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39th Bomb Group (VH)

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Missions of Bernard Greene
Bombardier

The following is a list of ordnance of (Replacement) Crew 31's bomb bay on each mission.

"The list of contents of P-31's bomb bay came from the bomb pins I saved from each mission. Each pin came from a bomb fuse with a tag on it, on which I described the bombs we dropped”.

Bernie Greene
Bombardier/Gunner
Crew P-31
61st B.S.
1st Lt Henry Snow, AC


May 1, 1945: Practice mission to Rota; 6-500# G.P. bombs. These are general-purpose bombs of TNT in a cast iron casing. We straddled the landing strip from altitude of 4000 ft.

May 5, 1945: Second practice mission to Rota Island, dropped incendiaries by radar.

Mission #1
May 11, 1945: Kawanishi Aircraft Company, Kobe-Osaka area, 12 G.P. 500# AN M 64, received credit for 1 damaged tojo, however, we damaged many more Japanese fighters; repelling many fighter attacks in which all gunners took part; Combat Flying Hours: 18:00

We flew in Crew 37's "The Four Aces and Her Majesty" (B-29 # 42-93975) one engine knocked out by flak; a second engine pulling half power as result of enemy fighter fire; being surrounded by enemy fighters; bombs unable to be released because of bomb bay damage from enemy fighter fire; the transfer of remote controlled guns to my gunners; releasing bombs by hand during evasive action by pilot; hydraulic system and elevator trim tab shot away; bomb doors unable to close; the running gun battle down the strait; limping into iwo jima and using parachutes to slow the plane because the brakes were gone with the hydraulic system. the above reflected in the orders awarding the distinguished flying cross to Crew 31 on Sept. 17, 1945.

May 15, 1945: Aborted Mission

Mission #2
May 17, 1945: Night raid Nagoya; Mitsubishi Aircraft assembly plants, supposedly the largest in the world. We came in at lowest altitude, 4000 feet, at fastest speed, 270 indicated, of any mission ever. 24 - 500# M17A1 incendiaries. Combat Flying Hours: 15:45

Mission #3
May 19, 1945: Day mission, Tachikawa Air Arsenal outside Tokyo; weather bad, bombed Hamamatsu; 21- 500# G.P. AN M 64 bombs. Combat Flying Hours: 17:05

Mission #4
May 26, 1945: Night raid, downtown Tokyo, 28 500# M17A1 incendiaries, greatest raid yet, we left an inferno behind. An hour out to sea, approximately 180 miles away, looking back we could see a red glowing horizon above the curvature of the earth. Combat Flying Hours: 16:50

Mission #5
May 29, 1945: Yokohama Railroad Yards, 130 M47A2 bombs (napalm incendiaries), 44% city burned out, most effective raid.
; Combat Flying Hours: 19:00

Aircraft Commander Henry Snow, in a gallant action, pulled out of formation and buddied up with Capt Killpack in an attempt to protect the crippled plane. Enemy fighters had been sighted so we had our guns ready to assist. Killpacks radio was out so we followed him out to sea and radioed the position of where the 4 men bailed out. We dropped life rafts and circled the area until fuel consideration forced us to proceed to iwo jima. Snows action was never criticized despite its being against the policy of staying in formation. 3 men, Sgts. Dunn, Tilghman and Milller were susequently picked up and Killpack's plane which was on a heading to nowhere was never heard from again.

June 1, 1945: Aborted Mission – Osaka

Mission #6
June 5, 1945: Kobe Iron Works, 178 - M47A2 napalm bombs; Combat Flying Hours: 16:30

Mission #7
June 7, 1945: Osaka Arsenal, 30 - 500# E-46 incendiaries and 1 - T4E4 fragmentation cluster;
Combat Flying Hours: 17:05

Mission #8
June 10, 1945: Hitachi Aircraft Co. at Chiba (across bay from Tokyo), 24 - 500# M-64 bombs; bombing by radar; Combat Flying Hours: 14:45

Mission #9
June 18, 1945: Night raid, Kagoshima, 184 - M47A2 incendiaries, little flak, no fighters, big fires.
Combat Flying Hours: 17:05

Mission #10
June 20, 1945: Night raid, Shizuoka, 40 - E-46 500# incendiaries.
Combat Flying Hours: 15:00

Continued

Note: Combat Flying Hours shown are from the radio logs of S/Sgt Richard A. Wachs. His complete radio logs can be viewed by clicking here

61st Squadron Crew Index
Source: Bernie Greene, Bombardier & Richard Wachs, Radio Op' radio logs