Bomber Mountain
Encyclopedia
Bomber Mountain is the crest of a ridge line within the Big Horn Mountains
of the U.S. State
of Wyoming
. It borders the south side of Cloud Peak
, the tallest peak in the range. It is about 23 miles (37 km) west of Buffalo
. Bomber Mountain get its name from an aviation accident that occurred in 1943.
destined for Grand Island, Nebraska
. From there, the bomber would join the other members of the 383rd Bomb Group and continue to England to participate in the ongoing World War II bombing campaigns. Around midnight, the captain radioed that their position was near Powder River, Wyoming
. They were not heard from again. After the they failed to arrive in Grand Island, the plane was declared missing and the Army mounted a search effort with no results. A second search was conducted the following year, concentrating on the Wind River Mountains, Absaroka Mountains and Big Horn Mountains
, but still no wreckage was spotted.
On August 12, 1945, two cowboys spotted something shiny on a ridge line in the Cloud Peak
area of the Big Horn Mountains
. They discovered the wreckage and the deceased crew, and contacted authorities, who conducted an operation to recover the bodies of the crew and return them to their families. It was believed that during earlier search efforts, the paint color of the aircraft blended in closely with the mountain side, making the wreckage difficult to spot. After a few years, the paint wore off, and the shiny aluminum underneath made the plane more visible. No official cause for the crash was ever determined, but it is presumed that malfunctioning navigational equipment, and a moonless night combined with bad weather caused the pilot to not see the ridge until it was too late.
After a petition by veterans groups in Wyoming, the previously unnamed ridge was christened Bomber Mountain on August 22, 1946 by the U.S. Forest Service. In honor of the crew members, a commemorative plaque was placed on the shores of Florence Lake, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the crash site.
Big Horn Mountains
The Big Horn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States, forming a northwest-trending spur from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 miles northward on the Great Plains...
of the U.S. State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. It borders the south side of Cloud Peak
Cloud Peak
Cloud Peak is the highest peak within the Big Horn Mountains in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It rises to an elevation of and provides onlookers with dramatic views and vistas. The mountain can be climbed most easily from the western side. The peak is located in the 189,000 acre Cloud Peak...
, the tallest peak in the range. It is about 23 miles (37 km) west of Buffalo
Buffalo, Wyoming
Buffalo is a city in Johnson County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,900 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County...
. Bomber Mountain get its name from an aviation accident that occurred in 1943.
History
On June 28, 1943, a B-17 Flying Fortress, serial number 42-3399 and nicknamed "Scharazad", departed Pendleton Army Air Base in Pendleton, OregonPendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
destined for Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 48,520 at the 2010 census.Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state,...
. From there, the bomber would join the other members of the 383rd Bomb Group and continue to England to participate in the ongoing World War II bombing campaigns. Around midnight, the captain radioed that their position was near Powder River, Wyoming
Powder River, Wyoming
Powder River is a census-designated place in Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. It is part of the Casper, Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. They were not heard from again. After the they failed to arrive in Grand Island, the plane was declared missing and the Army mounted a search effort with no results. A second search was conducted the following year, concentrating on the Wind River Mountains, Absaroka Mountains and Big Horn Mountains
Big Horn Mountains
The Big Horn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States, forming a northwest-trending spur from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 miles northward on the Great Plains...
, but still no wreckage was spotted.
On August 12, 1945, two cowboys spotted something shiny on a ridge line in the Cloud Peak
Cloud Peak
Cloud Peak is the highest peak within the Big Horn Mountains in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It rises to an elevation of and provides onlookers with dramatic views and vistas. The mountain can be climbed most easily from the western side. The peak is located in the 189,000 acre Cloud Peak...
area of the Big Horn Mountains
Big Horn Mountains
The Big Horn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States, forming a northwest-trending spur from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 miles northward on the Great Plains...
. They discovered the wreckage and the deceased crew, and contacted authorities, who conducted an operation to recover the bodies of the crew and return them to their families. It was believed that during earlier search efforts, the paint color of the aircraft blended in closely with the mountain side, making the wreckage difficult to spot. After a few years, the paint wore off, and the shiny aluminum underneath made the plane more visible. No official cause for the crash was ever determined, but it is presumed that malfunctioning navigational equipment, and a moonless night combined with bad weather caused the pilot to not see the ridge until it was too late.
After a petition by veterans groups in Wyoming, the previously unnamed ridge was christened Bomber Mountain on August 22, 1946 by the U.S. Forest Service. In honor of the crew members, a commemorative plaque was placed on the shores of Florence Lake, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the crash site.
Crew
- William R. Ronaghan (pilot)
- Anthony J. Tilotta (co-pilot)
- Leonard H. Phillips (navigator)
- Charles H. Suppes (bombardier)
- James A. Hinds (aircraft engineer)
- Ferguson T. Bell, Jr. (radio operator)
- Lee 'Vaughn' Miller (assistant aircraft engineer)
- Charles E. Newburn, Jr (assistant radio operator)
- Jake F. Penick (aircraft gunner)
- Lewis M. Shepard (assistant aircraft gunner)