analysis of loss and damage of b-29 aircraft, march-june 1945

8/8/2019 Analysis of Loss and Damage of B-29 Aircraft, March-June 1945

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19

15

20

-or'"' , , " - -

, - ~ . " " ."

o SATURATING AAPAYS DIVIDENDS

o JAP FIGHTERREACTIOII

o JAPS USE NAIlF L A K T ~ I C S

o JAP FIGHTER STRENGTHINCReASES


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TWENTIITH AIR FORCEdalllTllllGEMCE REPORT

21 July 1945

m BOMCOIl OPERATIONSB-29s create Ilore Garden PlotsPhoto of Chiba DamagePhoto of Shimizu DamageFour Fire IlissionsPhoto Sendai under AttackPhoto Sakai under AttackPhoto Gifu under Attack315th Bombs Two RefineriesPhoto Maruzen Refinery DamageFinal Shipping Squeeze InitiatedB-29 Bombs }l..29

JAPANESE.Am DEFENSEJap F ighte r Strength IncreasesProblems of a Jap crew ChiefFighter Reaction to Recent Ilissions

FLAK INTELLIGENCE

33566769101112

131515


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I t 11 intended that thh weekly r e port be II. lou.rce or inter ll l l. t icn to r COlll_ba t erell's and sta r t ottlelra Ifho have aleg1tUllltl in teres t 1n th e OPera tion, o rth e T'IIIInt1eth AU "orca. With in thos el1lalt5 it , ho ul d r ec ei ve t he widest p o . ~I l b l l circulation permiSSib le under theprOV1l10115 or AR 380-5.

In Order that a maximum or intelli_lenee l I Ie) ' be inclUded, th e report is11vln In ove.r-all elasstt1clUon or sec_r e t . When the nature or th e IIlllterialwarrants, Indlvl


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~ ~ I Z U ' 47 per .en ' ,f the bnil...n, eroa " "".,....r o ~ t t . a t e. bY ,n .e..,er,.dr'''''' ...g. et ,,,0>e night of 6.. JUl3'.

ot th e 1.41 square aile of bu1lt,.1JParea. 'total ~ 15 D ,bCU t 50percent. fbe Intue u r ar- baSb.. . d tr Ofed b1 f i r l wittl th l -ception or ,.aU parUonJ 1D tbll. s t r..e n ~ t b ,Dd sooth. ..,.aUportiOD of t,he . .tar 'ldl 1 J J d U ' t t ~a r - and ~ _ b e ~ iDlNJV-tarp t l I t l ~ 11SSIOl BS4 - rOII1'!'bl 31&th Wia& ._ loto f ttl 'tourth of t t l ' 1 t t e ~ ~ 1 ,trlk" elltbe nllh t of ~ ' 1011 ItI'G';"pret.Otlll'a1 capital aDd l I i ~ ~ ' ,n :e' t. of , .,.,.,1 , l J I ~ ci 10 oeDaat.ed 111 . ~ , " l : : t : " 011 tbItrel JaP8D. It' oatt toCbl10 RR l tD'D a l ~ j l ~ O ' Itt ,h . tokllSldO 11_ .. p l ; . . . l 1 1 1 . ~11 prlDOlpal17' t D...~ ; ; ; iF '..dD l ceJIt. . . .,............ .. -......"',-,_ aD 1Jd'aDt:r1 rN- - - rw--..II' ,.s.'.

l.aportant alumlDUJa 1nduStr:r.UlQ located the re are several , _ 11_ , bldldinc and repair yard' andft1l rvdl ot tn e Toklla1do.a1nlb . I t b u I population of 69,000......t. '136 a11'boroe. 1:53 or th e 313~ t 9 t dropped 1,030 tOOl or., 1'1'1.. on tn e target _.. 119.,..,ru.r, eight 'Yl,ua11:r and s iS b1, ,_ ...1M 'Ytnal1y. BCDb1D.1'wasr ; 4. to lO/lO cloud treD ., ,500h c t i ~ . ~ " e1J'crart ..re I'J,OD-et-.. ';:nty l ix ene. , t1lMeJOs allIt \ill '..4 _de rout' attaOk *111- . \al' ti t Hported DO flak at.. .t . Wbat tbere . . .. ._ :"1,114 inaccurate anO of b.a,,",lta.; 1aI caliber _ f tere .... DOOf 3-298. 'tWo l.anded a t I d .~ - . . t rc . th e b_blQC t li t .15 Iquar-e . 1 ~ . 0 I ' "., peroea'

heavy and ......meager tt l lIedl\l1l1There-t!ll8 i.tltefllttJ otllbtpB-29s or tlo 10.1 'Ill! taa:....", 1lblch 13 ~ ~ ~ \Pour B..29a .. , , J&rnllI8l'l to - . . . .radar and 1t1tttrtrt:"''' '. ''11t ec the -.r. c O Q a t " ~ ~ , ,. - - . . . . ~!h e 58'" "" _.8 6 lqtlare . lit

th e heaY11.7 - ,


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I

sAI


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II

... D. twO r ~ a t ~ c " . , - : : r...I1 ,=-nJ: ; V ; ; . ~ e-t-1.,.r.1I11w -till j,JIIoco " ).Of,_ ...'0 ..o1,ed t r :r..: ae'1000_...... - - post .v .... ..rf j o l '. - t ~ ' . ! . . ~ r 1 .. . .'0 be a .,.;le t ';4b1 tbSJI a s - ot . . . . . . . . . . . .~ ..p' uP . . . .J J ; ; f t t ~ ...:;;..,ptot"" $ toM.. to ' . ~ . . . . .~ ~ S J I I ' t . ' - l ~ f ill: : ~ - . . , t . ~ r ~ : ~.. ~ r r . : _ ~ ... ! ! : " ' ~ "..~ b 1 ~ . 1 _ 4 0

and ..ood tU tu e . . parco.-...Pb.,r prodUCtb 'th e !14tb had 1 a1l'crat t a it ...borna, 129 of ,.bleb dropped 898toni of Inc.rW.Uull' . - 98 v1sual1tbod bY raoar'- tor""" O/lJJcloud f r 16,300 t t . ODI b ~ b f I l 5another target. F1.T8"'1'8 noDdt f .c t1.... and on' .cted &I a r.4&J'w104-l'ep6rUD8 'a1l'crart and car1"te4no b(lllb8t'bree to lD . n"" atrcraf 't ..reraporte4. They ma4' thl'ee a tt lc " 'pUk -.s a04erat. and iDlccurat e , 41ufl aDd h....Y1. I t 4aJI&8e4 DOB-9' . ODe Bo.29 was .b 6D4OD1d b 'tween Rota an4' saip&D and a l l cr". . . . . .or ' _ . ,,,,.. .ed. sU ].aDd'". . . ., f r CD b- bel"Photo r e c O D D o " l I l a ~ ' sbOWS thatth b targ.t 11 .PI"'OSlJObW 1 " ~ cbnt deS ..07"d" b . . .ul t .r ,,1'aU .10Ilo or th . t"tol . . I lt -"P . . . . .o! 60 .quor' . 1U , bPpros1.. ~ 1 1.93 ,quar 1 bill beeD 4_1;1'01.- ' W g ' 1J>1dont l1' l'd 1. . . . . . . ..-1plAnt bn ' .0111 '' ' ' "".1. ~ . : : f : tOUSes iD the .CII1th cep-& Jo-"I(S....th e c1ty have be'D lfestroJe4 'eret) -1!ifd1

..'rAt ~ 1 5 t n Wlngl:Ia war ...u-. . ponr or Ja tllOU\er 30ltlIt1l.!l& the week byWoo 1Il000e- . , . ~ t th eII on presshtU1ti proouciDs...the nisht of ~ - Jul1 tb .or th1s w1.n& retur0a6 to tb e\1tt l l :U t\er1oet'J at S b ~ u ~, , ~ e y had 'titt pr..lou- l1 0t. or 2- 3 Ju l1 '. . . : . ~ ........,............;...:sDi opped 4,U 1;ODS of!SOO""J t . . .:' .he prl-.rY t I ' ~ A - ~ ~ 5 ! f C J l l o l 4 " "'t tbI . . . . ~ o U I b ).UI o ~ eD'.. by planes 4l"opp1Dl ti l ~ e o t t . " t i l . TWO"". DooA -"a ~ . . . . 1 Q & l e - - ~ : ~ ......nt.1t1e4

a target and'*' i t asairborne i 108, , ftS't incendiaries - /""'i ,,,, '"...111 bod 10 bY~ " " , , ' ~ . J ; . - B ...b1llg b1t1'" 'l:Or"t... 1O' r:J-.r a1l'cr.rt ..er e~ I I tt aCked ,lak_sJ.;4 ooe :D1 inaCcurate rRBrrIM- ,eareblisntl were,.,..t. ':1l'cratt . .. .8 damaged~ '/b:: ".re nO 10Sse8 ODD. tt l noo--ertecti'9'e and oneI:P,. IIo one, not included),IIrI ~ aUborne, preceded th ettl obtain and transmit ..ea-f l ...0 pOlt strite recot\ll&19saneeIll litlD obtained.nSS1CIR 260 __ GI10!'J' 314tb. ' ingbad G1tu a8 a tar11111 city, 1f1tti a populatiOn,l't,Wl,l1.' 1n one or th e prill."QIlil.la&rlc power ...pro4Ucln8 areasiliSIl, 18 mileS nortb1f'8 s t or . .

"'" tt 11 surrcnnd.d by 008 orIiIlO1t heav1ly rorested areas or_ til. peacet1JDBI th e IndUS'",... of the c1ty consiSted or _ ~ l l t

1n th.e Osaka 1'8810in c o t t O n - S P l D l l l n a ' l l ' : ~ i . l l l I e l l l 1 t I "tn g and cb8Cl.1cal 8lallltllK, bl t "peclaUy or Picric " c 1 d ' ~ " I:t.POPUlation or 182,l4t'., ~ l t ~ ,Htuated 011 Osaka Ba, tluo e1tlsouth or Osaka. Ther' ll 'eer a c t o r ~ e s .1n the center or : _hltion th e ' as tern aM SOUth "VlIJlSki r t s . There is a r",Ur "t10n and yards in the cit, I plan. hangers on the COUt a ~ ' "th a ci ty .

ona hUndred twenty tOlD' 8.2911th e 73rd 'Wing were aUbor,- acaU:th e et ty , 115 drOPPing 765 t ~ l finc .ndlarles . on It thrQ;l&b 1Iloc loud t rom 10.600 teet. 'II b-.ed visual ly aDd U l by radar, !tIttIIa i rcraf t bombed other tarsets. CIiIa i rcraf t preceded the stUb totain weather date aM abo dl'OpPN51:1: tons on th e pr1mary tarset. suB-29. were non-ettectt.....

/J.L. .,......'11() under a t_ok bt.;';:on th e nlght ot 9 - 1 ~ ";i1b.0lI"-In s Inc.ndlarU' ar 'against th e . oke

lI'ediwn and heavy tlak: as Illal ly inaccurate. AlreJ'att IlIl ll iwere no t l 1 1 u m t n a t ~ reeflhed . .ge r barrages while those wbidl . .caught in searchlIlhts reet1ndmoderate continuO'llaly pointed tt l..APproximately 50 percent or \bea i rcraf t were illu-lnated IDlll'Gflwa. no t as ettectt.. al It tlU billin th e past . Eight B-29t rtetl....minor tlak dama&e. There wert DIllosses. Two landed at Iwo 1 ~ No post strike rec0lllll1Jltllllba s be.n obtained.

MISSION 2159 . - IADYJIl'lfakay&llll bas a p o p o l a t I o a . c t ~e03. Betore the n r ttle p r ~ u ai n du s t r y " tu tUaa bat h UOll rIhaye been con'nrted to pro::.seall'heavy a i rc r . r t ~ t I , t a l l ' "or4Dance, high qual1::oc; ao 1lJIIdy.a . Th . city 1U '40 a1J.I . . .aoutb o Kobe and ttl rl" t or osaka at e itP"p.ninsula ce-.n4iDlto Osaka Bay.

lIISSION 25 8 __ SAXAI8a.kal 1a an industr ial center

Twenty enemy righters were"Sigh._t ea end one attack was made. Sixaircraft sustained m1nor dalll88e frOIDbeavy flak which was meager to mod_erate and generally tnaceurate.lle41U1l1 flak was meager and lneccW"ate.One ai rcraf t no t IncluCiec in th eto tal airborne crashed on attemptedtakeoff and a ll crew members weresare. One aircraft also precededth e strike to obtain weather data.Th1.rteen landed a t 1_0.No post str11l:e reconnaissanceDes been obtained.

The 5Bth Wing sent 131 aircraftagaln!t I t . 123 of which drOPped90'1' tons or incendiaries through3/10 cloud trem 10,000 teet . Ninetyr bombed visually and 29 by ra d&:', One bcmbed anotner target.SeTea were Don-erfective.

- .: '. '.'. ......


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.,mile rusan U r l tb ln present rangeor operations of Fleet AiI' ' log 0D8wbicb 15 100ld08 at ter the situationthere. seUh.in and RashiD are be' 0nd ra08e or present Ravel air operet ions lIblch leaves theil, tor~ h t1llle being l to the t ender careof subs and B-2"'9. SUbmarine operat l0n tn th e Ja'P&o sea has provedextremelY hazardOUS I hllOCe the ioi t l a t ion or the final squeeze ioth e XXI B ~ C ( & J S planned program ofcOIiPlete

elosJSl"e or all Jall50eseports by doing.D&'t.lILS 07 THE J:IssION

' fbe Job tlooe at RashlD was partof BacaCom 1I1SsioO _bl l r '262 Clinin s 11155100 pbe1 ' 33), dW'iOCwhich ealls were paid 00 t;f '0 oth'"tarSet s in tbe JaP b_

landon U J011' ,LX 313t b .1I1S ~ craft .ere airbne tr '* 164D1fWO1446JC to 111 . ines at : 'bi:;.d ,is"

ot these a 1 r e r ~ . . A ~ o u r a 1 l ' ~l,OOO-peuo4 .toes n d ~ " a'.,ob laid t 2 ' O ~ ~ . r-'Dt1RashiD t r ~ . - z o e aUbOZ'DI' (r '*tour alJ'ere.... lD1'S 1D th 'l"T,eJt to l to la 1 eSblll000-ti .. t ern e n U ' 8 n c ~ II1nete.n ofstra i t anti at :-1I1d 6a 1 . 0 0 0 - ~tb ' . . . 1 J ' ~ . - z n d eJJIIIS lIS tDe'and 1!M 8 .VV" ' - r-ireraft " , r . aCID"t l a lM ' r b ~ e . t t .ct i.... -1 n1n& fl..blO crttn . aircraft ,t r-o' n'" Ib1'l. t d :: :;:. aDd oDII ~ : 1 : t Ittl" ).a_pc! othlr eiJ'Gl'aft,..lt1oD . . ..... _a1J'Pr-o- J : ' l ! ~ aDc! 0 1011'" : ~ , - , , ~ " U l t 8 1 " ' ; ~.1 '1 - --"

)lam a i rc ra f t r&porteO no t lak .New daDlage to th e plaot as a re su l t or th e mission 15 set at 20percent af ter e preliainary stuOyor poet strike pbotoS. nve perceot or tbe target was cloud cOf'ereO. (Secret)

wete non.et tec.

DPCRTANC! or RASHlI~ ~ : t a trOll Fleet Air Wing on1lJ.1at t ~ l d n a w a to a. .a rc h . nt l oeu t Ml e Yellow s.... iotlicatAI~ ~ ~ _ a l l Ja'P shiPping hASIII 'At. ..........wn t rca WOIl. wetAlr. , h t Olin.se poru on Wis t ~ __ IlOl'tant Ja'P a " laMl b.a'"II t:b&ndoned as shiPpi1\S c.nt r .. ~ 0 1 ' at Jt:arean porU on theted- Je;oan sea.

three chiet "or_n ~ t nO::Itt" cau , bUSy 't1" .. ~ t l l l ' r l ~ t J ' ~Itt hare at Jaoao'. l-.ports ~ II, ~ e a t e l ' East ,..16 c o - p J ' ~ 1 .111 ~ e r e ' to h .r b ~ D or'q an, Sei.hln., .04.::t 1aC'1.., RashiD i. th

. lhI lligbt or U.12 J-ulY. 1512:I1ClI B ~ e 9 s ne'" 1,860 Mut t..II lleI (rl l l1 Tln1an t o p o ll ut ewblll' or RashiD. Jagan'S bUstar_n 5Japort. This 115 th eI ~ ellibat leg flown to oate byor the 'XXI BOGICca.

SURPRISB!IPoot thet tl1e Ja'P!I considered'. . r ~ , a n c t u m Ja'Oan Se a shiPeeDters Jar. tl"0lD even B-29Uon is .vid.J:l,ced in th eul1,tanee they rendered ..men

"'"laft aU the Ralhin harbor aDdl1&bh burning to guide ,CNJ'Il'rt.nd th . re . ThiS was par 'Iala:11 tuoughttul. as .... had nOrlconnalllsanc. or the a r_ , ,": they decid. to black (N t in'IJIKwe. scope coverage was ob" on this r i r s t aiss10n tar.. .CM.1ll ~ t h e r .swe.t.nio&- or. .ters.

,.nRUZEN OIL REPINERI, Target 1764,1, 95 percent deatro,yed rellow!ngan ..ttack on t he n ig ht or 6_7 Ju11by t he 3 lS th Wing ...-


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Another a i r_ to -a i r banblng by a- f9, . l tb a resulting Darrow eseapeto r the aceldental target, occurredduring 1b8 3!3th 's str ike on HameJl.on i'JulJr. A 313th WID8 8-29 eom_t4ed b)" Lt. Dooald. X. Drassler otth e 5Q4.th Gl'OUP. had finished hisbORb run'an4 release at 10.000 teetalHtu4e, when i t was 1n a nea1'eoll1s10b with another 8..29. Lt.Dressler dO'Te to th e r ight , and th eotber plane. swinging apward and tothe l e t t , releasM i ts bClllbs as i tp a ~ a e d overhead, Several bombspaned through the rudder and ve r...tieal ttn ot Lt . Dressler's plane.

' lb. &1l'plane ft.! on automaticpUot and it was seen at onee'thata l l ruc1der control was los t . Thepilot '8 .lev-star and rUdder eOb_t r o l ~ ' prOved oper6tlve.but the"eoPUot"a ..l6 t. . . .out. In addition, th e. . . lb breaking s y s t . was Inopera..t iTS, With a power setting ot43 lIP,2,400 RPM, a a low c limb was s tarteda t 210 Idle , pe r h our, usi ng t heauto p i lo t tor control or elevatorsbut w it t) ~ ) . ~ control at allerons.

Despi te t he ioc re as . il l the slzeot th e Jap tighter force there a pears t.o bea decrease ln the plountor fighter intercept.ion encounteredby th e B_29S on recent . u s lons This .y . be attributed to tbe J_P"desire to conser'1e biS strengtb fOf'th e upected invasion at th . h(llllt"'land and a11l 0 to t.be "IIllt ipl1c1t1ot t;argeta on s1llU1taneoua B..29str1k8s to ..eak11 defended areasro llaw1ng ere data oil tUbta

rreaction tor 111511008 2 0 to zS5

2 . Limited combat act1vlt1 1nJune whlch perllitted replac_ oUto exceed ".s tage. Iner..se inproduction ot tighters 15 dU01ssedbelow.

rorce.

to pQOll' operat.loaa1 .....~

..

Il8"UQII !12!!L .-;:,.r~ . i "il t.O.11&bt . . . .12...:se--255tlll1Udinstb.tD.1tteuOba.

:Q.Al !aSSION],- 6,t t l9k1. JIbtti..., 0 0 -.e1So.21 131

50 " 60

....."" 01 270 " eo

~ , ; ~

110110 cloud cover. anab leItnlhtar .acart no t a"

/I) righter strength availableB-29 lnterception has practice: doubled 1n tM la s t six week5~ & 5 5 to 1 ,560. There are t."o!II:cI tor th15 I1. COIlY,raton ot J\YU5hu_bas eCI~ t . U 9 !'ral the auicide and b O l l l b ~Illtaek torces to th e intercepter

.The plane was l e v e l ~15,000 t ee t and i t oft Itairplane " ' ~ 9 m . s tOllM tile~ e d u e e d speed or e maneuwlblillbr gh , so the POll:_thaOU t down to sl1ghtlr lila_tt l n lanormal eruisins getttllllle p. ne 'll'8S brought back lISlecruise control as mueh U ponlblt.DuQ to lack ot rudder eontrol tlIIheading wandered aboot 10 c l e c r ~ , .

RETURNS TO TIJIlIAllThe dee ts ion to eonUP' to T1Dota n rather- then land at Iwo lI S 11-fluenced 11,. th e ant.1dpeUcc. rlbet ter tac1l1.ti85 tor an!anding a t home base. s e c t ~ ~ ~th e damaged taU (see I'1Dt....

dropped o f f eontinuousl1 011long fUgbt . dUrinlt whleb til. awas prepared to baU out.SUCCESsP'UL LANDII']

TIle ship cClDlllenced tOWlllf t 11 :ways on nearing TioW and, ~ tiltin g in closer. waYe shar.. .ll1b11111.r igh t . 'Ibis was correc tD4 1Dreduction ' of power il1 110. 12 engines. and by incre&f1.,,1Ifon No. 3 and Bo. f . 1 1 8 1 O : : ; o ~ 1 tapproach was made, ustnS tro1-"maintain d t r e c t 1 0 a a ~ _ . J ~ ..$landing gear was lotnW-" 1111ll000ent and no flaps 41; 1 I I ~r ight over th e run1lS1.:_ ....;. . ..made a successfulbraked tb e sh1p n th . .system. ( C o n t 1 d . n ~ )

analysis of loss and damage of b-29 aircraft, march-june 1945

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