On that 28 December 1943 returning back from a bombing run, a  B-24s of the 7th AAF out of Funafuti crashes into open sea. The B-24 along with several B-24 had made several successful bombing attacks on  Japanese installations.

Upon returning back the Boeing 24 encountered heavy enemy attack,  resulting mechanical problems over Majuro. The aircraft  crashed in Japanese territory. The pilot became a prisoner of the  Japanese and was reported missing in action. This aerial photo is of the B-24 in open water