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The
following account comes from S/Sgt David H. Fisher,
Radio Operator, with Crew 55. Keep in mind as
you read this that while these entries were made
within a short time after each mission and they
reflect his point of view of that specific mission.
Other crews have their own recollections of the
same mission - and for them it could have been
a "milk run" or their most dangerous mission.
Each and every mission the 11 men of the B-29
crews put their lives on line … some never returning
home. What is important is that the veteran's
words are told… and someone hears them …
These
were transcribed as they were written to retain
their historical value
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May
7 - Otake, Honshu - Oil Refinery
No planes lost. Aborted cracked cylinder. Got as far
as Iwo. [top of page] [mission
list]
May
14- Nagoya, Honshu - Incendiary Raid on Industrial
Targets
A large area was burned out. Largest B-29 raid to date.
3500 tons bombs dropped. Over 500 planes from 4 different
wings participated. None from the 39th lost. We saw
5 fighters - 3 tojos and 2 twin-engines. Flak was light.
Were suppose to have P-51 fighter escort but weather
prevented it.
Bombing Alt: 17,500 Flying Time 16 hours 40 min [top
of page] [mission
list]
May
23 Tokyo, Honshu - Incendiary Raid on industrial targets
184
- 84lb bombs in both bomb bays. No bomb bay gas tanks.
Only 6800 gals. of gas for entire trip. Took off 7:47
P.M. May 23. Bombs away at 3:38 A.M., May 24. Saw plenty
of fireworks, flak and bursting ALL around us - but
none of it hit us. We also saw phosphorous flak. We
saw two fighters but no fireballs. The planes didn't
fire at us so we didn't fire at them. Seven search lights
were on us at one time. Bombed from 12,500 ft. Bomb
bays were lit up bright by the fires already started
before we bombed. On our way back we had to land at
Iwo Jima because we were short on gas. We stayed there
about 3 hours. It was windy and dusty which made Iwo
all the worse. Took off from Iwo about 2:15 PM and landed
at 6:00 PM.
Altitude:
12,800 Total Flying Time: 18 hours 40 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
May
29 Yokahoma, Honshu - Incendiary Raid on industrial
targets
Had
to feather No. 1 prop. Rather than go over Yokahoma,
we bombed town of Sagara on Jap Coast about 30 miles
of south of Yokahoma. Saw no flak, no fighters, no nothing.
Main force over Yakahoma had P-51 fighter escort. We
started fires in the town. We bombed from 18,500 ft.
Flak over Yokahoma was pretty rough - several ships
damaged
Flying Time: 16 hrs 05 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
June
5 Kobe, Honshu - Incendiary raid on Urban Areas
Approximately
a 450-plane raid. Big fires were started, smoke rose
to 17,000 ft. We bombed from 15,300 ft. Flak was not
too thick but was very accurate. We got three flak holes
in the ship. We saw about 10 fighters. Our bombardier
got credit for a plane "probably" destroyed.
It was a Tojo. Other planes were "Tonys" and
a "Nick".
Flight Time: 12 hrs 20 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
June
10 Chiba, Honshu Atache Aircraft Factory
Located
on the northeast corner of Tokyo Bay about 25 miles
southeast of Tokyo. Our Group was the only one to hit
Chiba. We went in over a 10/10 undercast and didn't
see any enemy fighters or flak. However we did see get
one flak hole in the wing. We bombed from 18,000 ft.
Flying time: 15 hrs. 25 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
June
15 Osaka, Honshu Incendiary Raid
We
bombed from 18,000 ft. in a thick soup. We lost formation
in soup so we made an individual run over target. Icing
conditions were pretty bad. Ice was all over the wings,
elevators, vertical stabilizer, blisters and nose. We
didn't see any fighters or flak.
Flight Time: 15 hrs 10 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
June
18 Kagoshima, Kyushu
Incendiary
raid. That was the 314th BWs target. It was a night
raid from 8,000 ft. The entire city was in flames when
we went over. Thermos over fire caused us to do an awful
lot of bouncing around. The Tai Gunner cut his eye during
the bouncing. There was little flak and a few searchlights
- also automatic fire. We were not hit.
Flight Time: 15 hrs. 15 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
June
22 Tamoshima, Honshu
Flew
over center of Shikoku from assembly to I.P. Flew over
more land than on any other mission. Got some flak over
Shikoku, very little over target. Saw one fighter over
assembly, flew over target. Bombing altitude 18.500
ft. Came back from target with one prop feathered and
one prop stuck at 2000 rpm.
Flight Time: 15 hrs 25 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
June
26 Nagoya, Honshu
Soupy
weather over Nagoya caused us to bomb city of Tsu, which
was our secondary radar target. We bombed it individually.
Saw fighters over assembly area agan little flak over
target.
Flight Time: 15 hrs 45 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
June
29 Nobeoka, Kyushu - Night Incendiary Raid on Urban
Areas
Entire
city was in flames. Bombed from 10,000 ft. No searchlights,
very little flak, automatic weapons. We didn't see any
night fighters nor fireballs. Ran away from stars, Venus
thinking it was a fireball.
Flight Time: 14 hrs 45 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
July
4 Tokushima, Shikoku - Night Incendiary Raid on Urban
Areas
Entire
city seemed to be in flames. Smoke rose way above our
altutude to about 20,000 ft. No flak while we were over
target. Johnson saw plane off our right wing with his
landing lights on, probably a Jap fighter. On our way
put we saw target off our right wing about 60 miles
throwing up a lot of flak.
Bombing
Altitude: 10,000 ft Flight Time: 14 hrs 35 min.
[top
of page] [mission
list]
July
6 Kofu, Honshu - Night Incendiary Raid on Urban Areas
Our
bombs away was at 1:52 and at that time the smoke rose
to about 20,000 ft. More planes bombed after us. Ours
was one of the five targets - and it was an experimental
one. The city was located in a valley which made radar
bombing very difficult. When we arrived, we bombed usually
on the fires. Five wings participated in strikes - believed
to the largest no. of planes to bomb the empire in one
single night - over 600. No flak over target area. About
8 searchlights seen as we were over coast on way out.
Bombing
Alt: 15,000 ft. Flight Time: 14 hrs 30 min [top
of page] [mission
list]
July
10 Gifu, Honshu - Night Incendiary Raid on Urban Areas
Had
to fly over more Land-on this mission than any previous
raid. Not too rough over target area. No flak, some
automatic fire, about 10 searchlights as we released
our bombs. No damage was done to plane.
Bombing
Alt: 16,000 Flight Time: 14:45 [top
of page] [mission
list]
July
13 Uwo Jima, Shikoku Night Incendiary Raid on Urban
Areas
Weather
was socked in over target. Weren't able to see anything
- no searchlights and a little flak - no fighters no
damage was done. Lost one plane from 61st. Entire crew
was picked up.
Bombing
Alt: 14,200 ft Flight Time: 14 hrs 50 min. [top
of page] [mission
list]
July
17 Hiratsuka, Honshu - Night Incendiary Raid on Urban
Areas
City located 20 miles south of Tokyo. Feathered No.
1 engine before we reached target. We bombed on three
engines. Just off the target, a bomb fell through the
bomb bay. It banged up the doors and they wouldn't close.
Lt Tucker and J.C. went out in the bomb bay to try to
tie them shut. We landed at Iwo - tied the doors closed,
refueled with gas and oil in No. 1 engine.
Bombing
Alt: 12,000 Flight Time: 14:45 [top
of page] [mission
list]
July
20 Okazaki, Honshu - Night Incendiary Raid on City which
was suburb of Nagoya
No flak over target area, no planes (enemy), some small
arms automatic fire. Had to feather No. 1 again just
after we got off the target. Wing Flight Engineer was
along. Came all the way back to Guam.
Bombing
Alt: 15,000 ft. Flight Time: 14:05 [top
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list]
July
25 Handa, Honshu - Daylight G.P. Raid on Naka Jima Aircraft
Factory located in Handa - a suburb of Nagoya.
We
saw more B-29s and friendly aircraft up around target
area that we ever saw before. We saw no enemy aircraft
and there was no flak while we were over the target.
No operational trouble with the airplane this time.
Bombing Alt: 18,000 Flight Time: 14:35 [top
of page] [mission
list]
July
27 Omuta, Kyushu Night Raid on Urban Areas
City
located on western coast of Kyushu North of Nagasaki.
No flak while we were over target - no fighters. Just
after we left target, No. 4 engine had to be feathered.
Nos. 2 & 3 also had oil leaks and No. 1 engine cut
out intermittently. Landed at Iwo Jima at about 7:00
A.M. Stayed there all that day & night and came
back the next day in a "Gypsy Rose Lee" plane.
While at Iwo: saw several boys I went thru radio school
who are at Saipan. Got back here at noon - too late
to be altered for a mission that night.
Bombing Alt: 12,000 Flight Time: 16:45 [top
of page] [mission
list]
Aug
2 Mito, Honshu Night Incendiary Raid on Urban Areas
- One of the cities Japanese people were warned to evacuate,
located 75 miles north of Tokyo.
No
flak while we were over target - no enemy fighters.
We flew the mission in another crew's plane no trouble
with plane.
Bombing Alt: 13,100 Flight Time: 14:35 [top
of page] [mission
list]
Aug
7 Toyakaw, Honshu A daylight mission on naval arsenal
with demolition bombs
Small
Raid - only 3 squadrons from entire wing were on it.
It was a perfect bombing. Our formation was the prettiest
I've seen. We didn't see any enemy fighters. Had P-51
escort. Ran into some very accurate flak. However we
weren't hit.
Bombing Alt: 19,000 Flight Time: 14:10 [top
of page] [mission
list]
Aug
15 Isezaki, Honshu Night Incendiary Raid on Urban Areas
- Last Mission Against Japan
We
had one bad engine going up to the target. Saw no enemy
planes and very little flak over target. Also saw flak
after leaving target over town we passed. Another engine
started giving us trouble just after we left target.
Had to land at Iwo. Learned about the war being over.
Left there about 2 o'clock and got here about 5:30.
Bombing Alt: 16,000 Flight Time: 14:30 [top
of page] [mission
list]
Last
Look at Japan
Sept
1 P.W. Mission to Sendai Camp No. 2.
We
dropped supplies to prisoners of war in the Sendai Camp
No. 2. Camp was located about 250 miles north of Tokio.
It was the most interesting mission we flew. We flew
all the way up to the camp at an altitude of about 1,500
ft. Got a birds-eye view of several large cities, a
lot of small villages and two airfields. Land was laid
out very pretty - especially the farms - neat a pin.
During the whole trip, we only saw two automobiles and
two trains. We had trouble locating the camp since it
was located in the mountains. We got down very low while
looking for it. We could see people plainly in the villages
and on the farms. The camp was marked very plainly with
"P.W's" once we did find it. The parachute
static lines got fouled up in the bomb bay doors and
when we salvoed the supplies and we couldn't get the
doors closed. We headed back to Iwo and the got the
doors fixed gased up. Stayed there overnight.
Flight Time: 17:50 [top
of page] [mission
list]
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