Aircraft Action Report for July 9th 1944 (pg1)

Aircraft Action Report pg2

Aircraft Action Report pg3

Aircraft Action Report pg4

Aircraft Action Report pg5

Aircraft Action Report for the mission Earl Steffen was killed on (10 July 1944 date entered on the report is probably a clerical error). This document provides the most definitive account of the events that fateful day. Lost with gunner AOM2C Earl Steffen was the pilot Ltjg Carl Sanborn and the radioman ARM2c James Buchanan. The aircraft they flew that day was a TBM1-C with side number 85 and bureau number 45549 (sources: Yorktown Operations Report pg 40, AAIR).

Initial target area for the 9 July strike

This photograph received from Robert Murphy in December 1991. He thinks it may have been used for their briefing on the July 9th strike on Guam. The photo depicts several enemy installations very near Neye Island (within a half mile or so), one of which is presumably the target assigned to them that day. After attacking the assigned target, they rejoined and headed north to make strafing runs on the town of Agana and Agana airfield. AOM2c Steffen's plane had just started the dive for their strafing run over Agana when they were shot down.

Eyewitness account by VT-1 pilot Robert Murphy as told to William Carr (brother of AOM2C Stan Carr) at a squadron reunion in San Diego, November 1991: When they arrived at the attack point he saw another TBM (Ltjg Sanborn's plane) roll over to his left as they started the attack. When Ens Murphy made his own rollover in his turn to attack he observed the same TBM approximately 200 feet off to his left take a hit from the AA. He said he saw the plane blow up in one big explosion like it had been hit with a large caliber AA, that there was lots of debris in the air and nothing flyable remained. He said it was an explosion no one in the plane could have survived and he didn't observe any parachute attempt.

Earl J Steffen