| DATE:
May 19, 1945
TARGET:
CITY OF HAMMAMATSU, HONSHU
TIME:
Daylight
Again
we briefed, this time at twenty-four hundred (2400), only
after we had loaded nine thousand (9000) rounds of ammo.
This was a day raid-the reason for the extra ammo. We
took off at o-three-thirty (0330) and headed for the island.
On
this raid the island was again all covered by clouds,
as has usually been the case on most of our raids. We
join up with one other crew, four (4), and look for the
primary target. It (TACHIKAWA) is socked in so we bomb
a musical instrument factory at HAMMAMATSU. This factory
is, or was, making propellers for airplanes so there is
the reason for the bombing.
This
mission was one of our so-called milk runs. By this, I mean
no flak and no fighters, and no trouble. From this mission
we landed back at our base at eighteen - thirty (1830).
DATE:
May 26 1945
TARGET: CITY OF TOKYO
TIME: Night Raid
The
briefing today was at thirteen hundred (1300). Then after
eating, we went to the plane and made the guns ready for
the take-off, which was at seventeen-thirty (1730).
This
was our second night raid and the second night raid on
the city of Tokyo in three days. Each plane flew up to
and over the target individually.
Before
reaching the target we could see the spotlights, the glow
of the burning city, and the bursting flak in the distance.
Just before dropping our bombs we saw a plane on our left
in the spotlights and another on our right in the spotlights,
so the pilot said we would go over the target between
them. This time we were lucky; the flak batteries concentrated
on the other two planes and we were let off easily. Although
one or two spotlights picked us up for a few minutes.
On the bomb run everyone was trying to hit the Emperors
Palace. I don't know if they did or not, but some reports
say it was damaged. We dropped twenty-five (25) five-hundred-pound
incendiaries.
The
flak on this mission was heavy and rather accurate. Then
besides this, there were some parachute flares, which
hung in the air and were very bright. They had their purpose.
I did not see any night fighters on either night mission,
but they were supposed to have been there.
After
we were one hundred (100) miles from the coast, we took
off our flak suits and began to breathe a little more
easily. We landed back at Guam at o-eight-thirty (0830)
and headed for briefing. |
