39th Bomb Group (VH)
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Continuing Attacks on Small Industrial Cities

 

Mission Number: Various (see below)
Mission Date: 28 June 1945 - 5 August 1945

With but two interruptions for a mission to an aircraft plant at Handa on 23-24 July and one to Tokoyama Naval Arsenal 6-7 August, the 39th Bomb Group ran the rest of its combat missions within the set plan of the Bomber Command - later re-designated the Twentieth Air Force - policy of mounting incendiary attacks on four smaller urban areas in one night. In this operation one town was assigned to each of the four wings of the command - the 58th, 73rd, 313th and the 314th.

In this was the 39th participated in the destruction of the following Japanese towns:
(Click on the Targets with links to see a few more specifics regarding the mission)

Target
Mission Date
Day Night
Mission #
Nobeka Urban Area 28 June
N
33
Shimonoseki Urban Area 1 July
N
34
Tokoushima Urban Area 3 July
N
35
Kofu Urban Area 6 July
N
36
Gifu Urban Area 9 July
N
37
Uwajima Urban Area 12 July
N
38
Hiratsuka Urban Area 16 July
N
39
Okazaki Urban Area 19 July
N
40
Omuta Urban Area 26 July
N
42
Ogaki Urban Area 28 July
N
43
Mito Urban Area 1 August
N
44
Nishinomiya 
(Kobe - Osaka) Area
5 August
N
45

As the tabulation of the strike dates shown, they were run like clockwork. Sometimes we sent out a maximum effort and sometimes the effort was a normal one. Opposition to all the raids was practically negligible and the destruction was great. The pressure was on Japan and whether we realized it or not, the breaking point was steadily being reached.

None of these raids was spectacular. Actually they became in time almost routine and the combat crews were glad to run them off, as they added to the total number of missions toward that magic number THIRTY-FIVE!

Back to History: Chronology
Source: "History of the 39th Bomb Group"
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This page was revised on 29 June 2001
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