This beautiful panel was recreated by Gary Velasco for my cousin's son, Scott Wise, in 2014. You can view Gary's incredible nose art reproductions at: www.fightingcolors.com
Draggin Lady Z-6
Z Square 6, at the IP........ Mount Fuji. Doug Bulloch was the left gunner on the Z-6 and had a friend take
this photograph for him. Doug said they were on a night raid. This photograph was taken in April 1945 or later because
the B-29s of the 881st Squadron in the background already have the "large" Z on the tail.
(Courtesy of M. Heffner)
Z-6 at IP...Mt.Fuji (courtesy Lise-Anne Budreau)
this particular image courtesy of Jeffrey J. Scarpelli...comin from his fathers collection of images
Z Sq 6 take off from Critical Past movie clip
The "Draggin Lady" as drawn by radio operator Charles Maples. This presentation was on both sides of the fuselage of this famous aircraft
At the 1:45 minute mark see our uncles plane, the Z-6, take off from Saipan on the first mission of B-29s from Saipan to Bomb Japan, on 27 November 1944
Credit to YouTube and Critical Past for the footage posting/hosting
Credit to YouTube and Critical Past for the footage posting/hosting
"Draggin' Lady"
Z Square 6
Our uncle joined Captain Richard Field as radar operator on the "Draggin Lady" on May 16th, 1944, at Victoria, Kansas. They arrived on Saipan on November 18th, 1944, and their initial mission was the first bombing of Tokyo by the 881st on November 24th, 1944.
He also flew missions on November 27th and December 3rd. After the December 3rd mission, Captain Field returned to the states and Lt. Patrick Calhoun took over this crew.
This aircraft flew 12 missions before it was lost off the coast of Saipan while on a slow timing flight, killing pilot Lt. Robert Engle and Lt. Glenn Pavey and an observer.
Our research indicates our Uncle Bob may have flown only one mission with Lt. Patrick Calhoun, to Iwo Jima on 8 December 1944, before transferring to Major Fitzgerald's crew on the "Mission to Albuquerque".
Uncle Bob joined the Fitzgerald crew ("Mission to Albuquerque"), 11 December 44.
Records show that the Calhoun crew flew Z-6, 42-24694, "Draggin' Lady", on three missions:
8 Dec 44 to Iwo Jima
19 Jan 45 to Akashi, Japan
27 Jan 45, Weather Mission preceding main mission to Tokyo
"Draggin Lady" was lost on 23 Feb 45. Here is an excerpt from the 881st Bomb Squadron War Diary:
"23 February 1945"
At about 1250 today, while on a routine local [slow-timing] flight, Z Square 6 ["Draggin' Lady"], piloted by 1st Lt. Robert E. Engle, developed mechanical trouble, tried to land at Isely, couldn't make it -- tried to land at Kobler,
failed and finally landed with wheels down in the ocean just inside the reef north of Kobler Field on the west side of the island.
The plane almost stood on her nose and Lt. Engle and 2d Lt. Glenn E. Pavey were trapped in the nose and drowned.
Of six sailors who were passengers five escaped and one (named Granach?) was killed.
M/Sgt Dooley H. Rogers [probably a ground crewman] and Sgt John L. Lippa [radio operator] were wounded."
[it was common practice to give ground crewmen, sailors, marines, etc., rides on test and training flights]
(Courtesy J.Bowman)
Capt. Field Crew at Walker AFB
Walker-Talker article 15 July 1944
The men of the B-29 crews in each squadron were drilled on this procedure regularly.
According to Jim Bowman, with the B-29 remote gun sight system, it was very important to recognize the different types of enemy planes because you had to set your gun sight parameters according to the
known wingspan of that type. It was also equally important to be able to recognize enemy aircraft from "friendlies." No one wanted to shoot down an escorting P-51 by mistake.
Draggin' Lady's Ground Crew
From the Walker-Talker paper...
The Walker Talker posted an article in the 27 May 1944 issue, announcing the opening of the Hays Pool.
The opening of the pool in a small town like Hays, Kansas, was quite an event, but like the true patriots thatthey were, the citizens offered it's use to the military.
See our attached newspaper article on our Uncle Boband his crew of the Z Square 6, "Draggin Lady", in the pool during "ditching" practice and procedures.
Sea Rescue Training for the Field Crew at Walker AFB
ditching practice enlarged photo of above portioned image
27 Oct 44
At Kearney this evening there was an unfortunate accident. At about 1800 hours, a base ground crew was detailed to pull
Z-6, 42-24694, of the 881st Squadron, out of the hangar where she had been worked on. Towing a B-29 out of a hangar was not a simple task. The great wingspan of over 141 feet left little clearance for the hangar doors, and the tail, or vertical stabilizer, was so tall that special doors had been cut above the center of the main doors. The NCO driving the cletrac, a small towing tractor, started out all right, going slow, but once the wings had cleared the doors, he started to turn to the left too soon. This caused the tail, still inside the hangar, to move to the right and crunch into the wall of the hangar.
The result: “Vertical fin damaged from leading edge at rib station 176.55 to rear fin spar, and from rib station 176.55
to tip. Damage necessitates skin replacement, deicer channel replacement from station 168.45 to rear spar, and replacement of 5 each false ribs at fin tip.” Z-6 and her crew, the Field crew (#110), would be delayed a while in getting out
of Kearney.
This entry would not have been possible without Duane Maples, Craig Maples and Rich Cookson.
At Kearney this evening there was an unfortunate accident. At about 1800 hours, a base ground crew was detailed to pull
Z-6, 42-24694, of the 881st Squadron, out of the hangar where she had been worked on. Towing a B-29 out of a hangar was not a simple task. The great wingspan of over 141 feet left little clearance for the hangar doors, and the tail, or vertical stabilizer, was so tall that special doors had been cut above the center of the main doors. The NCO driving the cletrac, a small towing tractor, started out all right, going slow, but once the wings had cleared the doors, he started to turn to the left too soon. This caused the tail, still inside the hangar, to move to the right and crunch into the wall of the hangar.
The result: “Vertical fin damaged from leading edge at rib station 176.55 to rear fin spar, and from rib station 176.55
to tip. Damage necessitates skin replacement, deicer channel replacement from station 168.45 to rear spar, and replacement of 5 each false ribs at fin tip.” Z-6 and her crew, the Field crew (#110), would be delayed a while in getting out
of Kearney.
This entry would not have been possible without Duane Maples, Craig Maples and Rich Cookson.
If you would prefer to download the 3 image files of the 202 order as a pdf, please click below
| special_order_202_500th_bomb_group.pdf |
The following pages of Special Order 202 directing five crews including Field in Z Square 6 and Fitzgerald in Z Square 8, to report to Kearney Field, Nebraska, as "flyaway" crews proceeding the the Pacific Theatre
Special order 202 pg.1
Special order 202 pg.2
Special order 202 pg.3
Battle Damage to Z-6...In right photo Harry Gerson is pointing at the hole in the wing. Charles Maples is 2nd from the right.
In left photo, Harry Gerson is at far left, and Charles Maples is 4th from the right.
The following photographs are of the "Draggin Lady" crash on 23 February 1945 that killed pilots Robert Engle,
Glenn Pavey and an observer.
According to Navigator Gerald Auerbach, F.E. Dooley Rogers suffered a back injury and Radio Operator John Lippa
broke his leg. Both Rogers and Lippi eventually returned to flight status. This aircraft never flew again.
Glenn Pavey and an observer.
According to Navigator Gerald Auerbach, F.E. Dooley Rogers suffered a back injury and Radio Operator John Lippa
broke his leg. Both Rogers and Lippi eventually returned to flight status. This aircraft never flew again.
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  'After the crash we all swam out to the good old Z Square 6' - D.Bulloch (courtesy C.Bulloch) |
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Z Square 6, the "Draggin Lady", on shore after being dragged out of the ocean. This plane, # 42-24694, never flew again
Lt. Patrick Calhoun (Standing 2nd from left, #2) with the Jay Brown crew of Z Square 2, the
"20th Century Limited." Lt. Calhoun was promoted and became the A/C of the "Draggin
Lady" after the departure of Capt. Field in early December, 1944
Synopsis of the day to day life of the Field, then Calhoun, crew (#110) of the Z Square6,
#42-24694, "Draggin Lady." [Lt. Engle would be the secondary crew on this aircraft.] Synopsis of the day to day life of the Field, then Calhoun, crew (#110) of the Z Square6, #42-24694, "Draggin Lady." [Lt. Engle would be the secondary crew on this aircraft.] 16 May 44-Uncle Bob Met A/C Captain Richard Field and said he "seems like a nice fellow." 28 May 44-Radar still not installed in aircraft. Crew very busy with training, and is flying 10-14 hours a day. 16 June 44-Flew in a severe thunder storm while training in a B -17 and had to land at another airfield. Capt. Field said "it was about the worst they would ever get in." Uncle Bob wrote that "Captain Field had ditched the the sea 3 times, so he ought to be pretty good at ditching, " and that Capt. Field "is a really good pilot." 21 Aug 44-The crew is flying 2 days out of 3. Went on a training mission to experience simulated attacks done by P-40s and P-47s. Also trained with a .45 caliber pistol. 25 or 29 Aug 44-On a non-stop flight to Cuba and back to Walker Field, Uncle Bob saved his aircraft and his crew when they almost ran out of fuel. He located Tinker Field in Oklahoma, where Captain Field made an emergency landing. 12 Sept 44-Uncle Bob wrote he will be seeing his brother Rich soon (his brother was on R/R in Hawaii.), but he doesn't know his final destination. Bob thinks he may be going to the CBI, because he mentions flying over the "hump." 23 Sept 44-Uncle Bob reports a friend of his was killed with his entire crew last Sunday in a training mission at Walker Field. 7 Oct 44-Walker Field, Victoria, Kansas. Richard Field crew including our Uncle Bob, one of the original crews of the 881st Bomb Squadron designated as "flyaway" members to leave Kansas for the Pacific. (Z-1 to Z-10) 17 Oct 44-Left Walker Field for staging base to the Pacific at Kearney, Nebraska. 27 Oct 44-Z Square 6 badly damaged while being pulled out of a hanger. Huge investigation ensued. Radio operator Charles Maples witnessed the accident, but said he "got the hell out of there" to avoid being involved and interrogated about what he saw. (See PDF files on Charles Maples page for full details of investigation) 7 Nov 44-Departed Kearney, Nebraska for Mather Field in Sacramento, California. 8 Nov 44-Arrived Mather Field. 13 Nov 44-Departed Mather Field for John Rodgers Field, Oahu, Hawaii. 14 Nov 44-Arrived Hawaii. 15 Nov 44-Uncle Bob was able to contact his older brother Rich on Oahu, and they spent 15 hours together including Uncle Bob showing him his B-29. At this meeting, Uncle Bob told Rich he didn't think he'd make it home if his crew ended up flying missions as the "lead" plane. 16 Nov 44-Departed Hawaii for Kwajalein. 17 Nov 44-Kwajalein. 18 Nov 44-Arrived at Isley Field, Saipan. ***C. Maples & D.Bulloch said they flew "practice" missions before the Tokyo mission, but couldn't remember the dates or to which islands. 24 Nov 44-Target: TOKYO. Participated in the first raid against Japan from Saipan. Bombed the dock area from 29,500 feet with 8X500 lb. demolition bombs. Flight time: 13 hours, 30 min. Poor results. 27 Nov 44-Target: MUSASHINO/TOKYO. The infamous Target # 357. Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory. Aborted at IP due to a turbo surge in engine #4 and bombed secondary target & received credit for mission. After mission, they landed at Guam due to Japanese air attacks on Saipan. Flight time: 13 hours, 10 minutes. *Radio operator Charles Maples of Z-6 was the last man to hear from the badly damaged aircraft Z Square 2 and the Irvin crew, which were never found. See the full report on this incident on the Charles Maples page. 3 Dec 44-Target: TOKYO and Target # 357. Again had to abort 30 minutes prior to reaching the IP because of a "blown stack" in engine #1 and did not receive credit for this mission. Upon return to Saipan,Capt. Field was medically evacuated to Hawaii and returned to the U.S. **Uncle Bob also wrote home about the loss of the lead crew on this mission, which was that of Major Robert Goldsworthy flying Z Square 1, the "Rosalia Rocket" over Tokyo. Also lost on the Z-1 were Colonels King and Brugge. Flight time: 12 hours, 15 minutes. 5 Dec 44-Flying on Z Square 4, "Black Magic" with Major Luman, the crew of "Draggin Lady" went on a search mission between Saipan and Iwo Jima to try to find the crewof Capt. Irvin and the Z Square 2. No traces were ever found. Flight time: 9 hours, 0 minutes. 6 Dec 44-Lt. Patrick Calhoun becomes the new A/C of the "Draggin Lady", much to the chagrin of the crew who felt Richard Dodds should have gotten the position. 8 Dec 44-Practice mission to: IWO JIMA. Calhoun's first mission as A/C. Colonel Ralph Reeve, C.O. of the 881st Bomb Squadron flew with him on this mission as deputy lead aircraft. Uncle Bob bombed the target successfully with radar after lead crew radar operator on Fitzgerald aircraft missed the island entirely. Flight time: 8 hours. 10 Dec 44-Robert Engle crew # 105A arrives on Saipan as replacements for the Irvin crew. As replacements, Engle and his men became the secondary crew on "Draggin Lady." 11 Dec 44-For his successful work on the Iwo Jima mission, our Uncle Bob is selected by Major Fitzgerald to be his new radar operator on the Z Square 8, "Mission to Albuquerque". He would be missed by his old crewmates on Z-6 but was replaced by an excellent radar operator, Harry Gerson. 24 Dec 44-Target: WSM-TOKYO. Engle and his crew flew this mission. Per tailgunner Raymond Rendina, the bomb rack malfunctioned and they had to make two passes over the target. A/C finally jettisoned the bombs using a screw driver. 25 Dec 44-Target: WSM #59-NAGOYA. Calhoun and crew flew the Z Square 9, "Nina Ross". Had to bomb Chichi Jima by radar instead of primary target because of a stuck valve in the top bomb bay tank. Flight time: 13 hours. 27 Dec 44-Target: MUSASHINO/TOKYO. Lt. Taylor flew Z-6 today to try to bomb notorious Target 357, the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory. Due to high winds (jet stream) had to bomb the secondary target with minimal results. 3 Jan 45-Target: NAGOYA. Lt. Engle and crew flew this incendiary mission. Completed the bomb run over target with a runaway prop on engine #1. Engine leaking oil badly and smoke and sparks trailing wing. Prop finally broke loose and control was regained of the aircraft over the Pacific, but not before the crew thought they would have to "ditch." (See Raymond Rendina page for more details) 19 Jan 45-Target: AKASHI. Calhoun and crew drop demolition bombs on the Kawasaki-Akashi Aircraft plant with excellent results, but received three flak hits to their aircraft. Co-Pilot Richard Dodds flew the bomb run. Flight time: 15 hours, 5 minutes. 23 Jan 45-Target: NAGOYA. Engle and crew flew this mission, but aborted due to a fuel transfer system failure. No credit for mission. 27 Jan 45-Target: WSM-TOKYO. Calhoun and crew flew this uneventful mission. Flight time: 14 hours, 15 minutes. 2 Feb 45-Radio Operator Charles Maples was sent to Tinian to speak to new crews about their responsibilities during missions. (See Charles Maples Page) 7 Feb 45-Target: Practice bombing mission PAGAN. Flown by Calhoun and crew. 10 Feb 45-Target: OTA. Calhoun and crew flying Z Square 7, "Hell's Belle" on this precision bombing mission. BUT, parked on the hardstand next to the Z Square 12 prepping their airplane, the Z-12s rear lower gun turret malfunctioned and began firing rounds across the runway. The Calhoun crew all hid behind the landing gear or a truck parked nearby. Luckily no one was injured. Flight time: 15 hours, 25 minutes. * Engle and crew flew "Draggin Lady" this mission and bombed from 29,000 feet with a mix of demolition and incendiary bombs. 15 Feb 45-Target: NAGOYA. Engle and crew again aboard the "Draggin Lady." Tail gunner Raymond Rendina was hit and almost killed by fire from an enemy fighter's 20mm cannon. Only the quick thinking by A/C Engle and Sgt. Lester Thomas saved his life, but he would not fly again. (See the complete story on the Ramond Rendina page.) 19 Feb 45-Target: MUSASHINO/TOKYO. Calhoun and crew flying Z Square 10, "Punchin' Judy" against Target 357, Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory with demolition bombs at 28,000 feet But, heavy cloud cover over target forced the B-29s to divert to and bomb the dock area of Tokyo. Over 200 fighter attacks. **Left gunner Doug Bulloch was credited with one probable Irving downed. Blew 2 tires on right side when landing on Saipan upon return, and aircraft ground looped. Flight time: 15 hours, 20 minutes. Calhoun and the entire, original crew of the "Draggin Lady" were all awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for their efforts on this mission. Although their right wing had been hit, and a bullet had almost hit Co-Pilot Richard Dodds, they got between a badly damaged B-29 and the Japanese fighters attacking it, and warded off the attackers. 23 Feb 45-A sad day. The "Draggin Lady" was lost today after engine and mechanical problems caused her to crash off the coast of Saipan while on a slow timing procedure. A/C Robert Engle, Co-Pilot Glenn Pavey, and a passenger all drowned when the plane nosed into the sea, and F.E. Dooley Rogers and Radio Operator John Lippa were severely injured. The aircraft was a total loss. TO READ MORE ABOUT LT. CALHOUN AND THE CREW OF THE "DRAGGIN LADY", PLEASE MOVE TO OUR "BOOZE HOUND" PAGE. BOOZE HOUND REPLACED "DRAGGIN LADY" AS THE NEW Z SQUARE 6. 
Distinguished Flying Cross Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross orders
Distinguished Flying Cross orders
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