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39th Bomb Group (VH)
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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.


Continued

60th Squadron Crew Index
Source: John J. Essig, CFC Gunner