73rd Bomb Wing Field Order 89 is for Missions 62 and 63
flown by the 497th and 498th Bomb Groups.
The 498th target on Mission 63 was Miyakonojo Air Field.
T Square 4 SN 42-24611
was flown by the Lt Earl B Fisher Crew
These missions were flown while the Battle of Okinawa was taking
place.
Admiral Nimitz requested that missions be flown
to Kyushu in an attempt to neutralize air fields.
Presented here are a few of the 155 pages
from the complete Mission Report.
Following the cover page is Table I with general details of the B-29s
from both the 497th and 498th flying these missions.
Next is the first page of Field Order Number 66 issued by XXI Bomber
Command.
In there are details of targets for the three Bomb Wings ( 73rd, 313th,
and 314th ) .
The Navigation Map for the 497th and 498th Bomb Groups is at the
bottom of the page.
The red line shows the track of the 497th
and the green line the 498th.
Outlined with a blue oval is the location where other B-29s saw T-4
ditch.
One report has the coordinates as
30 52 N - 131 31 E
SSgt Brown was carried north from this location by a current flowing
in
that direction, reaching Oshino Island 1-2 miles East of Meitsu, Kyushu.
Whether he was in a one man life raft or his Mae West is not known.
