History Daily 1260: Flight 19 Disappears in the Bermuda Triangle
Dec 5, 2025
On a fateful December day in 1945, five Navy bombers vanished over the Atlantic, sparking intrigue and anxiety. The podcast explores Lieutenant Taylor’s tense briefing and the mission's disastrous navigation issues. With failed compasses and eerie radio static, the crew became disoriented. An extensive search yielded no wreckage, deepening the mystery. The story takes a poignant turn with Taylor's mother, advocating for her son's legacy. The episode delves into the origins of Bermuda Triangle lore and sheds light on possible explanations behind the phenomenon.
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The Lost Training Flight
- Lieutenant Charles Taylor led Flight 19, a five-plane training mission that became lost on December 5, 1945.
- He ordered his crew to ditch together when fuel ran out but neither the planes nor their 14 men were ever recovered.
Navigation Failure In A Storm
- During the return leg a rainstorm reduced visibility and Lieutenant Taylor's compass spun erratically.
- Taylor admitted he was new to the area and hesitated to tell trainees he was lost, worsening navigation decisions.
Huge Search, No Recovery
- A massive search used 300 ships and aircraft to cover 300,000 square miles with no wreckage found.
- A PBM Mariner sent on rescue work exploded midair, adding 13 more dead to the toll and deepening the mystery.