Date
— 15 June 1945, Friday 0245
Mission - Honshu Island, Osake (northeastern part) Time
— 14:45
— Completed
Take—off 0245 on an incendiary raid on the suburbs
of Osake, in formation. Our plane was to lead the second
element but due to a very heavy and thick weather front,
our formation was dissolved and with 570 planes around,
we all went in and dropped bombs with some other group
or we went in and bombed by radar, singly. We hear by
reports that our bombs had good results and we will no
longer go back to Osake.
No flak or fighters were seen. We were fortunate enough
not to run into one another up there. Mission #11 and
24 to go. This day marks the first anniversary of the
initial B—29 raid on Japan of 47 planes.
Date — 17 June 1945, Sunday 1700
Mission - Kyushu Island, Kagoshima Time - 14:55
— Completed
Take—off at 1700 on an incendiary raid on Kogashima
around midnight. Our plane and crew were designated
as the pathfinder to go over the target at 7200 ft.
first and drop our bombs on a specified point to enable
all of the following planes to aim for the target on
our trail of fires. The raid must have taken the city
by surprise because we did not encounter any fighters
or flak. No search lights were on either. The results
were excellent and another city is left in ruins.
This
mission is #12 and puts us 1/3 of the way to the completion
of our tours of duty.
Date
— 19 June 1945, Tuesday 1930
Mission - Honshu Island, Shizuoka Time — 14:10
— Completed
Take—off at 1930 on another incendiary raid. This
time it was the city of Shizuoka, about 85mi. southwest
of Tokyo. We bombed from an altitude of 9,000 ft. Bombs
went away at 0300 even. This was really the roughest
night raid yet. With no lights on, a plane passed by
our rudder fifty ft. away just as we were on the bomb
run. There was no enemy opposition whatever but what
made this a rough one was: right after bombs away and
the bomb bay doors came shut, the Major mentioned that
we were going into the smoke column and it may be a
little rough. We had gone through smoke over Nagoya
and the thermo air bounced us around a bit. Well in
we went - it was blacker than black too. I felt the
blood go toward my feet for a second and then I was
up against the ceiling breaking the CFC stand on my
way up. Every bit of loose equipment was up there with
me. Then back down I came, right in my seat again as
neat as you please. All of us except the Major and pilot
left his seat. It only lasted 30 to 40 seconds and when
we came out we had gained 2000 ft.
No one got hurt except for a scratch or two. I had two.
Radio man Levesque was knocked out for a minute or so.
The mission was excellent and it was our 13th and air
medal cluster mission. Whew!
Date — 22 June 1945, Friday 0230
Mission — Honshu Island, Tamashima rrime —
15:15
- Completed
Take—off around 0230 for a general purpose bombing
raid in formation, during the daytime, on an aircraft
factory in Tamashima. This factory was just completed
around the beginning of this year and they assemble
“Bettys”. Our bombing altitude was 15,000
ft.. Our plane was in deputy lead of the formation.
We assembled off of the coast of Japan (Honshu and Shikoku)
and we were attacked by fighters who dropped phosphorous
bombs. Two were dropped on us and missed. One 29 was
seen to go down into the water. We were unable to find
our leader and only one plane tagged along with us so
we hurried up to another formation and tagged on with
them, after the assembly time ran out. We were led a
little off course and in range of ach-ach guns, only
two but they were accurate enough to put a 6 in. hole
in the plane before us and two smaller ho1e~ in our
left wing. Our nose wheel doors were beat up by something
- probably a glancing piece of metal. On to the target
we went with no more opposition. Over the target the
ack-ack was 5,000 ft. below us - very inaccurate. Coming
from the target – hit hard - we were attacked
by two more planes - no damage. Their attacks were half—hearted.
No more planes will come out of that factory. And good
ole number 14 for our crew.
Only 21 more to go now.
Date — 26 June 1945, Tuesday 0155
Mission - Honshu Island, Nagoya Area Time — 16:05
— Completed
Take—off at 0155 for a general purpose bombing raid,
in formation, on a factory in Nagoya making ack-ack guns,
cannons and trucks. Our bombing altitude being 19,000
ft.. We assembled, as always, off of the coast Of Honshu
where we were met by some enemy planes. One of which made
an attack on us, weakly of course. Our plan was to lead
the formation. After we had formed, we called the departing
lead plane to take over the lead since our nose glass
was iced and the bombadier could not bomb visually. We
left the area for the target but before we got there we
encountered a front which caused all of us to scatter
in order to avoid hitting one another inside of the soupy
weather. When we came out of it everyone was helter—skelter.
So we and another plane kept going toward Nagoya hoping
to meet another formation or our glass clearing up so
we could bomb. The ice did not melt and we had to pass
over the target and head for our secondary target by radar.
Flak was encountered and evasive action taken. The stuff
was plenty accurate and we received a gash 18in. long
at the top of our rudder. Oh yes, another fighter or two
attacked us in the meantime. We got to our secondary target—“Tsue”—
and bombed by radar hitting on the edge of the city. Then
back home we headed. We had a malfunction in our rack
system and the bombs had to be salvoed. Number 15 a little
rugged because of weather. There was P—51 escorts
which were not told of before hand. Bad business.
