The target of 73rd Bomb Wing Mission # 39 was Musashino ( 357 ) which had been bombed several times since November 1944. On this page is a photo of B-29s in formation on this is daytime mission.
Below is a Google map showing the area of the approach in the photo and the location of the target.

The last diagram on this page is the 499th Bomb Group Blackboard.
V-22 flown by Lt Hibbard was lost on this mission.

The next two pages have samples from the 274 pages of the complete Mission Report.
These are from the Consolidated Statistical Summary and contain both tables and narrative text.

In one of the documents there is indication of not knowing if V-22 was hit
by flak or by a phosophorous bomb dropped from above.

A second document written by Lt Col Snow contains a more definitive statement
that a phosphorous bomb did hit the B-29.
All indications are that this took place after V-22 had dropped its bombs.

The formation diagram in Page 3 shows bombing altitude which averages about 15,000 feet.

With the exception of the Google map, the source of these documents is:

Jim Bowman
original source : National Archives, College Park Maryland

APPROACHING THE COAST OF JAPAN

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TARGET 357 MUSASHINO

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499TH BOMB GROUP MISSION BLACKBOARD
NOTE V-22 EXPLODED LEAVING TARGET

 

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