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| 2nd LT Lawrence Schuengel is the first casualty
suffered by the 486th. he fell from his liberator while trying to
"safe" bombs on the return leg of their mission to bomb
airfields at Laon/Couvron, France using 100 lb bombs.
Not all bombs were dropped due to hang-ups attributed to the bomb load configuration. The bombs were strapped together in clusters, and were suppose to fall straight down. The clusters that did fall did not fall straight down, but bounced off the bulkheads in the bays taking many bomb bay doors out as they fell. The bombs that hung-up had to have their pins re-installed to ensure they would not detonate upon landing. This job was the responsibility of the bombardier. The catwalk in the B24 bomb bay is very narrow, and it is difficult to maneuver in a bulky flight suit. LT Schuengel began to re-insert the safety pins, and for some unknown reason slipped from the catwalk and fell from an altitude of 4,000 feet over England. The bomb bay door that would normally have been present was lost as described above. All photos are provide courtesy of Derek Lumley, Sudbury, England. Aircraft | Crews | Letters | Places | Strike Main Gallery |