The Lost Squadron - Flight 19

On 5 December 1945, five Navy TBM Avenger torpedo bombers left Ft Lauderdale Florida on a training mission. They were flying back to several points in the Atlantic and the starting point in Florida, covering a distance of 320 miles. Radio conversations between the pilots were from the base and other aircraft in the area detected. It was known that the practice bombing operation was completed successfully.

The first sign of trouble came with the transfer, "I do not knowknow where we are. We must have lost to make after the last one. "The transmission was heard by another flight instructor, which increased, Lieutenant Robert F. Fox in FT-74, which attempted to fly again lost its bearings. Lt. Charles Carroll Taylor, the leader of the flight to help the lost fleet, transferred, "Both my compasses are, and I'm trying to find Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I am over land, but it is broken. I'm sure I'm in the Keys, but I do not know how far down, and Ido not know how I get to Fort Lauderdale. "Lt. Fox then advised them to put the sun on his port wing and fly north along the coast to Fort Lauderdale.

Several transfers back and forth between the flight passed leader and the other four bombers. They went in one direction, and then the next and trying to something familiar, will find anywhere on land. The last transmission heard from Lt. Taylor was "All the planes close up tight ... We are to ditch unless landfall.. . when the first plane drops below 10 gallons, we go together. "It soon became clear that Lt. Taylor, for any reason, to his command to another pilot, sending the frightened:" We can not say where we are. . . everything is. . . do not understand anything. We think we can about 225 miles northeast of base. . . "Incoherently for a few moments, the pilot walks before the last words ever heard from Flight 19 said:" It looks like we are entering white water. .. We are completely lost. "The 5 Naval bombers were never seen again.

Minutes after the last show, is a Mariner flying boat with rescue equipment to the field of Flight 19's broadcast transmission. Ten minutes after takeoff, the pilot of the Mariner checks with the tower and is never heard from again. The Coast Guard, Navy ships and planes 250,000 square-mile search for the next 5 days, in the hope for a sign of the 5 Avengers or the Mariner, but neither saw nor oil spillDebris.

In 1990, an avenger of debris lifted from the seabed, but could not clearly identified as one of the missing aircraft are identified.

A curious footnote to this story is that lacked one of the planes of Flight 19, a crew member. Marine Corporal Allan Kosner received special permission to stay on land, day, because he had an unshakable preminition of danger.

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