S\S45-GUAM\FC\S28\G28PC-AS

W45AUTH\SA28G-PC.DOC

Philip Crow crew 34 as of Aug 1945

Loc	Duty	Rank	Name	ASN	MOS	Home, 1992
S4	AC	1st Lt	Philip S. Crow	0-690057	1093	3108 N Idylwild Dr., Midwest City OK 73110-1640
S3	P	1st Lt	Marvin F. Dierking	0-770600	1091	Box 631, Cherokee, IO, 51012
S2	N	2nd Lt	Hansard W. Manton	0-209212	1034	Deceased
S5	B	1st Lt	Joseph J. Stefani	0-1822921	1035	14211 Bangor Dr., Serling Heights, MI, 48078
S1	RO	2bd Lt	Joseph E. Webber	0-2077499	0142	PO Box 486, Marcus, IO, 51035-0486
K1	FE	F/O	Harold J. Roberts	14155024	737	102 Country Cove, Chelsea, AL, 35043
K4	R	Sgt	Charles L. Shumard	35299955	2756	Deceased
K3	CFC	Sgt	Warren A. Smith	31340472	580	Deceased
K5	RG	Sgt	Allen H. Smith	33733710	611	8607 Richmond Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21234
K6	LG	Sgt	John E. Schenk	33797234	611	108 Earl Lane, Hatboro, PA, 19040
K2	TG	Sgt	Harold U. O'Bryan	12240308	611	85 Chesterton Rd., Rochester, NY, 14626

M-6 Allen Smith

Seated in “Bockscar” that dropped A-Bomb on Nagasaki, at 19^th RU, Dayton OH, 10-21-91

Phillip Crow, AC elbow; Joe Stefani, B; Marvin Dierking, P. photo taken by H. O’Bryan, TG

----O----

The missions flown by the Phillip Crow crew are preceded by extraction’s from The 20^th AF Resume of Mission’s which is a composite of data for all Wings flying against a given target. Those flying a given mission may or may not have been aware of the magnitude of operations for that day(night). Often they were arriving at different times and were sometimes isolated by weather. A breakdown of Sqd, Grp, and Wing information is often not available.

--o--

M#186; 05-29-45; Wings 58-73-313-314; Day; Incendiary bombs; 17-21,000 ft altitude; Yokohama area

20th AF Airborne=510; Abort=26; Lost=7(3 to AA; 1 rammed; 2 ditched; 1 unk); Bomb load=12040 lb.; Fuel Reserve=811 gal; Iwo=39; Damaged=?; EA Sighted=55; EA Attacks=110 (dest=6, prob=5, dam=10)

(101) P51 escort, 2 P51's lost over target First data on P51 escort

28th Airborne=(13) CWells#19, FMaupin#18, JStevens#2, VParker#18, GO'Leary#_, JAmbrose#6+2, JCarroll#19, PCrow#1,_______________

Capt Gerald O'Leary lost in M16 hit by AA over target

P Crow mission #1 by A Smith: “May 29: #1 Target: Yokahoma Dock and Commercial Area; Results: excellent Flak: Intense and Accurate Fighters: Several but un-aggressive; Bombs: (134) 100# Incendiary Remarks: Bombed visually – Damage 93%; Battle Damage consisted of 28 flak holes; Bombardier’s Armor Plate Nose completely shattered; top blister cracked. Forced to land on Navy Strip at Sumay. This mission holds the record as being the all time roughest; Name of Ship: City of Sacramento.; Casualties: O’Leary’s Crew, (our wing ship) went into spin 300 miles from target – no survivors.”

The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Friday, May 29, 1945

( first part of text missing)

Squadron Accurate

“The squadron was exceptionally accurate,” Zee reported, ……bombs converging on the aiming point.”

The 21st Bomber Command’s fire bombing technique is to spread incendiary loads around aiming points in the target areas in the shortest possible time. The objective is to start widespread, intensely burning fires against which it is difficult to concentrate fire-fighting equipment.

"There were fires all over the place, except where we were supposed to bomb, and we really took care of that," said Lt. Al Ekman, of Tampa, FL.

Oxygen Line Cut

Ekman, said, he saw few enemy fighters and they didn't press their attacks. One burst of flak cut the oxygen line to the bombardier, Lt. Leon Cannon, of Wichita,KS. But, Ekman said, "We got enough oxygen to him so that he could drop his bombs square on the target."

Lt Frank Klassen, of Ford City, Pa. commanding the plane City of Oklahoma, said: "I could see the southern part of the target area as we went in on our bomb run and it was burning fiercely."

This area is Yokohama's matchwood commercial center. Klassen, reported "black smoke. such as comes from burning oil storage tanks, was billowing high into the sky. A strong Wind seemed to be blowing on the ground."

-----O-----

M#187; 06-01-45; Wings 58-73-313-314; Day; Incendiary bombs; 13-28,000 ft altitude; Osaka Urban area

20th AF Airborne=509; Abort=25; Lost=10 (5 to AA; 2 collided at assy; 2 mech prob; 1 unk); Bomb load=12364 lb.; Fuel Reserve=655 gal; Iwo=81; Damaged=4 (by EA-AA);

EA Sighted=85; EA Attacks=221 (dest=16, prob=9, dam=24)

(148) P51 escort formed but most turned back, 27 P51s and 26 pilots lost due to severe weather.

28th Airborne=(11) VChandler#18, FMaupin#19, WRiggs#_, JStevens#3, PCrow#2, ___________________

P Crow #2 by A Smith: “June 1: #2 Target Osaka Waterfront & Area; Results: Good Flak: intense & accurate Fighters: several but un-aggressive; Bombs: (23) 500# Jelly bombs and incendiaries; Remarks: Bombed visually – Damage ??; Battle damage consisted of a dozen flak holes; Name of Ship: City of Chicago; Due to frontal area with zero visibility, heavy rain, snow and icing conditions, (24) P-51’s escorting us to the target were lost.”

The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Friday, June 1, 1945

Industrial City of Osaka left in Flames

They concentrated on harbor facilities, warehouses and the important Sumitomo plant, manufacturing dural sheet metal and aircraft propellers. Shipyards, two electrical-equipment plants, power stations and Osaka's main railroad station,which is the heart of the city's communications system, also were under fire attack.

Tokyo broadcasts admitted fires raged throughout the northwestern section, where there is the greatest concentration of industries, including the Sumitomo plant, and also broke out in Amagasaki.

Report on Ack-Ack

An Osaka army communique claimed 47 Superforts were shot down and 83 others damaged.

Some returning pilots reported heavy anti aircraft fire, but most of them described it as meager to moderate.

"The flak was plenty heavy," said Sgt. Frank A. Rybik, a tail gunner from Greensboro, Pa. "We saw them get one B-29 which hit the water near the coast and blew up.”

Lt. Luther P. Chunn, of Ft Worth, Texas, estimated smoke was rising as high as 27,000 feet when his squadron came over. He said a 10 mile-an-hour wind fanned the fires.

When his plane was 50 miles out to sea on the way back, said Lt. Anthony Ruggeri of Chicago, he could see smoke billowing up above the city.

Told of Jap Fighters

Capt Talmadge M. Heath, of Enterprise, Ala., said: "We saw eight to ten Jap fighters, but only one was very aggressive. "He broke through the formation but did not hurt us.”

Lt. Gayne Underwood, of Chaffee, Mo., told of flying through snow off the coast as the planes roared inland.

Todays raid was made in broad daylight, in contrast with the last heavy fire raid on Osaka when more than 300 unescorted B-29's dropped over 2,000 tons of incendiaries in the early morning darkness.

The Osaka raid was the fourth in nine days against three of Honshu Islands most vital war centers. B-29's dropped more than 8,500 tons of incendiaries on Tokyo in two visits, Thursday and Saturday, and hit Yokohama with 3,200. tons Tuesday

(last part of text missing)

-----O-----

M#188; 06-05-45; Wings 58-73-313-314; Day; Incendiary bombs; 14-19,000 ft altitude; Kobe Urban area

20th AF Airborne=530; Abort=38; Lost=11 (3 to AA; 3 to EA; 3 to AA-EA; 1 crashed at Iwo; 1 unk); Bomb load=13178 lb.; Fuel Reserve=677 gal.; Iwo=43; Damaged=139 (by AA)

EA Sighted=125; EA Attacks=672 (dest=86, prob=31, dam=76)

28th Airborne=(13) VParker#19, CWells#20, FMaupin#20, JStevens#_, JAmbrose#_, JDillard#_, WRowe#_, PCrow#3, JCarroll#20, HGammel#_, BKordus#_, JRobinson, WRiggs

P Crow #3 mission by A Smith: June 5: #3 Target: Kobe Industrial Area; Flak: Moderate Fighters: Semi aggressive; Results: Fair ;Bombs: (23) 500# Incendiaries; Remarks: Bombed by Radar Damage: ;First time we flew the ship we brought over M-7

The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Friday, June 5, 1945

B-29’s Buck Bad Weather to Hit Kobe

Guam June 5 – Approximately 450 Superfortresses battled thruough snow, fog, thunderheads. accurate anti-aircraft fire an fairly strong fighter opposition today to transform the industrial and transportation center of Kobe into a mass of smoke and flame.

The B-29’s flying through weather so bad they had to make the trip without fighter escort, found perfect weather over Japan's largest city, and spent an hour setting it afire with 3,000 tons of incendiary bombs. In a blazing first anniversary celebration of the initial Superfort raid.

Jap Fighters Aggressive

Returning pilots described the results as excellent. They guessed damage would exceed the nearly seven square, miles burned out of Yokohama in May 29 raid on Nippons second largest port.

About 40 Japanese fighters, some of them fairly aggressive were sent up to intercept the tight formations, and a few flew above the B-29's to drop phosphorous bombs. But they couldn't keep the daylight attackers from coming in dead on their target in the third fire strike at Japan's sixth largest city.

Six hours after the last bomber, turned away, Japanese broadcast conceded that fires were only "gradually being extinguished." Tokyo said fire bombs also set blazes in Mikagemachi and Ashiya, industrial towns two and six miles east of Kobe on the rail lines running along Osaka Bay to the city of Osaka.

Jap Claims On B-29’s

The Domei News Agency, quoting a joint army-navy communique issued in Kobe, claimed 56 Superforts were shot down and 144 "heavily damaged." Seven Japanese Interceptors were listed as lost, "including those that carried out body crashing attacks."

Superforts centered their incendiaries on a heavily industralized square-mile area of eastern Kobe including the city's two main railway stations, the extensive Kobe steel works, shipyards and major docks.

Results are sure to be “very good,” said Lt. R. S. Combs, Miles City, Mont., commander one of the later planes over target. 2^ndLt W. Walmsley, of Middletown Conn, bombardier of the same B-29, said he thought the attack would prove to be more effective than the fighter escorted raid on Yokohama.

Through Rough Weather

The trip to Kobe was made through “the roughest weather we’ve encountered on thirteen missions,” said Lt John McLaughlin, of Valley Stream, Long Island, NY. “We ran into thunder, heavy snow, a couple of weather fronts but just as we reached the Japanese coast we broke out of the weather.”

McLaughlin was in the Superfort, City of Clarksburg, WV of which Lt. Stanley Brewer, Ft Worth, Texas, is plane commander.

Over 30 Jap Fighters

Thirty to 40 twin-engine Japanese fighters were reported by Capt. Joe Carroll, of Jacksonville Florida.

"Some came in close to make passes at us," Carroll said, “but they didn’t hurt us. “The Japs had plenty of flak - moderate to intense and very accuracy. They could have knocked us down.”

His pilot's compartment had a two-inch flak hole to bear him out.

"That flak came as close as I want to see," said Lt. John Merritt, of Pacific Grove, CA, copilot. 2^nd Lt William Cottrell of Scotch Plains, NJ, navigator of this plane, reported that all navigation instruments failed to function and he plotted the trip only with the aid of a 25-cent compass.

"We had to fly that weather dead reckoning all the way up a back," Cottrell said. I had to use my head, a pencil, and & dash luck. All the, fancy instruments went out, but a 2-bit magnetic compass took us there and back."

Osaka Damage Report

While the B-29’s were en route back from Kobe, Maj. Gen. Cutis E. LeMay's 21^st Bomber Command headquarters reported that nearly 3 1/2 square miles of industrialized Osaka were destroyed by a 450 plane Incendiary raid Friday. This increased to 11 1/2 square miles the extent of destruction wrought, by B-29's in that city.

Reconnaissance photographs showed eleven industrial targets heavily damaged. Those targets included harbor installations, __ and dye stuff manufacturing plants, a metal industry factory, where aircraft propellers were produced, iron works and other manufacturing plants.

-----O-----

M#189; 06-07-45; Wings 58-73-313-314; Day; Incendiary bombs; 18-23,000 ft altitude; Osaka Urban

20th AF Airborne=449; Abort=29; Lost=2 (2 to mech failure); Bomb load=13182 lb.; Fuel Reserve=544 gal.; Iwo=59; Damaged=7 by AA; EA Sighted=10; EA Attacks=30 (dest=0, prob=0, dam=3)

(144) P51 escort; 1 caught fire near Iwo

28th Airborne=(9) TReadheimer#_, CWells#21, 1VChandler#19, HGammel#_, EHammond#_, JCarroll#21, FMaupin#21, PCrow#4, WRigg#_

P Crow #4 mission by A Smith: June 7: #4 Target: Osaka; Flak: moderate Fighters: many and aggressive; Results: good ;Bombs: (23) 500# Incendiaries Damage 16.75 sq mi ;Remarks: Bombed by Radar Synchronization; Casualties: Capt Wood’s Crew, 30^th Sqd, exploded due to enemy fighters. ;Two survivors: Navigator and Tail Gunner

The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Friday, June 9, 1945

MUSTANGS HIT AFTER B-29’S.

One Out Of Every Fifteen Japs Now Reported Homeless

Guam, June 9 -- Japan reported Mustang fighter planes were strafing the Japanese homeland today in raids closely following a three-pronged Superfortress attack.

The Tokyo radio also reported that one of every fifteen Japanese now is homeless as the result of air raids.

The 21^st Bomber Command here announced that between 100 and 150 of B-29's pounded aircraft factories at Nagoya, Naruo and Akashi, in the industrial heart of Japan, from medium altitude with out fighter escort.

All Planes Return Safely

At Washington, the 20th Air Force announced that all planes returned safely and that only a few enemy fighters were encountered. Anti-aircraft fire was quite heavy, but inaccurate, the announcement said.

Tokyo said the Superfortresses, on their third daylight mission against the Japanese homeland in a week, struck between 7.30 and 8.50 AM Saturday. The Mustang, attack on the same general Industrial area of Honshu Island, Tokyo. said came about three hours later.

Unidentified Targets Hit

About 50 of the Iwo Jima based Mustangs stuck at unidentified targets between Nagoya and Osaka and immediately to the north the broadcast said.

These new fighter and bomber blows came while Japanese Diet (Parliament) was meetin in extraordinary session to act on drastic war measures, some dealing with the swelling air-raid damage.

Lists 4,930,000 Homeless

TheTokyo radio reports of homeless persons in five major cities -- Tokyo, Nagoya, Yokohama, Osaka and Kobe -- reached a total of 4,930,000. with an estimate today that 1,790,000 had been burned out in the first three cities during May alone.

Japans total homeland population is listed by various sources as 72,000,000.

Premier Kantaro Suzuki told the, Diet that "no small number of .people already" are victims of American raids.

Turn To Precision Attacks

The B-29 precision strikes, at special targets in the, three aircraft production centers were a departure from the recent mass incendiary attacks on major cities.

The 21st Bomber Command said the B-29 targets in the three cities were: the Atsuta plant of the Aichi Aircraft Company in southwest Nagoya, the Kawanishi Aircraft Company's main factory for navy fighter planes at Naruo and the Kawasaki aircraft factory at Akashi.

There was no further report on yesterday's Tokyo announcement that carrier planes of Admiral William F. Halsey's 3^rd Fleet were strafing and bombing southern Japans airbases.

-----O-----

M#199; 06-10-45; Wing 314; Day; General Purpose bombs; 21-23,000 ft altitude; Ogikubu; Nkajima Aircraft Factory

20th AF Airborne=65; Abort=8; Lost=1 (1 unk); Bomb load=12028 lb.; Fuel Reserve=704 gal.; Iwo=9;

EA Sighted=39; EA Attacks=83 (dest=1, prob=4, dam=9)

(30) P51 escort

28th Airborne=(13) FMaupin#22, JStevens#5, VParker#20, JCarroll#22, PCrow#5, _______

P Crow #5 mission by A Smith: June 10: #5 Target: Tokyo (aircraft factory, target #357); Flak: meager Fighters: 20-30 and plenty aggressive; Results: unobserved; Bombs: (23) 500# General Purpose; Remarks: Col Roberts led formation. Spent 1 hr 5 min over target. Made 4 runs over primary and secondary target. Bombed primary under heavy fighter attacks. My guns had a malfunction; tail gun ran out of ammo. P-51’s saved the day. Forced to land at Iwo Jima. ;Got Air Medal 5 missions in 11 days, Damn good!; Name of ship: City of Chicago; POW report: An eye witness account of our bombing on June 10 by a POW in that area states that a plant manufacturing armor plate steel was completely leveled; also a brewery (saki plant) and a cigarette plant was destroyed, much to our dismay.

M#203; 06-15-45; Wings 58-73-313-314; Day; Incendiary bombs; 16-27,000 ft altitude; Osaka-Amagasaki Urban area

20th AF Airborne=511; Abort=40; Lost=2(1 crashed off end of runway; 1 crashed 4 mi N of Guam); Bomb load=13577 lb.; Fuel Reserve=708 gal.; Iwo=43; EA Sighted=0; EA Attacks=0

(100) P51 turned back due to poor weather

28th Airborne=(10) VChandler#20, FMaupin#23, TReadheimer#_, JStevens#6, EHammond#_, HGammel#_, JCarroll#23, PCrow#6, RLong, ____

P Crow #6 mission by A Smith: June 16: #6 Target: Amagasaki (Osaka Area); Opposition: nil Results: unobserved; Bombs: (32) 500# Fire Clusters; Remarks: socked in – bombed by Radar – rough flying; Damage: Destroyed 90% of Sumitomo Kanzaki Propeller Plant

The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Friday, June 9, 1945

Osaka Set Afire by 520 B-29’s

Guam, June 15 -- Osaka, Japan's chief industrial city, was fired today by 3,000 tons if incendiaries dropped by 520 B-29's and Tokyo admitted conflagtations at "a number of points” without making the usual claim they had been checked.

The raid, which Maj. Gen. Curtis E. Le May said may have finished off, Osaka's warring potentialities, was acknowledged by Tokyo to have lasted at least an hour.

The first enemy reports also omitted the usual quick claims of B-29's shot down. A later broadcast said the many fires were "in the process of being extinguished." The Superforts fought weather so thick it broke up their formations and bombardiers released their incendiaries by instruments. Clouds were so thick they blotted out any view of the resulting fires.

The weather was typical of what can be expected for several weeks in raids on Nippon. It was so thick the flyers “couldn’t keep formations of planes," said Capt. Charles B, Miller; Richmond, Va.,

"The Weather was so bad the Japanese air force must have been grounded,” added Lt. Ollie A. Thacker, Pear Valley Texas.

Only One Sees Flak

No airmen reported seeing enemy interceptors and Lt. James B. McWephy, Aurora, Ill., was the only flyer in the 314^th Wing who reported seeing flak. He counted only three bursts.

"Instead of flak or fighters we had to, fight weather half way to the target and back." said Sgt. Eugene O'Brien, gunner, from Wabash Indiana.

"We could Just about see our hands in front of our faces," added Lt. Joseph Leo, Bronx, NY.

The first announcement of the raid was made by Gen. H. H. Arnold, chief of the Army Air Force at a press conference by way of emphasizing his warning to Nippon that within a little more than two weeks bomb loads droppen on Japan will average 5,480 tons a day.

Amagasaki Hit First Time

The Marianas-based sky dreadnaught unloaded their jellied gasoline bombs on steel, iron and precision works of southeastern Osaka and for the first time, hit the industrial city of Amagasaki to the northwest."

It’s an anniversary attack delivered one year after the B-29’s took off from China for their first raid on Japan at Yawata.

Tokyo, in conceding Osaka came under the bomb sight of the big force, said the B-29's were accompanied by “some small aircraft.”

-----O-----

M#206; 06-17-45; Wing 314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 7-9,000 ft altitude; Kagoshima Urban area

20th AF Airborne=120; Abort=1; Lost=1 (1 crashed off coast of Japan); Bomb load=14508 lb.; Fuel Reserve=712 gal; Iwo=3; EA Sighted=16; EA Attacks=1 (0-0-0)

28th Airborne=(11) FMaupin#24, TReadheimer, JDillard, JStevens#7, JAmbrose#_, WRowe, RLong, HGammel, JCarroll#24, EHammond, PCrow#7

P Crow #7 mission by A Smith: June 17: #7 Target: Kagoshima on Kyushu; Results: Excellent – damage: 42% or 2.04 sq mi of built up area; Flak: moderate; Bombs: (40) 500# Fire Clusters; Remarks: First night mission

The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Friday, June 18, 1945

Four Jap Cities Set Afire in B-29 Raids

Guam, June 18 -- Four of Japan's smaller war industial cities were set afire today in pre-dawn raids by 450 American Superfortresses which caught the enemy by surprise but met extremely accurate anti-aircraft gun fire over one target.

One plane was missing after the latest strike, the 20^th Air Force reported at Washington. The announcement said that results ranged from "good to excellent.”

The cities hit, each of less than 200,000 population, were Kagoshima and Omuta on Kyushu Island and Hamamatsu and Yokkaichi on Honshu Island.

Japanese commtiniques saying the raids lasted from one to more than five hours, claimed fires started in Hamamatsu and Yokkaichi were brought under control in nearly four hours after the bombers left and those on Omuta and Kagoshima were “mostly extinguished” a little more than an hour after the all clear signal.

Some Damage Admitted

Domei admitted some damage and additional raiders flying either singly or I small formations roared over the four cities after the main body of bombers left. .

Total tonnage of the incendiary bombs dropped in the low level attacks was not announced The raids were part of the 21^st Bomber-Command's new program of going after smaller Japanese cities that harbor many small but important factortes and thousands of "back yard” shops.

Fliers said they found all of Kagoshima brightly lighted, including it’s naval anchorage and ran into strong flak. The fire bombs set blazes that sent smoke boiling up more than 12,000 feet and burned a “hole" in the overcast at 7,500 feet through which bright flames could be seen.

“Can Write Off Kagashima”

“I think we can write off Kagoshima, for the city was blazing right to the waterfront," said Lt. George Mott, of East Tallahassee, Ala., who Piloted the last B-29 over the target.

Crews who bombed Omuta said results were "good to excellent,” with several large explosions, no fighter opposition and meager anti-aircraft fire.

Those who bit Hamamatsu described bombing conditions as “excellent" and results good, with “fine” fires set, smoke rising to 15,000 feet, and broken overcast that kept interceptors and anti-aircraft fire down “to the vanishing point."

The story was the same over Yokkaichi, where the raiders counted three large conflagrations and 30 scattered fires, saw smoke 14,000 feet high encountered only inaccurate flak.

Fires Visible 100 to 150 Miles

Fires from all targets were visible 100 to 150 miles distant.

Light raids had been made before on Hamamatsu and Kagoshima but today's attacks were the first on Omuta and Yokkaichi.

Hamamatsu, population 165,000 and Yokkaichi population 103,000, are both in the Nagoya egion of Honshu. Hamamatsu is the site of the third largest railway shops in Japan and also has aircraft parts factories. Yokkaichi is a port city with textile mills, a steel plant, smelter and refinery.

Kagoshima, largest of the days targets has a population of about 182,000 and is the major port for southern Kyushu. It has numerous small factories.

-----O-----

M#216; 06-22-45; Wing 314; Day; General Purpose bombs; 15-18,000 ft altitude; Tamashima; Mitsubishi Aircraft Plant

20th AF Airborne=123; Abort=3; Lost=2 (1 to EA; 1 unk); Bomb load=12192 lb.; Fuel Reserve=778 gal.; Iwo=3;

EA Sighted=49; EA Attacks=41 (dest=1, prob=0, dam=0)

28th Airborne=(11) 1VChandler#21, 2CWells#22, FMaupin#26, RLong, HGammel, PCrow#8, JRobinson, WRowe, JStevens#9, ___, ___

P Crow #8 mission by A Smith: June 22: #8 Target: Tamashima (Mitsubishi Aircraft Factory); Results: Excellent – Damage: 85% of aircraft destroyed; Flak: moderate to heavy Fighters: several; Bombs: (22) 500# General Purpose ; Remarks: Lost an engine over target due to flak; in excitement two engines on one side were feathered! Lost altitude and everyone thought we were a dead duck!; Casualties: Lt William, 93^rd Sqd, went down due to air to air bombing by enemy fighter. No survivors.

M#231; 06-26-45; Wing 314; Day; General Purpose bombs; 15-17,000 ft altitude; Kagamigahara; Kawasaki Aircraft Factory

20th AF Airborne=35; Abort=3; Lost=1(1 rammed); Bomb load=12100 lb.; Fuel Reserve=699 gal.; Iwo=4;

EA Sighted=24; EA Attacks=7 (dest=9, prob=1, dam=2)

28th Airborne=(12) VParker#22, FMaupin#27, BKordus#_,TReadhimer# , WRowe#_, JAmbrose#_, RLong(Alt), HGammel, JRandolph#_,JRobinson#_,JStevens#10, PCrow#9, ___

P Crow #9 mission by A Smith: June 26: #9 Target: Kagamigahara (Kawasaki aircraft factory near Nagoya); Results: Good Damage: 35% of aircraft destroyed; Flak: heavy barrage off right wing about 100 ft Fighters: 6 very aggressive; Bombs: (40) 500# General Purpose; Remarks: Due to undercast, we lost our formation and dropped below the base ceiling of flight plan. Picked up 5 ships from Saipan and Tinian and successfully led them over the target.; Casualties: Capt Kordus, 28^th Sqd, got rammed by Jap fighter at assembly point. No survivors.

M#237; 06-28-45; Wing 314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 7-12,000 ft altitude; Nobeoka Urban area

20th AF Airborne=122; Abort=5; Lost=0; Bomb load=14984 lb.; Fuel Reserve=787 gal.; Iwo=6;

EA Sighted=6; EA Attacks=1; (0-0-0)

28th Airborne=(11) VChandler#22, CWells#22, FMaupin#28, TReadhimer, JStevens#11, PCrow#10, RLong, HGammel, JRobinson, EHammond#_, __

P Crow #10 mission by A Smith: June 28: #10 Target: Nobeoka (seaport town of 80,000 on Kyuhsu); Results: good Damage: 36%; Flak and small arms: moderate; Bombs: (40) 500# Incendiaries; Remarks: Good fires started. 10 missions in 30 days – beats all records. On return to base, stopped at Tinian to refuel.; City of Austin, Kingbird 6 = M-6, assigned our crew for good.

M#243; 07-01-45; Wing 314; Night: Incendiary bombs; 8-19,000 ft altitude; Shimonoseki Urban area

20th AF Airborne=141; Abort=8; Lost=1 (1 to mech, 2 eng failed enroute); Bomb load=13809 lb.; Fuel Reserve=656 gal.; Iwo=22; EA Sighted=0; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(11) VChandler#23, FMaupin#29,TReadhimer, JStevens#12, JAmbrose#_, PCrow#11, HGammel, JRobinson, VParker#23, ___, ___

P Crow #11 mission by A Smith: July 2: #11 Target: Shimonoseki on Kyushu (pop 200,000); Results: unobserved; Flak: meager; Bombs: (184) 100# incendiaries; Remarks: Centerwork of rail transportation at the western entrance to Inland Sea. Embarkation point for troops and supplies. Longest mission without bomb bay tank. (DFC mission) Caught in one searchlight, landed on Iwo Jima with No 2 engine feathered – stayed there for two days. Missed our next mission.

M#254; 07-07-45; Wing 314; Night; Indendiary bombs; 11-17,000 ft altitude; Kofu Urban area

20th AF Airborne=138; Abort=6; Lost=0; Bomb load=15757 lb.; Fuel Reserve=783 gal.; Iwo=3;

EA Sighted=22; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(11) FMaupin#31, JStevens#14, PCrow#12,_________________

P Crow #12 mission by A Smith: July 6: # 12 Target: Kofu on Honshu (railshops, spinning mills and military barracks); Results: unobserved Damage: 70% of town destroyed; Flak: weak small arms; Bombs: (184) 100# Incendiaries; Remarks: bombed by radar. Got caught in searchlights but dove out of them. Made two runs on target due to rain squall. Made a 3 engine landing on Tinian.

M#260; 07-10-45; Wing 314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 15-18,000 ft altitude; Gifu Urban

20th AF Airborne=135; Abort=4; Lost=1 (1 caught fire & exploded leaving target); Bomb load=14676 lb.; Fuel Reserve=685 gal.; Iwo=3; EA Sighted=10; EA Attacks=3

28th Airborne=(11) CWells#25, FMaupin#32, JStevens#15, PCrow#13,_____________

P Crow #13 mission by A Smith: July 9: #13 Target: Gifu (railway and paper mill center); Results: Excellent; Flak: meager & inaccurate Damage: 60% of town destroyed; 6 search lights.; Bombs: (32) (M-46) 500# incendiaries; Remarks: Good raid – caught in searchlights – bombed by Radar – made two runs over target – made a two engine landing on Tinian – (I really sweated that one out!)

M#266; 07-13-45; Wing 314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 10-16,000 ft altitude; Uwajima Urban

20th AF Airborne=130; Abort=6; Lost=0; Bomb load=15026 lb; Fuel Reserve=700 gal; Iwo=6;

EA Sighted=6; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(11) FMaupin#33, VParker#25, PCrow#14, ______

P Crow #14 mission by A Smith: July 12: #14 Target: Uwa Jima on Shikoku (shipping center on Shikoku); Results: unobserved Damage: 20% of town destroyed, pop 50,000; Flak: meager; Bombs: (40) 500# Incendiaries; Remarks: weather was rough as hell – bombed by Radar.

M#280; 07-20-45; Wing 314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 13-16,000 ft altitude; Okazaki Urban area

20th AF Airborne=130; Abort=3; Lost=0; Bomb load=15021 lb.; Fuel Reserve=884 gal.; Iwo=4;

EA Sighted=9; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(11) FMaupin#35, JStevens#17, VParker#26, PCrow#15,________________________

P Crow #15 mission by A Smith: July 19: #15 Target: Okazaki (southwest of Nagoya); Results: good; Flak: moderate – small arms fire; Remarks: bombed by Radar

M#289; 07-24-45; Wing 314; Day; General Purpose; 12-18,000 ft altitude; Nagoya; Mitsubishi Aircraft Factory, Fuji Textile, Toyowa Hvy Industry or Tsu

20th AF Airborne=81; Abort=6; Lost=0; Bomb load=9032 lb.; Fuel Reserve=676 gal.; Iwo=45;

EA Sighted=4; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(13) JStevens#18, VParker#27, CWells#26, PCrow#16, ____________________________

P Crow #16 mission by A Smith: July 24: #16 Target: Tsu (daylight); Results: unobserved; Flak: over Nagoya moderate, but accurate; Bombs: (2) 4000# General purpose; Remarks: Nogoya (primary target) socked in. Bombed Tsu from 22,000 ft and felt concussion of bombs. Landed at Iwo Jima to refuel – met Pyote buddies. Most B-29s I’ve ever seen at one time – at least 250.

M#295; 07-27-45; Wing 314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 13-16,000 ft altitude; Omuta Urban area

20th AF Airborne=130; Abort=4; Lost=1 (1 EA); Bomb load=15165 lb.; Fuel Reserve=526 gal.; Iwo=16,

EA Sighted=25; EA Attacks=9 (0-0-0)

28th Airborne=(11) JStevens#19, VChandler#26, VParker#28, JHewitt#_, PCrow#17, _________________

JHewitt#4 Lt Hewitt lost in M19 over target

P Crow #17 mission by A Smith: July 26: #17 Target: Omuta (west Kyushu) chemical and coal port; Results: good to excellent Damage: 40%; Flak: meager; Remarks: bombed by Radar 8/10 cloud coverage, pop 177,000. Omuta is Japans artificial harbor and vital port for coal shipments. Home of Japan’s ten largest synthetic oil refineries and a major zinc refinery.; Causalties: Lt Hewett’s crew, 28^th Sqd blew up over target, no survivors. Was their 4^th mission; trained with them at Pyote.

M#302; 07-29-45; Wing 314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 10-11,000 ft altitude; Uwa Jima Urban area

20th AF Airborne=32; Abort=3; Lost=0; Bomb load=14960 lb; Fuel Reserve=725 gal.; Iwo=2;

EA Sighted=0; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(11) JStevens#20, CWells#27, PCrow#18,___________________

P Crow #18 mission by A Smith: July 28: #18 Target: Uwo Jima; Results: good Damage: 52%; Flak: meager; Bombs: (20) 500# and (92) 100# incendiaries; Remarks: Bombed by radar 4/10 coverage – was our second time to this target. First tiem Psychological warfare started in which the Japs knew which towns we would hit in advance. Got caught in searchlights.

Front side of the leaflet Back side of leaflet

Leaflet Translation:

“Read this carefully as it may save you life or the life of a relative or friend. In the next few days, military installations in four or more of the cities named on the reverse side leaflet will be destroyed by American bombs.

"These cities contain Military installations and workshops or factories which produce military goods. We are determined to destroy all the tools of the military clique which they are using to prolong this useless war. But unfortunately, bombs have no eyes, so in accordance with American well-known humanitarian policies, American Air Force, which does not wish to injure innocent people, now gives you warning to evacuate the cities named and save your lives.

America is not fighting the Japanese people but is fighting the military clique which has enslaved the Japanese people. The peace which America will bring will free the people from the oppression of the military clique and mean the emergence of a now and better Japan.

You can restore peace by demanding new and good leaders who will end the war.

We cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked, but at least four will be; so, heed this warning and evacuate these cities:

Aomori Nagaoka

Nishinomya Koriyama

Ogaki Ujiyamada

Ichinomiya Uwa Jima

Tsu

The 19^th Bomb Group bombed Uwa Jima on the dawn of July 29, 1945.

News Release

GUAM The, 20th Air force bluntly announced to Japan Friday the 11 cities which are next on the B-29 fire bombing target list.

In the unprecedented prestrike warning, the 20th announced that four or more of the cities will be ignited within the next few days.

The warning, punctuating Allied demands for Japanese surrender, was issued by Maj. Gen. Curtis LeMay, who advised 890,000 Nippon civilians to flee to safety and "restore peace by demanding new and good leaders who will end the war.”

Leaflets Dropped.

In a frank effort to convince the Japanese people their cause if hopeless and the military is powerless to protect them, LeMay gave the Japanese this warning.

As this was written Superforts from the 73rd wing were returning to Saipan after showering 60,000 warning pamphlets on each of the 11 cities.

Here are the cities which are wondering if they rank first on the list of the dreaded Superforts:

Ichinomiya, Tsu, Ujiyamada, Nagaoka, Nishinomiya, Aomori, Ogaki and Koriyama. all munitions, transport and industrial centers on Honshu; Uwajima, a shipping and war plant center on Shikoku; Kurume, rail hub, manufacturing center and location of an arsenal, on Kyushu, and Hakodate, financial and manufacturing center of Hokkaido island.

Two Bombed Before.

Uwaiiina and Ichinomiya are the only ones bombed before in incendiary raids.

Sometime within the next few days, LeMay said, "a normal force of Superforts carrying about 3,500 tons of bombs" will strike at industrial targets in four or more cities. Strikes in recent weeks have been averaging from 450 to 600 planes each.

Black haired, stocky, cigar chewing LeMay said:

"The Japanese have refused to come up and fight. We have been roaming their air at will, burning down their cities. Now we are telling the citizens what towns we are going to burn down.

Crews All for It.

"We know there are many who are convinced that Japan has lost the war and we feel that if we can convince enough of them they have nothing to look forward to but total destruction, we may shorten the war.

"We are not trying to kill civilians but to destroy the war potential of the military clique. We are telling them where we are going to hit and they can't do anything about it.”

LeMay said his command has given much thought to the safety of the crews but "we don't expect any more opposition than usual. They can't mass sufficient defenses over 11 widely separated cities to make this any more than the normal mission."

"The crews themselves are for it. There wasn't a dissenting voice when we told them that we were going to do it," LeMay said.

LeMay said the unique plan was his idea and he worked in co-operation with CINPAC's psychological warfare office.

M#309; 08-01-45; Wing 314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 12-15,000 ft altitude; Mito Urban area

20th AF Airborne=167; Abort=6; Lost=0; Bomb load=15071 lb.; Fuel Reserve=724 gal.; Iwo=6;

EA Sighted=22; EA Attacks=1 (0-0-0)

28th Airborne=(15) VChandler#27, CWells#28, TReadhimer, JDillard, JAmbrose#_, PCrow#19, RLong, HGammel, JRobinson, JRandolph, VParker#29, JStevens#21, MacElroy#_(93), ___, ___,__

P Crow #19 mission by A Smith: August 1: #19 Target: Mito (northwest of Tokyo – Industrial Rail City); Results: good Damage: 61.3%; Flak: meager; Bombs: (20) 500# and (92) 100# incendiaries; Remarks: Bombed by Radar – 9/10 coverage. Largest raid yet – 800 B-29s.

M#314; 08-06-45; Wings 73 & 314; Night, _____ bombs; 12-15,000 ft altitude; Nishinomiya urban area

20th AF Airborne=261, Aborts=7, Lost=1, bomb load=16565 lb; Fuel Reserve=555 gal; Iwo=24

B-29's damaged=2 by flak; EAS=27; EAA=8

28th Airborne=(?) CWells#29, PCrow#20, _____

P Crow #20 mission by A Smith: August 6: #20 Target: Kobe-Osaka Area; Results: good; Flak: moderate and accurate; Bombs: (40) 500# incendiaries; Remarks: Bombed by Radar – pop 300,000. Fires spread over 10 mile area. Most searchlights I’ve ever seen – at least 30.

M#323; 08-10-45; Wing 314; Day; General Purpose; 22-26,000 ft altitude; Okiguku, Najajima Aircraft Factory

20th AF Airborne=78; Abort=5; Lost=0; Bomb load=9646 lb.; Fuel Reserve=845 gal; Iwo=8;

B-29's Damaged=29 by AA; EA Sighted=9; EA Attacks=0

(50) P47 & P51 escort from landfall to lands end.

28th Airborne=(14) VParker#31, CWells#30; TReadhimer, Verp, MacElroy, Barta, PCrow#21, Detwiler, HGammel#_, McCull, JAmbrose#_, Randolph, Dillard, __

P Crow #21 mission by A Smith: August 10: #21 Target: Tokyo (arsenal 356); Results: fair; Flak: intense - semi accurate Fighters: nil; Bombs: (4) 2000 # General Purpose; Remarks: Bombed by Radar & Visual 5/10 coverage Escorted by P-51s and P-47s – one Oscar came through formation. 28^th Sqd was only one to come close to target. My crew were last one’s to bomb Tokyo – 1058 (Mariana’s time)

M#330; 08-15-45; Wing 73-314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 15-18,000 ft altitude; Isesaki Urban area

20th AF Airborne=93; Abort=7; Lost=0; Bomb load=14924 lb.; Fuel Reserve=648 gal.; Iwo=6;

Damaged=?; EA Sighted=4; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(15) VChandler#28, CWells#31, PCrow#22, ________

P Crow #22 mission by A Smith: August 14: #22 Target: Isesaki (45 miles northwest of Tokyo); Results: good; Flak: meager; Bombs: (20) 500# and (92) 100# incendiaries; Remarks: Bombed by Radar 8/10 coverage. Fires spread over large area. Dropped bombs at 0251 – at 0900 news announced of armistice – at 0930 made first Peace-Time Landing!!

POW Supply Drop Mission

I, Darrell Landau, 28^th Sqd Engineering Officer at the time, rode with this crew on a POW Supply Drop mission shortly after the war ended. I tell of this in my own story -- of almost falling out of the Bombay trying to pull up parachute straps so the Bombay doors would close. I’d never met this crew prior to this mission and years later was trying to determine who they were. I finally pieced it together, with the help of Vern Chandler that is was Crows crew. I wrote Crow and Smith and received a nice letter back acknowledging that they were the crew I was with. We later met at a 19^th BG reunion in Chattanooga TN and had a good though brief visit. Upon receiving this flight crew information from Allen Smith I immediately recognized Allen and Stefani, the Bombardier – I had seen Stefani’s face entering the front Bombay entrance when I was coming over the top of the center wing section to get to the front Bombay from the back. We’d never seen each other before we met unexpectedly -- looking across the Bombay at each other. He was equipped with a parachute, per protocol, making me feel naked winging it on my own without one – for which Crow, the Airplane Commander, chewed my fanny. Not long after the Chattanooga reunion, Smith wrote that Phillip Crow died.