Once Enemies, Now Friends

On the night of September 4, 1944, the 63rd Squadron’s Capt. Roland T. Fisher and his crew departed Owi Island for Matina Airdrome near Davao City on Mindanao. After Fisher left the target, his plane was attacked by Japanese fighter planes, one of which collided with the Liberator’s underside. His B-24D #42-40479, “MISS LIBERTY,” was also hit by antiaircraft fire. Despite this damage, which included severed elevator controls and hydraulic lines, and with the plane in a steep dive, Fisher managed to regain control and bring his plane and crew back to Owi. This photograph shows the plane’s artwork.

This photograph will be published in Ken’s Men Against the Empire Vol. II. The story can be found on our blog.