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39th Bomb Group (VH)
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Date — 29 May 1945, Tuesday 0300
Mission — Honshu Island, Yokohama Time — 15:10
— Completed
Take—off at 0300 for a daylight incendiary raid on Yokohama from an altitude of 18,000 ft. It was a formation bombing raid with our plane leading the squadron, our squadron the group, our group the wing and our wing the command. We were first in other words. For some reason or other our 11 ship formation ended up with only 6 and 3 more following us a minute or so over the target. Our bomb run started at Mt. Fujiyama and one half of the way to our target we saw the first flak. Fighters were kept away by our P—51’s escorts. We dropped all bombs smack on the target and crossed the bay where our bombadier noticed flak batteries opening up on the ground. The Major was told and he turned immediately. The flak was very accurate but we turned to the right 50 just one stray burst caught us, leaving a Sin. hole in the left side of our radar room clean through to the other side. Immediately our pressurization left us and we got on oxygen. Our control wires were missed by fractions of inches. Five of us out of the six received damages from the heavy and accurate flak. One plane had to ditch. Number 8 - very good — it won’t be long now that kind of bombing. All in all we received 5 flak holes.

Date — 5 June 1945, Tuesday 0046
Mission — Honshu Island, Kobe Time - 16:40
— Completed
Take—off 0046 for an incendiary raid on Kobe. Our target included a chemical plant, air-brake factory and rubber factory. It was to be a formation bombing with us in departing lead, but as it turned out our plane lead a five-plane formation with excellent results. We were able to see the billowy white smoke from at least 175mi. away. It was around 20 to 25,000 ft. high. The flak was moderate but accurate. We received one flak hole under our left wing, 8in. from an old hole. We bombed from 15,500 ft. and with no fighter coverage. We saw 8 enemy planes. One Mich, Jack, Toja and the rest Oscars. Jack and Mich passed under our nose but none of them pressed an attack, although they did pass us from around 10 to 15 hundred yds. out. This now makes number 9. We are getting there.


Date — 7 June 1945, Thursday 0445
Mission — Honshu Island, Osake
— Incomplete
Take—off at 0445 for an early afternoon incendiary raid on Osake, the second largest industrial city of Japan. This is to be the last of large fire raids on Japan. Our crew and plane was to lead the squadron and group once again. Just as our wheels left the runway number 3 engine - the newest one - began smoking pretty bad. We kept going, thinking and hoping that it would clear itself but it didn’t. The oil began dropping fairly fast so we had to feather the engine and salvo our bomb load. After we landed we discovered that through carelessness and negligence, the oil pump plug had not been securely tightened nor safety wired. We later discovered also that had we completed this mission successfully as our previous ones we led, we would have been recommended for the “Distinguished Flying Cross”. But it was just one of those days. There will be other times and until then and after, we will put our bombs down the ole alley.



Date — 8 June 1945

Today we take over a brand new airplane and our ole faithful will be flown over the targets by crew #55. I am told that all of the lead crews will get these newer planes as they come in. So the following missions will be flown in our new plane. The modifications on the gunnery system are darn swell. It has been blessed, just like our other plane and I am sure we will be well taken care of.


Date — 10 June 1945, Sunday 0020
Mission — Honshu Island, Chiba (NE of Tokyo—across the bay) Time—14:35
— Completed
Take—off at 0050 on a general purpose bombing raid in formation on an aircraft factory in Chiba, northeast of Tokyo—across the bay. We were deputy lead in our new plane. The target was covered by clouds and we had to bomb by radar at an altitude of 16,000 ft. As yet, no reports were confirmed as to our results. We had fighter escorts of P—51’s from Iwo and as a result no fighter—enemy were seen. There was no flak either. This mission puts us, finally, in the two digit class — #10.


Continued

62nd Squadron Crew Index

Source: A. L. Fierro, Left Gunner