Missing Air Crew Project, Yap Island Search Trip, October 2005

Patrick & Cherie Ranfranz searching for crash sites on Yap, October 2005

We (Pat & Cherie Ranfranz) spent an exhausting week on Yap Island in October 2005 searching for the Coleman B-24. Although we did not find the Coleman B-24 on the first trip (Phase I) we came home feeling like we accomplished a lot during the trip. While on Yap we were going non-stop interviewing Yapese elders, hacking through jungles, crawling through mangrove swamps, and diving the waters around the Yap reef. We have posted the following pictures and information to help others learn more about our trip. We will be adding additional details, information, and movie clips as we find time over the next few weeks. Please keep watching the pages for updates. We collected a lot of data during the trip therefore; it will take a few weeks to post everything. Also, we have a lot of research to do to confirm and validate information we learned through our interviews and crash site surveys. For example, the wreckage we originally thought was possibly from the Coleman B-24 turned out to be wreckage from a F4U Corsair. This is by no means disappointing since we hope to provide other families with closure to their missing air crews.

In short, we plan to put all our energy into returning to Yap next year to locate the Coleman crew and continue our mission to document all American crash sites on Yap. Perhaps the extra time will help us organize resources to use side scanning sonar and underwater cameras. Please feel free to contact us if you can provide help or have a question. We can be reached at: webmaster@missingaircrew.com , or call 651-490-9720.

Copyright Notice: All images and text on this website are protected by U.S. and International Copyright Law. No images or text should be copied, downloaded, transferred, or reproduced without the written consent of Patrick Ranfranz/MissingAirCrew.com Images. Please email Pat at: webmaster@missingaircrew.com

Description

The Coleman Crew: Memorial Service on Yap Island for the Coleman Crew Information about the Coleman B-24 Crew from the October 2005 Phase I Search Trip to Yap Island

Interviews with Yapese: One of the elements of our search was to seek out and interview Yapese eyewitnesses to the shoot downs. Eyewitness accounts are seldom completely accurate, but taken together, they can often synthesize into a coherent whole by verifying elements of the story that are correct. Mark Loochaz (Possible witness to the Coleman Crew shoot down) Alex Tretnoff (Possible witness to the Coleman Crew shoot down. Provided information to locate Hellcat #1 & #2 crash sites.) Maria Golfar (Witness to the shoot down of a low level American fighter plane.) Tilus Alphonso (Helped locate Hellcat #1 crash site and Corsair crash site.) Louis Ruamoon (Helped locate Corsair crash site.)

American Crash Sites on Yap: Marine F4U Corsair Crash Site on Yap Island Hellcat Crash Site #1 Hellcat Crash Site #2 Continental 727 Crash Site on Yap

Japanese Crash Sites on Yap: Japanese Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' Bomber Wreck Site Japanese Tabby, Showa/Nakajima L2D (version of Douglas DC-3) Wreck Site Japanese Zero's and old airport June 2006: AAIR & National Park Service survey of Japanese Zeros on Yap

Yap Island Diving-Search Dive Pics 1 Dive Pics 2 Dive Pics 3 Dive Pics 4: Dive Pictures by Mike Veitch including American landing craft in the Yap Harbor. Japanese Dive Bomber Yokosuka D4Y (Judy) Found Near Yap Island Yap Satellite Pictures: The following satellite images show the Coleman crew crash site area. The assumed location of the crash site is "just off" the second channel (SE side of the island) clearly visible on the satellite pictures. This is the location Alex Tretnoff watched a 4-engine bomber sink after being shot down over the old runway: Ikonos and QuickBird Images from: http://www.digitalglobe.com

Other Trip Pictures: Life of Yap Island Pictures of Yap Island from the air Japanese Shore Gun on Guam Manta Ray Hotel on Yap Island Article that does a good job describing life on Yap: Yap Island—BANKING ON A TIMELESS PARADISE (pdf file 62 KB)

Links to Yap trip related web sites www.MantaRay.com: The Manta Ray Bay Hotel is a dedicated Yap dive hotel, designed by divers and built for divers. www.mdaguam.com: MDA is the largest full service training and diving support business in the western pacific. Mike Veitch from Big Blue Images & the Manta Ray Hotel went diving with us on three different days to document our diving on video and still pictures. Mike's web site is: http://www.bigblueimages.com Jane & Carin Had a wondeful time meeting Jane & Carin and their parents while on Yap. The family has been sailing around the world for the last 1.5 years: Norio Matsushita, Jo-Anne, Carin, and Jane web site.

 
Many Thanks to: MDA Travel & The Manta Ray Hotel

Although a number of people provided help to plan my October 2005 search trip to Yap Island, I want to especially thank (and recommend) Bill Acker (General Manager & CEO) from the Manta Ray Hotel (Yap) for their help. Bill spent a considerable amount of time working with me to plan my trip and answered countless email questions. My first trip to Yap was successful due to his help and planning. If you have any plans to travel and dive in Micronesia and/or Yap, please work with Bill's hotel to plan your trip and stay at the Manta Ray Hotel on Yap. I highly recommend it!!!!

Bill Acker / General Manager & CEO plus Scuba Instructor
Manta Ray Hotel
PO Box MR
YAP, FSM 96944
Phone: 011-691-350-4567
Fax: 011-691-350-4567
Email: yapdivers@mantaray.com
website: www.MantaRay.com

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