May
1, 1945: Practice mission to Rota; 6-500# G.P. bombs.
These are general-purpose bombs of TNT in a cast iron
casing. We straddled the landing strip from altitude
of 4000 ft.
May 5, 1945: Second practice mission to Rota Island,
dropped incendiaries by radar.
Mission #1
May 11, 1945: Kawanishi Aircraft Company, Kobe-Osaka
area, 12 G.P. 500# AN M 64, received credit for 1 damaged
tojo, however, we damaged many more Japanese fighters;
repelling many fighter attacks in which all gunners
took part; Combat Flying Hours: 18:00
We flew in Crew 37's "The Four Aces and Her Majesty"
(B-29 # 42-93975) one engine knocked out by flak; a
second engine pulling half power as result of enemy
fighter fire; being surrounded by enemy fighters; bombs
unable to be released because of bomb bay damage from
enemy fighter fire; the transfer of remote controlled
guns to my gunners; releasing bombs by hand during evasive
action by pilot; hydraulic system and elevator trim
tab shot away; bomb doors unable to close; the running
gun battle down the strait; limping into iwo jima and
using parachutes to slow the plane because the brakes
were gone with the hydraulic system. the above reflected
in the orders awarding the distinguished flying cross
to Crew 31 on Sept. 17, 1945.
May 15, 1945: Aborted Mission
Mission #2
May 17, 1945: Night raid Nagoya; Mitsubishi Aircraft
assembly plants, supposedly the largest in the world.
We came in at lowest altitude, 4000 feet, at fastest
speed, 270 indicated, of any mission ever. 24 - 500#
M17A1 incendiaries. Combat Flying Hours: 15:45
Mission #3
May 19, 1945: Day mission, Tachikawa Air Arsenal outside
Tokyo; weather bad, bombed Hamamatsu; 21- 500# G.P.
AN M 64 bombs. Combat Flying Hours: 17:05
Mission #4
May 26, 1945: Night raid, downtown Tokyo, 28 500# M17A1
incendiaries, greatest raid yet, we left an inferno
behind. An hour out to sea, approximately 180 miles
away, looking back we could see a red glowing horizon
above the curvature of the earth. Combat Flying Hours:
16:50
Mission #5
May 29, 1945: Yokohama Railroad Yards, 130 M47A2 bombs
(napalm incendiaries), 44% city burned out, most effective
raid.
; Combat Flying Hours: 19:00
Aircraft Commander Henry Snow, in a gallant action,
pulled out of formation and buddied up with Capt Killpack
in an attempt to protect the crippled plane. Enemy fighters
had been sighted so we had our guns ready to assist.
Killpacks radio was out so we followed him out to sea
and radioed the position of where the 4 men bailed out.
We dropped life rafts and circled the area until fuel
consideration forced us to proceed to iwo jima. Snows
action was never criticized despite its being against
the policy of staying in formation. 3 men, Sgts. Dunn,
Tilghman and Milller were susequently picked up and
Killpack's plane which was on a heading to nowhere was
never heard from again.
June 1, 1945: Aborted Mission – Osaka
Mission #6
June 5, 1945: Kobe Iron Works, 178 - M47A2 napalm bombs;
Combat Flying Hours: 16:30
Mission #7
June 7, 1945: Osaka Arsenal, 30 - 500# E-46 incendiaries
and 1 - T4E4 fragmentation cluster;
Combat Flying Hours: 17:05
Mission #8
June 10, 1945: Hitachi Aircraft Co. at Chiba (across
bay from Tokyo), 24 - 500# M-64 bombs; bombing by radar;
Combat Flying Hours: 14:45
Mission #9
June 18, 1945: Night raid, Kagoshima, 184 - M47A2 incendiaries,
little flak, no fighters, big fires.
Combat Flying Hours: 17:05
Mission #10
June 20, 1945: Night raid, Shizuoka, 40 - E-46 500#
incendiaries.
Combat Flying Hours: 15:00 |
