FP-1945-MissionNF.DOC

Many such photos were taken – many can, and do, claim that’s of them

Scenes Remembered by Flight Crews

All return -- if all goes well

314^th wing North Field is far to your left as you fly south -- mid island Guam you turn East

Turning East toward narrow part of the island Arpo harbor & town of Agana are out of sight to the right.

Turning over Tumon Bay Harmon Field near left Marine Field far right highway from Apro harbor is at lower right.

20^th AF Hdq lower left, Harmon Field Test center runway, Air Transport Command farside North Field carved out of jungle ahead.

The Near side of Harmon Field was dedicated to Experimental B-29 flight testing conducted by Col Bill Irvine. Near the end of the war I took a call from Harmon Field requesting engine specialist, the best we had, to change cylinders on a couple of engines in preparation for a record breaking flight from Guam to Cairo Egypt. They selected 28^th Sqd due to Keoughs excellent maintenance record – they didn’t know they were talking with the youngest most inexperienced EO in the 20^th AF! Experienced Crew Chief Johnson & crew changed the cylinders, I checked the out the engines. The flight was a success and made head lines at the time.

20th AF Headquarters, above lower left, is where the mission results were displayed on floor to ceiling photo maps. In the center of this large Quonset was a plotting table with Guam at one end and Japan at the other. From above on the “west” side those in charge could follow missions from start to finish. Personnel moved models and coded flags to show progress and any aircraft in trouble. This was the command center.

While there, awaiting assignment, I was given a tour by the officer in charge of preparing floor to ceiling marked up photo maps showing target areas and destruction results. He pointed out that by June 1945, good targets were becoming hard to find – they knew huge areas of industrial Japan had been destroyed & Japanese inter island traffic was being blocked with coastal mines dropped by the 6^th BG on Tinian.

While waiting assignment, three of us replacements went swimming in Tumon Bay while attached to the 20 AF Hdq for three days. We received three combat ribbons for our strenuous duty. While we swam, sub-tier units of the 20th AF were completing campaigns against other islands. We knew nothing of this while walking from our quarters down to Tumon Bay to swim. I felt uncomfortable with this -- others earned those ribbons.

North Field ahead, NW Field would look the same to the left of this view.

This region was unoccupied jungle & a several mile drive north from 20th AF Hdq.

Below and to right is a hill from which the field can be seen

Our living quarters area was to the right, it too had been carved out of the jungle.

The runway had a dip – later filled in when renamed Anderson Field

Coming in to land on the South runway

Midway on the left are piles of bull dozed trees in which B-29’s crashed -- photo follows.

At the far end is a 600 ft cliff. Some aircraft would dip out of sight -- dropping to cool hot engines.

Where the rubber hits the road

Rubber burns off on each landing when tires go from zero to over 100 mph – emitting a double screech.

Seldom do both landing gears touch down at the same instant.

I once rode in the Bombardiers position when landing – from altitude the runway looks so small

From close up you feel the nose is going to contact that double white line.

You’re reflexes relax when the pilot lifts the nose and screetches the tires.

The Bombardiers view

Beyond to the North is the island of Rota. Planes sometimes unloaded their bomb on Rota if they had to abort and return. Japanese soldiers were evacuated from Rota after the war.

In fact some 200 Japanese soldiers were still hiding out in the cliffs of North Guam when the war ended. I drove my jeep to NW field one morning over a clear road, stayed about 1 1/2 hrs and returned. Upon return the empty road now had a large number of Japanese who had just come out of the jungle and surrendered. Soldiers with trucks had arrived to pick them up! The event was written up in the local press.

All planes turned off on this diagonal strip at the far end.

Then taxied to their hard stand where their ground crew was waiting

They had been checking tail fin for O or M and the airplane number to see if it was “their plane”

Your pilot will turn off at the far end – and taxi to your hard stand.

Welcome to 314th North Field Guam of 1945 -- home for some 180 B-29's of the 19th, 29th, 39, and 330th Bomb Groups. Your aircraft will be repaired as required & serviced while you sleep. You will be debriefed, sleep and return to the flight line to take off again. You are the last leg of a supply chain, bridging the Pacific moat that had so long protected Japan. Now your raining explosives and fire bombs on Japan.

Photo Story of Mission Cycle

The following is a single picture story of 19^th BG Mission, take off to landing. At upper left is Crew Chief M/Sgt Reed and his crew, committed to their airplane, all skilled dedicated fellows. At upper center is AC (Airplane Commander) Stevens, formerly Chandlers Pilot, who took over Seitz crew when Seitz was injured. Stevens was an Englishman, a volunteer who had already completed a tour over Germany. If many of his crew look like kids, it’s because many were. Third row down center is of Ben Kordis crew going down after being rammed by a Japanese fighter. Ben had completed a tour in Europe, the photo was taken from Van Parkers plane. My boss Capt Keogh took the engine close up view from the Flight Engineers window. The Marines made it possible to save many planes and crews. The Squadron photographer took the last photom, capturing the reflection at just the right time.

Mission Images of North Field Guam 1945.

Saipan, Tinnian & Guam were taking late 1944. Airfields for 73, 313, 58, 314 & 315 wings followed. By Aud 1945 1000 B-29s could drop 10 ton every three days on any target. The Japanese military had no surrender mode. The shock of the A-Bomb permitted the Emperor to overrule the military. The A-bomb saved Japan’s self-destruciton & American lives.

Ground crews seldom had a chance to watch returinging aircraft land. At take off they watched intently to see that “their plane” got off OK -- then often fell asleep in the truck hauling them back to their quarters for well earned sleep. Theirs was exhausted slept – their days were long with little personal time. It was not unusual for a crew to work through the night to make sure their plane was ready.

Most aircraft returned early in the morning – as if planned to be in time to meet the newly awaken ground crew. Most B-29 ground crews were old pros – the crew chiefs especially had proven their worth before and had been selected from among the best. They had to be – big bombers are filled with complex systems which require careful conciencious maintenance. They were not “grease monkeys” as their dirty fatigues might indicate. Their task was to “sustained the wings”. They did not waste time doing a walk around look and kicking the tires – they had to know how to check and fix each of the many systems. It was my pleasure to know and respect these top notch guys – they never expected and never received medals. They were truly dedicated to doing their best for those who took off in “their plane”.

Selected Mission Stories

Missions were defined by 20^th AF Hdqs for all Wings in the Mariannas, these are some of them.

Mission: 02-25-45; Tokyo; CAS 195; Release 14:20; Flight Time 17:30; 8 x 500# Incnd + 1 x 500# GP.

Lt Robert Auer lost at target, the first 28th Sqd loss [perhaps in M11]

G Savage #1: “This was a ‘Command’ formation attack. We flew enroute at 3,000 to 3,500 feet in loose formation. The command to climb was given a few hundred miles from Japan. The formation ran into clouds at about 6,000 ft and nobody could see anybody else. I broke out, alone, at about 20,000 feet and headed for the target. Soon, I saw other aircraft and we all joined a ‘make-up’ formation. There were about 14 of us from all Bomb Groups. I was told that ours was the largest single formation to hit Tokyo that day. Of the 250 aircraft that launched, 78 aborted or otherwise did not hit the target. We bombed through the clouds by radar and encountered only meager, inaccurate flak.”

Mission: 03-06-45 Wing 314; Airborne=1; Night; GP; 5KAltitude; Kobe (Radar Scope Photo Mission)]

V Parker#1 "On 03-05-45 our headquarters sought a volunteer crew to fly an upcoming mission which was considered to be of more than normal risk. Now there's an old saying in the army, "Never volunteer for anything - it can only lead to trouble." But John (Hancock), silly boy, paying small heed to that advice, up and said, "My crew will go;" and with my promise to accompany him on his next mission, I, too, had placed myself in the position of being a volunteer.

So, that's how it came about that I was again flying with Hancock on 6 March -a combat mission we would complete, and a first for the both of us. John would leave his copilot at home; I would perform copilot duties occupying the right seat of his plane which he had named "Sound and Fury".

Our mission, as briefed, was to fly our lone aircraft over the city of Kobe for the purpose of taking radar scope photography - intelligence which could later be used by crews flying future bombing missions against targets in the area. We were instructed to commence our run from an initial point (IP), an island in the harbor, from there to fly over the center of the city to its far outskirts, then to make a wide U turn exiting to the sea over another portion of town, and all the while to take pictures of the radar scope every couple of seconds.

Kobe, a city of a million people about 275 miles southwest of Tokyo on Osaka Bay, was Japan's largest port and one of its largest industrial centers. It was sure to be heavily defended. What had I talked myself into?

Takeoff was late evening on the 6th. Don't recall my exact feelings as we made our way to the north, but there is little doubt that my stomach must have been doing some churning.

I remember passing well to the left of Iwo Jima and, looking to the east, seeing the horizon literally ablaze with the bursting shells of our naval warships as they continued their relentless bombardment of the island, an attack which had commenced in mid-February; and I thought of those poor bastards down there on the ground slugging it out with an unprincipled and savage enemy. Lucky was I to be upstairs and not on the ground.

It was about two or three o'clock in the morning. Far, far in the distance we could see the glow of Kobe's lights. We were listening to some all-night radio station which was playing that tinny, gong-sounding music so peculiar to Japan. Wouldn't be long now. As if on cue, the lights on the horizon were extinguished and the radio station went off the air. They knew we were coming.

We donned our flak suits, made some last minute checks and pressed on to our IP. Now over the IP and taking pictures a `mile a minute' we proceeded on our photo run over the city, made our U turn, and headed back to the harbor area. All was calm; it was a cloudless night, stars were shining, and with the exception of there being no ground lights, it was as if we were flying a training mission over the flat-lands of Kansas. So this was combat?

After exiting out to sea John got carried away with himself. He said, "That was no sweat. Why don't we make one more round? Headquarters would be pleased to have another set of pictures." So we commenced another run.

About 15 minutes into our next pass, one of John's crew members said, "See down there. Looks like somebody sending Morse code." No sooner said than blam, blam, blam -- shells bursting all around us -- and every search light in the harbor began lighting up the sky. Morse code, hell! What the guy had seen were the muzzle flashes of guns which had opened up on us. That, we immediately recognized.

John, never short on brains, said, "Enough of this iron sleet; I think we've got enough pictures." He then promptly wheeled our trusty Superfort around, executing the famous 180 degree maneuver, and set course for home base -- an action roundly applauded by all on board. When we got back to Guam John said to me, "I appreciated your company on this mission. I'll reciprocate and fly with your crew sometime."

Iwo Jima was a little volcanic island about halfway between Japan and the Marianas. It would provide a halfway haven for distressed B-29s on the way to and from Japan. The island was finally declared secure on 17 March, but at a tremendous cost in human life. There are some who would question the sacrifice in lives of so many of our men for such a miserable piece of real estate. I can only report that Iwo saved hundreds of B-29 crews from a watery grave - my crew among them. Without Iwo Jima this book, Dear Folks, would never have been written.

Hancock#1 [the following is as written by John Hancock for Van Parkers book "Dear Folks"]

"Let's start on Guam at the time when one Gen. Curtis "Cigar" LeMay arrived to take command of the 20th Air Force -- or was it the XXI Bomber Command? Anyway, you may remember that B-29 Groups there to fore had been operating at their design altitudes of 30,000 feet or so and achieving a pretty meager return for much effort on the part of many people.

Enter LeMay and enter Roberts, Blakeley, Parker, and Hancock, with orders to fly over Tokyo and Kobe, respectively, not at 30,000 feet, but at 5,000, in the middle of the night. P and H's orders, specifically, were to make a simulated bomb run from an IP (initial point) on an island in the harbor to the Kobe railroad station, taking radar scope pictures along the route. And then to go around and do it again. And then to go around and do it a third time if that seemed feasible.

The stated purpose of the exercise was to furnish guidance to crews looking at their radar scopes on a theoretical future bombing mission. Baloney. The real purpose, we concluded, was to see what kind of reception we'd get, how long it would take the Japanese to get their defenses working, and how effective they were. We soon found out.

The first indication that our visit -- it was about three o'clock in the morning -- would not come as a complete surprise came when our IFF (indicator of friend or foe) lit up about 100 miles from Kobe and soon afterward the all-night radio station we'd been homing in on went off the air. But we proceeded blithely onward, identified the IP on the radar screen, and proceeded on our run to the railroad station, dutifully taking scope pictures every couple of seconds. So far, so good. All was serene.

As ordered, we then made a big circle and started on run number 2 - and suddenly all hell broke loose. Every damned searchlight in the harbor came on at once. They were so bright that they even woke my bombardier, which was no mean feat. Little black puffs began to appear, accompanied by a sort of "blamming" noise. Since we were the only people there, it seemed apparent that we were the object of their attentions.

Well, despite these indications that we were unwelcome, we did complete run #2 and took a second set of scope pictures. We then conferred, very briefly, concluded that the quality of our photography was undoubtedly such that a third set of pictures would be de trop, and took our leave, executing those lumbering maneuvers laughingly referred to as "evasive action"; and headed homeward, unscathed, but possibly several pounds lighter.

George Savage 30^th Sqd Landing on Iwo – Not all landings were perfect

Photo taken of George Savage crew after crash landing on Iwo. George upper right without hat.

And now we come to Captain Parker's part in this performance. Why was he there in the first place? My memory on this point is a little fuzzy, but I do recall that several of my crew members contended that his crew snored too loud in our shared Quonset and maybe it was in retribution for this. Anyway, there he was.

So we left the coast of Honshu and headed for Guam and everybody began to realize that they were pretty hungry -- for, after all, it had been quite a few hours since we had last eaten. We eagerly opened the box which our ever-indulgent group mess had provided for it's famished heroes. We found therein two loaves of stale bread and a can of grapefruit juice. A couple of our stronger crew members managed to penetrate the crusts and distribute hunks of bread; but the juice can defied all attempts to open it, and frustration had the whole crew in thrall -- when up stepped our passenger -- the resourceful Captain Van R. Parker, former Big Ten football star.

With complete disregard for his safety, he plunged his trench knife into the recalcitrant can, punctured it, and caused a fountain of the heavenly contents to cascade all over the auto pilot console. A throaty cheer went up from the parched crew men. We toasted each other in grapefruit juice to the triumphant strains of the Illinois "FIGHT SONG". Granted, the auto pilot smelled of grapefruit for some time afterward, but it was a small price to pay for this act of selfless heroism. And the postscript to this episode is that, as you may know, the whole damned 20th Air Force went in over Tokyo at 5,000 feet a couple of days later.

Mission: ”03-06-45; Shizuoka; 25,000 ft; CAS=195; release 0145; flt time 14:10; 7x500#GP, 2x56# Photo.

G Savage#2 “Night solo mission. Moderate, accurate flack but no hits on aircraft. Japanese fighters seen but did not attack. Visual bomb release.”

Mission: “03-09-45;Tokyo; 5,800 ft; CAS=230; release time 0205; flt time 14:05; 24x500# Incnd.

G Savage#3 Low level night solo. 334 B-29’s launched, 282 bombed target at altitiudes between 5,000 to 6,000 feet. Heavy accurate flack, 100+ Searchlights, fighter attacks. 14 B-29s were lost over target. It was ‘the single most destructiove raid of WW II .’ Over 16 sq miles of Tokyo were destroyed (5 sq miles destroyed at Heroshima and 1 1/2 at Nagasaki. (There were more casualties during this Mar 9 raid that at either atomic attack.) We encountered heavy ground fire over the target and fighter attacks after leaving target. #1 & #4 engine were shot out as well as other damage to aircraft. Right gunner, Bill Buckley was wounded but not severely. We crash landed on Iwo Jima (one wheel shot up and no brakes) because fuel transfer system was shot out and we needed the gas in #1 and #4 tanks to make it to Guam.”

We had taken off from North Field, Guam on 9 March 1945 for participation in the first night low level attack against Tokyo. We were one of about 300 B-29s proceeding individually. We carried (24) 500 pound incendiary bombs.

We arrived over Tokyo about 2 A.M. on 10 March 1945. There was fire everywhere with hundreds of searchlights going every-which-way. We were among the last of the attacking aircraft and by this time the people on the ground had gotten really angry with us Yankee Dogs.

Our target was anywhere in the city. Mac Wooldridge, our Bomb Aimer, asked what he should aim at and since our altitude was only 5,800 feet he said he would have no trouble hitting anything. I said to find some place not on fire. He looked around and gave a heading to a dark area. We were just flying around like we were on a Sunday School picnic and oblivious to the fatal hazards all around us. What a joy to be 21 and immortal!

I was zigging and zagging like the book said and hoping we wouldn't run into another B-29. I did see a few of them caught in searchlights with tracers pointing their way but wasn't aware that it could happen to us. Mac called out and said he had a target. Just ahead was a lovely island of darkness not yet ablaze and at the front of it was a magnificent building that looked like the Jefferson Memorial. We were so low that it was not difficult to pick out the details.

Mac said to follow the PDI for about 30 seconds and it would be Bombs Away. "30 Seconds Over Tokyo", sounded keen, just like the movie! But a rude awakening to the realities of war was in store for us!

As soon as we took up a straight heading, one-by-one searchlights caught us until, just before bombs away, we were in the beam of 10 or 15 of them. Seemed like we were the top of an Indian teepee with all the poles converging on us. Just as bombs away occurred, so did reality. Suddenly a series of "Whoomp, whoomp" was heard all over the airplane. Sounded like many big doors being slammed shut in an acoustic auditorium What it was, was Jap shells exploding in our airplane. And then everything happened at once.

Ed Acheson, our Radio Operator, was out of his seat checking the bomb bay to see that all bombs released. While he was off his seat it was riddled by shrapnel. When he went back to his seat, a shell exploded right where his head had been!

Jerry Kalian, our Flight Engineer, called out that #4 engine had lost all its oil pressure and was losing power. I told Ernie Dossey, our Co-Pilot, to feather it. He did and, ever alert, I put in a little aileron to hold up the right wing.

Buck Buckley, our Right Gunner, called in and said he thought he had been shot. He didn't hurt any but his arm was bleeding! What a diagnosis, but correct!

An Air Corps photographer had hitched a ride at Guam and was taking pictures out of the rear hatch above the APU. When things got chancey he came back inside for the company of Bob Morgan, our Radar Operator. Fortunately that was just before a shell blew up the APU where he had been standing and also, as I later became aware, did horrible things to my elevator cables.

In the midst of all this, Don Turner, the Left Gunner, calls out that #1 is on fire. Sure enough, Jerry Kalian confirms that oil pressure is gone so I tell Ernie to feather #1 and he does. I, however, somewhat less alert, forget to release the aileron pressure I had applied when we lost #4.

About this time I am becoming aware of the fact that we are getting into a rather perilous predicament. So I look around to see where we are. As I look out my side window all I see is black which seemed peculiar considering Tokyo was on fire. I then look up through the overhead windows and discover Tokyo. It was no longer peculiar, it was most distressing.

As we appear to be inverted at 5,000 feet, it is obvious we are going to crash. Two thoughts pass through my mind in rapid succession. First, "So this is how an aircraft gets shot down." The second thought was more positive. "Since we ain't dead yet, surely something can be done."

The second thought was the best and being a frustrated fighter pilot I just rolled the aircraft to an upright position. All these gyrations did, however, serve a useful purpose. We escaped the deadly cone of searchlights.

Being completely lost, I asked Bill Born, our Navigator, for a heading. He gives me an easterly heading to get away from Tokyo prior to turning South for Guam. I turned to this heading using the Fluxgate compass and also become aware of very sloppy elevator control. After a couple minutes Bill calls up and says to check the heading. I do and report we are heading east. Bill says to check the Whiskey compass. What a shock! We are actually heading northwest! As we were still at 5,000 feet and there were 10,000 foot mountains northwest of Tokyo, this qualified as a sad turn of events.

I dutifully turned to an easterly heading using the Whiskey compass. Seems that not only the Fluxgate, but also the Radar and autopilot had become battle casualties.

With a brief respite now at hand I observed that we were no longer a 4 engine bomber but had become a 2 engine transport. As such, we were over-loaded and needed to reduce our weight. I ordered the crew to jettison all loose and heavy objects from the plane. I learned later that in addition to flak jackets and such, one of the loose and heavy objects which they so dutifully jettisoned was my pride and joy, my hat, weighing all of 8 ounces, with a beautiful "50 Mission" crush on it. How fortunate I was to have a crew so dedicated and obedient in carrying out my orders.

As we proceeded east the glow of Tokyo could be seen to our right. As we left that behind us we turned south and for home. As we once more came abreast of burning Tokyo we were happy that we didn't have to go back in.

But the joy was short lived. Bill Brooks, our Tail Gunner, had come forward to relieve Buck at the right blister. He called up to report that 3 or 4 fighters were paralleling our course! Another terrible turn of events! It seems that 20th Air Force had decided that if our guns were loaded we might shoot down other B-29s in the dark so we had no ammo on board except for what we carried in our 45 automatics and that is not too effective against fighters. It also seemed probable that my decision to jettison all flak jackets might have been a bit premature.

I told Bill to get back in the tail and let me know when the fighters made a pass at us. Seems the fighters were very leery of the fire power of our Superfortress but then they were not on the mailing list of 20th Air Force. As such, they decided to make quartering attacks from the rear and one-by-one. As they rolled into their attack, Bill would call it out and I would turn into them spoiling their aim and the tracers would whiz harmlessly by.

This kept up for a few minutes, seemed like hours, until we ducked into some clouds and lost the fighters. But the Gods of War weren't through with us yet.

On taking better stock of our situation we found that our fuel transfer system had been hit and we couldn't get the fuel out of #1 and #4 fuel tanks. This meant that we couldn't get back to Guam but had to try for Iwo Jima where the Marines had gotten a foothold on the island. That was the good news. The bad news was that when the fuel transfer system had been shot up, puddles of AVGAS were left all over the bomb bay. The smell of AVGAS throughout the airplane was quite disconcerting but what really took the hide off the hog was the St. Elmo's fire which was shooting sparks all over the airplane, inside and out! I could say that the airplane exploded and all aboard were lost but that would spoil a great story. Instead, we endured this situation for what seemed like forever until we finally broke out of the clouds and continued on to Iwo Jima uneventfully.

Fighting was still going on at the North end of Iwo when we got there but the ex-Jap strip of about 4,000 feet on the south end was OK. We made our approach and as our gear came down some bad news came with it. Strange articles fell from the left gear well. The upshot of it all was that we had no brake pressure and one of the wheels on the left gear was no longer round.

With great skill I maneuvered to touch down on the very end of the approach. About 3 feet off the ground as I was pulling back on the wheel the control cable snapped and the wheel fell into my lap. I yelled to Ernie, our Co-Pilot, to pull back on his wheel. He did so and he made an honest-to-God grease job.

But with no brakes, and a bad wheel on the left gear; and, wouldn't you know it, a cross-wind from the left, as soon as rudder control was lost we started to veer off the runway to the left.

Coming the other way on the left side of the runway was a Jeep with a lone occupant. I waved frantically trying to get him to turn out of the way. He gave me a broad smile and waved back in a friendly manner. As the Jeep disappeared under the wing I expected to feel a bump as what was left of the landing gear squashed the Jeep and it’s friendly occupant. But no bump and it turned out, the occupant ducked and the only damage was that the Jeep wind shield vanished as the wing flap scraped it off.

We came to an abrupt halt against the hill on the left of the runway. Everyone got out OK,. except for Mac Wooldridge. He got a bloody nose when the nose gear came up through the floor and gave him a kiss. There was no fire, only one terribly abused B-29.

Later that day I was sitting in what appeared to be a big shell hole. A grungy Marine was there too. He was dirty, grimy, and had eyes like two pee holes in the snow. I felt that in spite of the recent past I wouldn't trade places with him for all the goodies in the world. I started to tell him so but before I could say it he blurts out, "I wouldn't trade places with you for anything in the world " I guess that's what makes the world go 'round.

We finally got back to Guam where I expected to be greeted with a tumultuous hero's welcome. Instead I was hustled to Group Headquarters where I was forced to sign a Report of Survey in the amount of $450,000 for one each B-29. I am still paying for that sucker. My next payment is due April 15.

Mission: 03-16-45 Wings 73-313-314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 4-9,000 ft altitude; Kobe Urban area

20th AF Airborne=330; Abort=16; Lost=3 (3 to unk); Bomb load=14931 lb.; Fuel Reserve=889 gal.; EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=96

Maj R. Fitzgerald 73rd Wing crew lost, Lt R Nelson taken prisoner-- later beheaded

Bob Nelson was my college room mate – we had gone to Ft Riley KS to take cadet exham, he passed, I flunked as color blind. My Father was head of draft board so I had the secretary put me on the next draft – finding myself a Pfc airplane mechanic then instructor while Bob became a B-29 Navigator. Thanks to being color blind I’m here to compile this story.

Mission 04-13-45 Tokyo

J. Handwerker # 9 Letter “ Dear Dad ….. I have skipped telling you about a few of the missions. They have just about been like the first ones. We run into about the same things on all of them. I told you about the one to Omaru and we made another daylight raid to Nagoya, but I wasn't able to stay in the formation because of a bad engine, so I bombed a secondary target. We had no opposition. The boys that went over Nagoya had a hard time. We won't have to go back to bomb that engine factory again.

The one I came back from today was our ninth. Boy, what a raid! I thought the first time I went to Tokyo was just about the roughest raid I would make, but the one to Tokyo last night made the first one look like a milk run. I came back on three engines and they counted 43 holes in the plane.

We took off Friday the 13th at 5:34 PM and each ship was on its own. We were all right until we got about 350 miles from Japan when the No. 3 engine started throwing oil. We lost 15 gallons in about 15 minutes, so we feathered the engine before it was all pumped out. We had enough oil left to run the engine at that rate for a half hour and the time we would be over Japan was only to be 23 minutes. We figured to have enough power to get in there and get out.

When we hit the coast and started in on Tokyo we started the engine up and she ran good. The only trouble was that the damn thing left a trail of smoke that made us look like we were laying a smoke screen. The searchlights picked us up about 20 miles from Tokyo and they must have seen the smoke coming from the engine and thought we were having trouble because we had searchlights all the way on our bomb run and for 10 minutes after we made our turn to leave Tokyo. While we were in the searchlights the flak batteries were pounding hell out of us. The flak was bursting under us and shaking us up pretty badly and we could hear it going into the ship. Sure is a funny sound! Sounds like somebody had a pop-corn machine under the seat. The searchlights covered the tail gunner and the bombardier and they couldn't see anything. The first thing I knew I looked up and saw a long burst of tracers shooting by the co-pilot's window about even with him. There were fighters on us and one of the fellows who was further in back of us said he could see us framed in the searchlights with the flak bursting all around us, our No. three engine smoking like hell and three or four fighters buzzing around shooting at us. The tough part about it was that we were on our bomb run and couldn't turn to get away from them. This fellow in back said they were so busy with me that they didn't fire a shot at him. That's the way it goes. It's rough as hell for some guys and again it's easy for another. We dropped our bombs and started to climb and turn and just about turned that plane inside out trying to get out of the searchlights, but they stuck with us. Some would follow us as far as they could and then another bunch would pick us up. After we broke away and climbed, the engineer was watching the oil and sure enough, it was being pumped out just about like we said and the pressure dropped to zero and lights were still on us. The engine wasn't going to be worth a damn anyway, so I let it run for about a minute longer and God must have been on our side because as I was hitting the feathering button, the searchlights went out. We still had the fighters and they followed us for about 30 miles before we shook them.

We started back for base on three engines and darn if the #1 didn't blow an exhaust stack and started throwing fire around the ring cowl. We kept on going though. After about an hour out, we took off our flak suits and looked around. The engineer turned on the light and right alongside him, about 18 inches and 24 inches in back of me, there was a flak hole about six inches long and 4 inches wide. We just looked at each other.

We came into range of the island and started our landing circle. I put the gear down, but only the nose and left gear came down. The right gear wouldn't come down. We had to circle with them down while the engineer went back into the bomb-bays to lower the gear by emergency system. Luckily, it came down on the first try because our #4 engine started smoking like hell. We came in and landed and had no sooner hit the ground before the fire-engines, crash crew, ambulances and all came running down the runway after us. We just made it back to our parking area before the #4 just about quit. The engineering officer met us and after looking it over said we would get two new engines. They were ruined. The #4 engine wouldn't last for about 15 minutes more and it would have quit. The reason the left gear wouldn't come down was because a 50 caliber bullet had hit the motor and knocked it loose from its mounts. We had holes in the bomb-bay doors, fuselage, nose section, wings, rudder, stabilizer, elevators, ailerons. That thing sure was shot up! The boys sure were glad to get on the ground again. Can't say that I don't blame them. We will get a rest for a few days before we go on another. Will take some time before the ship is ready again.”

Mission: 05-03-45;Wing314; Day; GenPurpose; 17,000 ft Altitude; Kanoya East AF Airborne=11

Abort=0; Lost=1 (1 to AA); BL=10700; FR=955; Iwo=0; EAAttacks=6; dest=0, prob=1, dam=0

M7 City of Dallas mortally wounded hemorrhaging gasoline

Rough seas snag and crush the nose, M7 stands on end before her final plunge.

R. Spencer #7 by R Marlowe Tail Gunner: We flew a few rough missions, so the squadron gave us a little time off. Right after Tachikawa, the 19th embarked on several missions to Kanoya, to bomb airfields used by Kamikaze planes to impede the Navy's progress in our invasion of Okinawa. The crews on these missions all acknowledged they were "milk runs" where they encountered virtually no opposition. They were getting mission credit for a leisurely flight. We asked Spencer to talk with Operations in hopes that we could get a "milk run" or two. They agreed. So, on May 3d we were part of the squadron that went to bomb the Kanoya East airfield. It was just as the other crews told us - no flak, no fighters. We opened our bomb bays, dropped our bombs, and were in the process of closing the doors when we were hit - hard! Whatever hit us (we learned much later that it was a coast artillery shell) went through our center wing gas tank, blew out the tunnel, went through the top of the airplane, then exploded. I shudder to think what might have happened if it exploded inside the plane.

We couldn't close our bomb bay doors - they remained open about 8-10 inches, and gasoline from the center wing tank was entering the bomb bay. There was 2 to 3 inches of gas in the bomb bay, held there by the slipstream, and gas fumes filled the plane. We shut off our guns, turned off radio equipment, because the slightest spark would set off the gas. Other planes in the formation realized we were in trouble; it appeared we were trailing smoke, when in reality it was gasoline. We were falling back from the rest of the formation. We lost our number three engine within a few minutes because the gas was being siphoned out, and it was not possible to transfer fuel. The prop was feathered.

Notice the anomaly on top above the center wing section, that should be smooth. (The photo was probably taken by T. Reidheimers crew. Chandler says they didn’t take it. The next mission Floyd Maupin’s crew in M-11 recorded having searched for Spensers crew until low on fuel. They refueled at Iwo and logged over 18 hours flight time for the mission and search.)

When the Japanese realized that a B-29 was in trouble, they sent up their fighter planes to attack us. Two B-29's stayed behind to escort us and protect us. One of the B-29's was that of Capt. Vernon Chandler and his crew; the other was Capt. Thomas Reidheimer and his crew. The Japanese fighter planes started firing at us, but Chandler and Reidheimers crews kept them away. The fighters then flew above us and began dropping phosphorus bombs on us, hoping to knock us out of the sky that way. The streamers from the phosphorous bombs are scary, but their aim was lousy. Thanks to our two buddy planes, we got out of the area.

Spencer decided to head for Okinawa, the closest emergency landing field. It took only a few minutes for Spence and Lynn Barnett to realize that we couldn't make it. We then changed our heading in the direction of a destroyer that was on Dumbo duty. We began to prepare for ditching by throwing out all loose and unnecessary equipment. Everything that could be thrown out was jettisoned.

(This is an interesting sidebar to what was happening. We, just like all crews, I suppose, often discussed their feelings over bailing-out versus ditching. On our crew, the vote was six for bailing-out, five for ditching. Now, when the opportunity presented itself, not one man suggested bailing-out; we all elected to remain with the plane.)

I can't explain what went on in the front of the airplane regarding the jettisoning of their gear. In the tail, I removed the tail gunners hatch and tried to throw it out. No luck - the slipstream would wedge it crosswise in the opening. It took me almost ten minutes, using every ounce of strength I had, to finally jettison it. But then, I encountered another problem, severe vibration in my compartment. The slipstream of the fuselage entered the angled opening of my hatch, causing such vibrations that I could hardly see, and it affected my stability. I solved that problem by keeping my elbow outside the hatch. I flew with my elbow protruding from the plane until just before ditching.

In the meantime we lost number one engine and were dangerously low on fuel for the remaining two. Shortly before ditching, number two engine was shut off and the prop feathered as part of standard operating procedures. Spencer was flying the airplane with only one functioning engine. He made one of the smoothest descents you could imagine given the conditions he was under. We were some 80 miles off the coast of Japan, landing on a choppy ocean, wind speed some 15 knots, and swells 6 to 10 feet high, with crests about 30 feet. In a ditching, the tail always hits first. I could hear and feel the spray ever so gradual, getting heavier and heavier, until CRASH, the impact. We hit the water at an air speed of 125 MPH and, if it were not for the rough seas, it could have been a perfect landing. But, it was not to be. The plane broke in two at the aft bulkhead where four men were sitting, braced for the impact. No pilot could have done a better job than Bob Spencer!

When the plane hit the water the nose caved in, flooding the forward section, either trapping or killing four men. The nose went underwater so the rear of the forward section was 90 degrees, submerged to the trailing edge of the wing. The forward section sank in about 6 minutes. Lost in crash was Bob Spencer the A/C, Burl Wiley the Pilot, Adolph Hechinger the Navigator, and Lynn Barnett the Flight Engineer. Dean Vezeau said he noticed a patch of light over his head and swam to it, breaking the surface. Johnny Kimbell lay in the tunnel, feet braced on the forward turret, and escaped through the astrodome.

I ,Richard Marolewski, was alone in the tail section. I don't know if I was knocked out briefly, but when I regained my senses, the tail was beginning to sink. As it was submerging, the tail rotated 90 degrees, placing my escape hatch up. I got out my dinghy, inflated my Mae West, and noticed three men about 50 feet away, without dinghies.

Just after I got off the tail section, it sank - perhaps two minutes after impact. They called to me, and I swam to them pulling my dinghy.

The men were Bill Muchkivch who was severely wounded, Eddie Ownby with a bad gash on his head, and Al Nomick who was dead. They said they saw Erik, Sherwood Eriksson radar operator, floating face down in the water some distance away. (The Auxilary Power Unit could have broken loose from it's shock mount slamming into the Radar position, a subsequent Tech Order change required the APU to be held to structure by steel cable. DL),I had minor lacerations on my hands and shoulder. Eddie and I slipped the dinghy under Muskie to get him out of the water, then we hung on to the sides. We caught sight of Johnny Kimbell at the hatch above the wing, releasing the 7 man life raft. Then we lost sight of him because of the rough seas and swells.

Vern Chandler and his crew remained with us during the ditching. They circled low to the water to determine whether there were any survivors. They saw us hanging on to the dinghy and dropped two more dinghies and a Gibson Girl radio. I swam to the drop point and recovered the dinghies. I left the Gibson Girl in the water because, I felt, we were very close to the Japanese mainland and the signal put out by the radio could be easily monitored by the Japanese. Vern Chandler knew our position - it would be best if the Japanese didn't.

With the three of us now in our dinghies, we lashed them together so we wouldn't become separated. We needed to remain together because Muskie was seriously wounded - a compound fracture of his leg where the bone protruded in two places, plus fractures of his vertebra. He was in constant pain; just having the dinghies bounce from the action of the water caused him to yell in pain. We heard someone calling for help. We couldn't tell where it was coming from, nor could we identify the voice. It could have been Dean Vezeau, or could it have been someone else? We ditched at about 4:30 p.m., so Vern Chandler and his crew had to leave us before nightfall, otherwise they might not be able to reach Iwo Jima for refueling.

As night falls, the feeling of loneliness really hits you. The nighttime temperature drops considerably. There was always some water in the bottom of the dinghies and, with the cold breezes blowing, it acts almost like an air conditioner. I had never been so cold in all my life. In the darkness of the night, the phosphorescence (bioluminescence) in the water creates the illusion that millions of eyes are looking at you. Muskie and I were firm in our religious beliefs and prayed almost constantly. Eddie Ownby claimed no belief in God. Suddenly, in the wee hours of the morning, Eddie began humming religious hymns he learned as a boy. I guess there is much to be said about the adage that there are no atheists in combat.

Eddie and I did all we could all night to minister to Muskie; to help relieve his pain, and to make him as comfortable as possible. We were scared, but we felt confident he'd make it. It was his nature.

Morning came and Muskie was in agony. There was a lot of bloody water in his dinghy so I started bailing it out. In only a matter of minutes, sharks appeared. I had my .45, took a couple shots, but abandoned the notion of shooting them. Shortly afterward a school of dolphins went by and so did the sharks.

We saw a couple airplanes flying high, off in the distance; too far to use a signal mirror on them. About noon, we spotted a B-29 flying in the area, but going in another direction. Nevertheless, I used my signal mirror over and over again, and just about the time we were losing hope that they had seen us, they turned around, descended, and began to fly over us. In the course of their searching the area, they evidently spotted Johnny Kimbell in his raft. This airplane, we learned later, was the OILY BOID from the 29th Bomb Group. It was the tail gunner that saw the signal mirror while making their last pass before returning home. That tail gunner, I was told, was in Aviation Cadet training with me at Fenn College in Cleveland, Ohio. (On May 18, 1945 the four of us were on our way to the rest camp in Hawaii (we were assigned as part of a crew to take back a “war weary” B-29) we were sitting in the back of a weapons carrier. We found that the 29th Bomb Group had just returned from a mission, and a crowd of men were on scaffolds at the tail of OILY BOID. We wanted to know what happened? One of the crew told us that flak had hit the tail and almost blew the tail gunners head off; they were trying to extracate his body. The one who had sighted us, my fellow cadet -- God love him!).

OILY BOID remained with us for a couple hours They notified authorities that they found us, and our position. When they were informed that the Navy was sending a submarine to rescue us, they began to drop smoke flares near our position so the submarine could find us. When they knew the sub was close, they left for Iwo Jima, for refueling and return to Guam.

The three of us were picked up first, by the USS Scabbardfish, skippered by Lt. Commander Frederick A. "Pop" Gunn. They then began a search of the area to find any other survivors. As I understood it, about an hour after rescuing the three of us, they came across Johnny Kimbell in his raft. After another couple hours of searching, they almost ran over Dean Vezeau who spent all the time in the water wearing only a Mae West. His was a harrowing experience with sharks, turtles, and sea creatures. I really believe that his physical conditioning saved his life.

The Scabbardfish was diverted to rescue us while on their way to the Yellow Sea on patrol. I can't say enough about the heroics of these men. We were picked up less than 80 miles off the coast of Japan. Scabbardfish crewmen lined the deck, binoculars in hand, scanning the skies for enemy aircraft, while searching the waters for any possible additional survivors. We had to dive a number of times because of approaching unidentified aircraft, then back to the surface to search some more. Scabbardfish personnel told us they would attempt to transfer us to a submarine returning from patrol; otherwise, we would have to continue the patrol with them.

We were picked up by the Scabbardfish on May 4, 1945 after spending 23 hours in our dinghies; Johnny and Dean even longer. Scabbardfish made contact with E.T.Shepard skipper the USS Picuda who was returning from patrol, and on May 6, 1945, with billowing clouds hovering over the Japanese mainland nearby, made the transfer.

The Picuda took us to Saipan. Muskie was flown to the States (where he ultimately spent 3 years and 5 months in the hospital and had over 20 operations). Dean, Eddie, Johnny, and myself ,Dick Marlowe, were flown back to Guam. We were returned to the 19th Bomb Group on May 10th. It is a strange feeling to walk into the orderly room and see your name on a board listing you as Missing In Action.

That pretty much tells the story of Spencer's crew. After 10 days at a rest camp in Hawaii, we returned to Guam and given other assignments. Each of us flew again; Johnny Kimbell probably flew more missions than we. I was flying with another crew over the Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the Japanese surrender.

Also flying with me, in my heart and mind, were Bob Spencer, Burl Wiley, Adolph Hechinger, Sherwood Eriksson, Lynn Barnett, and Al Nomick. I’ve said many prayers for them---Lord, let them rest in peace on their final and eternal mission. (The Great Bend KS memorial includes a plaque in memory of fellow Kansans: Nelson 03-15-45 & Barnett 05-03-45. DL)

Mission: 05-10-45; Wing 314; Day; Gen Purp bombs; 15-20,000 ft alt; Otake Oil Refinery & Kure Urban area

20th AF Airborne=132; Abort=0; Lost=0; Bomb load=10862 lb.; Fuel Reserve=683 gal.: Iwo=12; EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=54 (dest=3, prob=2, dam=8)

April 15th hangs heavy, George’s payments now include two of those suckers!!

G Savage#14 “Day, 9 plane formation, flew #3 in B flt. Bomb bay doors stuck open after bomb release. Ran out of gas on final appreach to North Field, Guam, landed short and broke the airplane. I woud have made it but on my first approach another aircraft (tail # “O-29”) cut in front of me and I was too close to him to land. So I went around and my engines started to quit on down wind leg. I probably could have made it but I turened onto the final about 50 ft behind another B-29 and when I hit short of the runway and bounced I got into his prop wash which turned me sideways and I didn’t have enought control to straighten out the airplane. They do smash up when landing sideways.

Mission: 05-14-45 Wings 58-73-313-314; Day; Incendiary; 16-20,000 ft Alt. N. Nagoya Urban "Microscope #4"

20th AF Airborne=524; Abort=0; Lost=11(1 to EA; 1 to AA; 4 to accid; 4 to other, 1 unk); Bomb load=11479 lb.; Fuel Reserve=642 gal; Iwo landings=14; EA Sighted=80; EA Attacks=275 (dest=23, prob=16, dam=31)

28th Airborne=(13) VChandler#15, CWells#17, FMaupin#15, JDillard#5, KClewett#_, +8

30^th sqd J Hall #14, E Tobin #15, F Blakeley#15, J White #16

93^rd sqd J Handwerk#_, M Lawless#4

Lt Kenneth Clewett lost in M20 over target

V. Chandler#15 M-2, Sqd leader First, incendiary daylight raid. Flak was moderate. Results were extraordinary.

On May 14th, we led our squadron on a daylight incendiary raid over Nagoya with 524 B-29s bombing from altitudes of 16,000 to 20,000 feet. The mission obliterated nine square miles of the city, but ten bombers were destroyed and 56 damaged by the enemy. One of our squadron, piloted by Lt. Clewett, was shot down just before bombs away, and there was no way we could help him as his B-29 plummeted to total destruction. We saw no parachutes.

F Blakeley #15 Guam to Nagoya “Take off 16:25; (24) 500 lb incendiary carried. 500 B-29s involved from 4 wings to burn out Nagoya. Led Sqd, Group and Wing. Metro was way off, too much time to kill -- too many dog legs -- formation was scattered out until we went over landfall. Clear weather -- slight haze -- A.P. was obscured by smoke had to make a radar run. Half of bombs hit on east side of town and other half just inside. Only seven fighters seen and about a dozen bursts of flak -- very slight opposition for Nagoya.

E Tobin #15 Deputy Led to Blakeley

F Maupin#15 M-11 flt time 16.58 Light flak, 4 fighters, Nagoya City the target May 14th raid.

H Gammel in M-6 was carrying a full load of bombs when he clipped the top of the trees at the end of the runway on take off. After clearing the 600 foot cliff he salvoed his bomb load and made it back about the island to Harmon Field where he was able to land. Thankfully only a small percentage of the airfoil spoiled it’s lift and even the engine who’s blade hit the tree kept running fine except for a bit of vibration. They were lucky as it could have been much worse. M-6 was repaired and flew more missions.

J Dillard #5 W McFain 28^th sqd Bombardier May 14th, 1945. Mission to Nagoya. Aircraft Number 42-94026. This was a Sunday and it was Mother's Day. We took off from North field early on the morning of the 14th of May so as to hit the target in the early daylight hours. On this mission we were carrying 24 E46 Bombs. We formed up with the group/squadron off the coast of Japan and headed for the target. Bomb run was made with a lot of flak and fighters all around. This of course was nothing new to veteran combat crews, but to us we had not gotten used to the flak as yet. Our four previous missions had been southern Japan on the island of Kyushu where we had bombed air fields. On those missions we encountered some flak and some fighters, but nothing to what was encountered over Nagoya that day.

We made our bomb run and started home. As we coasted out we broke formation and started home in a single ship string as was the usual procedure.

Shortly after crossing the coast, the flight engineer [Tom Adams] informed the pilot [AC Jess Dillard] that we had used up so much fuel in formation during the approach to the target and on the bomb run he didn't think it wise to try to make Guam and suggested we stop at Iwo Jima and refuel.

Everything went fine until we got close to Iwo and were informed that Iwo was socked in. We alerted Iwo as to our low fuel, but were told they had higher priorities for landing and we were to circle until they had gotten the planes with wounded on board and those in a worst condition than ourselves safely on the ground. After circling for about an hour our gas supply was becoming critical. The pilot [AC Jess Dillard] informed the tower and we were told we would be landing under Ground Control Approach (GCA) and were to follow their instructions.

We continued our letdown until Final Approach Control Radar (ACR) took us over for final positioning and heading for landing. We were vectored down to 500 feet and told to take over and land visually. At about this time we broke below the cast and found we were lined up on a direct course with Mount Suribachi.

Three attempts were made to land us but each time we had to pull up and go around as they could not line us up with the runway, only with Mount Suribachi. By this time the flight engineer [Tom Adams] notified the pilot [AC Jess Dillard] he didn't think we had sufficient gas for another go-around. The pilot [AC Jess Dillard] notified the tower, and after a short time the tower informed us we were to climb to 2,000 feet and to fly out on a given heading for ten miles and turn back and they would inform us when we were over the island so we could bail our

Everyone began to prepare for the exit. However, the CFC gunner [Ken Aiken] somehow popped his chute in the plane. The pilot [AC Jess Dillard] immediately informed the tower of this matter. The information we received was to have the gunner hold his chute in his arms when he jumped, and when he was clear of the plane to throw the chute up into the air. This didn't sound good, but what recourse was there? None. They would not allow the pilot to let everyone bail out except him and the CFC gunner, and attempt another approach. Since there was only one runway on Iwo, they could not afford to have it closed down because of a crash landing with so many other planes yet to land. By this time we were back over the island and told to start bailing out. Of course the CFC gunner [Ken Aiken] had to be given a little push by the radar operator [Joe Jamieson].

I [Bill McFain] had already cleared the nose wheel well door and had it open and was preparing to climb down when the copilot [Billy Huffman] said he needed help getting out of his seat. (He still had on his flak suit and flak helmet along with all his other equipment including his rubber life raft) I assisted him out and then climbed down the wheel well and dropped out. I watched the plane go over and then pulled my rip cord. The chute did not open. I looked down and saw I did not get the rip cord all the way out, so I hastily put both hands on the cord and gave it a big tug, out it came, much to my relief.

As I was floating down I looked around and saw the radar operator and the radio operator in their chutes, the radar operator weighing about 220 pounds and the radio operator only weighing 110 pounds soaking wet. It appeared the radio operator was going up as the radar operator floated down

I then looked down and saw I was coming down on the edge of a cliff, so I attempted to slip my chute to miss the cliff. About that time I hit the ground. I landed about 100 yards from the base hospital. I looked up and saw a group of engineers who were looking down on me from the top of the cliff and yelling something. Finally I understood they were interested in getting my parachute and not in helping me or to see if I was hurt. I later found out they wanted the nylon to make Japanese flags, which they sold to anyone willing to buy them as the real thing. They did not get my chute. I gathered it up in my arms and I immediately started looking for the CFC gunner. I spotted him about 25 yards away. We both started toward each other when something started to shoot fire in the air. Both of us jumped behind a rock close by, as we thought the Japs were shooting at us. Of course we found out shortly that it was a Trip Flare used at night to alert the security patrols that Japs were trying to infiltrate the area. (The rock we both got behind was no larger than two feet in diameter. That just goes to show how small two people can get when necessary.)

One of the blister gunners [ Bill McNeill] hit a tent upon landing and slid down the side of it and somehow got tangled up in the rope and broke his leg the only mishap of the jump. Our aircraft slid into the ocean about 500 yards off the coast of Iwo. We really hated this because it was a brand new airplane For some reason we had been allowed to keep the aircraft we had picked up at Kearney Army Air Field, Kearney NB and had flown it over. We, like the plane only had five missions to our credit.

We all gathered together and were picked up and taken to a fighter unit, where the CO handed us a bottle of whiskey and said that we all needed a drink. We did! His bottle was empty when he got it back.

That night we all decided to go to the hospital and visit the gunner who broke his leg. Upon leaving the hospital someone asked if we knew the password for that day. We were then informed that only a few days before, the Provist Marshal had been shot because he was not quick enough on giving the correct password. These marine guards weren’t kidding. This made us understand what the ground war really was. Needless to say we obtained the password for the day, which was the name of any well known baseball player. Our concern then was we hoped, if we were challenged, we could supply a name the Marine guard would know.

During our stay on Iwo we took a short tour of what was left of the jungle, looking for Japs. Luckily we did not see one. We were informed after we got back that it wasn’t a very good thing to do as many Japs were still around and most likely some of them had seen us. That in itself put the fear of God in us again. During our stay at Iwo a typhoon came through and we spent a few hours in slit trenches. All in all we stayed five days on Iwo and then flew a B-29 back to Guam. This was a plane that had been left on Iwo by another crew for repair. No parachutes this time.

Of course this jump made us all eligible to join the Caterpiller Club. This was an honor not everyone wanted, but since it was over we were all happy to be a member of this exclusive club. For those who didn’t know, to belong to this exclusive club you had to have bailed out of a disabled aircraft.

VParker#15 What I never, never told my parents was how I spent the majority of my "free time" on Guam, which was playing poker. They would have had a conniption fit, and would have thought for sure that their son was heading straight to hell in a hand basket. But play poker I did, and it proved to be a lucrative pastime.

The poker games we played were no nickel and dime affairs; they represented big money, a lot of dough involved. You could lose your shirt if you didn't know what you were doing. And truthfully, some of the fellows didn't possess the moxie, should never have attempted to play the game and were consistent losers. These guys would show up the first of the month after payday, promptly lose their money, and then wait till next payday when they would again join the table for a repeat performance. During the balance of the month, we regulars would engage in a battle for our share of the spoils, and most generally, I was not short changed.

Poker players have a saying about people who are reticent or afraid of betting or calling a bet, although holding what might well be a winning hand. Such persons are said to be "playing with scared money", and very few times do they ever walk away winners from the poker table. It always remained an enigma to me that we had fellows like that at our table on Guam. These were men who were risking their very lives on a daily basis, and yet, couldn't bring themselves to risk their money. Like I said, they shouldn't have been playing poker.

I think that the fact my life was routinely on the line helped make me a better poker player; money was secondary, and I played those dollar bills as if they were nothing more than toothpicks, making them work for me as best they could, according to the cards I held against my opposition.

While on Guam I regularly sent money from my poker winnings home, some to Ellen and some to my parents. But my parents were never to know the source of the money they received. And when I returned to the States after V-J day, I carried with me the approximate sum of ten thousand dollars -- all money I had acquired at the poker table."

J Hall #14: " Nagoya, Japan " Monday, May 14, 1945 Took off at 0108 weighing 137,778. Flew at 8000 ft. To smith island where we joined formation. Just as we left landfall, I noticed a 50 rpm & 3" hg drop on #2, but was too far over Japan to turn back, so 9 minutes before "bombs away", we feathered it. Left target with 2700 gals of gas and after much sweating as to whether to land at Iwo or not, we landed at Guam with 650 gals. (calculated). Half-way from Iwo, #4 began to backfire and miss, so we had to cut way back on the power. On 3 engines we beat a lot of guys back and had more gas than they did when we landed. Day altitude 20,500 airspeed 200 time: 16:05. Carried 24 500# incend.

Mission 05-16-45 Wings 58-73-313-314; Night; Incendiary; 7-18,000 ft Alt. S. Nagoya Urban Microscope #5"

20th AF Airborne=516; Abort=45; Lost=3(3 unk); (14 dam by AA); Bomb load=14966 lb.; Fuel Reserve=802 gal.; Iwo landings=16; EA Sighted=28; EA Attacks=11 (dest=0, prob=0, dam=0)

First time more EA sighted than attack; 19th BG aircraft painted Black on bottoms

Mission: 05-25-45 Wings 58-73-313-314; Night; Incendiary; 8-22,000 ft alt; Tokyo Urban area (Kawasaki)

20th AF Airborne=498; Abort=2; Lost=26(3 to AA; 1 to EA; 2 abandon on return near Iwo; 20 unk); Bomb load=13517 lb.; Fuel Reserve=794 gal.; Iwo =0; Damaged (89 by AA, 10 by EA)

J Ambrose #1 by W. Hulen Navigator During our tour we had to abort several times. The first time was on our first mission, within sight of landfall. We spent two days on Iwo Jima while the island was still being secured.

On our first mission, when we spent two nights on Iwo, an interesting incident occurred. The Army that took over from the Marines Red 1, set out daily patrols over the island. A few of our crew members joined such a patrol. A single file followed each other through crevasses and rough terrain. Our pilot, Jim Beelman happened to lag behind the patrol. Suddenly a Japanese soldier arose beside the trail holding a grenade, preparing to throw it. Jim emptied his 45 knocking the soldier down. Then another Japanese grabbed the grenade, fell on it, and was killed when it exploded. There were many Japanese hiding in caves at this time. The US Army set trip flares along pathways and all night long you could see flares being set off and floating down by parachute.

We had to keep electrical power ready to go to operate the top turrets in the event of a Japanese air attack. The Army camps kept large GI cans over fires. These cans were partially water filled & C-Rations were kept hot. To eat you fished out a can, you never knew what, opened it & had your meal. This was quite an experience for some, untrained, airmen. We were glad when aircraft was sent to bring us back to Guam."

Mission 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

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

J. Ambrose#2 by W. Hulen Navigator "From a Navigators point of view the most interesting mission was to be a daylight raid, the assembly area was designated as the NE quadrant surrounding Smiths Rock. This was just what it was, a large rock in the middle of a lot of water.

We took off from Guam at night & there was weather, all bad, to be encountered all the way to the north of Iwo Jima. It seemed that there was a solid overcast all the way. When attempting to use Loran for a Line of Position, the Trailing Antenna was burned off by electrical charges and went down sparkling. Hence, I couldn't pick up the beacon from Iwo. I sat in the tunnel looking through the Celestial Dome for 2 - 3 hours looking for a break in the clouds and Navigational Stars. Finally the sky opened up briefly and I shot a star ahead and one off the right wing. Guessing as to the names of the stars I plotted a 2 Star Fix, then Dead Reckoning ahead. We altered course and came in to the assembly point. Van Parker's crew was the only other aircraft there. We dropped into deputy lead and other aircraft from Tinian and Saipan joined us from the assembly areas in the other quadrants. We had crews from all over, quite a motly bunch.

This flight went on to the target. Just to see the tails with T, X, M, P, etc was something different."

Mission 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 assembly; 2 mech prob; 1 unk); Bomb load=12364 lb.; Fuel Reserve=655 gal.; Iwo landings=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

28^th Sqd B-29 Mother Hen Navigator for P-51 Chicks

27 P51s and 26 pilots lost due to severe weather

Mission: 06-26-45 Wing 314; Day; GP; 15-17KAltitude; Kagamigahara; Kawasaki AC

Vparker #22 "I can remember the details of some of the missions more than others. One such was a daylight medium-altitude attack on the Kawasaki Aircraft Company in Kagamigahara, a city located about 15 or 20 miles north of Nagoya. Planes of the 19th Group (all carrying 500# G.P. bombs) were selected to make the strike, with "City of Chicago" flying lead ship in the 28th Squadron formation which had been chosen as lead for the group formation.

Arriving at our rendezvous point off Japan's coast we ran into problems getting our formation together; clouds limited visibility. Things were further complicated by Jap fighters in the vicinity --- fighters which managed to shoot down one of the B-29s from another squadron. Fortunately, crew members of the downed ship were able to bail out. Lt. Hans Gammel, flying my right wing as deputy lead, was directed to abort the mission and assist in whatever way he could in a rescue effort. (Help rescue those boys he did --- dropping life rafts. food, water, emergency radio equipment, etc. --- and calling up one of our friendly subs standing close by shore which surfaced and came at top speed to pluck the airmen from the briny. Lifeguards, we called those rescue submarines.)

Finally, we managed to gather more than enough ships to make up a formation and head for the target; in addition to 28th squadron planes, we had been joined by Superforts from other squadrons which had been unable to assemble with their respective leaders. Now flying on my right wing, in place of Gammel, was Captain Benjamin G. Kordus, an aircraft commander who had seen combat with the 8th Air Force in the skies over Europe, and had volunteered for a second combat tour in B-29s. A good man.

Ben Kordus crew, Ben is at right

Provided by Japanese author, requesting above right photo, & telling of a memorial at crash site.

Over the shoreline of Japan the clouds began breaking up and lateral visibility was vastly improved. Then enemy fighters reappeared to harass us -- not many, but enough to keep us busy. There was one lone Jap fighter well in the distance that commenced a frontal attack -- 12 o'clock level. He would bear watching. On he came, closer and closer. Every gun in our formation that could be brought to bear on this intruder was firing away -- firing continuously. Our ship was vibrating with the noise and recoil of our .50-caliber guns. Still the Jap kept coming. Why didn't he blow up, disintegrating like so many others I'd seen, after encountering our curtain of lead? But no, he kept boring in, straight for the nose of our plane. I thought to myself, "So this is it. This is how it's going to end;" and I braced for the impact that would snuff out my life and the lives of my crew members.

Miracle of miracles; that fighter whizzed by without striking our ship. But the split second of relief I felt was punctured by the voice of CFC gunner Quinlivan who yelled out, "My God! He got Kordus." The Jap fighter had passed over our right wing smashing into Kordus' left wing, which had been tucked in as he flew tight formation, sending him spiraling to earth. There were no survivors. My right gunner was alert enough to get a picture of the stricken B-29 going down shortly after the ramming. (Always will remain unknown whether the Jap was dead at the controls or was one of Japan's fanatical kamikaze pilots.)

Approaching the target area we ran into more clouds, making it questionable that we would be able to bomb visually; so Lt. Lerner was busy directing us via radar. But radar could hardly be considered a precision bombing instrument back in those World War II days, and we had a factory as our target; there was no room for error. If we were to have a successful mission, we needed an unobstructed eyeball view of the target, or be dog gone lucky; maybe lucky, even if we could see the target visually. However, I had the greatest confidence in the world that Wilber could drop our bombs precisely on the aiming point, given his turn at the bombsight -- and he had it. Less than ten miles from the target we were in the clear (except for the smoke from the bursts of flak --mostly inaccurate); then Ken took over -- made a few corrections, and it was "bombs away".

"How does it look to you?", I asked.

"I think we hit the target, Gear", was his reply.

Ken was always modest and never prone to exaggeration when it came to his bombing prowess. When he said, "I think ..", I knew he had placed the bombs in the 'pickle barrel'; and our strike photos were to prove it.

Back at home base on Guam, Col. Roberts was ecstatic with the results of our mission; seems that day we were one of a few of the many formations bombing various targets in the Nagoya vicinity to have had a successful effort -- something to cheer about, EXCEPT for the loss of Kordus' crew.

As for Ben Kordus, I will always carry with me a poignant memory of the words I once heard him speak, "Combat out here in the Pacific isn't so rough. You should have been with us flying those bombers over Europe. Now that was really rough."

Mission 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 landings=22; EA Sighted=0; EA Attacks=0 28th Airborne=(11)

E Tobin #23 Marine Colonel Passenger

Maj E. Tobin is on the stand with Brig/Gen Powers 314th Wing commander, and Maj/Gen Erskine 3rd Marine Commander.

20^th AF presents B-29 to 5^th Marine Division

Guests of Maj/Gen Graves B. Erskine at 3rd Marine Division Officer’s Club

Standing: Col Higgnbloom, Div Adj; Lt V. Etchinson, B; Lt R. Hemmig, N; Lt J Kelly, P; Lt R. Saunders, FE, Col Shorty Wheeles, Dep Wing CO. Seated: Col _unknown_; Brig/Gen T. Power, 314th Wing Commander; Maj/Gen Erskine 3rd Marine commander; Maj E. Tobin, airplane commander; Crew members were made honorary members of the Club. Shorty Wheless was with 19^th BG at Clark Field, he escaped when attack by Zeros crash lending his B-17 on Mindanao, two in his crew had been killed, he was sent to the States to help make a movie about Army Air Corp in the pacific..

V Chandler#23 M-7, Pathfinder, 12880 lb load For my birthday, July 2nd, we were "Pathfinders" at 8,000 feet for a night incendiary mission over Shimonoseki on the straits between Kyushu and the main Island of Honshu. A team of Air Force radio reporters flew with us to record a broadcast to be released over the NBC Blue Network. The bomb run was from just off-shore into a strong wind for more than a half hour. Our announcer, Staff Sergeant Hal Brown, had already recorded his lead-in remarks and sat beside me ready to describe the scene over the target. As we slowly crept closer, we could see a vertical wall of anti-aircraft tracers erupt across our path as each preceding aircraft went over the target. After fifteen or twenty of those spectacular but deadly fireworks displays, I felt numb with fear, but maintained the straight heading with the auto pilot to let Neil do his best work as Bombardier. Hal wanted to start talking when the bomb bay doors opened, but was so petrified that he didn't even feel my sharp poke to his ribs. Simultaneously, we were suddenly surrounded by our personal barrage of frightening tracers as we flew over the target. The bombs dropped and we flew over the straits into the blessed, calm darkness of the night beyond. Hal recovered and recorded a splendid description of the fiery event, but his voice had changed a few octaves from fear during those moments. It was indeed broadcast a few days later and the local radio station in Bakersfield, California presented a copy to my wife Katie.

The Last Mission of WW II – Was flown by 19^th Bomb Group

Mission 08-15-45 Wings 73-314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 15-18,000 ft Altitude; Isesaki Urban area

Airborne=93; Abort=7; Lost=0; Bomb load=14924 lb.; Fuel Reserve=648 gal.; Iwo landings=6; EA Sighted=4; EA Attacks=0

V Chandler#28 Our 28th combat mission was on August 15th to drop incendiary bombs on the city of Isesaki from 15,000 feet at night. Lower clouds covered nine tenths of the target area so we bombed entirely by radar. Some flak was encountered over Koga on the bomb run, but we escaped without damage. On the way home, we listened to the Armed Forces Radio Station as usual for music and news. About two hours from Guam, the welcome news came that Japan had capitulated and the war was over!

Photo by Maj Keough of Navy entering Tokyo Harbor – Battleship Misouri in the lead.

Mission 08-30-45 Looking for POW camps in Tokyo area

J. Handwerker letter to brothers: “Well, I've seen everything that I want to see now and am ready to come home. Yesterday, I spent three hours and fifteen minutes flying over Tokyo at an altitude of from fifty (50) feet to seven hundred (700). We didn't get above 700 feet. We were alerted for a mission and told to wait until they found out where it was going. We sweated it out until 9 PM Tuesday night when we were all called into the briefing room. There was only one crew from our squadron and three others from the other two squadrons. We were told that we were to fly over certain. sections of Japan and spot the prisoner of war camps to see if they were being marked so we could drop supplies. I guess I was the luckiest because I was told to try to find five camps in the Tokyo area. We got all our maps and equipment together, put 500 rounds of ammo in each gun, checked out our flak suits and sweated out take-off time which was to be two o'clock in the morning.

About 30 minutes before take-off time, a big staff car comes driving up and out steps Colonel Storrie, who is the wing commander one of the big gears. He was supposed to become a General, but I guess the end of the war put a stop to that. He was going along and help observe and I guess mainly just to see what damage was done. We took off on time and made the same old route that we had made nineteen times before. We were flying at 6500 feet and were on top of the clouds. We dropped down to 1100 feet when we were 15 miles from shore and flew there until we hit landfall. This was the first time that I had been that low over the Jap mainland and also the first B-29 to go over Tokyo at that level and we were sweating out them shooting at us because I guess they were pretty mad at the 29s for the fire raids. Just before we saw land fall, we could see the smoke from steamers or warships on the horizon and supposed that they were part of the invasion forces. We proceeded to the point of land we had chosen and flew along the shore because the hills were higher than we were.

We were surprised to see the amount of cultivation that they had right along the seashore. The countryside was pretty, if you could call it that. The villages looked so peaceful, in fact the place looked too damn peaceful to suit us. The places looked like something out of a story book. They were very primitive looking.

We came around the point of land and entered Sagami Bay and then we saw the ships. We saw the Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota. We could see numerous small craft around and as we came close the thing that I will always remember was the American Flag. We could see it flying from the mast of the battleships and the flag looked as big as a circus tent. I swear that we could see the stripes in it and we were about five miles away. You couldn't help but want to give a yell. Everyone in the ship got about the same reaction from seeing the flag.

We flew over the fleet and started into Tokyo Bay and then we flew over Yokosuka Naval Base, the place where the navy made their landing and we got a good look at it. There was hardly any damage to it and of course we were disappointed. Leaving there, we flew up the shore to Yokohama and there we got our first glimpse of the damage. The word damage is too nice; destruction would be a better way to express the things we saw. This part of Yokohama had a lot of houses with tin roofs and that's about all that was left and it gave the place a brownish appearance due to the rust of the tin roofs. There were city block upon city block burned out. The houses were just gone. Factories were all gutted, roofs caved in and in most places just the concrete foundations left with twisted and rusted girders. Everything seemed to be covered with rust.

The weather was pretty clear but hazy. We could get a good look at everything because the sun was shining through the haze. If we got above 700 feet, we couldn't see anything so we flew around at 500 feet. The main business district had good buildings, but they were damaged. You could see where the bombs had fallen into them because there were large holes in the roofs. Speaking of neglect, when we flew out over the harbor again, we saw a Jap cruiser, we don't know whether it was sitting on the bottom of the bay or not, but it was all rusted. The bay is pretty shallow there. Looked like they had abandoned it. We saw parts of airplanes sticking out of the water, the shipyards had ships partly constructed but abandoned and they too were badly rusted. Everything seemed to be rusted. They had a big race track that looked about as big as Santa Anita in California. It had been wrecked and was in shambles. We flew over Kawasaki and saw the same. Nothing but destruction.

Now we come to Tokyo. By the way, Yokohama and Kawasaki are suburbs of Tokyo and are really considered part of Tokyo. They all join into one large city. Tokyo was by far the most damaged. Instead of blocks of destruction, it looked like it stretched for miles. There were just the streets, sidewalks, driveways, alleys and nothing else. The houses were gone and just the foundations left. The Japs had cleaned about all of them up and in some places there were gardens. They sure didn't waste any ground. Every available space was used to grow something. We passed over a number of what looked to be schools. We could see children lined up in the court yards in a very military manner. Some were filing into the buildings and as it was about 8:30 Tokyo time, I suppose they were starting to school. There were also a number of what looked to be military barracks with the soldiers out taking exercise. There were a great number of swimming pools. They all seemed to be alongside some large building and in the majority of cases the building was destroyed and nothing left but the foundation and, the swimming pool. We were told later that they were probably the public baths of which Japan has a lot. They say that both men and women take a bath together. What people...!

Location Tokyo ??

We flew low over the emperor's palace and they say no one is supposed to be above the emperor. Well, he had plenty above him that day. There was a large building that had been destroyed. The rest of it looked in pretty good shape. We got a good look at the moat around it and it was full of water lilies. There were a lot of shrines just outside of the palace and we could see the people walking around there. Some of them were wearing regular clothes, the same for the women, but occasionally you could see some guy or gal in one of those kimonos or whatever they call them. The city is planned pretty well, that is the main business district. They had wide boulevards with street car tracks, a canal running through the city and very modern-looking buildings, at least they were when they were new, but now the roofs are all knocked out and just the walls are left in most of them.

There was a section called the Arsenal area and this was one of our special targets and it sure was torn up. About the only thing left standing were the chimneys and the place looked like a forest. There were chimneys every place. There were areas that were completely burned out and suddenly they would stop. On one side of the street everything was burned out and on the other side there were houses with no sign of damage to them. The houses were all jammed together and there was no such thing as a front yard in about 95% of them. We could see a lot of red things hanging out of windows and at first thought they were signals, but I guess they were their beds because the Jap sleeps on the floor with a piece of wood for a pillow. They had a lot of buildings with red crosses on them. From what I have heard the released prisoners say, they were far from being hospitals as far as the prisoner was concerned.

We couldn't find any of the prisoner camps in the places which the Japs had registered with the Red Cross. Three of the places were just gone. There was nothing there but burned-out area. We did see where there were two and probably a third. One place was along the main railroad and the prisoners had painted in large letters the words COFFEE AND MILK on the roof and on the ground in the enclosure there was a large PW. There were about 200 guys standing around waving and jumping up and down. Some didn't have on shirts, just pants. We could see them very well. We made about four passes over them at about 50 feet high and then went on our way. Sure wish we had some supplies but there were to be other ships in there the next day to drop. We saw another sign on the side of a building which read "THREE CHEERS FOR THE NAVY. COME AND GET US" The prisoners were still behind fences and were probably waiting for the troops to come in and get them.

When we had just about used all our gas and had only enough to get back to Guam, we left and as we were hitting lands-end, we saw some more of the fleet. This bunch were in another part of Sagami Bay close to the Itsuki airport. There were three large Hospital ships painted pure white with giant red crosses painted on their sides. We also saw the Missouri and it was entering Tokyo Bay. We saw the three destroyers who led her. There were the three destroyers and the big Battleship in single file going into the bay. Sure was a beautiful sight. We got back to the field after sixteen and one-half hours of flying time.

Saturday night we are taking off again and will be there when the peace is signed. They are trying to get more than 1,000 planes over Tokyo that day. Personally, I've seen all I want to see and would much rather stay here and sweat out going back to the states.

They say that the B-29s are through over here and that MacArthur doesn't need them any more. Sure hope so and they let us go home. We will know in a few weeks or so. I have 89 points and only need 70 and classified in "Class A" which will be among the first to go home if they send them according to points. I'm ready. Everything is straightened out and my clothes are ready to pack. Don't jump at conclusions. I haven't the faintest idea when we will even know. The rumors are floating by fast and furious, but I just let them go in one ear and out the other.

Test Hops

These were not missions, but could be and were killed on these.

Thankfully F Blakeley included his 27 of his 30^th Sqd Test Hops which serve as an example of how many test hops were flown by lead crew members such as he and V. Chandler of 28^th Sqd. These were training missions or check flights between regular missions.

D Landau example #1: The person I replaced was killed when landing from a test flight. I was moved in to the quarters he had occupied – my new bunk mates spoke of him and the crash then would fall silent – I did not ask for details. He was Capt Keough’s assistant and photos show they crashed near the control tower when landing. The pilot and some of the crew survived.

D Landau example #2 I had given a lift to a flight crew member to pick up a chute and May West and had commented on the homemade aluminum watch band he'd made with unique engraving. Later while driving from the service center in my jeep I heard the roar of engines going to full power. I looked up and watched the crash take place. One engine was feathered and the pilot was not properly aligning with the runway – at the last moment he decided to pull up and go around. He'd applied full power to all three good engines without sufficient air speed for flight controls to compensate – I watched as he fell into the bad engine. It was a horrible sight to see them crash into the tree trunks piled between the two runways. This was not the first plane to crash near there – perfectly good planes without battle damage – just one engine out.

I rushed there in my jeep, being one of the first to arrive. I searched the rubble on the runway. A wing section, an engine and fuel tank were strewn there. I passed what I thought was a burning piece of fuel tank in my search for bodies, I soon found that others had rolled a body out -- what I thought was the burning rubber fuel tank.

I rushed down among the tree trunks and helped put a body on a stretcher, then helped carry it to a tree trunk and pass it over the trunk to persons on the other side who carried it to an ambulance. As I lifted the stretcher I saw the left arm dangle -- on it was the engraved watch band I had admired about two hours before. That unknown person and that image played over and over in my mind. None survived.

28^th sqd flight crew members left word with Bernard B. Bugg, a navigator grounded because he’d get air sick, regarding what to do with their personal effects in the event they did not return.

A Test Hop Landing, M-30 I believe

It's quite possible records would show there were more losses due to Aircraft malfunction or crew error than due to enemy action. Losses to the enemy were highest at the start then fell off. They were never as severe as those in Europe with unescorted B-17's or B-24's. I've elaborated on engine failures but there was also pilot error. Pilot error is quite understandable because many had received only a minimum of training. During their training in the states the B-29 was still experimental, engines kept going out and crews were still trying to learn how to get range from allotted fuel. Training included the time spent flight testing engines, it was often the only way they could accumulate enough hours to qualify as being trained, some new flight crews had a bare minimum of B-29 flight time.

D Landau example #3 I was not permitted to go on a mission but permission was not required for a test hop. After an engine change the engine was run on the ground for 1/2 hour of Slow Time, then the oil was drained and the permanent magnet in the drain plug checked for metal particles. If all was well the plane was flown for an hour by a flight test crew. When they returned the oil was drained and the plug checked again. The flight crew would report any items in need of repair and the ground crew would make repairs and prepare it for the next mission.

I usually called operations for a flight test crew as soon as we'd start the slow time. This way they'd be ready with the parachutes, so no time was lost in getting airborne.

M/Sgt Hunt and I were visiting with the flight test crew who had just arrived, waiting till the ground crew completed slow time. Suddenly right before our eyes it looked like the engine had exploded, oil and smoke going everywhere in the prop wash! The Pilot turned and said, "and you expect us to fly THAT!"

Hunt and I were already on our way to have a look. Hunt said, "damn, they must have only put the sump plug in finger tight and it fell out!" The crew chief was embarrassed, at having made such a mess, saying, "it's my fault I should have taken time to tighten it with a wrench." I said nothing. Then glancing at the flight crew he added, "it must have looked like hell to them.” The crew chief said, “I'm sorry Lt it will take us about 15 min to get it cleaned up and ready." His crew was already at work with solvent and the means to clean up the mess. Hunt stayed with them to help and I walked back to the flight test crew.

They were a green crew, I didn't know them and they didn't know me. My explanation that everything was all right didn't sell well. To indicate my conviction I said, “I'd be willing to fly in it” – they immediately took me up on that – as if this would indeed guarantee it really was all right. I was delighted, I could go without further permission. I picked up a chute and climbed aboard looking out from the open back door. There was nothing for me to do as I was just along for the ride. As we accelerated down the runway I wondered how high you had to be before the chute would work – it was assumed I knew how to operate it – like pull this handle. I decided to hell with the chute and enjoy the flight and did. My concern was not of the aircraft's maintenance but if these guys knew how to fly it. This was after I’d watched the failed attempt to pull up – and the tangle in the tree trunks.

I was always apprehensive about an inexperienced crew. Many uneven landings where one gear hit and then the other. In the zip-zip time between tire screeches the tail could whip in amplitude one way and then the other. I remembered cracked landing gears on B-26's and cracked horizontal stabilizers on UC-78's. I took comfort in the B-29, it was rugged, it didn’t seem to have a hard landing failure mode – just good ones or bad ones depending on luck plus the pilots skill.

PW SUPPLIES in yellow underside of wing

Mission 08-25-45 POW Supply Drops

P Crow #__ by D Landau I was finally permitted to go along. I was at the back of the plane as a POW Supplies crew started to board when Maj Keough, then Group Engineering Officer pulled up in his jeep. He waved me over and said, you’ve been asking to go along – you can go with this crew if you want. I broke out in a big grin. Not waiting for a reply he said, I brought you this chute and cleared it with the crew -- climb in and have a good trip. Whow! I finally had my chance to fly over Japan. Keough had been permitted to go the week before – and had shown me K-20 camera photos he’d taken – it was damn nice of him to remember. In moments I was in the airplane and engines started.

The take off was normal. I was in the aft pressurized compartment where three gunners, Left, Right Scanners and CFC (Central Fire Control); plus the Radar Operator (sometimes called Radar/Navigator) were located. The gunners operated sighting mechanisms which were used to fire remotely located guns. The CFC controlled the guns and allocated them to the Bombardier, Tail Gunner, Scanners and himself as he deemed best. Each of the three scanner locations was equipped with a plexiglass bubble which permitted a maximum view from that location. The left and right scanners were along but not the CFC so I was able to look out of the CFC's bubble.

A tube like tunnel over the top of the bomb bays connected the forward and aft pressurized compartments. The forward compartment housed the Bombardier, AC (Airplane Commander, Pilot in an airline), Pilot (Copilot in an airline), Flight Engineer, Navigator and Radioman. The eleventh man the Tail Gunner, was in a small pressurized compartment in the tail, this position was unmanned for our supply drop. There were two bomb bay areas between the forward and aft pressurized compartments. The bomb bays were separated by the wing section which passed through the fuselage of the plane.

One of the first arrangements made after the cease fire was for the Japanese to identify the location of Prisoner-Of-War camps and paint PW in large letters on the roof of a prominent building in the area. We were to drop food supplies, toilet articles, magazines, etc. and the Japanese were to see that the prisoners got them. We painted P W SUPPLIES in big yellow letters on the under sides of the wings. We also made wooden platforms to fit in the bomb bays like a large floor. On top of this were placed packages attached to parachutes. The floor was held in place with bomb shackles. The bomb shackles were a device which could be operated by the Bombardier and would release what it was holding. In this way the Bombardier could release the entire floor of both the front or rear bomb bay. The parachutes were equipped with straps which were hooked to the bomb racks. When the packages dropped with the floor, the straps would pull the cover off the parachute and the parachutes would open. The packages would then float to the ground preceded by the floor piece.

We had worked around the clock preparing the floors, painting the wings, loading the supplies, etc. We set the floors on the ground, placed the supplies on the floor and with bomb loading winches, lifted the total load up into the bomb bay and attached the shackles and parachute straps. I can still see the fellows working tirelessly painting the under side of the wings, having trouble with the spray gun clogging, wanting to get done in time to get the supplies off to the POW's. I wish I could remember their names, I was proud of them.

After take off, we climbed to altitude to achieve optimum cruising conditions. A round trip lasted 14.5 to 17 hours, it was necessary to be finicky about throttle setting, mixture ratios, propeller setting (RPM) and manifold pressures to obtain maximum efficiency. I was too tired and in the wrong end of the airplane to concern myself with these things. So, using my parachute as a pillow I went to sleep on the floor. Oh, but I was tired. (Floyd Maupin’s crew in M-11 averaged 15.63 hrs for 35 missions.)

The drone of the engines and gentle vibration of the airframe made for sound sleep until we got to Japan. In fact it was the cut back in power that caused me to awaken as we came down in altitude. The POW camp was on the north side of the Empire. The flight crew were already occupying the best positions to look down at the ground, but my view from the top rear CFC bubble wasn't too bad because the plane was being turned periodically while looking for land marks, with a little tilt I could almost see straight down. I put on earphones and listen in on the intercom.

We were not necessarily lost but didn't know where we were either so it was some time before the town was found with POW on a prominent roof top. We circled and after much discussion the Airplane Commander decided the best bet was to drop the supplies on the train tracks near by.

We circled once more, came in for the run and let the supplies drop. About the time they were released someone spotted a train coming around a bend and a crowd of people around the train station. The people had been watching our plane, saw the supplies drop and began to run from the tracks area. The train had been applying full steam until they saw the parachutes. The steam exhausted from the sides of the engine as he reversed the drive wheels trying to slow to a stop.

The supplies sprinkled themselves along the tracks in front of the station, the train barely came to a halt before hitting them. The people had stopped running, were looking up and seemed hesitant about returning.

Engrossed in the scene below, I became aware of chatter on the intercom about not being able to get the bomb bay doors closed. This immediately got my attention. If there was something wrong with the aircraft then it became my problem. I told the AC I'd have a look and didn't wait for an answer..

The scanners had opened the pressurized compartment door into the bomb bay, saw the problem and reported to the AC. On the ground I passed in and out of this door many times a day. The bulkhead containing the door was rounded like the end of a pressure tank to hold cabin pressure at altitude. Along the sides of the bomb bay was a catwalk or shelf about 8 inches wide. The skeleton of the fuselage, covered by the outside skin, rounded away and upward making room enough for a man to stand on this ledge.

There was a knack to throwing ones right leg out the domed bulkhead door and find the aft catwalk back underneath out of sight then rotating on this footstep the left leg was swung from the pressurized compartment out over the bomb bay to the catwalk along the left side. Then ones hand hold changed from the bulkhead opening to the ribs on the side of the fuselage.

I poked my head out the door, the only thing that seemed different was the mild blast of turbulent air, I could see the problem. The parachute straps with canvas bag halves on the ends extended down and were blown back into the corners between the fuselage and the bomb bay doors. As the doors would try to close they were like scissors trying to bite into the straps. Obviously if the straps were lifted up a bit they would clear and the doors would close.

I told the scanners to tell the AC I'd go out and lift them up and for him to signal the Bombardier to close the doors when it was clear. As I started out he stopped me and said I should put on my parachute. It was a backpack type and I knew it would be in the way so I said no I didn't want it and swung out onto the catwalk before he could say more.

Holding onto a rib in the fuselage with one hand I reached out with the other arm and gathered the straps together and lifted them. They lacked about 4 inches of clearing so I squatted down, lowered my hand hold on the rib and reached out to grab up the straps again. I reached lower and was suddenly caught in the slipstream! I was taken quite by surprise and abruptly felt very stupid. I don't have any idea how fast we were going at the time. A B-29 could cruise at 350 mph and stall at 90 mph. With the doors open we were probably moving at 150 mph.

Glancing down I saw was a mix of these imaged – the earth below through scattered clouds

It was as if I was also trying to lift an additional person into the bomb bay with one arm while someone was trying to pull me out. I tried to lift myself up and couldn't. My hand grip was too close to my feet. I had a lousy mechanical advantage. For the first time I looked down. I didn't look twice. I remembered when I was a kid hanging by my hands from a high limb and how they became so tired they lost their strength, I'd finally dropped to the ground and wrenched my ankle. I also realized I was hanging from my left arm and that it was not as strong as my right. I was aware I would soon tire, that if I didn't pull myself up on the next good try, I'd do more than wrench an ankle. These thoughts rushed through my mind. When I entered the bomb bay I had no thoughts of being afraid, now reality set in, I became scared -- no panic -- just pure fear. I concentrated all my physical and mental powers into one tremendous pull. In one motion I came upright on the catwalk both hands griping ribs like a vise and my face against the fuselage skin and my body rigid. Realizing I had made it, a sense of relief swept over me and the body tension began to melt away. I gave thanks to the power looking after me and almost audibly admonished myself with "how stupid can you get" and meant every word of it.

I had charged out there doing the first thing that entered my mind without thinking ahead. I turned around and looked at the straps. Why had I tried to save the straps? Growing up in the depression years had embedded in my subconscious mind the idea of not wasting anything or being destructive. I took out my pocket knife and cut off the straps, at least my knife was sharp, one by one the straps fell away. As I cut I thought what a paradox of human thinking, war's a process of destruction, with the war over even the aircraft becomes worthless; and here I almost killed myself saving fabric parachute straps!

I crawled over the center wing section, something I'd never done before, to cut the staps in the forward bomb bay. There was the Bombardier, with parachute on releasing the straps by tripping the bomb latches. Again I thought, "dummy you don't even know how to manually release the latches." The Bombardier got those on the right side, I cut those loose on the left and we went back into the forward pressurized compartment where I immediately crawled back through the tunnel to where I started.

One of the scanners said, "the AC wants to talk with you on the intercom."

I called in on the intercom and got my Ass Chewed for going into the bomb bay without his permission, without a parachute, darn near getting killed and him court martialed (his words) for letting the thing happen, that it was a good thing I was ground crew and not air crew, that even so I should have known better. I started to react by saying how and when I fixed this airplane was my business --- but my heart wasn't in it. I just answered "Yes Sir" put down the intercom and climbed back in the top turret, stuck my head in the bubble and looked without seeing the view. Later over some canned food the scanners who'd been describing my plight to the crew over the intercom said "You know for a while there I didn't think you were going to make it." I answered, "that makes two of us!"

Some time later I drove down to the flight line one evening all by myself. I climbed out into the same bomb bay and lowered myself down as I had been in the air. I was in good physical condition but I couldn't lift myself back up, even without the adverse effect of the air blast. I'm convinced the adrenaline released by fear had saved me.

For years I wondered who’s crew I’d been with, Vern Chandler helped me with the process of elimination. I wrote a letter to P. Crow and at first received no response, then a letter arrived – it was their crew all right -- and he gave me the name of Allen Smith, one of the scanners. Allen remembered the event and has since contributed to our history. I visited with Phil, and some of his crew, at the 1995 reunion in Chattanooga TN. I received a letter from Smith in 1998 paying tribute to Phil & saying Phil had died -- in later years Phil had become a minister.

From an climbing stall they rolled over, upside down, then plummet from over 10,000 toward the sea – air speed was seen going past 450 mph. AC Felton, Pilot & Bombardier tried to pull it out and could not – eventually the B-29 pulled itself out – after leveling of and pulling up they were at 2,000 ft when scanners called in – don’t wiggle this damn thing – we’ve lost the ailerons! An M plane landing at excess speed caught my attention – I followed the plane into the hard stand and paused under the wing looking up at stressed outer wing panels and torn out ailerons. Moments later I met the crew – all guys I knew quite well. The full story is on the CD.

Refresh and Prepare for next Mission

Methods varied but functions were the same.

28^th Sqd Enlisted Flight Crew Messhall

Capt Keough front right, then 28^th Squadron Engineering Officer, my boss. Many photos in this book were taken by Maj Keough then 19^th BG Eng Off, using a K-20 military camera. Keough gave me the negatives just before he returned home.

Some photos are from various issues of IMPACT -- an Army Air Corp Classified publication made available to Air Force personnel as a supplement to their normal training.

All branches of the service participated in making the B-20 operations possible. These raids were the tip of the spear -- the shaft extending all the way back to the factories and people there contributing -- to making their thrust felt.

When the war ended in Europe attention shifted to the pacific, to B-29 missions, from Iwo Jima to Okinowa and the Kamikaze's against Carriers, mopup operations --- then abruptly to the Atomic Bomb and MacArthur's -- pointing where to sign the surrender papers.

Over and over the media focused on the Atomic bomb -- as if one airplane with one bomb wipped out Japan. In reality industrial targets had already been destroyed & all shipping shut off – they were low of food and resources, the Japan people knew the war had been lost. Medieval warrior tradition demanded the leaders die if they failed – they chose instead to cause more of their own people to die before they were willing to practice what they preached.

The Japanese military didn’t have a surrender mode

and the Japanese people paid a horrible price for it.

The A bomb served as a shock treatment

It saved far more Japanese lives than it destroyed

It saved thousands of Japanese from self destruct.

314^th Wing; 19th, 29^th, 39^th & 330^th Bomb Groups

29th Group lower left, 19th Group lower right, 39th Group upper right, 330th Group upper left

The Service Center at lower right separated the 93^{rd &} 30^th squadrons from the 28^th Squadron. The service center served the 29th and 19th Bomb Groups and was used as a supply center, for rebuilding engines and major airframe repair.

There were 15 to 20 planes per Squadron, 3 Squadrons per Group, 4 Groups per Wing for 180 aircraft as 314^th Wings contribution to 20^th AF maximum effort composite missions.

A B-29 took off every 30 seconds from each of two runways for 2 per min. This required 1 ½ hours for 180 planes to become airborne.

Average engine life was 98 hrs. With 4 engines per airplane that was 25 hrs between an engine change. If an engine was changed every other mission, this allowed 12 ½ hours per mission. The average mission was more than that – ground crews worried if their plane was not back after 14 hours in the air with standard fuel load. Pulling an engine every other mission was brutal duty for ground crews – Tables of Organization and Equipment had been based on B-17 operations – the extra manpower required had not been planned. Some writers claimed that Production Line Manitenance was implemented solving that problem. 19^th BG used Squadron mainenance for the entire war – I was called upon to set up the 19^th BG Prodution Line Maintenance System after the war. More missions were flown using the squadon level where each ground crew were responsible for getting their plane ready for the next flight. Those crews worked many “overtime” hours which would not be part of a PLM system. Individual pride and dedication made up for the manpower shortage.

After landing, aircraft turned off the far end of the runway and taxied to their Hard Stand. They drove in to the hard stand and had to be turned about by ground crews before take off time. This often caused problems especially when two shared the same hard stand. They often had to be moved after they had been loaded with 10 ton of bombs and 6700 gallon of fuel, for a total Cletrack load of 70 ton. The next section tells of such a problem.

(20) 500 lb General Purpose Bombs/bay Cowling shroud, ball joint ports to exhaust collector ring.

500 lb Incendiary Cluster on Dolly Fusing Incendiary Bombs Bomb Racks & Pressurized Crew Tunnel

It was hot sweaty work up in one of those bomb bays, the sun bearing down on the plane, the humidity, and no breeze up on those racks. They ran out of Fire Bombs and had to switch to Gen Purpose bomb until resupplied. The most obvious damage was done with the Fire Bombs.

(20) 500 lb Bombs in rear Bombay 500 lb Bombs ready at the Bomb Dump

There was a forward and aft bomb bay, each the same size & separated by the center wing section. Vertical racks on the sides held electrically operated shackles which the Bombardier could operate to release the bombs. The tube at the top was a pressurized crawl tunnel that connected the forward and aft pressurized compartments. (During a POW supply drop I stood on the cat walk on the left side holding on to a rib with my left hand trying to pull up parachute straps caught preventing the bomb bay door from closing. I leaned out for a better grip & was caught in the slip stream, above Japan, w/o a parachute on. This was almost not written.)

The bombs were stored in a jungle area away from the field and were always under guard. The wheels on the Bomb Dollies were confiscated to make scooters. We repeatedly had to chase Navy guys away to keep our remaining Dollies mobile.

6400 gal into main wing tanks 650 gal fuel tank, 2 tanks/ bombay; a total of 4

5400 main wing + 1300 center wing = 6700 gallon normal fuel capacity. 650 gallon each bomb bay tank. Each bomb bay could hold two tanks for extra long range.

Above right view shows the electrical bomb bay door actuators. This type was later replaced with an air compressor and associated air operated cylinders. The heavy loads would some times distort the fuselage and cause the electric motors to burn out. After a few such experiences the bombardier could be given extra motors to change in flight, to replace the ones burned out closing the doors and later those burned out opening them when loaded.

Carting empty Bombay fuel tank

I seldom saw fellows decked out with that much gear. In fact many evolved their own uniform they wore while flying. There was no point in being all decked out for landing in jungle because you were over water. Some had special shoes they whittled into being like slippers, they were in those planes for hours and hours and did their best to make things comfortable without jeopardizing the mission or prudent safety.

Mission Biefing

Photos were taken of the mission chalk board assignments. This were issued as “Flimies”.

These were copied from 16 mm 19^th BG arcive film by Vern Chandler then retired in San Antonio TX.

Pulling the Prop through "Stand Clear, Starting #1"

Pulling the prop through was to clear oil from the lower cylinders before starting the engines. The CD includes the story of when a Col and I tangled just before taken off – I’d pulled a prop backwards to clear a liquid lock -- he insisted I had made the plane unsafe to fly, and declared he was going to have me court marshaled. It was a maximum effort mission and I told him I was calling the plane in as fit to fly – and suggested he do so. He complained to the Tower who called the Sqd CO. He flew the mission. The next day the CO plus Grp Eng Off told me they were informed of the event – before I could respond they said don’t worry about it, just keep fixing airplanes – and drove on. They had both been through this kind of thing before. It helped that our squadron had the best maintenance record in the 314^th Wing.

Notice the Flight Engineer behind the Pilot above right. The Flight Engineer always faced aft and had a window for looking at the right side engines. Entrance was a door in the floor above the nose wheel well between the two in this view. Behind that was a gun turret. The Radio Operator and Navigator were behind that turret, their path to escape for ditching was to go out the bomb bay.

The following video clips were taken looking down this taxi strip

Clips from a video scene of South Taxi strip when the control tower commanded the start your take off.

In a matter of minuets the planes move from hard stands to being lined up for take off . Let your imagination to fill in the noise, wind and dynamic movement as each crew brings their plane into play for another mission – each know this is not a game -- some may not return.

Cueing Up and progressing toward end of runway.

The five Wings in 20th AF with an average of 180 airplanes per wing made it possible to form 900 aircraft composite missions. Each of the squadrons were filling out with more aircraft. Plans were already under way to move planes into Okinowa. The real live view of these big birds working their way to take off position was a dynamic scene of sight and sound. Their brakes would squeak especially turning a corner. Their engines would rev up to over come the inertia of their 70 tons. Those huge fans generated a noise of their own. The aircraft would sometimes dip on the nose wheel strut when stopped with brakes then lift up when engines rev up – inching forward was a deceleration – acceleration process.

You gathered at your plane about 3:00 to 4:00 pm and start taxing to take off about 5:00 pm. Some time within the following hour it will be your turn to head your 70 ton aircraft down that run way with 6700 gal of gas and up to 10 ton of bombs. Such a take off is described by Maj Van Parker in his story on the CD. You will sweat out takeoff, super heavy loads demanding flawless maximum output of each 2200 hp engine. Engines rapidly heat while delivering maximum horsepower at low speed and minium cooling air flow. Propellers create a vacuum in front of them causuing atmospheric pressure to push the inertial mass faster and faster. Airfoils, worthless until there is enough speed for lift, give relief for wheel bearings sustaining the concentrated tons of weight at over 100 mph. Pilots lifting off seeking more and more speed to assure altitude and more cooling air for their 8800 horsepower steed. The controls in their grasp feed back the feeling of new life as aerodynamics forces generate positive control authority. The assurance is offset with the concern for over heated engines, engine life and fuel have to be conserved, there is little margin for error.

Engine cooling flaps open, wing flaps ready for extra lift at low speed.

You will do a slow climb to cruise altitude for the long flight north, then form up off the coast of Japan with other aircraft en-route. You may team with others from Saipan and Tinian – weather & fuel consumption may not permit you to linger for those from your own base. Spread out above the clouds you are aware of others en-route on this same missions. Weather and Radar Scope missions had been flown by others to provide weather forcasts and pictures of the target. Pathfinder planes in lead to mark the target with their bombs.

It will count on your bombardier to drop your bombs on target and return. You will not see the damage you have done – photos will reveal its been awesome.

You will have been gone for 14 to 18 hours. During this time the ground crews will have been sleeping and preparing for your return – the cycle will start all over again.

Bob Fike, Tail Gunner Roy Tew, Navigator Darrell Landau Engineering Officer

History Channel Video taped multiple 19^th BG members at Philadelphia reunion 2005

Our son David recorded the “Last Days of WW II” series, made labels for the DVD’s and engraved box label, thanks to his work the above images were extracted.