Date
— 29 May 1945, Tuesday 0300
Mission — Honshu Island, Yokohama Time — 15:10
— Completed
Take—off at 0300 for a daylight incendiary raid
on Yokohama from an altitude of 18,000 ft. It was a formation
bombing raid with our plane leading the squadron, our
squadron the group, our group the wing and our wing the
command. We were first in other words. For some reason
or other our 11 ship formation ended up with only 6 and
3 more following us a minute or so over the target. Our
bomb run started at Mt. Fujiyama and one half of the way
to our target we saw the first flak. Fighters were kept
away by our P—51’s escorts. We dropped all
bombs smack on the target and crossed the bay where our
bombadier noticed flak batteries opening up on the ground.
The Major was told and he turned immediately. The flak
was very accurate but we turned to the right 50 just one
stray burst caught us, leaving a Sin. hole in the left
side of our radar room clean through to the other side.
Immediately our pressurization left us and we got on oxygen.
Our control wires were missed by fractions of inches.
Five of us out of the six received damages from the heavy
and accurate flak. One plane had to ditch. Number 8 -
very good — it won’t be long now that kind
of bombing. All in all we received 5 flak holes.
Date — 5 June 1945, Tuesday 0046
Mission — Honshu Island, Kobe Time - 16:40
— Completed
Take—off 0046 for an incendiary raid on Kobe.
Our target included a chemical plant, air-brake factory
and rubber factory. It was to be a formation bombing
with us in departing lead, but as it turned out our
plane lead a five-plane formation with excellent results.
We were able to see the billowy white smoke from at
least 175mi. away. It was around 20 to 25,000 ft. high.
The flak was moderate but accurate. We received one
flak hole under our left wing, 8in. from an old hole.
We bombed from 15,500 ft. and with no fighter coverage.
We saw 8 enemy planes. One Mich, Jack, Toja and the
rest Oscars. Jack and Mich passed under our nose but
none of them pressed an attack, although they did pass
us from around 10 to 15 hundred yds. out. This now makes
number 9. We are getting there.
Date — 7 June 1945, Thursday
0445
Mission — Honshu Island, Osake
— Incomplete
Take—off at 0445 for an early afternoon incendiary
raid on Osake, the second largest industrial city of
Japan. This is to be the last of large fire raids on
Japan. Our crew and plane was to lead the squadron and
group once again. Just as our wheels left the runway
number 3 engine - the newest one - began smoking pretty
bad. We kept going, thinking and hoping that it would
clear itself but it didn’t. The oil began dropping
fairly fast so we had to feather the engine and salvo
our bomb load. After we landed we discovered that through
carelessness and negligence, the oil pump plug had not
been securely tightened nor safety wired. We later discovered
also that had we completed this mission successfully
as our previous ones we led, we would have been recommended
for the “Distinguished Flying Cross”. But
it was just one of those days. There will be other times
and until then and after, we will put our bombs down
the ole alley.
Date — 8 June 1945
Today we take over a brand new airplane and our ole faithful
will be flown over the targets by crew #55. I am told
that all of the lead crews will get these newer planes
as they come in. So the following missions will be flown
in our new plane. The modifications on the gunnery system
are darn swell. It has been blessed, just like our other
plane and I am sure we will be well taken care of.
Date — 10 June 1945, Sunday 0020
Mission — Honshu Island, Chiba (NE of Tokyo—across
the bay) Time—14:35
— Completed
Take—off at 0050 on a general purpose bombing raid
in formation on an aircraft factory in Chiba, northeast
of Tokyo—across the bay. We were deputy lead in
our new plane. The target was covered by clouds and we
had to bomb by radar at an altitude of 16,000 ft. As yet,
no reports were confirmed as to our results. We had fighter
escorts of P—51’s from Iwo and as a result
no fighter—enemy were seen. There was no flak either.
This mission puts us, finally, in the two digit class
— #10.
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