DISHTINGUISHED
UNIT CITATION-As authorized by executive Order 9396
(Sec I, WD Bull 22, 1943), superceding Executive
Order 9075 Sec III, WD Bull 11, 1943, and under
the provisions of paragraph 2d (1), Section IV,
Circ No 333, WD 1943, and letter Headquarters United
States Army Strategic Air Forces, file AG200.6,
subject: "Distinguished Unit Badge," dated 11 October
1945, and par 4 Sec 4 Gen orders 1, Pacific Air
Command, United States Army, 25 Dec 1945, (classified);
the following units are cited for outstanding performance
of duty in action against the enemy:
The
39th Bomb Group (VH) is cited for outstanding performance
of duty in armed conflict with the enemy during
the period 23 May 1945 to 29 May 1945. With exceptional
valor and superb skill, this group participated
in three highly successful large-scale missions,
which had for their formidable objective the destruction
of two major industrial center of Japan, Tokyo and
Yokohama. The Group accomplished its assignment
with exceptional success despite fanatical and effective
air opposition ever mounted by the Japanese enemy.
The opposition was intensified by the need to fly
these strikes at medium altitude because of problems
posed by incendiary bomb ballistics and by the unpredictable
and excessive winds at high altitudes. This tactical
necessity subjected the bombing aircraft to continuous
attack from the largest concentration of enemy fighters
and anti-aircraft guns in the Empire. Shortly after
midnight on 24 May 1945, thirty-four aircraft of
the 39th Bombardment Group joined in a massive assault
on the manufacturing districts of Tokyo. Forty-eight
hours later, on 25 May 1945; an equal number of
the group's aircraft participated in a second crushing
strike at this powerful center of the enemy's war
potential. These two missions devastated 22.1 square
miles of the target area in this, the world's third
largest city. Vicious fighter attacks, supported
by intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire, shot
down one B-29 on each of these missions, and damaged
a total of seventeen more. Again, during the forenoon
of 29 May, another large-scale incendiary assault
was launched, this time against the industrial and
dock area of Yokohama. The 39th Bombardment Group,
despite the losses and damage sustained in its last
two missions, mustered twenty-five aircraft for
the attack. During the approach to the target, and
flying at 17,000 feet, the formations were subjected
to fierce and accurate anti-aircraft fire, and to
thirty-seven enemy fighter thrusts. Two of the B-29's
went down and fifteen others were damaged. Despite
these losses and continued harassment by the enemy,
the group intrepidly fought through to the target,
bombed with deadly accuracy, and aided in the accomplishing
the devastation of 6.9 square miles of the industrial
district of the city. The great shipping center
of Yokohama was written off the list of priority
targets. No other missions were ever flown against
it thereafter. The climatic success of these three
missions against two major strongholds of Japanese
war might was a fitting tribute to not only to the
coolness and skill of the gallant air crews of this
group, but also to the maintenance personnel who
kept the aircraft in the air and sent damaged ships
back into service in an incredibly shot time. Acutely
short-handed, continuously improvising to overcome
a shortage of tools, equipment and replacement parts
the ground crew repaired their wounded aircraft
and managed to sustain them continuously for sixty
hours, pausing only for food and brief rest beside
their plane. The valor, the superior skill and unremitting
devotion to duty exhibited by the bombers of the
39th Bombardment Group are in the highest tradition
of the military service and reflect great credit
on themselves and the United States Army Air Forces.
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