Mission # 26 Date: 4 February 1945 Code Name: Middleman # 1 Target: Kobe Area ( 90.25 ) - Kobe Urban Area Participating Units: 73rd BW and 313th BW Number of A/C Airborne: 110 % A/C Bombing Primary: 57% (69 Primary, 0 Secondary, 30 Last Resort and Opportunity) Time over Primary: 041557K - 041656K Altitude of Attack: 24,500 - 27,000 Weather Over Target: 5/10 - 6/10 Total A/C Lost: 2 Resume of Mission: 2,651,000 square feet of the target area was destroyed or damaged. Fifteen aircraft bombed Natsuzka and fifteen aircraft bombed various Last Resort targets. One aircraft ditched on return and one aircraft burned after landing at home base classified as lost to survey. Enemy air opposition heavy and aggressive---273 attacks. Enemy aircraft destroyed four, probably destroyed twenty and thirty-nine damaged. AA heavy, moderate too intense, inaccurate to accurate. Average bomb load: 6,830 lbs. Average gas reserve: 696 gallons.

Mission # 27 Date: 8 February 1945 Code Name: Panhandle # 2 Target: Truk Airfield One, Moen Island Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 31 % A/C Bombing Primary: 97% ( 30 A/C ) Time Over Primary: 081057K - 081133K Altitude of Attack: 29,500 - 30,700 Weather Over Target: 8/10 - 9/10 Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Bombing results poor. One early return. enemy air opposition nil. AA heavy, meager and inaccurate. Average bomb load: 10,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,000 gallons.

Mission # 28 Date: 9 February 1945 Code Name: Panhandle # 3 Target: Truk Airfield Two, Moen Island Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 30 % A/C Bombing Primary: 97% ( 29 A/C ) Time Over Primary: 091119K - 091121K Altitude of Attack: 24,000 - 26,000 Weather Over Target: 2/10 - 6/10 Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Bombing results fair. One early return. Enemy air opposition nil. AA heavy, meager and inaccurate. Average bomb load: 10,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,620 gallons.

Mission # 29 Date: 10 February 1945 Code Name: Fraction # 1 Target: Tokyo ( 1544 ) - Nakajima Aircraft Plant, Ota Participating Units: 73rd BW and 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 120 % A/C Bombing Primary: 70% (84 Primary, 0 Secondary, 16 Last Resort and Opportunity) Time Over Primary: 101605K - 101641K Altitude of Attack: 26,000 - 29,400 Weather Over Target: 1/10 - 2/10 Total A/C Lost: 12 Resume of Mission: Two aircraft included in the above total were dispatched as a diversionary force against Hammatsu. Damage assessment revealed 755,900 square feet of roof area damaged in target area. Eighteen aircraft returned early. One aircraft was lost to enemy action, one aircraft crashed on take-off, two aircraft collided in mid-air, seven aircraft ditched and one aircraft missing to unknown reasons. En- emy air opposition moderate to strong---330 attacks. Enemy aircraft destroyed twenty-one, probably destroyed fifteen and twenty-six damaged. AA weak and inaccurate. Average bomb load: 6,522 lbs---73rd Wing---and 5,317 lbs---313th Wing. Aver- age gas reserve: 576 gallons.

Mission # 30 Date: 11 February 1945 Code Name: Sea Search # 1 Target: 60 miles each side L 135 degrees east---148 degrees east L 30 degrees north Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 9 % A/C Bombing Primary: 88% ( 8 A/C ) Time Over Search Area: 111518K ( ETA over search area ) Altitude: 3,000 feet Weather Over Target: 10/10 overcast Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Nine aircraft to search for enemy picket boats. One early return. Search area 10/10 overcast radar used. AA---Sofu-Gan heavy, meager and inaccurate. Enemy convoy--- heavy, meager and inaccurate. No enemy fighter opposition. enemy convoy of 4 DD, 2 tankers, and 5 freighters sighted at 29 degrees, 29 minutes north---140 degrees 20 minutes east. No bomb load. Average gas reserve: unavailable.

Mission # 31 Date: 12 February 1945 Code Name: Starlit # 3 Target: Iwo Jima Heavy AA Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 21 % A/C Bombing Primary: 100% Time Over Primary: 121211K - 121250K Altitude of Attack: 24,000 - 24,500 Weather Over Target: 3/10 - 4/10 Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Bombing results good. Enemy air opposition nil. AA heavy, meager and inaccurate. Average bomb load: 8,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,015 gallons.

Mission # 32 Date: 12 February 1945 Code Name: Sea Search # 2 Target: 60 miles each side 135 degrees 00' east - 148 degrees 00' east longitude, 30 degrees 00' north latitude Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 10 % A/C Over Search Area: 80% ( 8 A/C ) Time Over Area: 121643K - 122030K (Estimated) Altitude of Search Area: 2,000 ft. Weather Over Target: 1/10 - 10/10 Total A/C Lost: 1 Resume of Mission: Repeat of Mission # 30 due to incom- plete coverage. Two early returns. One aircraft caught fire, exploded and crashed northwest of Tinian. AA meager and accurate from CL or DD at 30 degrees 35' N - 144 degrees 00' E. No enemy air opposition. Two enemy patrol or torpedo boats, two unidentified submarines, unidentified convoy of 12-15 ships, one enemy DD and an unidentified convoy of eleven ships observed during this mission. All but 20% of assigned area was covered. No bomb load. Average gas reserve unavailable.

Mission # 33 Date: 14 February 1945 Code Name: Sea Search # 3 Target: Search of Area - Base Line 28 degrees 02' N - 145 degrees 55' E to 28 degrees 44' N - 148 degrees 00' E Participating Unit: 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 6 % A/C Over Search Area: 83% ( 5 A/C ) Time Over Primary: 141415K - 141725K (Estimated) Altitude Over Search Area: 3,000 ft. Weather Over Target: 4/10 Total A/C Lost: 0 Resume of Mission: Sea search for enemy picket boats. Two early returns. No AA. Enemy shipping observed in target area as follows: 4 small freighters, 1 picket boat, 1 DD escorting freighters, 1 small fishing boat and 1 un- identified vessel. No bomb load. Average gas reserve un- available.

Mission # 34 Date: 15 February 1945 Code Name: Eradicate # 4 Target: Nagoya ( 193 ) - Mitsubishi Engine Plant Participating Units: 73rd BW and 313th BW Number A/C Airborne: 117 % A/C Bombing Primary: 28% (33 Primary, 0 Secondary, 54 Last Resort, 16 Opportunity) Time Over Primary: 151502K - 151555K Altitude of Attack: 25,300 - 34,000 Weather Over Target: CAVU to 3/10 Total A/C Lost: 1 Resume of Mission: Bombing results---203,000 square feet destroyed or damaged. 5.4% of total rood area. Severe wea- ther en route caused formations to break up. Sixteen early returns. One aircraft ditched on return. Enemy air opposition weak---166 attacks. Enemy aircraft destroyed seven, probably destroyed eight and damaged twenty-three. AA meager to moderate, inaccurate to accurate. Average bomb load: 6,000 lbs. for the 73rd BW, 5,000 lbs. for the 313th BW. Average gas reserve: 1,191 gallons. Fifty-four aircraft Hamamatsu--- 2,000,000

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