Memorial

More information

S/Sgt Perry G. Pedersen joined the Regular Army in June 1940 and was stationed at Hickam Airfield in Hawaii where he was a bodyguard to Maj Gen Frederick Martin. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Sgt Pedersen was sent to Las Vegas, Nevada for gunnery school and sent overseas in April 1942.

Enemy fighters were first encountered 10 minutes before the target at 0901 hrs. and continued 25 minutes out to sea at 1000 hrs. Enemy aircraft attacked head on or at the tail. The aircraft was assumed lost as a result of these attacks.

The aircraft was going down with the wheels down, with one engine on fire.

Nine crew members were killed, one was taken prisoner.

Crew members of other aircraft in the formation reported after the mission that they believed the aircraft had been shot down by fighters shortly after the bomb drop at about 9:15 hrs. The information reported at the time was not clear however and it would be many months later before the full story was known. It was only after the war and the liberation of Europe that his surviving bombardier Robert L Alexander could report the fate that befell the crew of 42-3084. In his post war additions to the Missing Air Crew Report he advised that the aircraft had been swarmed by fighter aircraft after dropping its bombs and after suffering heavy damage, one wing having been taken off, the aircraft entered a violent spin.