Memorial

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S/Sgt Robert L. Doherty volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 15 December 1941.

The MACR states that this aircraft was last seen in the vicinity of Kassel at 1224 hours. #1 and #2 engines had been knocked out by flak, and it fell out of formation, under control. It was last heard from at approximately 1239 hours, calling on VHF for fighter support. It was believed to be trying for or heading toward friendly territory.

The co-pilot Lt Donald B. Iden, one of the surviving crew members, stated after the war: "We had just closed the bomb bay doors after releasing bombs over Kassel when our plane took two bursts of flak. One hit the left wing and the other went into the tail section. The hit in the wing took out the #1 and #2 engines, so that made it impossible to keep a heading without complete cross-control of ailerons and rudders. Needless to say, loss of altitude was very rapid. We rode it down to 1,500 feet, at which time we bailed out and soon were captured. After Salfen and I bailed out, the aircraft entered a flat spin, crashed and burned. No, Leo Suszek was not an evadee – he was captured by the Germans, as were the rest of us. But, somehow, he was badly injured on bailout. When we last saw him on the ground, he was unable to converse and appeared to be in extreme pain. I thought he had internal injuries of some kind. We gave him an injection of morphine before he was taken away."

Seven crew members survived and were taken prisoner, two were killed. They were initially buried in Velen, Germany.