On April 10, 1945 B-24s from the 55th wing of the 15th Air Force were on the 2nd day of Operation Wowser. This was a switch from strategic to tactical bombing in support of the 5th and 8th Armies driving Axis troops out of Northern Italy. After dropping their payload at 18,000 ft, the Stevenovitch 44-49710(aka The Black Nan) received a direct hit between the #1 and #2 engines from an 88 mm shell. Of the 11 crew, only the Radar Navigator survived as he was thrown out of the open bomb bay.
On board were:
Lt. Col. James Gilson – Command Pilot Capt. Charles Foote IV – Pilot (My great uncle) 1st Lt. Robert O’Leary - Navigator Capt. Lacey Morton - Navigator 1st Lt. Edward Walsh - Radar Navigator Capt. George Wall - Bombardier Sgt. Jerrold Ruben – Engineer/Gunner Sgt. Charles Montegut Jr. – Radio/Gunner Sgt. Robert Rogers - Gunner Sgt. Norman Cope - Tail Gunner Sgt. Melvin Thomason – Gunner
