Mission Number 37
Target 357
Nakajima Engine Aircraft Plant
Musashino
Night Mission 1-2 April 1945

Night mission attacks were made by individual B-29s rather than in formations.

Below are comments by Lt Col Crocker Snow , 497th Bomb Group.
In Paragraph 9 he states his reasons why
the way this target is bombed need to be changed.

Beginning in January 1945, the 73rd Bomb Wing Control was established.
During the Mission, all communications were fed into Wing Control.
Each Bomb Group had a Mission Blackboard that
was updated throughout the Mission.

The 498th Mission Blackboard follows Lt Col Snow's comments

Tail numbers for the 498th Bomb Group began with the letter T

Lt Carl Smith was flying T Square 26.

On this blackboard were the Tail Number, Aircaft Commander,
and times of Take Off and Landing.

There are entries for B-29s that were Scratched before takeoff
and those that Aborted after departure.

Three B-29s do not have landing times.

One of these is T Square 26.
In the far right column ( REMARKS ) are the words "MISSING".

At the bottom of Table I in Page 2 is mention of TB-29, Wing Headquarters.
General O'Donnell was Aircraft Commander, flying as a Flare Aircraft.

Table IX in Page 2 has additional information on the aircraft that were lost.

In Page 4 is a 2-page Tactical Narrative Report
signed by Brigadier General Emmett O'Donnell, 73rd Bomb Wing Commander.

source of this Mission Report :
Jim Bowman
National Archives, College Park, Maryland

497TH BOMB GROUP
BRIEF REPORT
LT COL CROCKER SNOW

 

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498TH BOMB GROUP MISSION BOARD
1-2 APRIL 1945

 

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