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39th Bomb Group (VH)

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Missions of Bernard Greene
Bombardier

Mission #11
June 22, 1945: Day raid, Mitsubishi aircraft at Tamashima, 23 - 500# G.P. M-64 bombs, most modern aircraft plant in Japan destroyed.
Combat Flying Hours: 15:10

Missions #12
July 4, 1945: Temporary duty at Iwo Jima to navigate P-51 fighters to Tokyo area where they strafed assigned targets or targets of opportunity; No bombs dropped.
Combat Flying Hours: 16:40

Mission #13
July 17, 1945: Night raid Hiratsuka, 40 - M17A1 incendiaries, 18,200# bomb load.
Combat Flying Hours: 14:00

Mission #14
July 20, 1945: Night Raid, Okasaki, 184 - M47A2 incendiaries, 12,880# bomb load.
Combat Flying Hours: 14:10

Mission #15
July 27, 1945: Night raid, Omuta, 20 - M17A1 500# incendiaries and 92 - M47A2 incendiaries, 15,580# bomb load; Combat Flying Hours: 15:40

Mission # 16
July 29, 1945: Night raid, Ogaki, 20 - E46 500# incendiaries and 92 - M47A2 incendiaries.
Combat Flying Hours: 14:50

Practice mission
July 31, 1945: Pagan island in north Marianas, Japanese held, formation flight by day, 10 - 500# G.P. AN M64 bombs.

Mission # 17
Aug 2, 1945: Mito, 20- E46 500# incendiaries, 92 - M47 100# incendiaries, 1 - M47 W.P. anti- personnel bomb and 1 - M46 photo flash bomb; Combat Flying Hours: 15:45

On this mission we had an engine fire, which we tried to extinguish, but failed. We contacted Admiral Halsey’s fleet, which at this time was bombarding shore installations by day and retreating far offshore at night, and planned to bail out with the Navy standing by. We lowered the landing gear and opened the hatch to drop out of the plane thru the nose wheel opening and the bomb bays. Fortunately, the fire went out, the engine had been feathered and we returned to Guam on 3 engines.

Mission #18
Aug 6, 1945: Night raid, Kobe area, Mikage, 39 - E46 500# incendiaries, 1 - T4E4 fragmentation cluster.
Combat Flying Hours: 15:05


We had engine trouble, aborted the mission and bombed Shingu on withdrawal. This is the date that the A- bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Mission #19
Aug 10, 1945: Day raid over Tokyo, Nakajima Aircraft Co. and Tokyo arsenal, 4 - M66 2000# G.P. bombs, 3 - M64 G.P. bombs, 9,870# bomb load. Note that this is the day after the A-bomb drop over Nagasaki.
Combat Flying Hours: 14:30

Mission #20
Aug 15, 1945: Night raid, Isesaki, 20 - E46 500# incendiaries, 92 - M47 incendiaries, 1 - M46 photo flash bomb, 14,940# bomb load. Combat Flying Hours: 14:40


This was last scheduled combat mission of the war.

Mission #21,
Aug 31, 1945: Day flight in formation over Tokyo as a “Show of Force” or “Display of Power”. No bombs aboard but guns armed and loaded.
Combat Flying Hours: 16:40

Mission #22
Sept 2, 1945: VJ day;

All B-29s circled Tokyo Bay as Japan surrendered formally on the deck of the battleship Missouri. The air was full of Navy aircraft as well, all slowly circling in a counter clockwise direction; it was a cloudy day. Once again we had engine trouble and had to feather an engine. We continued to circle in traffic, however, until we were noticed and ordered to depart the area. We ignored the order, in our exuberance, until 3 - F6F hellcats came over and motioned to us to leave. This we did reluctantly and flew home to Guam on the 3 engines, not stopping at Iwo Jima for repair. What a great day it was.

Side Note: Regarding VJ day, many people believe this to be Aug 14,1945, the date of the explosive celebration on New York’s Times Square after the Emperor’s speech to the Japanese people that they would surrender and end the war. However, the war was not over for us, apparently the Japanese Government needed prodding inasmuch as there were factions in the cabinet that desired to fight on when the Americans invaded. The emperor, to his credit, made his decision wisely in the face of overwhelming force. - Bernie Greene


Note: Combat Flying Hours shown are from the radio logs of S/Sgt Richard A. Wachs. His complete radio logs can be viewed by clicking here


61st Squadron Crew Index

Source: Bernie Greene, Bombardier & Richard Wachs, Radio Op' radio logs