16 - 30 APR 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 April 1945 (pg 625)
JAPAN
Guided by XXI BC B-29's (used as navigational escorts) VII FC P-51's based Iwo Jima strafe and bomb the Kanoya airdrome on Kyushu. (Future VII FC very long range fighter sweeps (through 14 August) will be guided by B-25's also based on Iwo Jima). Four P-51's are lost.
17 April 1945 (pg 626)
JAPAN
(Missions 70-75) In an effort to defeat the kamikaze campaign at it's source, 118 XXI BC B-29's attack Izumi airfield on Honshu and Kanoya, Kokubu, Nittagahara and Tachiarai airdromes on Kyushu. Five rother B-29's attack targets of opportunity. (This campaign against 17 airfields on Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku will account for nearly 75% of all XXI BC B-29 sorties through 11 May 45).
18 April 1945 (pg 626)
JAPAN
(Missions 76-81) One hundred and twelve B-29's attack Izumi airfield on Honshu and Kanoya, Kokubu, Nittagahara and Tachiarai airdromes on Kyushu; 13 attack other targets. Two B-29's are lost.
RYUKYU ISLANDS
A disabled XXI BC B-29 makes the first-of-it's-kind emergency landing on Okinawa.
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Two B-29's lost, both from Tachiaria:
42-63519 497th BG, MACR 14306, Bussell Crew, MIA
From Clarke Hughes:
"Mostly coming off the target, they were attacked by fighters, some Kamikaze. They were rammed by two or three fighters and pretty well shot up with electrical system, gun turrets and general damage to the '29. They lost one engine over Japan but managed to get to the coast and out to sea headed to Iwo. About a dozen or so miles from Iwo they lost the second engine and ditched. The plane broke in half at the bomb bay. All the crew on the right side managed to exit; the co-pilot, engineer, radio operator & right gunner. The Navy took a rather long time to come out to the rescue according to the rt.gunner and that delay may have been the reason the radio operator, Martin Berkowitz, drowned. He was buried on Iwo at the time.
"For more detailed information, contact the rt. gunner, Robert (Bob) Boyles. He is on this site from time to time. His original plane was "Our Baby" - A square 5, which flew to the end of the war."
Clarke Hughes Tail Gunner
869 Squadron, Bad Brew, A square 6
42-65231 A Sq 51 "Gonna Mak'er," 497th BG, MACR 14308, Anderson Crew, all KIA
Crew list: (List provided by Neysa Picklum)
1st Lt. Robert J. Anderson
1st Lt. Robert E. McCausland
1st Lt. Donald A. Christensen
2nd Lt. Maurice E. Kennedy
1st Lt. Robert E. Adams
Sgt. Pasquale T. Aina
T/Sgt. Leroy E. Franson
Sgt. William Kopenitai
S/Sgt. Alexander Sodomona
Sgt. Raymond L. Smith
S/Sgt. Raymond A. Hawkins
From Bob Mann's manuscript:
"... rammed by Lt. Mosaburo Yamamoto in a Nick of the 4th Sentai. Japanese reports say the impact of the head-on attack broke off 65231's tail, right wing and # 4 engine ..."
From "B-29 Hunters of the JAAF" by Koji Takaki & Henry Sakaida, pg. 105 (Available at Amazon Books):
"2Lt Miosaburo Yamamoto, leader of the 4th Sentai's ramming section, flew his "Nick' through the 497th formation and slammed directly into it. Lt Ed Cutler, pilot of Texas Doll, saw the sickening impact, and recalled, 'I watched, spellbound, as the tail and right wing (almost all 123 ft of it) came off, and the No 4 engine broke loose and cllimbed majestically straight up - all by itself, still running.'"
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Lee Florence's Diary:
T .0. 0030 for Kyushu airfield. Leading sqdn. Alt. 16000'. Hit target. No flak or fighters. Col. Haynes--Com Pilot Good mission.
(The Command Pilot made the flight to get combat flight time and possibly get a medal.)
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19 April 1945 (pg 629)
No actions reported.
20 April 1945 (pg 629)
No actions reported.
21 April 1945 (pg 630)
JAPAN
(Missions 82-90) Two-hundred seventeen B-29's hit airfields at Izumi, Honshu; Kanoya, Kokubu, Kushira, Nittagahara, Oita and Usa on Kyushu and 21 B-29's attach the Kagoshima urban area and other targets of opportunity.
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T Square 54
Mission #15: Lt. Charles Spieth, WX strike.
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22 April 1945 (pg 631)
JAPAN
(Missions 91-95) Strike against airfields continue. Eighty-seven B-29's bomb Izumi, Kushira, Miyazaki, Tomitaka and Kanoya and 6 other hit targets of opportunity. One B-29 is lost.
23 April 1945 (pg 632)
No actions reported.
24 April 1945 (pg 632)
JAPAN
(Mission 96) One hundred one B-29's attack the Hitachi aircraft plant at Tachikawa with 474 tons of bombs; and 21 B-29's attack alternates and targets of opportunity. B-29's claim 16 Japanese aircraft. Five B-29's are lost.
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B-29's lost were:
42-24779 504th BG "Satan's Lady" Robert Colquitt Crew 11KIA
42-24853 of the 313BW 9BG crashed at Iwo returning from Tachikawa on 25 April 1945. Crash on friendly field precluded issuance of MACR Report (Bob Mann)
42-63483 499th BG MACR 14310 Antonucci Crew 11 MIA
42-94026 19th BG MACR 14312 Floyd Crew 11 KIA
42-94047 330th BG, 459 Sq, K-63, Ditched just off coast of Japan. Three (those who survived) bailed out over Japan. What happened to those who stayed with the plane is not known.
N 2nd Lt George R Farmer (survived as PoW)
RDR Cpl Ronald F Heemann (survived as PoW)
RO PFC Eldon A Peterson (survived as PoW)
AC 1st Lt Herbert R Williams
P 2nd Lt Daniel R Myers
B 2nd Lt David N Skillin
FE TSG Lawrence C Seery Jr
CFC SG Robert R Underwood
RG Cpl Edward B Neary
LG Cpl Edwin S Caw
TG Cpl Casimir J Cwiakala
(From Chris Howlett with Smisek's data)
44-69897 330th BG "City of Laramie" MACR 14311 Williams Crew
From Mr. Farmer on 26 Sep 85 to Bob Willman of K-1, who relayed to Smisek:
"Aircraft received damage to #1 engine over target and #2 after falling back and was jumped by fighters. Neither prop could be feathered so the order to bailout was given. (Three cewmembers did), but the remainder stayed with the aircraft which ditched just as the aircraft left the coast of Japan.
"A buddy aircraft had witnessed this ditching and also liferafts. The fate of the remaining crew is unclear ... either perished at sea, or were killed by Japanese Naval vessels. (The three survivors) did not see each other for ten days. They were then placed in a POW camp near Nagoya and spent the next 5 months there with other prisoner's from Bataan, Corregidor British from Hong Kong, and Australians from Java."
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Lee Florence's Diary:
Super Dumbo for mission to Kyushu. Ship Terrible Terry.
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T Square 54
Mission #16: Cpt. Cruce, Tachikawa Hitachi a/c engine plant, 73% destroyed.
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25 April 1945 (pg 633)
No actions reported.
26 April 1945 (pg 633)
JAPAN
(Missions 97-107) One hundred Ninety-five B-29's (some escorted by P-51's from the VII AF) bomb airfields at Usa, Oita, Saeki, Tomitaka, Imabari, Nittagahara, Miyazaki, Kanoya, Kokubu, and Miyakanojo and 41 hit other targets of opportunity.
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"Your dispatch of April 26, 1945, brings back some memories. That is the day before we landed on Tinian from India/China. I remember it well because April 27, is my birthday. I was flying with either Major Kolander or Lt. Smith. We were the last or near last to get out of India. We were late (delayed) due to the blown cylinder of one of our engines.
"Our ground crew, except for the line crew Sergeant had already left for Tinian. This is the only time that any one of the flying crews I flew with had to do this kind of mechanic work. We, the flying crew replaced and/or put everything back together and slow timed the repaired engine and prepared to fly to Tinian landing on my birthday."
Jim Icenhower
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Lee Florence's Diary:
Super Dumbo for mission to Kyushu. Ship V- 51
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T Square 54
Mission #17: Lt. Davis as AC, Tomitaka Airfield, Kyushu. (Lt. Donald Dufford in "Long Distance" rammed in #3 engine by Tony fighter, which cartwheeled and struck another fighter, both of which downed in flames. "Long Distance" safely returned to Saipan)
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27 April 1945 (pg 634)
JAPAN
(Missions 108-113) One hundred and nine B-29's strike airfields at Izumi, Miyazaki, Kokubu, Miyakanojo, Kanoya, and Kushira; 3 B-29's hit targets of opportunity. Two B-29's are lost.
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Aircraft lost:
44-69888 39th BG MACR 14328 Powell Crew 3 rescued by USS GATO
42-24698 499th BG MACR 14334 Boozer Crew
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Lee Florence's Diary:
Left for Oahu on rest leave at 1230 in a C-54. Arrived at Hickam Field April 28th, Saipan time at 1115.
(Later Notes: "Spent first day and night at Hickam rest area. Went to Coconut Island on northside of Oahu in Kanaohe Bay; taken over by military from private owner for use as a rest Camp for officers. After being at the rest camp for a few days, several of us took a jeep back to Honolulu for dinner and a change of scenery.
"While waiting inline at a restaurant on Wakaki beach, I noticed a sailor, several groups in back of us, that looked familiar. My cousin, Ray Primmer, a Chief Petty Officer in the submarine service, also saw me a bout that time. We had dinner together, and I took him back to our Island. He spent two days there and then I took him back to Pearl Harbor, to his sub. His Captain invited me for a tour of their ship and then a steak lunch in the officer's mess.
"Stranger than fiction; Ray was chief communications man and his sub was one we had been talking to on our Super Dumbo flights." )
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28 April 1945 (pg 635)
JAPAN
(Missions 114-119) One hundred and nineteen B-29's hit airfields at Kushira, Kanoya, Miyakanojo, Kokubu, Miyazaki, and Izumi; four other B-29's hit targets of opportunity; the claim a total of 14 Japanese fighters. Five B-29's are lost.
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3 of the aircraft lost:
44-69895 39th BG MACR 14333 Orionchek Crew
42-24699 499th BG MACR 14332 Canada Crew 11 MIA
42-24840 9th BG MACR 14532 Brown Crew 380 miles from Iwo Bail out
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29 April 1945 (pg 636)
JAPAN
(Missions 120-125) One hundred and eleven B-29's hit airfields at Kushira, Kanoya, Miyakanojo, Kokubu, Miyazaki, and Izumi; four other B-29's hit targets of opportunity; the claim a total of 20 Japanese fighters. Two B-29's are lost.
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Aircraft lost:
42-65295, 498th BG, MACR 14309, Geer Crew Lost.
Crashed in Karakama, Mobiki Village, Kimotsuki County, Kagoshima Prefecture, 11 KIA.
From the 873rd Squadron history, sent by Craig Stettner:
"Lost during the April 29 mission to Nyakonojo Airfield, Kyushu. The aircraft was forced out of formation when enemy fighter planes attacked it. It is believed that an enemy aircraft dropped an air-to-air bomb which hit the center of the plane exploding and blowing out the fuselage. Shortly afterwards the plane was seen to go into a steep dive, then a violent spin. The aircraft crashed on land and was mercilessly straged by Jap fighters. No survivors were observed and it is believed that all crew members were killed by the crash or if any survived, by strafing."
Lt. M Geer
Lt. H. Widows
Lt. E. Sullivan
Lt. C. Farber
M/Sgt. W. Block
T/Sgt. C. Hix
Sgt. J. Allain
Sgt. R. Middlemas
Sgt. R. Morrisroe
Sgt. E. Plunge
Sgt. E. Mueller
498th BG MACR 14337 Fisher Crew ditched 6 survived.
Crashed in the sea off the coast of Hosoda Village, Minaminka County, Miyazaki Prefecture. 5 were saved by a US Submarine. 5 KIA. 1 POW: S/Sgt Billy J. Brown was captured by the Japanese Navy soldiers while drifting on the sea. He was moved to Seibu Army Headquarters and later executed.
"The bulk of the April, 1945 B-29 missions were against Japanese airfields on Kyushu, Japan's southernmost island. Kamakaze aircraft based on Kyushu were taking a heavy toll of Navy ships standing off Okinawa, so B-29s were diverted from strategic targets to the airfields in the hope of cutting those losses. The Navy lost more ships and men off Okinawa than it did at Pearl Harbor."
Andy Doty
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30 April 1945 (pg 637)
JAPAN
Seven missions are flown:
(Missions 126) Sixty-nine B-29's hit the Tachikawa air depot; 25 hit other targets of opportunity; they are escorted by 104 P-51's.
(Missions 127-132) Fifty-six B-29's hit airfields at Kokubu, Oita, Tomitaka, Saeki, and Kanoya and the Hammamatsu urban area; two other B-29's hit targets of opportunity; they claim a total of 10 Japanese fighters.
GERMANY
Adolph Hitler commits suicide in Berlin.
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