Missing Air Crew Report: 47th Bomb (L) - Grosseto, Italy - Target or intended destination: Pordenone; Type of mission: Combat; 24 March 1945 Time: 0005; Aircraft A-20K-44 AAf Ser. Nr. 44-336; Crew position: Pilot Capt. Lt. Bliss L. Mehr, Bombardier/Nav. 2nd Lt. Frederick A. Dallas, Gunner S/Sgt. Willie A. Doby, Gunner S/Sgt. Woodrow W. Smith
Statement del 2nd Lt. Charles R. Mackey Operation Officer datato 26 Marzo 1945: "On the morning of 24 March 1945 I was tower officer at Grosseto Airfield, Italy, and operated the tower from 0000 hours to 0600 hours. (...) At 0010 hours I cleared subject plane for take-off on a mission. At that time the plane and the crew were functioning properly as far as I knew. From that time until 0600 when I closed the tower, I heard nothing from subject plane "
Non si conoscono i motivi della perdita dell’A-20, che si inabissò al largo di Caorle come riportano gli investigatori americani che nel dopoguerra si misero alla sua ricerca. Tutti gli aviatori perirono nell’incidente, e solamente due corpi furono trovati in mare, quelli del Capt. Mehr e del Sgt. Smith. Restano dispersi il navigatore 2nd Lt. Dallas e il mitragliere S/Sgt. Doby.