99th Bombarment Group 07/22/1943
HEADQUARTERS
NINETY-NINTH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H) ARMY AIR FORCES
Office of the Intelligence Officer
NATOUSA, APO 520,
13 November 1943.
SUBJECT: Interrogation of Escapee, T/Sgt. Kenneth E. Titus, 19067072, 99th Bomb Group, 346th Bomb Squadron.
TO : Commanding General, Headquarters Fifth Wing (US), APO 520.
Subject received aid from Italian farmers and soldiers. Names unknown. In one case an Italian woman gace him 70 lire.
Subject did not have leg straps of parachute fastened when he was blown out of plane. Advised all airmen to wear parachute harness fully fastened and if possible wear parachute. Did not carry purse or escape kit on person. Advises all crew members to have same on person at all times. Emphasized point that many American prisoners of war did not have the will to escape. Exercised great ingenuity in escaping. (See paragraph 7).
Although taken to several prison camps, subject was interrogated once by an Italian officer, a captain whose name was not learned. This interrogation took place in a basement room in Foggia shortly after subject was captured. Interrogator stated that he had lived in America 14 years and talked excellent English with apparent knowledge of American slang and idioms. Subject was not threatened. He was asked usual routine as to name, rank and serial number. Among questions asked were these:
Q. “When you go in flights don’t you usually have whiskey and women with you?”
A. “No.”
Q. “I was in America for 14 years ---
A. “Why didn’t you stay there (Titus interrupted)
Q. “What is America in the war for?”
A. “To free Italy from the Germans.”
Q. “Italy doesn’t want to be freed. What did you do in the plane.”
A. “I was a navigator.” (Titus told this lie in order to receive better treatment, he said. Curiously enough he was not questioned as to his navigational ability. In other words no check was made of his statement except the interrogator interjected: “How can we tell you are a navigator?” Titus replied: “That is easy. All navigators’ serial numbers start with a figure one or nine.” Later on, before the collected prisoners were placed on a train, apparently bound for Germany, a German officer asked him his name and rank but did not question further. Among other questions of routine nature, the Italian asked how many were in the crew and what type airplane subject was riding in. They argued that he was not in a Flying Fortress, but the plane shot down was a B-24 type airplane. Titus did not argue with him except to state that it was a Fortress.
Sergeant Titus was one of a Flying Fortress crew, which took off from Oudna No. 1 Airdrome at 0610 hours Jully 22, 1943 to bomb Foggia M/Y. His airplane was flying lead of the second element of the first squadron over the target. Nine E/A’s were destroyed by Fortress formation out of approximately 15 engaged. They were Me 109’s and Me 110’s. Flak was heavy, moderate, accurate. Fighters attacked lead formation three minutes after bombs away. One Me 109 attacked lead element from 12 O’clock from above, diving under it and coming up under subject’s airplane. His .20 millimeter shells hit in the Tokyo tanks and number three engine. Fire started immediately. Interphone communication system had failed 5 minutes before target so there was no mechanical means of communicating with crew. Sergeant Titus saw fire on right wing, tapped pilot on shoulder and pointed. Pilot and co-pilot had chute harness on, and immediately began putting on chutes. Titus got out of top turret and prepared to go out the escape hatch between the bombardier’s compartment and the pilot. As he peered down the catwalk, he saw the co-pilot attempting to open the escape door. The bombardier was stretched out on the catwalk, evidently unconscious as the navigator was bending over him. At the moment Sergeant was blown out of the plane by a terrific explosion. He does not know what happened. He thinks it was an explosion, but is not positive. It might have been pieces of the airplane breaking off when the right wing was burned off and the No. 4 engine dropped. The tail was also whipped off by the gyrations of the airplane. Subject did not see any other parachute on his descent. He states that he did lose complete consciousness although he was dazed. He pulled his rip cord and would have “enjoyed the trip down” except he HAD NOT FASTENEDTHE LEG STRAPS OF HIS CHEST TYPE PARACHUTE HARNESS. The chest strap, swinging under his arms rubbed the hair and skin off from under them. He did not see any other crew members escape from the plane and believes they were all killed.
Although Sergeant Titus was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross on June 25, 1943 for shooting down two Me 109’s and one Me 110 over Messina after his airplane was badly crippled, it is believed that his indomitable courage, ingenuity and resourcefulness in this latest exploit deserves further commendation. He has been on 28 bombing missions over enemy territory.
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
/s/ Major VERNON E. FAIRBANKS
SIGNATURE
**** PART 2 ****
HEADQUARTERS
NINETY-NINTH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (M) ARMY AIR FORCES
Office of the Intelligence Officer
NATOUSA, APO 520,
13 November, 1943
SUBJECT: Narrative of Escapee T/Sgt Kenneth E. Titus, 346th Squadron, 99th Bomb Gp (H).
TO : Commanding General, Fifth Wing (US), APO 520.
(NARRATIVE AS TOLD TO MAJOR V. E. FAIRBANKS, S-2)
We had started out to bomb the marshalling yards at Foggia (Italy) and we were flying lead ship in the second element of the first squadron over the target. I was in the top turret looking ahead. Our interphone had gone out about five minutes before we hit the target. About three minutes after bombs away. I saw an ME109 up ahead of the first element. He was above us. He dove down head on at the first element and came up underneath us. He must have shot while he was under us. I saw fire start on the right wing near No. 4 engine. I tapped the pilot on the shoulder and pointed. He and the co-pilot started getting on their parachutes. I had my harness on, but I had’nt buckled the leg straps. I hooked on the chest pack. I don’t exactly remember how everything happened because it happened so fast. I remember I got ready to go forward to the escape hatch (between bombardier’s compartment and cockpit.) I saw Lt. Dickel (co-pilot) trying to get the door open. He had his chute on. Lt. Creeden (bombardier) must have passed out because he was lying on the catwalk with Lt. Andrews (navigator) bending over him. Just then I was blown out of the airplane. It must have been an explosion although it might have been the airplane breaking up. The next I knew was that I was floating down in my parachute. The chest strap came up under my arms and wore off all the skin and hair. No one should go on a mission without his harness on or his parachute on if he can put it on in his position.
We were at 22,500 feet when this happened and it took me 13 minutes to fall. I would have enjoyed it if those leg straps had been fastened. It was so calm and peaceful up there floating down. There was no noise. I fell about six miles southeast of Foggia. I got away from my parachute about two blocks before the Eyeties came hunting for me. They couldn’t find me because I hid in a gully among some bushes. They seemed angry when they couldn’t find me and they started machine gunning all the bushes around. They started fires in the bushes about every 500 feet. I just stayed there in the gully for about six hours. About four o’clock I got up and started up a nearby roead toward Foggia. Crowds of civilians came running toward me. They had some old rusty knives and guns. Each one tried to get a hold of me. They spit on me. That was hard to take. They threw stuff at me too, but I didn’t get hit. Then the Italian soldiers came and put me in a basement in Foggia. I did’nt have any food or water and they would’nt give me any intil I told them I was an American Officer.
Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by Kenneth Titus of the 99th Bombarment Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of Kenneth Titus's combat experience.
Kenneth Titus: Personnel File
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