Mistery plane found on italian Alps

[partisanit]

Hello guys, this is an hard question for real wreckchaser: some friends found major remains of a plane crashed in italian Alps in the winter 1944/1945.
The plane is still unknow, as for their crew.
My friend Marco send me some photos (5 pages), take a look here:

http://www.hoteladamello.it/marcopera/resti%20aereo/

Marco inspect the pieces and found these numbers:

32P2004 6
1-2227
1402451
12-930-10-11
S01 AP
132P1004-8

Over the engine exhaust these numbers:

60817
20801F

Inspection stamps: an H in a circle

At first it like as a C-46 Commando, but after some consideration, i start to think it was a 15th Special Group B-24 in mission to drop some supply to the italian partisans. Someone is able to identify the plane? Thanks in advance

[evangilder]

Definitely an American aircraft, looking at the first picture. The blue circle roundel with the white star is a good giveaway. Picture 8 looks like part of a drop tank. Picture 10 looks like a big shell. This makes me wonder if this was some sort of cargo carrier due to the diversity of some of these artifacts, or that there are the remains of more than one aircraft.

The picture of the engine with the cowling looks real familiar, I just can't place it yet.

[partisanit]

I'm sorry, i'm forgot to tell that the drop tank came from...the sky.
It was jettisoned from another plane, a fighter that drop the tank over the valley some times before the crash!

Also, the engine with cowling came from an Italian Air Force C-47. Marco took a photo of it to compare the exhaust pipe found in the wreck...

Mick

[FLYBOYJ]

The 32P2004 6 number may be from a B-24. The Stamp with an "H" usually meant the part was heat treated. here's a few sites that might help.

Aviation Archaeology - Aircraft Inspection Stamps

Aviation Archaeology Research Projects

Aviation Archaeology- Part Number Prefix By Aircraft Type

Looking at that landing gear part, I would guess it's from a B-24.





Hope this all helps....

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Very very cool. I wish I could stumble on to something like this. Thanks for sharing and I hope you get it fully identified.

[trackend]

Excellent detection work Joe the hub perforations are Identical

[partisanit]

Thank you Flyboyj! There are only some little differences: your leg seems to be a later version ("J"?), my leg its like an "H"

Mick

[Erich]

Mick, this crash would not be near Lugano would it ? the 15th AF 2641 st bg lost bombers from January 45 through May of 45, primarily due to night fighter activity of II./NJG 100.

Erich ~

[FLYBOYJ]

Originally Posted by partisanit

Thank you Flyboyj! There are only some little differences: your leg seems to be a later version ("J"?), my leg its like an "H"

Mick

My Pleasure - and yes, the photo I presented was a B-24J and there could of been minor changes between the "H" and "J."

[FLYBOYJ]

Originally Posted by trackend

Excellent detection work Joe the hub perforations are Identical

Thanks track!

[partisanit]

Hi Eric, the crash site is quite far from Lugano, i think about 40/50 minuts flying north east at 200 mph. The plane crashed on the Mount Pezzadello (2500 meters high), only 3/4 meters below the top of the mountain. Mount Pezzadello is 35 kms north of Bergamo, north italy. In winter 1944/1945 there was two OSS missions in the area, and some belonging to british SOE. I know that 859th Special Provisional squadron lost at least ten planes at the time, i have the MACR numbers, but i need to know a certain date before order the MACR.

[FLYBOYJ]

partisanit, If you find the engine data plates, it will give the dash number of the engines and that will also indicate what aircraft it came from. I think the evidence shows it was a B-24.