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39th Bomb Group (VH)
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Date — 1 August 1945, Wednesday 1830
Mission — Honshu Island, Mito (transportation ctr.) Time — 14:35
— Completed
Take—off at 1830 for a night incendiary raid on the city of Mito, 7Omi. north of Tokyo. This target was added to the publicized bombing list and the people were warned to flee. Our plane and crew were pathfinders, dropping our bombs from an altitude of 12,000 ft. The target was covered by lower hanging stratus clouds and we had to bomb by radar. The sky all around us was fairly clear and no fighters were seen. There were no search lights able to penetrate the cloud coverage but a good amount of flak was thrown up from the airfield on the east end of the city. It was right with us but low and too far to the right. Bill estimated at least 20 bursts. We were able to see the explosions on the target of Homamatsu, a few miles southeast of Tokyo. An oil installation was hit by GP’s. All went fine and dandy number 23 with just an even dozen to go.


Date — 5 August 1945, Sunday 1904
Mission — Honshu Island, Kobe (aircraft factories) Time — 15:10
— Completed
Take—off at 1904 for a night incendiary raid on the suburbs of Kobe. We had, once before, hit Kobe during a daylight fire raid. This raid is to finish it up. This raid was again a warning raid. The third straight. Our plane was not a pathfinder this time and when we dropped our bombs from an altitude of 12,600 ft., the fires were well started and the smoke was around 15 to 16,000 ft. high. We had to go through the heat thermal, but it was not too rough. As we approached the target, we could see the search lights hunting the sky for our planes and the flak was fairly moderate. About 3min before bombs away we were flying alongside of the flak batteries and search lights but they were both a trifle low and off to our left. We left the target and as we were heading for land’s end, two enemy fighters came from 11 o’clock high going towards 5 o’clock. They were 1,000 ft. above us and they did not see us. Their lights were on, ours were out. The night was fairly clear and easy to see our own 29’s when they got too close for comfort. Number 24. Oh happy day. 11 more to go now.


Date — 10 August 1945, Friday 0245
Mission - Honshu Island, Tokyo Time — 14:35
— Completed
Take-off at 0245 for a 2,000 ft. general purpose bombing raid on an aircraft factory in Tokyo during the daytime and in formation. Our plane was to lead the group but a malfunction with our auto—pilot caused us to surrender our lead to another plane. We flew over the target at an altitude of 21,000 ft. and we dropped our bombs at 1050 on a secondary target, a few miles further of our primary target. It was 7/10’s cloud coverage. The bombs fell well on our secondary target which was bombed visually. The target was radar supposedly. P—51’s escorted us on to the target and back from it so enemy fighters were seen. The flak was a different story. It was intense flak and very accurate as far as damaged planes go. Not one plane escaped any flak holes. Our plane had 5 holes, one in each wing, one underneath our fuselage damaging our bombing camera, one also hitting our radar dome and the other from the side of the nose by our navigator. His flak curtains stopped it. Tokyo flak is still rough but we did not lose any planes and the mission was a success. Number 25 for us.

When we returned from the mission, 5 hours later, the peace feeler of Japan was broadcasted. I pray we pulled the last mission of the war.


Date — 14 August 1945, Tuesday 1849
Mission — Honshu Island, Isesaki Time — 14:45
— Completed
Take—off at 1849 for an incendiary raid on the city of Isesaki, 55mi. north of Tokyo. This raid was in coordination with an all out effort by all wings to help the Japs make up there minds to surrendering all stood by on our way up for an order to salvo our bomb load and return to base. No news came until we were ½ hour from our base on our return from the target. No enemy opposition was encountered by our plane, although some saw ack—ack. We went over as a pathfinder once again. Our formal airplane commander, now Squadron C.O. flew this last mission with us. This mission was the one we all were looking forward to making. The last one and our 26th. Gee! It’s all over except for the enforcing of peace once and for all.

Oh happy day ! Thanks be to God.


Date — 29 August 1945, 0205
Mission — Honshu Island, Osake Area Time — 15:30
- Completed
Take—off at 0205 on a reconnaissance flight over the area of Osaki at an altitude of 1,000 ft. or less. We were to verify Prisoner of War camps and try to locate more if any. Of 3 camps, only one we could actually verify and we did locate two more. Supplies will get to them the following day. We flew around the area, mostly burned out, for 2½ hours. All went very well and peaceful. This is counted as our 27th mission.
Total combat flying time is 429:45.

62nd Squadron Crew Index

Source: A. L. Fierro, Left Gunner