World War II Honoree

Charles Muckel Albright

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Reading, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON MARCH 13, 1942 AT PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. GRADUATED FROM BOMBARDIER TRAINING CLASS 43-02 AT BIG SPRING ARMY AIR FIELD, TEXAS. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR SALINA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATRE AS PART OF 20TH AIR FORCE OPERATION MATTERHORN TO BOMB JAPAN USING STAGING BASES AROUND THE CHENGDU AIRDROME COMPLEX IN CHINA. SUBSEQUENTLY RE-DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRES OF OPERATION AND WAS ASSIGNED TO XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 58TH BOMB WING, 444TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 676TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT WEST FIELD ON TINIAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON JUNE 1, 1945, HE FLEW AS THE BOMBARDIER ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'SUPER MOUSE' (SERIAL # 42-24524). IT WAS ONE OF 458 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-WING, MULTI-GROUP, FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE URBAN MANUFACTURING AREA AT OSAKA ON THE ISLAND OF HONSHU, JAPAN. ON THE WAY TO THE TARGET, THE GROUP FORMATION WAS INTERCEPTED BY JAPANESE FIGHTER PLANES. HIS B-29 WAS ATTACKED BY A SINGLE-ENGINE FIGHTER WHICH DAMAGED THE FORWARD COMPARTMENT INSTRUMENT PANELS AND CAUSED LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURIZATION. THE AIRCRAFT STAYED IN FORMATION, BUT AFTER THE BOMB RUN; IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES, TACHOMETERS, COMPASS, RADAR, AND UPPER FORWARD GUN TURRET WERE ALL INOPERATIVE; WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKING ONTO THE FLOOR. HE WAS KILLED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A VIOLENT LEFT BANK AND EXPLODED, APPROXIMATELY 117 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF OSAKA BAY.