16 - 31 JAN 1945
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1945 1st ˝:
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1945 2nd ˝:
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The basic chronology and general information on these pages is a composite of entries excerpted from “Air War Pacific Chronology: America’s Air War Against Japan in East Asia and the Pacific 1941-1945” by Eric Hammel (Pacifica, CA: Pacifica Press, 1988 ISBN 0-933353-26-6)
and, “USAAF Chronology: Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces” by Jack McKillop (Piscataway, NJ).
Also on line at Rutgers University.
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Note:
Shaded boxes show updates and comments from members of our B-29 mailing list, many of whom were there.
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16 JANUARY 1945
MARIANAS
In a shakedown mission by the 504th and 505th BG's of the 313th BW 32 of 44 B-29's dispatched attack Maug Island and the airdrome at Pagan Island.
The 316th BW Headquarters arrives at Guam/Northwest Field from the US to prepare to oversee combat operations of several air groups.
The 19th BG HQ arrives at Guam/North Field for service with the 314th BW. The 28th, 30th and 93rd Squadrons arrive (first mission 12 Feb 45)
17 JANUARY 1945
CHINA
Eight B-29's from the 58th BW unable to reach their primary target in Formosa attack targets of opportunity on the southeastern coast.
China Theater headquarters is informed of the decision to move all XX BC B-29 aircraft to new bases in the Marianas.
FORMOSA
Seventy-seven B-29's of 92 58th BW dispatched from Chengtu attack Shinchiku Airdrome with 553 tons of bombs. One B-29 is lost.
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The B-29 that was lost was:
42-24494 "Mary Ann" Major Clarence McPherson's Crew, from the 468th Bomb Group 792nd Bomb Squadron.
After taking off at an altitude of 6500 feet, the number three oil cooler shutter would not work. They returned to base and circled the field (A7) losing altitude they dropped there bombs at 300 feet. The blast was terrific, fire flashed all around, the front bomb bay bulkhead door was blown in and shrapnel splattered the airplane. They bailed out, 7 survived 4 killed, some of the chutes didn't open in time.
(Major Clarence C. McPherson)
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MARIANAS
The 29th BG and the 6th, 43rd, and 52nd Bomb Squadrons arrive at Guam/North Field from the US for service with the XX AF (first mission is 16 Feb 45).
18 JANUARY 1945
No actions reported.
19 JANUARY 1945
JAPAN
(Mission 20) Sixty-two of 80 B-29's from the 73rd BW dispatched attack the Kawasaki aircraft plant at Akashi with 153 tons of bombs; and nine B-29's attack alternates and targets of opportunity. They claim 4-4-8 Japanese aircraft.
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Ray Brashear's
Navigator's Notes:
(This was a nail biter for the two of us on this diversionary raid. Here are
his notes.)
Mission 6:
1/19/45
Hamamatsu Diversionary Day Demo
(Akashi) 31,000 0700--2130 1430 9745
Flack----Nil
Fighters--40
20 attacks
We led three planes. 1 aborted leaving 2 to divert the entire enemy defenses for the whole wing. Most successful raid thus far. Target completely out and few fighter attacks on first group (17 planes in 499th formations)
( Diversionary, bomb, photo)
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20 JANUARY 1945
TWENTIETH AIR FORCE
Brig. Gen. Roger M. Ramey officially becomes Commanding General XX BC. Maj. Gen. Curtis Emerson LeMay takes command of the XXI BC.
21 JANUARY 1945
CAROLINE ISLANDS
(Mission 21) Thirty of 33 B-29's of the 313th BW, 504th and 505th BG's bomb Moen Airfield, Truk Atoll.
21 JANUARY 1945
No actions reported.
22 JANUARY 1945
No actions reported.
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Lee Florence's Diary:
Saipan Briefed for Nagoya at 25,000 ft.
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23 JANUARY 1945
JAPAN
(Mission 22) Twenty-eight of 73 73rd BW B-29's dispatched are able to attack the Mitsubishi aircraft-engine factory at Nagoya through heavy clouds; 27 B-29's attack secondary targets in the Nagoya urban area; and nine B-29's attack various alternates and targets of opportunity. Though an estimated 600+ Japanese fighters offered heavy and aggressive opposition to the bomber force, only one B-29 is lost in combat. One other B-29 is lost in an operational mishap. B-29's claim 33-22-40 Japanese aircraft.
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The Aircraft lost were:
42-24594 A Sq 6, "Bad Brew," 497th BG, MACR 11301, MacGregor crew, operational loss, 5 surv.
42-24785 Z Sq 25, 500th BG MACR 11386 Combat Loss
Info on 42-24785 Crew #233, 500th BG, 882nd BSQ
Pilot AC: Major Frank A. Roberts
Copilot: 2LT Samuel B. Porter
Bombardier: 2 LT Eugene E. Pierson (Squadron Bombardier and Jody Smith's Uncle)
Navigator: 2LT Howard E. McBride
Flight Engineer: 2LT William F. Kottke
Radio Operator: Sgt. Glen E. Danileson
Gunner: Sgt. James A. Bailey
Gunner: Sgt. Joseph P. Conte
Gunner: Sgt. Charles F. Hicks
Radar Operator: PFC Arthur W. Mitchell
Gunner: Sgt. Eugene B. Wood
This account is from Sgt. Hamilton Steel, Left Gunner on Z Square 28
(with Crew #234, LT Harold Arbon, A/C):
"My first sighting of Z-25 was below the formation headed toward a point over Hmamatsu. The aircraft was losing altitude with some 30 fighters continuing their attacks on the damaged plane. shortly afterwards, Z-25 was seen to turn
under the formation still losing altitude. Number 4 engine and the right wing tip was ablaze, shooting flames as far
as the tail section. Over the water, several fighters were seen to follow the damaged aircraft which started a steep
turn to the right, turning over on its back. Part of the wing came off which may have struck the tail section for it was
seen to break off. The forward section twisted and turned, and when it hit the water there were three large splashes.
Very shortly, gasoline fires were observed to cover the area."
Another eyewitness account is from the consolidated statement of the undersigned officers of the 882nd Bombardment
Squadron (VH):
1LT Hewert G. Gray (A/C of B-29 Z Square 22),
1LT Hale W. Hays (A/C of B-29 Z Square 23),
2LT Howell R. Young, (FE of B-29 Z Square 31):
"... The general opinion is that Z-25 bombed the target and shortly thereafter was damaged by a possible Tony attacking directly from above in an almost vertical dive. Number 4 engine began to blaze, and the airplane left the formation, descending to about 15,000 feet. At this point there was observed an explosion of the number 4 engine and also the breaking off of the right wing tip. Fighters were attacking the plane as it lost altitude. The plane then turned over on its back and went into a spin. At least two crews saw the plane crash into the sea at about 34 degrees 20' North and 137 degrees 30' East, which was just about 15 miles off the coast of Japan and directly South of the City of Nagoya. Three splashes were seen when the plane struck the water. Gas and oil fires were noted on the surface where the plane hit. No parachutes were seen."
(From 2Lt. Pierson's niece, Jody Smith, and passed to us by Sparky Corradina)
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Lee Florence's Diary:
Saipan Flew Nagoya mission. Bombed at 26,000' with 15 planes in group. Flak heavy--fighters extremely heavy. Lt. K.B. Smith's copilot Miller was killed by fighter shells. Rest of crew and other plane came home OK.
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Ray Brashear's
Navigator's Notes:
(This was a fairly harrowing trip to Japan, even though we scraped through ok. Ray)
Mission 7:
1/23/45
Nagoya Day demo
0700---2120 1420 11205 30,000
Flack Moderate---Accurate
Fighters-----150
30 attacks on us
K. B. Smith's shot up (and finally ran out of ammo) We and Scarbrough and one other dropped back to help and cover. Miller (Smith's copilot) was killed.
!/27 E.G. Smith's crew shot down. (This was Hap's crew)
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24 JANUARY 1945
VOLCANO ISLANDS
(Mission 23) Twenty B-29's of 28 dispatched from the 313th BW and 33 B-24's from the VII BC attack Iwo Jima. The B-29's attack two airfields without loss.
25 JANUARY 1945 (pg 558)
FRENCH INDOCHINA
(Mission 30) During the night of 25-26 January, 25 of 26 B-29's dispatched from the 58th BW sow mines in the approaches to Phanrang Bay, Siagon, and Camranh Bay.
MALAYA
(Mission 31) During the night of 25-26 January, 41 of 50 B-29's dispatched from the 58th BW sow mines in the 6 approaches to Singapore and Penang.
THAILAND
(Mission 31) During the night of 25-26 January, B-29's from the 58th BW sow mines in Koh Si Chang Channel and the Pakchan River.
26 JANUARY 1945
No actions reported. (See 25 January)
27 JANUARY 1945
CHINA
The last XX BC B-29's in the Chengtu area depart their bases for India, an evacuation necessitated in part by JCS directive and by the diversion of the bulk of Hump ferry route supply flights from the B-29 effort to stemming the Japanese ground offensive toward Kunming, Yungning and Luchou.
FRENCH INDOCHINA
Twenty-two of 25 B-29's from the 58th BW dispatched from Calcutta attack an arsenal and naval base in Saigon with 65 tons of bombs. (One B-29 also attacks a bridge in Thailand.)
JAPAN
Clouds and high winds force 76 B-29's from the 73rd BW to divert from their primary targets, the Musashino and Nakajima aircraft plants in the Tokyo area. Fifty-six of the B-29's employ radar to attack urban areas in Tokyo, and six attack alternates and targets of opportunity. Fighter opposition is the heaviest to date. Five B-29's are downed by Japanese fighters and four others ditch at sea or crash-land in the Marianas. B-29 gunners claim 60-17-39 Japanese aircraft, the highest number of claims to date.
MARIANA ISLANDS
The 313th BW's 6th BG mounts a training attack against Maug Island.
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The 73rd BW mounted a raid and suffered heavy losses. Some of the aircraft lost are:
42-63423 A28 497BG MACR 11620 "Werewolf", Hahn crew; attacked by Japanese fighters and crashed in Shbazoe-Dogenji, Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture. 7 KIA, 4 POW's: 1 died from disease at Tokyo Army Hospital, 3 were burnt to death in the fire at the Tokyo Military Prison on 25 May 1945.
42-63501 T2 498BG MACR 11623 Kilgo crew lost: *(see below)
Captain P. R. Kilgo
Lt. W. M. White
Lt. J. M. Shepherd
Lt. G. L. Ward
Lt. F. E. Schubert
Sgt. C. E. Summer
Sgt. J. H. Engelmann
Sgt. L. A. Ransom
Cpl. G. L. Graybill
Cpl. E. J. Boose
Pfc. D. G. Hunsicker
42-63541 A46 497BG MACR 11556 "Ghastly Goose", Petersen crew lost. Ditched while returning from the mission, at 28 Deg 36 Sec N 142 Deg 07 Sec E. The ditching was observed by Lt. Horner and his crew, who circled and reported an apparently successful ditching. Despite a diligent search, the crew has not been found.
Capt. Dale W. Peterson DED (Determined dead)
1st Lt. Frank L. Zyla (probably Zylla) DED
2nd Lt. Walter J. Craig DED
2nd Lt. Joseph R. Zecok (probably Zeock) MIA
2nd Lt. Donald B. Alexander DED
S/Sgt. Charlie G. (probably C.) Foster DED
S/Sgt. Tom B. Clark DED
Sgt. Arlie A. Agent DED
Sgt. Tony Camen (probably Carrion) DED
Sgt. Bernard F. Sutton DED
Sgt. Lemuel B. Peterson DED
(provided by Bill Grindell)
42-24616 A22 497BG MACR 11558 "Haley's Comet", McDonnell crew 2 survived. Crashed by an unknown cause in Ishino, Shisui Town, Inba County, Chiba Prefecture. 9 KIA, 2 POW's: Imprisoned in Omori POW camp and returned to the US after the war.
42-24619 A23 497BG MACR 11557 "Shady Lady", Dauth crew lost. Attacked near the target by enemy fighters. It went into a cloud, but when last seen was neither damaged, nor out of control.
Capt. Raymond C. Dauth DED (Determined dead)
1st Lt. Frederick W. Bauman Jr. (probably Baumann) DED
2nd Lt. John E. Burleson DED
2nd Lt. Ronald E. King DED
2nd Lt. Robert W. Chapler (probably Cahpla) DED
S/Sgt. Quentin N. Breble (probably Quinton N. Preble) DED
S/Sgt.. Daniel J. Carroll DED
Sgt. Allan (probably Allen) McClay, Jr. DED
Sgt. Walter J. Horowaski (probably Horowski) DED
Sgt. Theodore D. Northrup (probably Northup) (and probably DED)
Cpl. James L. Burk DED
(provided by Bill Grindell)
42-24767 T10 498BG MACR 11621 Beyhan crew lost: *(see below)
Lt. W. F. Beyhan
Lt. N. F. Holdridge
Lt. C. N. Jones
Lt. C. A. Bride
S/Sgt. F. E. Murphy
S/Sgt. R. J. Crawford
S/Sgt. S. J. Woch
Sgt. T. A. Waldron
Sgt. S. B. Johnson
Sgt. E. Nelson
42-24769 V27 499BG MACR 11555 "Rover Boys Express"; Smith crew. 5 survived. Attacked by Japanese fighters and crashed in the beach of Iqirl, Ikisu Village, Kashima County, Ibaragi Prefecture. 6 KIA, 5 POW's: Imprisoned in Omori POW camp and returned to the US after the war (including Hap Halloran).
42-24682 V5 "Tokyo Twister", surveyed after hard landing, flown by the Prentiss Burkett crew;
42-65246 A52 "Irish Lassie", surveyed after mission, Avery crew.
From a press release about the 873rd Squadron (with comments from Raymond Fred Stettner, Navigator on T Sq 6. Relayed to his son Craig, then to Sparky):
"The lead bomber in a three-plane element ( 42-63501 Kilgo crew, 42-24767 Beyhan crew, and T6 with Ray Stettner) slowed down because of engine trouble, and the whole element lagged behind the formation. Jap fighters moved in for the kill, sprayed the three-plane unit and knocked out the number one engine in each bomber. The small element was forced to pull further away from the protection of the main force, moving in close for mutual protection........The Jap fighters gave an adequate display of the quality of their tactical ability. After making repeated attacks from the fronts of the bombers, the Japs suddently slipped to the left of the crippled element and placed it between themselves and the guns of the main force. Then, they charged in. The freshly fueled and armored planes smashed their bullets into a second engine of the lead bomber (Kilgo's plane)."
(Stettner: "... My father expressed to me how he continues to have a very vivid picture of Japanese fighters swarming, and he can't stress that enough, swarming, over Kilgo's plane, mainly attacking vertically flying up from below, turning, and diving from above, as it slowly lost altitude and disappeared from view. We learned only last December, when Fighter Aces of the JAAF was published, that Kilgo's plane continued to struggle to reach the coast and eventually was "brought down" by a fighter ramming its tail.")
"The second cripple (Beyhan's plane)...turned crazily and slowly out of formation" and towards the ocean. "With two engines, electrical, and fuel transfer systems inoperative, it landed successfully in water 100 miles north of Iwo Jima. Six men were observed in a raft and emergency equipment was dropped, but search by Air and Sea Rescue teams as well as squadron aircraft failed to locate survivors."
(Stettner: "... My father's A/C "poured on the coal" and was able to get into position 1000 feet under the main formation in time to drop with the formation. However, he was unable to feather their damaged engine, he and the copilot leaned on the controls, and the crew sweated, until the propeller's "breaking off" and falling practically straight down.")
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28 JANUARY 1945
No actions reported.
29 JANUARY 1945
VOLCANO ISLANDS
(Mission 25) Twenty-eight B-29's of 33 dispatched from the 313th BW and 19 B-24's from the VII BC strike at 2 airfields on Iwo Jima without loss.
30 JANUARY 1945
No actions reported.
31 JANUARY 1945 (pg 561)
No actions reported.
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1944:
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1945 1st ˝:
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1945 2nd ˝:
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