1 - 15 MAR 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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1 MARCH 1945 (The final assault: VJ - 185 days)
INDIA
The 444th BG of the 58th BW departs Dudhkundi India for the Marianas.
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA
The entire VII Fighter Command is detached from the Seventh AF, Ft Kamehameha ToH and taken under the direct control of AAFPOA, departs for Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. (This is a preliminary move that will lead to the availability of the VII Fighter Command groups for escorting B-29's to Japan under Twentieth AF operational control.)
2 MARCH 1945
MALAYA
(Mission 41) Fifty of 64 B-29's from the 40th BG dispatched attack the shops and warehouse areas of the Singapore naval base with 107 tons of bombs; and five B-29's attack targets of opportunity on Bukum Island, Arang Hill and Khao Huakhang, Thailand. Gunners claim 0-1-4 Japanese aircraft. Two B-29's are lost.
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The two aircraft lost were both from the 468th Bomb Group:
42-24678 Kickapoo Lou 468th BG 792nd BS MACR 12870 Hit by flak over target, went down in flames north of target:
A/C Edward Millar - POW
Carl Moulton - POW
Robert Presender - POW
Lucius Beebe - POW
Bernard Feigener - possible POW presumed to have returned alive
Jasper Byerly - POW
Thomas Goodger - MIA (see below)
John Gibson - possible POW presumed to have returned alive
Clarence Newcome - POW
Frank Hillebrand - POW Morris Shrader - POW
Thomas G. Goodger Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces 38427006
Entered the Service from: Texas
792nd Bomber Squadron, 468th BG
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart]
42-24469 Wham Bam 468th BG 793rd BS MACR 12874 hit by flak over target. One hour from target over water giver the gas reserve and condition of plane the order was given to bail out. All chutes were reported open and the spread was 1 and a half miles. 10 were rescued 1 MIA.
A/C 1st Lt. Ellestad - rescued
W.H. Willis - rescued
J.D. Burton - rescued
E.H. Light - rescued
S.G. Wolfe - rescued
O.H. Ellenberger - rescued
P.R. Halliday - rescued
H.A. Thomas - rescued
J.W. Speer - rescued
Dean Clark - MIA (see below)
Dean C. Clark Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces 19014463
Entered the Service from: Oregon
793rd Bomber Squadron, 468th BG
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart
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PACIFIC OCEAN AREAS
VII Fighter Command: The 78th Fighter Squadron of the 15th Fighter Group arrives on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands from Hawaii with P-51's (first mission is 10 Mar)
MGen Willis H. Hale assumes command of the Army Air Forces in the POA in place of LtGen Millard F. Harmon, who was lost at sea since 25 February.
3 MARCH 1945
No actions reported.
4 MARCH 1945
CHINA
(Mission 42) During the night of 4-5 March, 11 XX BC B-29's staging through Luliang Airdrome sow mines in Tai-hsing Narrows, Shanghai and at the confluence of the Yangtze and Whangpoo Rivers; and one B-29 sows mines in Tungting Lake.
JAPAN
(Mission 39) One hundred ninety-two XXI BC B-29's are dispatched on a precision daylight bombing attack against the Musashino Aircraft Plant in Tokyo. Due to heavy cloud cover over the target, 159 of the B-29's attack the Tokyo urban area and 18 B-29's attack various alternate targets. One B-29 is lost.
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42-63412 Peace on Earth 497th BG MACR 12912 ditched, Westervelt crew, 9 survived.
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Ray Brashear's
Navigator's Notes:
(This was a fairly safe trip if you can call bombing raids to Japan "fairly
safe." Ray)
Mission 9:
3/4/45
Tokio (dock area) day incendary 25,000
0130--1615 1445 15120
Flack--meagre
Fighters--Few if any
Off coast rendezvous at altitude. Another big snow storm in Tokyo
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T Square 54
Mission #1: 6 days after arrival at Saipan, Capt William E. Cruce's Crew 57 joined the last high altitude bombing mission.
(First flight of one aircraft's journey through The War:
44-69729, T Sq 54, 375 Bomb Sq, 498 BG, 73 BW.)
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(This aborted try at Musashino is the final daylight precision bombing mission mounted by the XXI BC against the Japanese aircraft industry.)
MARIANAS
LtGen Barney M. Giles is appointed deputy commanding general of the Twentieth Air Force in place of LtGen Millard F. Harmon, who was lost at sea since 25 February.
VOLCANO ISLANDS
A 9th BG B-29 makes an emergency landing at Iwo Jima/Motoyama Airfield No. 1 - the first landing of over 2,400 such emergency landings on the island. (US Forces first landed on Iwo on 19 Feb)
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Lt. Malo lands 42-65286, "Dinah Might," at Iwo Jima. She's repaired and sent back to base.
From Don Mockler:
"... My uncle 2nd Lt. Edwin Mockler was co-pilot on that aircrew (42-65286, "Dinah Might). They made a second emergency landing on Iwo on April 12th, 1945 and were MIA after an April 15 mission over Kawasaki."
From Earl Johnson:
"...the Marines held one-half the runway he was going to use and the Japanese held the other half ... Lt Malo touched down in the Japanese side and rolled into the American side into the waiting swarms of American soldiers."
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5 MARCH 1945
No actions reported.
6 MARCH 1945
No actions reported.
7 MARCH 1945
No actions reported.
8 MARCH 1945
No actions reported.
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One B-29 was lost today on a weather mission:
42-24721 Su Su Baby 500th BG MACR 12936 ditched, Theodore Holmes crew, 12
on board, six survivors.
A/C Theodore Holmes - MIA - see below
Gilbert Easton - Survivor
George Pope - Survivor
Robert Sebring - Survivor
Alvis Sparks - KIA
Ralph Lietz - Survivor
Ellis Granger - MIA - see below
Robert Fisher - KIA
Charle Mohn - Survivor
Norman Anderson - KIA
Patrick Collins - Survivor Maj.
John Gay - Observer - KIA
Theodore B. Holmes Captain, U.S. Army Air Forces 0-729858
Entered the Service from: California
883rd Bomber Squadron, 500th BG
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial Honolulu, Hawaii
Awards: Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
Ellis B. Granger Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces 19135716
Entered the Service from: Oregon
883rd Bomber Squadron, 500th BG
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial Honolulu, Hawaii
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
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9 MARCH 1945
No actions reported.
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Lee Florence's Diary:
Briefed for incendiary raid on Tokyo at 5-7000 ft. Our plane was scratched due to engine trouble. 15 sq. miles of Tokyo was burned out. T .0. 1800 March 9.
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10 MARCH 1945
JAPAN
(Mission 40) Before dawn, 279 of 325 B-29's dispatched from the XXI BC, 73rd, 313th and 314th BW's attack Tokyo urban areas with 1,665 tons of incendiary bombs from between 4,900ft and 9,200ft. Twenty other B-29's attack alternate targets. Fifteen square miles of the Tokyo urban area is burned out; 267,171 buildings are destroyed, estimated 83,793 Japanese are killed and 40,918 wounded. Fourteen B-29's are lost.
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Twelve of the 14 B-29's lost were:
44-69686 "Tall In The Saddle," 19th BG, MACR 13857, Capt. Gordon Master's Crew. Crashed in Itahashi Village, Tsukuba County, Ibargi Prefecture.
9 KIA, 3 POW's: 1 was moved to Tokyo Kempei Tai Headquarters and beheaded by the Kempei Tai for reason of his heavy wounds 2 POW's were burnt to death in the fire of Tokyo Military Prison fire on May, 25, 1945.
44-69691 29th BG, MACR 12967, Johnson Crew. Crashed in Minamisuna-cho, Joto-Ku, Tokyo. 11 KIA
42-63564 29th BG, MACR 12968, "Cherry-Horizonal Cat" Wyatt Crew, 11 KIA. Crashed due to bad weather in Fubo Mountain, Shichigashuku Village, Katta County, Miyagi Prefecture (Tohoku Army District)
42-63569 19th BG MACR 13822, Auer crew. Shot by AA fire and exploded in mid air and crashed in Aoki-cho, Kawagichi City, Saitama Prefecture. 10 KIA, 2 POW's: survivors were moved to Tokyo, but burnt to death in fire at Tokyo Military Prison on May 25, 1945.
A/C 1st Lt Robert Auer
Pilot: 2nd Lt Harold Curry
Nav: 2nd Lt William Lemmons Jr
Bombardier: 2nd Lt Homer Allington
Radio: 2nd Lt Robert Booker
FE T/Sgt Pedro Closener
Radar: Cpl Jack Anderson
CFC Cpl George Micott
Right Gun: Cpl Walter Grubb
Left Gun: Cpl Michael Chalanyca
Tail Gun: Cpl Edward Yuda
42-65301 29th BG, MACR 12975, Neas Crew. Shot down by AA fire and crashed in an electric factory in Ogu-cho, Arakawa-Ku, Tokyo, 12 KIA.
42-65310 19th BG, MACR 13825, Carr Crew. Crashed due to bad weather into Fubo Mountain, Shichigashuku Village, Katta County, Miyagi Prefecture (Tohoku Army District), 12 KIA.
42-93905 29th BG, MACR 12972, Musser Crew. Shot down by AA fire and crashed in Shimo-Mitsugao, Fukuda Village, Higashi-Katsushika County Chiba Prefecture. 10 KIA, 2 POW: Both POW's died in fire at Tokyo Military Prison on May 25, 1945.
44-69747 498th BG MACR 12949 Kordsmeiser crew. crashed due to bad weather into Fubo Mountain, Shichigashuku Village, Katta County, Miyagi Prefecture (Tohoku Army District), 11 KIA.
42-24875 9th BG ditched Hardgrave crew, crew rescued
42-65298 9th BG ditched Keene crew 8 rescued
42-63482? 505th BG ditched McCaskill crew
44-69703 19 BG, George Savage crash landed at Iwo Jima, as he and his crew did on 10 May 45 at Guam.
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Ray Brashear's
Navigator's Notes:
(This was the start of the fire bombing blitz that really had everyone wondering what would happen. Ray)
Mission 10:
3/9/45
Start of the Blitz. Begining of night missions at low altitude
Tokio (1st fire zone-between Ara and Sumida rivers)
Night incendiary
5,000 ft KEE RISTE!
1830-0930 1500 16620
Caught in lights for a short time. All kinds of flak mostly innacurate. No hits but this one had us scared! No fighters. Burned out 15.2 sq mi of Tokio
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T Square 54
Mission #2: Incendiary raid upon Tokyo. Again, Capt. Cruce flew this mission.
Additionally, LtC John R. Buschmann's 1987 report for the T Sq 54 Lowry dedication states "This raid exceeded the great fires of Rome in A.D. 64, London in 1666, Moscow in 1812, Chicago in 1871 and San Francisco in 1906. Only the destruction caused by Tokyo's great earthquake of 1923 was worse." (Author's reference: "Maximum Effort: The B-29's Against Japan" by Kevin Herbert, pg. 35.)
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(This is the opening of a program of night fire raids directed against the Japanese civilian population. This death toll is the highest of any single day's action during the war.)
MALAYA
(Mission 43) Twenty-four of 29 40th BG B-29's attack marshalling yards at Kuala Lumpur with 100 tons of bombs; one of the B-29's drops over half of its bombs at Alor Star Airfield and another attacks a freighter in the channel leading to Port Swettenham; and three B-29's attack Khao Huakhang Thailand.
11 MARCH 1945
JAPAN
(Mission 41) During the night of 11-12 March, 285 of 310 XXI BC B-29's dispatched attack the Nagoya urban area with incendiary bombs at altitudes from 5,100 to 8,500ft destroying 2.05 square miles; and six B-29's attack a secondary target. One B-29 is lost.
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The lost B-29 is:
42-24753 - 499th BG - MACR 12989 Thompson crew.
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Lee Florence's Diary:
Briefed Incindiary raid on Nagoya at 6000 Ft.
Take off at 0345 March 12th. Fires looked big. Raid was not as successful as Tokyo. Weather clear. Heavy search lights and flak.
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Ray Brashear's
Navigator's Notes:
(This was the second of the fire raids that did so much damage to Japan. Ray)
Mission 11:
Second blitz mission
3/11/45
Nagoya (1st fire zone Castle area and south night fire)
7,000 1945-1000 1415 18035
Flak ---intense inaccurate to accurate
Fighters--nil
In lights for 3" No hits. Looked as though the whole city was burning, but only 2.3 sq mi burned out
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12 MARCH 1945
MALAYA
(Mission 42) Forty-four of 49 B-29's dispatched hit oil storage facilities on Bukum Island, and Samboe and Seborok Islands in Sumatra. One B-29 bombs Arang Hill in Malaya. B-29's claim 0-0-1 Japanese aircraft, results are poor.
VOLCANO ISLANDS
Iwo Jima Motoyama airfields Nos. 1, 2, and 3 are formally renamed Iwo Jima/South, Iwo Jima/Center and Iwo Jima/North. South Field's runway is formally declared operational even though it has been in regular use for several weeks.
13 MARCH 1945
JAPAN
(Mission 42) During the night of 13-14 March, shortly after 2400 hours local, 274 of 301 XXI BC B-29's dispatched attack Osaka with incendiary bombs at altitudes between 5,000ft and 9,600ft. Because of 8/10 cloud cover over the target area, bombing is by radar. An area of 8.1 square miles in the heart of the city is burned out. Five B-29's attack other targets. B-29's claim 1-0-0 Japanese aircraft. Two B-29's are lost.
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The two aircraft lost were:
42-24754 499th BG MACR 13017 Ellington crew of 9, all 9 KIA. Shot down by AA fire and crashed in Minamikyuhoji-cho, Osaka City.
John K. Ellington - AC
Merritt E. Bolmer
Komett Brieger
Forrest C. Flarity
Gerald E. McDerwott, Jr.
Leon V. Meehan
John M. Quigley
John Schneider
John C. Ternilliger
42-24610 498th BG MACR 13018
Note: there is other information that she returned to the US and survived the War.
9th Bomb Group A/C Black's aircraft was tossed upside down by a powerful thermal updraft over the target. He succeeded in righting the aircraft, by completing a "barrel roll" maneuver, while losing several thousand feet altitude at high speed, and then flying back to Tinian with warped wings, which had to be replaced. His skillful flying was subsequently rewarded with the DFC. Another point of interest the 9th Bomb Group scheduled 33 aircraft, 33 airborne, 33 over Japan, 33 landed.
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Lee Florence's Diary:
Briefed incindiary raid on Osaka at 6000'.
Took off at 1845. Bombed at 0230 March 14th. Large fires but results unknown. Weather undercast. No fighters. No flak.
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Ray Brashear's
Navigator's Notes:
Mission 12:
3rd Blitz mission
3/13/45
Osaka (1st fire zone-business district) nite fire
7,000 1845-0800 1345 19420
Flak--meagre
Fighters----nil
Searchlights --few
Ellington lost over target-may have run into mountains (radio Tokyo) Terrific thermal in smoke. Bounced Wagoner around in the tail enough to get him a Purple Heart.
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T Square 54
Mission #3: Weather strike. Crew unknown, but probably Capt. Cruce's. Weather strike missions helped determine the weather conditions, allowing the strike aircraft to change their tactics to radar bombing if needed.
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(During three hours of bombing, 134,744 houses are destroyed, 1,363 houses damaged and Japanese casualties are 12,451 dead, 678 missing.)
14 MARCH 1945
No actions reported.
15 MARCH 1945
No actions reported.
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1944:
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1945 1st ˝:
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1945 2nd ˝:
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