Mission Date:
18-19 May 1945

There's a dream boat just leaving from Guam,
Bound for the empire to bomb.
This isn't the first time; they've been there before.
They know what they're going to do.

They did a burn job in Old Tokyo,
One on Nagoya, too.
They burned up Osaka and blew up Otake,
And f_ _ _ _ 'em up on Hamamatsu.

This little parody by bombardier Tim Holt of the 62nd Squadron later made the mission to Hammatsu one of the most famous of the group's history. Perhaps the Hemmingwayesque verb used to describe the results at the home of the Japan Musical Instrument Company isn't the most genteel in the world, but it's expressive and seems to cover the case when a formation of B-29s makes a radar run on target from the land side and drops blind through 10/10ths clouds. Anyway, the twenty-two aircraft that the 39th sent on this strike came back with not a great deal more to show for their work than one of the most rollicking songs that ever graced the group officer's club on a Saturday night.