XXI Bomber Command Mission No. 146
73rd Bomb Wing Mission No. 65
497th Bomb Group Mission No. 52

5 May 1945
Target 660
Hiro Naval Aircraft Factory
Kure

All four Bomb Groups of the 73rd Bomb Wing participated in this daylight mission.

Below is the Mission Blackboard for the 497th Bomb Group.

Of the scheduled 33 aircraft, 3 scratched and
3 aborted ( X in the ABORT column ).

14 aircraft landed at Iwo Jima ( IWO in the ABORT column ).

The first three B-29s ( A-51, A-44, and A-56 )
were the lead aircraft in the formation.

Flying in A-51 with Capt Geyer was
Colonel Arnold Johnson, Commander 497th Bomb Group
( see REMARKS column ).

Capt Geyer was the Aircraft Commander and
Col Johnson Mission Commander

Lt McSpadden was Aircraft Commander in A-Square 56.

This Blackboard was updated in real time by Wing Control as
communications from the B-29s were received on Saipan.

Included are the Take Off ( TO ) and Landing ( LAND ) times
as well as aircraft landing at Iwo Jima.

497TH BOMB GROUP
MISSION 65
BLACKBOARD

source: Jim Bowman
National Archives
College Park Maryland