W45AUTH\CD93N-RM.DOC

R. Morris Crew #43 at M-52 42-xx989 “City of Cincinnati” 1945

Back L-R: Sgt J. K. Dunn, Tail Gunner; S/Sgt R.J. Rector, Radio; S/Sgt N. C. Elliott, Right Gunner; T/Sgt R.J. Suiter, CFC; M/Sgt L. A. Esselburn, Flt Engr; S/Sgt W.W.Woodall, Left Gunner.

Front L-R: Lt R.L.Morris, AC;Lt D.R.Festermacher, Pilot; Milton Chase, WLW Announcer; Lt D.M. Cunningham, Nav; R/O R.F. O’Brien, Radar Observer; Lt W.C. Craig, Bomb;

Loc	Duty	Rank	Rank 02-45	Last	First	MOS	SN	Address
F1	AC	1st Lt	1st Lt	Morris	Robert L.		0533361	Memphis TN
F2	P	1st Lt	2nd Lt	Fenstermacher	Dale R.		0778449
F4	N	1st Lt	2nd Lt	Cunningham	Dennis M		02064227	Orchard Park NY
F6	B	1st Lt	1st Lt	Craig	William C		0676511
F5	RO	F/O	F/O	O’Brien	Richard F.		T131549
B5	FE	M/Sgt	T/Sgt	Esselburn	Lewis A.		12024533
B2	R	S/Sgt	Cpl	Rector	Raymond J.		13169504
B4	CFC	T/Sgt	Cpl	Suitor	Roland J.		37634022
B6	LG	S/Sgt	Cpl	Woodall	Wendell W.		37680289
B3	RG	S/Sgt	Cpl	Elliott	Nixon C. Jr		14134831
B1	TG	Sgt	Cpl	Dunne	John K.		19125376

Memphis, TN, July 20, 1994. Dear Mr. Landau:

I am glad to furnish the information Jim Handwerker asked me to send. I hope you are successful in getting together a good history of the 93rd.

In addition to the two copies of orders where we actually shipped overseas, I am enclosing an interview Mike Cunningham had with Milton Chase regarding our mission over Kawasaki and a photo of our crew....

The [subsequent] interview with Milton Chase of Radio Station WLW in Cincinnati resulted from a meeting between Chase and Mike when Chase bummed a ride to Guam after we stopped at Iwo for fuel on a later mission. We did have some rough moments on that mission. We suffered extensive anti aircraft fire damage and a twin engined fighter came up from below and put a 20 mm shell into our number 3 fuel tank which did not reseal. We lost 900 gallons of fuel before we were able to empty the tank, which was 300 gallons short of the fuel needed to reach Guam so a landing at Iwo Jima was our only choice. In addition to the fuel tank the number three engine nacelle area was badly shot up with large holes in the exhaust system and one of the tires on the right side was shot out. We also had hit a very rough thermal cloud immediately after dropping our bombs, which had moved everything in the plane that was not fastened down.

After circling Iwo Jima until daybreak, I tried landing under GCA control but after two attempts failed I decided to try on my own. Each time I turned onto final approach on GCA I could see Mt. Surahachi and I knew about where the runway was so I lined on Surabachi and let down through the clouds breaking out at about 100 feet and almost lined up with the runway. I had maintained excess speed since the number three engine was dead and I may need to make another go around. I set down on the runway with too much speed and the runway was wet so when I applied brakes the wheels locked and we were skidding very rapidly toward the end. I had the flight engineer cut the engines and we skidded to a stop just short of the drop off at the end.

I hope this will assist you in your history of the 93rd Squadron and I would like to purchase one when you finish.

Sincerely

Robert L. Morris

May 25, 1945

(This passed by censor for broadcast. R Morris)

This is Milton Chase speaking from Guam. Japan now is undergoing trial by fire and explosive steel as a result of B-29 raids that are growing in intensity daily. There will be more and bigger raids. Fire raids by the giant bombers already having seared large areas of Tokyo. More will suffer a similar fate. Even the 400-bomber raids against Japan’s main cities soon are to be exceeded by greater assaults. the day is not too far off when a thousand gigantic bombers will unload their deadly cargoes to wipe out section after section of Japan’s remaining industrial cities. Our leaders have promised us this.

It is not too difficult to visualize the effect of such raids. All of you have seen pictures of the devastation caused by such attacks. But few of you can imagine the infinite patience that is necessary to carry out one of these, raids. A few of you can realize the courage of the men who fly the huge bombers, their determination -- the strain they undergo and their teamwork.

I spent a couple of days with the men who fly and service the worlds largest bombers. I was deeply impressed by the spirit of comradeship between flying and ground crews. There is perfect teamwork at all times. The men who fly will be the first to laud their ground crews. And the men who service the craft will relate by the hour the courage and stamina of the fliers.

Yes, it takes plenty of courage and loads of stamina to fly in one of those giant bombers over Japan. There is no such thing as an easy mission. An average raid means some sixteen hours in the air -- sixteen hours of tension, stain and teamwork. I’m not going to attempt to describe a raid. I think it will be far better for a young flier -- young in years but a veteran as far as raids over Japan are concerned -- tell you what a raid means.

I have asked Second Lieutenant Dennis Mike Cunningham to do the talking. Mike is just one of the many hundreds of young men who are members of super fortress flying crews. He is 25 years of age. He is big and husky -- six feet two inches -- to be exact. He is married. His wife lives at 4228 Greenlee Avenue in Cincinnati. He has been wearing a uniform for just two years. Prior to that he was a civil employee of the government, working for the Army Engineers in Cincinnati and at Wright Field.

I have a special reason for asking Lt Cunningham -- or Mike as he is called at a B-29 base here. He is a navigator. Now that may not mean very much to you. But it means a great deal to the men who fly B-29s! He is the man they depend on to get them to the area they are going and to get them back safely. Because of this he must stay on the job every single minute of a mission -- and that means at least sixteen hours of grueling work.

Then, I have another reason -- a very special reason. Mike Cunningham is a member of a super fortress which has been christened the City of Cincinnati. The bomber was so named in honor of Mike and also in honor of the Queen City. I am sure that the people of Cincinnati would feel very proud -- as I was -- if they had an opportunity to see the bomber named for their city. And they would also feel mighty pleased if they could see Mike Cunningham and the others of the crew who have taken the City of Cincinnati over Japan on eight occasions. Mike himself had been over nine times.

Both the City of Cincinnati and Mike have had some thrilling experiences. But there was one night that neither Mike nor his comrades will ever forget. I was in the City of Cincinnati a short while ago and I saw that it has scars -- honorable wounds won in combat. There are many little patches on its gleaming silvery body. If they could talk, each one could tell you a thrilling story. So I have asked Lt. Mike Cunningham to tell us about those patches.

CHASE: Mike -- when did the City of Cincinnati receive most of those scars?

MIKE: That was the night of the big raid on Kawasaki -- just south of Tokyo. Our mission was to bomb Kawasaki. We were told to expect plenty of opposition. Well, as we approached our target, Japanese search lights picked us up. We had quite a shock, for the light was blinding, but then they helped us find our target. Then the lights went out. We started on our bomb run. Suddenly the searchlights caught us again. This time they held us.

CHASE: Did they force you to scatter for safety?

MIKE: Oh. no. We were too close to the target to turn away. We could see fires below us started by other B-29s. In fact, the searchlights and the fires lit up the target beautifully. Our bombardier called for a visual run because he could see the target clearly. We dropped our bombs right on the target. We were terribly tense and excited.

CHASE: Why was that, Mike?

MIKE: One of the reasons was that the searchlights were still turned on us. Then, the Japs were throwing everything they had at us. There were flak bursts all round us. As you well know, there are probably more anti aircraft guns around Tokyo than anywhere else in Japan. Well, that night it seemed as if every Jap gun opened up on us.

CHASE: What about Jap fighter planes -- did you see any?

MIKE: I was coming to that, Mr Chase. The radio operator reported that a twin engined Jap plane was coming at our belly with his guns blazing. We took several hits.

CHASE: What about flak -- did you get any of it?

MIKE: Did we -- I'll say we did. We had more than 50 holes in the City of Cincinnati from flak -- We counted that many when we returned and it took 500 man hours to patch up the plane --

CHASE: Mike, I think you are getting a little ahead of your story -- just tell us the things that happened in their order.

MIKE: Okay -- where was I -- oh yes -- We drooped our bombs and were getting away when a number or pieces of flak hit us. We were just closing the bomb bay doors when one piece or flak went through the opening.

CHASE: What did it do.

MIKE: It did plenty -- first, it nearly severed one of the cables used in closing the bomb bay doors, but we managed to close them all right. Then it exploded through the top of the plane.

CHASE: Was anyone wounded?

MIKE: No, fortunately, one 20-millimeter shell exploded near the radio operator, but he wasn't wounded -- only shaken up. But the next minute we thought we took a fatal hit We were hurled into the air and bounced about crazily. You see, we were turning away from the target at seven thousand feet. There was a raging fire and huge clouds of smoke were rising. Apparently we were caught in the terrific updraft of hot air. This current caused us to shoot up with great force -- at least, we learned this later.

CHASE: What did you do?

MIKE: Most of us couldn't do a thing. We were scared stiffs. Just then we didn't know what happened. It came so suddenly. Nearly all of us were hurled against the sides of the ceiling of the plane. There was a crash of instruments and equipment. Most of my navigating instruments were torn loose and smashed. I myself hit the ceiling. Only the fact that I was wearing my flak helmet saved me from getting badly hurt. I thought -- well, here comes the end -- here's where we go down. But somehow Lt. Bob Morris, our plane commander and chief pilot, managed to control the plane. He did a wonderful job at the controls. He soon righted the plane and managed to level it off. In a few seconds we headed for home.

CHASE: Was that the end of your experiences?

MIKE: By no means -- that was only the start. First, we put out a small fire in the radio room. Then we decided to take stock of our damage. While we were over Japan we couldn't turn on our lights because we would give our position away. But after we left the Japanese coast, we checked our engines from the scanners position, that is, the gun blisters on the rear sides.

CHASE: Did you see anything unusual?

MIKE: I'll say we did. We found a big hole in one of our main gas tanks. We also had lost 900 gallons of gas. Well, Lt. Morris immediately feathered the engine which was being supplied by that tank.

CHASE: Mike, what do you mean by feathering an engine...

MIKE: That means cutting the engine off and locking the propeller to prevent a drag and also a possible fire. We transferred the remaining gas to the other engines.

CHASE: In other words, you only had three engines working and a lack of gas.

MIKE: That's right.

CHASE: Did you get back to your base all right?

MIKE: Yes and no.

CHASE: What do you mean?

MIKE: It's this way. Lt. Morris didn't want to take a chance of flying back to Guam. We had lost too much gas and probably couldn't have made it. So Lt. Morris decided to head for Iwo Jima. Having a field on Iwo certainly has saved hundreds of fliers and scores of super fortresses. It is a perfect spot for emergency landings for planes in our plight.

CHASE: Well, I suppose you landed safely and that was that.

MIKE: Not quite. It wasn't so simple -- can I tell you about it?

CHASE: By all means -- go ahead.

MIKE: As we approached Iwo Jima we had another scare. The field there was socked in solid -- that is -- there was no visibility. We couldn't see the runway lights. There was about an hour before daylight, so Lt. Morris decided to circle around until daybreak. We had to use plenty of caution. If we tried a blind landing, we might have crashed into the volcano on Iwo.

CHASE: Did you make any attempts at landing, then?

MIKE: Yes we did. We tried three times in all. On the third attempt we saw an opening in a low clouds Lt Morris went through that opening in a hurry. And it wasn't too soon. Just after we landed, the clouds closed in again and we couldn't see a thing. If we had missed that opening there is no telling what would have happened.

CHASE: By the way, did you make a good landing on only three engines?

MIKE: We came down all right. But the runway was wet clay and it was slippery. We didn't know it, but one of our tires was flat for it was hit by flak. We started to skid and so had to use our brakes. Then the brakes locked. We had a wild ride as the plane careened the whole length of the field. Finally it stopped. When we got out, we almost had a nervous breakdown. We found our tanks almost dry. And we had another shock. We had stopped only 50 feet short of a cliff.

CHASE: Whew -- what a night... I bet you will never forget it. What about the City of Cincinnati -- could you use it again?

MIKE: Oh sure -- we just patched it up. It's as good as new now. We went on missions after that night and it has been perfect and I hope it will stay that way in the future.

CHASE: I hope so, Mike. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you. I am sure that the people of Cincinnati will be doing the same thing.... I know that they are mighty proud of all of you fellows who fly the super fortresses, especially the City of Cincinnati. Thank you for coming here and good luck to you and your crew and don't forget to drop another bomb load on Tokyo for Cincinnati.

This is Milton Chase signing off from Guam and returning you to WLW Cincinnati.

Ltr 06-03-94 to John “Jim” Handwerker, copy to D Landau and B Morris; Dear Jim:

It was a nice surprise to get your letter [requesting input to 19th BG History].

I believe you were in the same Quonset hut as I was with Bob Morris’s crew. I remember out new radar operator cleaning his 45 revolver and accidentally firing a bullet. I believe the bullet landed on your cot. Did you not jump up with your 45 revolver in hand and threaten to retaliate?

I’ve enclosed newspaper clippings which describe a tough mission.

I believe Bob Morris has more details and a copy of the crew picture.

Personal information follows. Thanks, Jim, for writing.

Mike Cunningham

“City of Cincinnati” Batters Through Wall of Flak to Hammer Tokyo Target

Local Navigator Tells of Superfort’s Brush with Death

Lt Dennis Cunningham, (inset) and wife Mrs Velma Cunningham, “What would we do without Iwo Jima?”

The crippled B-29 Superfortresses found an opening in the low clouds and glided down for a forced landing. Out of fuel and with one motor off [engine out], it skidded across the wet clay runway on Iwo Jima and came to a stop. From the “City of Cincinnati” climbed its crew, back from another close one over Japan.

A mission made by one of the most colorful and battle-scarred superforts, was described by Milton Chase, WLW correspondent, on a recording picked up from the air base at Guam. it was told by 2nd Lt Dennis Cunningham, husband of Mrs. Velma Cunningham, or 4228 Greenlee Ave. Navagator aboard the B-29 “City of Cincinnati”.

Back in Cincinnati, Mrs. Cunningham drew a deep sigh of relief.

Dennis always did like to surprise me, but this is the best one yet,” she said when she heard the recording of his narrow escape.

Mrs. Cunningham is employed at the Cincinnati Industries, helping make water-proof packages for overseas shipment, such as blood plasma and K-rations.

The value of American-occupied Iwo Jima was vividly portrayed by Lt. Cunningham, as he described his most recent raid.

“It was our ninth raid over the Japanese homeland,” he said. “The plane had reached its target -- industrial plants just a few miles from Tokyo. Fires from the first bombers, along with enemy lights, lit the plane like a ‘Christmas tree.’

Tokyo has more guns amount it than any target in the world,” Lt Cunningham said. “And the flack seemed like a solid wall between us and the ground. We were hit plenty. Fifty holes to be exact.”

“Despite all this, the target was hit -- on the nose. Before the bomb bay doors could be closed a piece of flak came through the open door. There was a loud explosion as the walls and ceilings of the plane gapped wide. The smoke and terrific draft pushed the “City of Cincinnati upward. Holes were everywhere. They headed for home.

“on the way one engine started to smoke. They shut it off. A quick look at the instruments revealed the gas was low. A hole in the main tank caused a leak through which 900 gallons of gasoline were lost.

“The pilot decided on an emergency stop on Iwo Jima. Luckily we had possession of that island, they thought. Clouds were hanging low over the airstrip, too low to make a landing. Three times the plane tried to land. Each time clouds prevented visibility.

“They searched and fount it small opening through which portions of the field could be seen. They took the chance and landed. It was rough, but they were on the ground. The Cincinnati na___ bomber skidded to a stop. The crew got out. Fifty feet away was a cliff.

“Just a few more feet and it would have landed over the side, Lt Cunningham said. As usual the lieutenant told Milton Chase, the crew was ready to another. The “City of Cincinnati” could take it.

“City of Cincinnati” Dropping Bombs on Jap Homeland

News Clipping

Now carrying bobs to industrial and military targets on the Japanese homeland Is the “City of Cincinnati,” a B-29 Superfortress, it was revealed Tuesday. Credit for naming the ship goes to 2nd Lt Dennis M. Cunningham, navigator, husband of Mrs Velma L. Cunningham, 4228 Greelee Ave, St Bernard, with the approval of Brig Gen Thomas S. Power, commanding general of the Guam-based Superfortress elements. The name is being painted on the Superfort’s nose on a flag, the pole of which points to Cincinnati’s location on a map of the United States.

The over-water bomb-hauls to Japan are long and hazardous and the crew wanted a name to remind them of home, the dispatch stated.

The “City of Cincinnati” flies from the newest of the Twenty firsts Bomber Command’s Superfort bases in the Marianas. The site was completely covered with jungle until bulldozers began clearing operations last November. The field was opened Feb. 3 and five days later the first combat crews winged in from across the Pacific.

Other members of the crew are: Lt. Robert L. Morris, plane commander, Blackshear, Ga.; 2nd Lt. Dale R. Fenstermacher, pilot, Hercules, Calif; 1st Lt. William c. Craig, Bombardier, Roxburg, NY; F/O Richard F O’Brien, instrument specialist, Amesbury, Mass; T/Sgt Lewis A. Esselburn, Flight Engineer, Syracuse NY; Cpl. Roland J Suiter, gunner, St Clair Mo; Sgt Nixon C. Elliott Jr, gunner, Ft Myers Fla; Sgt Wendall W. Woodall, gunner, Webster City Iowa; and Sgt John K. Dunne, gunner, Billings Mont.

{------------------O------------------|

Personal Sketch for Robert L Morris:

Date of birth- November 21, 1921, Punta Gorda, Florida

Enlisted in Company F, 121st Infantry at Waycross, Georgia September 14, 1940

Was discharged to join Air Corps Regular Army in August, 1941

Entered preflight for pilot training as an aviation student in February, 1942

Attended primary at Muscogee, Oklahoma in PT-19s

Attended basic at Brady, Texas in BT 13s and 15s

Attended advanced at Lubbock, Texas in AT-9s and 17s graduating as a staff sergeant pilot in class 42-I in October 1942

Was assigned to San Angelo Army Air Field, San Angelo, Texas as a bomb approach pilot for training bombardiers

Married Virginia Nell Evans November 3, 1943 and we have one son and two grand children

Reassigned to Los Vegas Army Air Field, Los Vegas, Nev in Jan. 1944 for co-pilot training on B-17s

Transferred to Pyote Army Air Field, Texas to a combat crew on B-17s Jan. 21, 1944

Reassigned to Hendricks Field, Sebring, FL on 22 Apri 1 1944 to attend B-17 pilot training

Was assigned to 19th Bomb Group at Great Bend, Kansas in August 1944 and went to Guam in February, 1945 where I flew 23 missions and was awarded the Air Medal with two clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross and Theatre and Campaign Ribbons

Returned to the States for separation in September 1945 and settled in Atlanta, Georgia where I attended school and worked for the Post Office and Civil Aeronautics Administration and flew in the Reserves until recall to active duty in November, 1950 and was assigned to Randolph AFB, Texas as a B-29 instructor

After short assignments at Brookley Field, Alabama, Mountain Home, Idaho and Great Falls, Montana I was transferred to Yokota AFB, Japan in July 1953 as a B-29 aircraft commander, instructor pilot and operations officer

Was rotated to Hickum Field, Hawaii in August 1955 and assigned to Pacific Air Force Headquarters as an Operations Officer

Rotated back to the Mainland in November, 1956 and assigned to SAC at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana where I checked out in B-47 aircraft and served until March 1959 when I was transferred to Columbus AFB, Mississippi as an aircraft maintenance officer on B-52 and KC-135 aircraft.

I was promoted to Major in December, 1962.

Was transferred to Little Rock AFB, Arknsas in January, 1962 where I trained as a crew member in B-47s and became a maintenance officer and served until June 1963 when I was assigned to a Minuteman Missile wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota as a missile maintenance officer. I retired November 26, 1965 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Virginia and I settled in Memphis, Tennessee to be with our son, Bob while he attended Southwestern College. I have operated a training center for industrial engineers and supervisors and for an automobile leasing firm and just enjoyed myself. We did move to Birmingham, Alabama in August 1971 and back to Memphis 1975 where I am enjoying my lifelong desire to work in a hardware store. I work part time for Sears Roebuck.

{------------------O------------------|

Personal Sketch for Dennis Michael “Mike” Cunningham:

Born 11-08-1919 at Akron, OH.

Employed by the Army Corps of Engineers, Wright Field OH when I entered service. I was married to Velma 05-09-1942.

Preflight at Ellginton Field; Aerial Gunnery at Laredo; Navigation at San Marcos and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt 07-01-1944; and was sent to Radar Bombardier School at Boca Raton FL.

Assigned to the 93rd Sqd, 19th BG at Great Bend, KS from 02-01-1945 to 10-08-1945.

Completed 25 missions over Japan, received the Air Medal with two clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, Theater medals, etc.

Discharged 12-17-1945 at Wright Field.

I returned to the Corps of Engineers until I could start at University of Cincinnati in a 5 year Mechanical Engineering course. Tau Beta Pi honorary fraternity, award as Outstanding Senior Engineer.

Started with DuPont Co in Wilmington, DL, the to Carrier Converyor Co. in Louisville, KY, then to Buffalo, NY, in 1958 to start business as Manufacturers Representative selling engineered equipment for bulk material handling and pollution control. I work for my son now, who runs the agency, and am taking it a bit easier. Time now for tennis and golf.

We have three children, and so far three grandchildren; 4, 3, and 1 year old.