| B-29 Raid over Yawata - Fukuoka #3 - 20 August 1944 |
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“Air War Pacific Chronology: America’s Air War Against
Japan in East Asia and the Pacific 1941-1945” by Eric Hammel
(Pacifica, CA: Pacifica Press, 1988 ISBN 0-933353-26-6) and, “USAAF Chronology: Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces” by Jack McKillop (Piscataway, NJ). Also on line at Rutgers University. |
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Sixty-one of seventy-five B-29's of the 58th BombWing, dispatched from Chengtu, bomb the Imperial Iron and Steel Works at Yawata during the day with 96 tons of bombs; six B-29's attack secondary targets and targets of opportunity. B-29's claim 17 Japanese aircraft shot down. (Fourteen B-29's are lost in combat or due to operational accidents, including one from which the crew bails out over Soviet Territory. Two of the B-29's lost over Yawata are downed as a result of intentional ramming by a Ki-45. Among the many airmen lost is Col. Richard H. Carmichael, the 462nd BG commanding officer.) During the night of 20-21 August, ten of 13 B-29's taking off late from Chengtu attack the Yawata Iron Works; five attack secondary targets. Aircraft lost: 42-24474 462nd BG, MACR 10126, Col. Carmichael crew, 8 POW (liberated after War) 42-6334 "Gertude C", 468th BG, Col. Clinkscales crew, 11 KIA, rammed at Yawata 42-6286 444th BG, MACR 10590, Dyer crew, crashed on mountain near Chengtu 42-6301 40th BG, MACR 7524, Slattery crew, crashed west of Hsinching, China, 11 KIA 42-6308 "Feather Merchant," 40th BG, MACR 9686, Grubaugh crew, Laohohow, China, bail out after Yawata, 3 KIA 42-6368 "Calamity Sue," 468th BG, MACR 9685, Stauffer crew 10 MIA, 1 POW 42-6408 "Reddy Teddy," 468th BG, Picket Crew 42-93829 "Cait Paomat," 40th BG, MACR 7523, McGlinn crew, bail out over Russia, 11 interned/released 42-6305 "Starduster," 462nd BG, Thomas crew, damaged in crash returning from Yawata 42-6332 "Belle of Baltimore," 462nd BG, Sanford crew, flak at Yawata, all saved 42-6320 "Flying Stud," 444th BG, Hensinger crew, bail out, 12 saved 42-6330 444th BG, Hanson Crew, crashed in mountain at forward base in China, 11 KIA, 1 rescued From Hap Halloran, downed later on 27 Jan 45: "I was together with Dick Carmichael and 7 of the guys from the August 20, 1944 incident over Yawata in Omori POW barracks from April 1st until liberated August 29th. Carmichael was a class guy and fine leader for the 32 of us 29ers who ended up in Omori after detention in various other places - including Kempei Tai H/Q (a bad place) adjacent Imperial Palace grounds in downtown Tokyo." Hap Halloran The remains of 42-6286 have just been found near Chengtu, China! A Chinese gentleman first mentioned it to our e-mail group on 29 Oct 99 after he discovered it during a mountain trek. After more interest in this aircraft, Bernard Yang returned a year or two later for an 11 day expedition to identify it. This is from Tom Britton, to Scotty McCall, then to Sparky Corradina: "On return the formation was ordered to disperse and later radio direction finding calls were received from the aircraft by the XX BC Ground Radio Station stating that weather was deteriating and that they were lost, flying over an undercase and low on fuel. They subsequently crashed in the Shi-Ling Mountain near Cheng-du, China. "The wreck was located in 2000 and was visited by a expedition of a local mountain climbing club organized by Mr. Bernard Yang who lives in Cheng-du. ... Apparently the site has never been visited and is located at 13,000 ft and takes 5 days by mule back to reach ... "The crew is as follows: A/C Maj Hamilton H. Dyer, Jr. O-392810 C/P Lst Lt Hunter T. Railey O-748463 Nav 2nd Lt. Roland L. Albert O811503 Bomb 2nd Lt. Douglas Salkin O-743839 Eng T/Sgt Edward D. Crimmins l9075471 Radar Sgt Raymond W. Perchorowica 16169831 Radio S/Sgt Walter C. Ciochon 36416347 CFC S/Sgt Erwin H. Mitchell 36424984 Rt Gun S/Sgt Mchele T. Mgnogna 35518908 Tail Gun S/Sgt Edward C. Congro 32561533" Other people helping to identify the aircraft and crew include Bob Mann through his communications with Tom Britton, and John Dickerson, who contacted his Senator to involve U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory. |