The Primary target of Mission No. 26 was the
Musashino Aircraft Engine Plant (Target 357 ).

Cloud cover over the target resulted in a shift
to the secondary target, the Tokyo Dock area.

Target 357 was bombed multiple times during 1944 and 1945.
There was minimal damage to the Plant and
significant losses of both B-29s and aircraft crews.

Following the Cover Page are two Mission Blackboards.

These were updated in real time during
the mission by 73rd Bomb Wing Mission Control.

The first one is for the 73rd Bomb Wing and
the second for the 500th Bomb Group.

The Wing lost four B-29s during this mission.
Details are in the Tables begining in Page 2.

Lt Samuelson's B-29 was lost due to Enemy Action ( EA ).
This was the result of being rammed by a Japanese two engine fighter.

The 500th Bomb Group Blackboard has more details
concerning the two squadrons that flew this Mission.

Lt Samuelson's name appears in the
first squadron flying Z Square 12 ( Z-12 ).

He had flown seven prior missions mostly on Z Square 3.

At the bottom of this page is the Vertical Chart.

This shows the area where Japanese aircraft attacked the B-29s,
where B-29s were lost, and cloud cover at different altitudes.

The 500th Bomb Group could not bomb Target 357 visually
and switched to Secondary Target.

Some B-29s were able to bomb Visually while others used Radar.

BACK TO TOP

The Primary Target for this Mission was the
Musashino Aircraft Factory ( Target 357 ).

The 313th Bomb Wing also participated in this mission.

Nine squadrons from the four Bomb Groups of the 73rd Bomb Wing
flew this mission as a column of squadrons.

IP = Initial Point
Beginning of Bomb Run

At the IP ( Kofu ) undercast prevented a visual sighting for the bombardiers.
The course was changed to the Secondary Target at the Tokyo Dock Area.

______________________________

Below is a link to pages from Jim Bowman's Day by Day
in PDF format that cover the
500th Bomb Group for the period 16 - 19 February 1945.
Within are several details of the mission.
____________________________________________

Two navigation charts and a Google Map follow this commentary.

The initial course to the Primary Target was 85 degrees TRUE but
changed to 88-90 degrees for most of the nine squadrons
to reach the Secondary target.

Documents in the Mission Report state that
Capt. Samuelson's B-29, Z Square 12,
was rammed close to or over the target.

Missing Air Crew Report ( MACR ) states a time of 0544 Z,
the same moment that bombs were dropped by the first squadron.

This information does not match that in other documents from
Sgt Janecek's IDPF that place the location closer to the area of Uenohara.

Jim Bowman's Day by Day contains ten pages covering
Mission Number 26.

  Day By Day 19 February 1945

You may need to use the back arrow
to return here

used with permission of Jim Bowman