MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Number 188

 

1. Date:  15 June 1945
    

2. Target:  Kobe Urban Area              (90.25-11)
    

3. Participating Units:  58th, 73rd, 313th, and 314th Bombardment Wings
    

4. Number A/C Airborne:  530  (including 7 Super Dumbos)
    

5. % Aircraft Bombing Primary:  89.87%  (473 primary and 8 opportunity)
    

6. Type of Bombs and Fuzes:  E-46, Non-delay nose and varied delay tails:
   T4E4, varied delay nose and non-delay tail: AN-M47A2, instantaneous nose and non-delay tails, and M17-A1m 24 sec. nose and non-delay tail.
    

7. Tons of Bombs Dropped:  3079.1 primary and 54.7 opportunity
    

8. Time Over Primary:  050822K  - 050947K
    

9. Altitude of Attack:  13,650  - 18,800 feet
    

10. Weather Over Target:  0/10  -  8/10
     

11. Total A/C Lost:  11
     

12. Resume of Mission:  About 3.8 square miles of the city were destroyed and about ½ square mile east of Kobe.  Nine numbered industrial Targets were damaged.  Total damage to city is 8 square miles, about 51% of the built-up portion of the city.  Of the B-29’s lost, 3 were due to E/AC, 3 to enemy A/A, 1 crashed at Iwo Jima, and 1 to unknown causes.  49 A/C were non-effective.  The 125 E/AC sighted made 672 attacks.  Claims were 86-31-78.  E/AA was heavy, meager to intense, generally accurate, and damaged 139 B-29’s.  Forty-three A/C landed at Iwo Jima.  Average Bomb Load:  13,178 lbs.  Average Fuel Reserve:  677 gallons.

 

 

 

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