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39th Bomb Group (VH)
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# 9 May 25 – 1945
Hit Tokyo again with incendiaries (south side of town) Flak was meager and very accurate. Only caught for about 5 seconds in search lights before bombs away. No fighters, that is that were seen. Two fire bombs. Very much small arms fire. Bombs away @ 0041 the 26th 45
Time: 15:00 Bomb Alt: 9,000’


# 10 May 29 – 45
Day light incendiary raid on Yokohama with 116 liguid fire bombs – 1 bomb bay tank.
We had P-51 fighter cover and at one time counted 28. saw only 3 to 4 Jap fighters – being the 1st Wing, 1st Grp and the 2nd Sqdn. Over target

Transcriber’s note: Formation diagram is based on C.B. Wall’s illustration shown in diary

Flak was very heavy and very very accurate – hole app large as your hand on the trailing edge of rt aileron
Time: 15:40


30 May had to change RT aileron

# 11 June 1, 45
Day incendiary strike on Osaka (East side of town) 24B 500#.
Saw one P 51 – were the next to last Sqdn to hit the target. Two fighters but had not pressed their attack. Flak only at the target – Light but very accurate. (Smoke of sc??? batteries)
Smoke was 25 to 30 thousand ft when we were at target. We came out of the smoke exactly at opposite heading as we went in. Bombing alt: 20,000’. Gauges were iced up as we left the smoke. Test fired cleared them. Returning home heard Crew #30 distress call so we proceeded to find them. After they were located we proceeded to Iwo Jima to refuel. Then flew back to base. Total time 17:25

# 12 June 5 – 45 Day Incendiary Raid on Kobe
184 liquid fire bombs. No fighter cover. Saw app 8 to 10 fighters – 3 to 4 attacks. Mikes and Tojos.
Flak was light but accurate as could be. Smoke was 17,000’ as we hit target. One small flak hole in the oil cooler of # 2 engine.
#5 fired thru left forward bomb bay door – BB doors would not latch up. Nav & Rad tied them up with rope. – Total time: 15:55

# 13 June 7 – 45 Day incendiary raid on Osaka
Run was completely by radar, 10/10 overcast. Lead ship’s radar went out. We were leading the # 2 element so we dropped out to go to target. Three planes followed making a formation of four planes. Flak light & accurate – only two or three fighters – saw two P51’s.
Four or five miles past target we had to feather #4 cause of high C.H.O (?) (cracked short stack) – Landed at Iwo Jima for the night for refuel & to fix # 4. Returned to evening on the 8th.
Time: 16:20

# 14 June 10 – 1945 Target was at Chiba
24 500# G.P’s Located in Tokyo Bay area. A.P. was aircraft factories. Bombed at 15,000’ by radar. No flak and no fighters, except for one sqdn of unidentified fighters. Landed at Iwo Jima for fuel and to fix # 1 engine’s cowl flaps. Had to change both tires on the left main gear after landing. Returned to base same day.
Time: 16:15


June 15 – 1945 Target was to be Osaka (fire bombs)
Took off 1 hr late cause the two cylinder changes were running late. #1 engine app ¾ hr out of Iwo – we had to feather # 1 – tried to climb and catch formation on three engines with no luck – so we salvoed the loads and headed back to base – The first abortion
Time: 9:20

June 19 – 45
Test hop to slow time number 1 and number 2 engines. Both had to be changed after abortion on # 15 mission. Came down after 1:45 hr & minutes with # 2 feathered. (magnetic sump plug became safted) Took off again and everything checked okay. Total time: 3:05

Continued

61st Squadron Crew Index

Source: Diary of C.B. Wall, CFC Gunner