naval & Comm Zone dead
  • Herein are the remaining roster dead lists from War with Germany's Mediterranean component.
  • Each list also appears at the bottom of the corresponding WWII Germany > The MTO webpage.​​
​══════════════════════════════════
​02-03 - The MTO > The MTO Air War: (16 dead, updated 13 February 2024)
​══════════════════════════════════
02-03 - The MTO > MTO Air War: (16 dead, updated 13 Feb 2024)
† Baker, John Llewellyn, SN O-710875, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
  • 96th Fighter Sqdn., 82nd Fighter Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Vincenzo Airfield SE of Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Lockheed P-38 Lightning pilot; KIA 29 Aug 1944 at San Pietro d'Carso 20 miles east of Trieste, Italy; aircraft struck the railroad station while strafing a nearby train.
† Bogue, Clifford John, SN 37-476-332, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co. & Shiawassee Co., MI
  • 727 Bomb. Sqdn, 451st Bomb. Gp. Fifteenth Air Force, based at Castellucia Air Field, Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #42-51409 tail gunner; KIA 7 Oct 1944, east of Vienna, Austria on mission over Vienna, aircraft shot down by flak; 5 dead, 5 survived.
​† Dutton, Finley Jake, SN O-2001366, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
  • 351st Bomb. Sqdn., 301st Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Lucera, near Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #43-8390 Garbage Cannie navigator with pilot Ralph W. Sommers; KIA 4 Apr 1945 over Adriatic Sea; aircraft hit by antiaircraft fire over target of Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia & ditched in Adriatic  returning to base; crew of 10 exited aircraft; three swept off wing and drowned, seven rescued by Yugoslav partisans; BNR.
† Fenn, Clifford Loren, SN 37-484-890, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 513 Bomb. Sqdn., 376th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at San Pancrazio Air Field, SW of Brindisi, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-51151 ball turret gunner, KIA 2 Jul 1944 over Vecses Aerodrome, Budapest, Hungary; aircraft lost from flak; four dead.
† Gettys, Joe Lynam Jr., SN 17-096-828, US Army Air Force, Shelby Co.
  • 719th Bomb Sqdn., 449th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Grottaglie, near Taranto, Apulia, Italy; former radio operator with the William Bache crew, DNB 9 Dec 1944 near Oliveto Citra, E. of Salerno, Italy on Consolidated B-24H Liberator #41-29307 Buzzer; passengers on the Buzzer had completed their missions and were being reassigned to rear-area jobs; Buzzer crashed killing all 15.
† Grett, Gerald LaVern, SN 37-120-507, US Army Air Force, Shelby Co.
  • 67th Bomb. Sqdn., 44th Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force, temporary duty to Ninth Air Force, Benina Main Air Base, Benghazi, Libya; B-24D #41-44229 Buzzin Bear waist gunner, Leighton C. Smith pilot; KIA 16 Aug 1943 over San Fele, east of Naples, Italy; hit by Luftwaffe fighters returning from bombing the Foggia airfield complex, Buzzin Bear exploded and broke in two; four dead, six POW.
​† Jensen, Wayne Eugene, SN 0-770293, US Army Air Force, Audubon Co.
  • 416th Night Fighter Sqdn., 62nd Fighter Wing, based near Pisa, Tuscany, Italy; DNB 9 Mar 1945 near Vada, Pisa area; de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito #MM766 pilot; other crew member survived.
† Knapp, Clyde Alfred, SN 0-328-819, US Army Air Force, Los Angeles Co., CA & Pott. Co.
  • 154th Observation Sqdn., 68th Observation Gp., Twelfth Air Force, based at Oujda, NE Morocco; Douglas A-20 Havoc pilot; KIA 7 Jan 1943 in North Africa; aircraft with crew of four disappeared on a mission; BNR.
† Larsen, Lester M., SN 17-003-312, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 37th Bomb. Sqdn., 17th Bomb. Gp., XII Bomber Cmd., based at Telergma, SW of Constantine, Algeria; Martin B-26 Marauder; DNB (sic) 16 Mar 1943 North Africa, aircraft accident; BNR.
† Mortenson, John Stuart, SN 0-748-217, US Army Air Force, Kearney Co., NE & Maricopa Co., AZ
  • 739th Bomb. Sqdn., 454th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force; based at San Giovanni Airfield, Foggia, Lazio, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator Winged Victory #42-52300; FOD/KIA 25 Feb 1944; aircraft shot down by Luftwaffe fighter; went into a spin & crashed NW of Bruck, north of Graz, Austria; five died, six POWs.
† Parks, George Harvey, SN O-751951, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 717 Bomb. Sqdn., 449 Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Grottaglie, near Taranto, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-52136 Superstitious Al-o-ysious bombardier; KIA 2 Apr 1944 near Windischgarsten, south of Steyr, Austria; collision with two other B-24s, Peerless Clipper and Miss Behavin; no survivors from crew of ten.
† Phillips, George Donald, SN 37-194-330, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Jefferson Cos.
  • 91st Fighter Sqdn., 81st Fighter Gp., Twelfth Air Force, based at Monastir Airfield, SE of Sousse, 100 miles south of Tunis, Tunisia; group flew Bell P-39 Airacobras; DNB 11 Jul 1943 in hospital, Sfax, Tunisia from rifle bullet in head.
† Reed, Lawrence Elmo, SN 37-194-285, US Army Air Force, Cass Co.
  • 342nd Bomb. Sqdn., 97th Bomb Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Depienne, SW of Tunis, Tunisia; Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress #42-5875 ball turret gunner with pilot Holmes Elmore; KIA 27 Nov 1943 near Urbino, SW of Rimini, Italy; aircraft lost engine while bombing railroad yards in Rimini, fell out of formation, attacked by enemy fighters, and went down; four dead, six POW. 
† Rink, Paul Lloyd, SN O-723687, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 742th Bomb. Sqdn., 455th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at San Giovanni, near Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #42-78500 navigator with pilot Louis Stengl; KIA 17 Aug 1944 over Ploesti, Romania, aircraft fell SE of target area; crew of ten all died, body burned beyond identification.
† Robinson, William Brigham Haight, SN O-673901, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 779th Bomb. Sqdn., 464th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Pantanella, near Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #44-41053 Black Mike bombardier with pilot Norman O. Overholt; KIA 10 Sep 1944 near Glinzendorf, ten miles east of Vienna, Austria; aircraft hit by flak & exploded over target, eight (maybe six) died, two or four lived.
† Thies, Melvin Chris, SN 17-063-991, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 345th Bomb. Sqdn., 98th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Lecce Airfield, SE of Brindisi, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-95463 tail gunner; KIA 15 Jul 1944, over Ploesti, Romania; nose section of aircraft blown off by flak; at least four dead.
​══════════════════════════════════
02-04 - The MTO > The MTO Naval War (seven dead, updated 6 August 2023)
​​══════════════════════════════════
​02-04 - The MTO > MTO Sea War: (seven dead, updated 6 Aug 2023)
​† Andersen, Eugene Phillip, SN 648-40-43, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Landing Ship Tank LST-3; KIA 6 Aug 1943 off N coast of Sicily, between Palermo & San Stefano; LST-3 damaged by German bomber; Operation Husky - The MTO > MTO Sea War.​
† Berry, Kenneth Coit, SN 648-12-71, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Destroyer USS Buck (DD-420); KIA 9 Oct 1943 off Capri, Naples Bay, Italy; Buck torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-616; 168 dead, 94 survivors; The MTO > MTO Sea War; BNR.
† Morris, Eddie Jack, SN 648-09-05, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Cruiser USS Savannah (CL-42); KIA 11 Sep 1943 off Salerno, Italy; Savannah damaged by radio-controlled German guide-bomb,197 died; Salerno-Naples-Foggia - The MTO > MTO Sea War; BNR.
​† Nelson, Merrill Marvin, SN 620-69-02, US Navy, Audubon Co.
  • Destroyer USS Buck (DD-420); KIA 9 Oct 1943 off Capri, Naples Bay, Italy; Buck torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-616; 168 dead, 94 survivors; Salerno-Naples-Foggia - The MTO > MTO Sea War; BNR.
† Soppe, Raymond Ferdinand, SN 37-156-293, US Army, Tripp Co., SD & Pott. Co.
  • Co. B, 31st Signal Const. Bn.; on HMT Rhona, part of convoy KMF-36 traversing the Mediterranean from Gibraltar to the Suez Canal, Co. B probably boarded the Rhona in Oran, Algeria and was bound for the China-Burma-India Theater via Bombay, India; KIA 26 Nov 1943 off Bougie, E of Algiers, Algeria; Rhona sunk by a German guided glide bomb; abt 1,173 died, including 1,050 US personnel, abt 819 survivors; The MTO > MTO Sea War; BNR.
† Supernois, Donald Ward, SN 316-34-38, US Navy, Pott. Co. & Portsmouth, VA
  • Destroyer USS Rowan (DD-405); KIA 11 Sep 1943 off Salerno, Italy; Rowan hit by German E-boat torpedo, sank in one minute; 202 dead, 71 survivors; Salerno-Naples-Foggia - The MTO > MTO Sea War; BNR.
† Thomsen, Walter Peter Henry, served as Thomsen Walter P H, SN 37-651-579, US Army, Crawford Co.
  • 83rd Chemical Bn.; KIA 26 Jan 1944 off Anzio Beachhead, Lazio, Italy; HMS LST-422 en route from Naples, Italy drifted into a German mine field during heavy winds, hit a mine, and burned intensely; 454 American soldiers and 29 British sailors died; Battle of Anzio - The MTO > MTO Sea War; BNR.
​══════════════════════════════════
02-05 - The MTO > The MTO Communications Zone (three dead, updated 31 December 2022)
​​══════════════════════════════════
02-05 - The MTO > MTO Communications Zone: (three dead, updated 31 Dec 2022)
† Adams, Waldo Paul “Ted”, SN 37-121-373, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • 134th MP Co.; DNB 4 Jan 1945, Naples, Italy, motorcycle accident; The MTO > MTO Comm. Zone.
† Maxwell, Dean Good, SN 0-885-715, US Army, Mills Co.
  • Co. I, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div. detached to British 1st Commando Bn.; DNB 11 Feb 1943, British 95th General Hospital, Algiers, Algeria, North Africa, motorcycle accident injuries; The MTO > MTO Comm. Zone.
† Taylor, John Will, SN 37-485-128, US Army, Yalobusha Co., MS & Pott. Co.
  • Co. D, 371st Inf. Regt., 92nd Inf. Div., IV Corps, Fifth Army; d. 20 Mar 1945 at Aversa, near Naples, Italy; executed for killing a troublesome fellow-soldier, PFC Earl Johnson, on 23 Jan 1945, at Pietrasanta, northern Tuscany, Italy; The MTO > MTO Comm. Zone.