| On December 5, 1945, five Navy TBM Avenger | | | | It soon became apparent that Lt. Taylor, for |
| torpedo bombers left Ft Lauderdale Florida on | | | | some unknown reason, turned his command over |
| a training mission. They were to fly to | | | | to another pilot who anxiously transmits: "We |
| several points in the Atlantic and return to | | | | can't tell where we are . . .everything is . |
| the base in Florida, covering a distance of | | | | . .can't make out anything. We think we may |
| 320 miles. Radio conversations between the | | | | be about 225 miles northeast of base . . ." |
| pilots were detectable by base and other | | | | For a few moments the pilot rambles |
| aircraft in the area. It was known that the | | | | incoherently before saying the last words |
| practice bombing operation was completed | | | | ever heard from Flight 19: "It looks like we |
| successfully. | | | | are entering white water . . .We're |
| | | | completely lost." The 5 Naval bombers were |
| The first sign of trouble came with the | | | | never seen again. |
| transmission, "I don't know where we are. We | | | | |
| must have got lost after that last turn." The | | | | Minutes after the last transmission, a |
| transmission was heard by another flight | | | | Mariner flying boat with rescue equipment is |
| instructor, Lieutenant Robert F. Fox in | | | | sent towards the area of Flight 19's |
| FT-74, who tried to help the lost flight | | | | transmission. Ten minutes after take-off, the |
| regain their bearings. Lieutenant Charles | | | | pilot of the Mariner checks in with the tower |
| Carroll Taylor, the flight leader of the lost | | | | and is never heard from again. The Coast |
| squadron, transmitted, "Both of my compasses | | | | Guard, Navy ships and aircraft search 250,000 |
| are out and I am trying to find Fort | | | | square miles for the next 5 days, hoping to |
| Lauderdale, Florida. I am over land but it's | | | | find some sign of the 5 Avengers or the |
| broken. I am sure I'm in the Keys but I don't | | | | Mariner, but saw neither oil slick nor |
| know how far down and I don't know how to get | | | | wreckage. |
| to Fort Lauderdale." Lt. Fox then advised | | | | |
| them to put the sun on his port wing and fly | | | | In 1990, wreckage of an Avenger was raised |
| north up the coast to Fort Lauderdale. | | | | from the ocean floor, but could not be |
| | | | positively identified as one of the missing |
| Several transmissions were passed back and | | | | planes. |
| forth between the flight leader and the other | | | | |
| four bombers. They headed one way, and then | | | | A curious footnote to this story is that one |
| the next, trying to find anything familiar, | | | | of the planes of Flight 19 was missing a crew |
| any place to land. The last transmission | | | | member. Marine Corporal Allan Kosner was |
| heard from Lt. Taylor was "All planes close | | | | given special permission to stay on land that |
| up tight . . .we'll have to ditch unless | | | | day because he had an unshakeable preminition |
| landfall . . .when the first plane drops | | | | of danger. |
| below 10 gallons, we all go down together." | | | | |