B-29 Missions - November 1944

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Mission # 3

Date: 2 November 1944
Code Name: Truk
Target: Submarine pens, Dublon Island, Truk Atoll
Participating Unit: 73rd BW
Number of A/C Airborne: 20
% A/C Bombing Primary: 85% ( 17 )
Time Over Primary: 021034K - 021135K
Altitude of Attack: 25,900 - 27,300
Weather Over Target: 7/10 - 8/10
Total A/C Lost: 0

Resume of Mission: Shakedown mission. Bombing results poor. Three aircraft non-effective. No enemy opposition. Mis- sion planned to afford practice in using radar bombing proce- dure. AA heavy. meager to inaccurate. Assemblies made according to plan. Average bomb load: 5,000 lbs. Average bomb load: 5,000 lbs. Average gas reserve 2053 gallons.

Mission # 4

Date: 5 November 1944
Code Name: Iwo Jima
Target: Two airfields at Iwo Jima
Participating Unit: 73rd BW
Number A/C Airborne: 36
% A/C Bombing Primary: 67% ( 24 )
Time Over Primary: 051623K - 051639K
Altitude of Attack: 26,750 - 27,500
Weather Over Target: 9/10 - 10/10
Total A/C Lost: 0

Resume of Mission: Shakedown mission. Mission planned to give training in daylight visual bombing and test of night landing facilities at base. Two aircraft non-effective. Ten aircraft reaching target were ineffective due to malfunction of bomb bay doors on lead aircraft. Bombs dropped at various intervals beyond target. No enemy air opposition. AA heavy, meager to inaccurate. Bombing results poor. Average bomb load: 10,000 pounds. Ave- rage gas reserve: 1,409 gallons

Mission # 5

Date: 8 November 1944
Code Name: Iwo Jima
Target: Airfields at Iwo Jima
Participating Unit: 73rd BW
Number A/C Airborne: 17
% A/C Bombing Primary: 35% ( 6 )
Time Over Primary: 081232K - 081234K
Altitude of Attack: 27,650 - 29,000
Weather Over Target: 4/10 - 5/10
Total A/C Lost: 1

Resume of Mission: Shakedown mission. Bombing results--- no photos. Crews reported excellent. Formation of eight aircraft missed target entirely when lead aircraft over ran IP. Eleven A/C non-effective. One aircraft ditched at 19 degrees north 141 degrees east. Enemy air opposition slight, eight enemy aircraft made at- tacks. Six phosphorus bombs dropped on formations. AA heavy, moderate too inaccurate. Average bomb load: 10,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,167 gallons.

Mission # 6

Date: 11 November 1944
Code Name: Truk
Target: Submarine Base, Dublon Island Secondary - Dublon Island Shipping
Participating Unit: 73rd BW
Number A/C Airborne: 9
% A/C Bombing Primary: 89% ( 8 )
Time Over Primary: 111335 - 111357
Altitude of Attack: 25,000 - 25,000
Weather Over Target: 2/10 - 3/10
Total A/C Lost: 0

Resume of Mission: Shakedown mission. Bombing results fair. One aircraft non-effective. Enemy air opposition slight by five unaggressive attacks. One enemy aircraft damaged. Average bomb load: 10,000 pounds. Average gas reserve: 2,212 gallons. AA meager to inaccurate

Mission # 7

Date: 24 November 1944
Code Name: San Antonio # 1
Target: Musashino A/C Plant Tokyo ( 357 ), Secondary - Urban and Dock Area Tokyo
Participating Unit: 73rd BW
Number A/C Airborne: 111
% A/C Bombing Primary: 22% ( 24 )
Time Over Primary: 241312K - 241532K
Altitude of Attack: 27,000 - 32,000
Weather Over Target: 2/10 - 9/10
Total A/C Lost: 2

Resume of Mission: Fifty-nine aircraft attacked urban and dock area of Tokyo and five aircraft attacked Matsuzaki village, target of opportunity. Bombing results poor---16,058 square feet destroyed or damaged. Ground speeds estimated at 445 mph over target---16 bursts in target area. Twenty-three air- craft non-effective. One aircraft ditched all crew rescued. One aircraft believed lost in collision with enemy aircraft. Enemy air opposition meager, moderate to intense---184 attacks. Enemy aircraft destroyed seven, probably destroyed 18 and damaged 9. AA heavy, meager to moderate, inaccurate to accurate. Average bomb load: 10,000 lbs. Average gas re- serve: 1,048 gallons

Mission # 8

Date: 27 November 1944
Code Name: Sand Antonio # 2
Target: Primary---Musashino Plant, Nakajima A/C Factory Tokyo (357) Secondary---Urban and Dock Area Tokyo
Participating Unit: 73rd BW
Number A/C Airborne: 81
% A/C Bombing Primary: 0 Primary, 49 Secondary
Time Over Primary: Secondary---271347K - 271525K Opportunity---271420K - 271423K
Altitude of Attack: Secondary---27,700 - 34,000 Opportunity---32,000
Weather Over Target: 10/10
Total A/C Lost: 1

Resume of Mission: Bombing results unobserved. Primary completely obscured. Forty-nine aircraft bombed secondary target by radar. Seven aircraft bombed Hamamatsu. While this mission was being flown nine to eleven enemy fighters attacked Isley Field. All but one destroyed by AA and fighters. Three B-29s destroyed, two extensively damaged, undeterm- ined number damaged. Nineteen aircraft non-effective. One aircraft ditched on return to base, 12 crew members missing. Enemy air opposition and flak nil. Average bomb load: 10,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,093 gallons.

Mission # 9

Date: 29 November 1944
Code Name: Brooklyn # 1
Target: Primary---Industrial Area Tokyo Secondary---None Last Resort---Any Industrial City
Participating Unit: 73rd BW
Number A/C Airborne: 29
% A/C Bombing Primary: 79% (Primary 23, Last Resort 2)
Time Over Primary: Primary---300050K - 300527K Last Resort---300108K - 300157K
Altitude of Attack: Primary---25,000 - 33,200 Last Resort---21,000 - 33,200
Weather Over Target: Primary - 10/10 Last Resort - 10/10
Total A/C Lost: 1

Resume of Mission: Bombed by radar results unknown. Last resort targets Yokohama and Numozu. Four aircraft were non- effective. One aircraft missing to unknown reasons. AA heavy, meager to inaccurate. Enemy air opposition slight---five attacks. Average bomb load: 7,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,238 gal- lons.