MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Number 258

      

1. Date:  9/10 July 1945

2. Target:  Sakai Urban Area

3. Participating Unit:  73rd Bombardment Wing

4. Number A/C Airborne:  124

5. % A/C Bombing Primary:  92.74%   (115 primary & 3 opportunity)

6. Type of Bombs and Fuzes:  AN-M47A2, 100# incendiary bomb with instantaneous nose fuse: and, E36 and E46, 500# incendiary clusters set with nose & tail to open 5000 feet above Target.

7. Tons of Bombs Dropped:  778.9 tons on primary and 19.6 on opportunity.

8. Time Over Primary:  100233K  - 100406K

9. Altitude of Attack:  10,000  - 11,350 feet

10. Weather Over Target:  1/10

11. Total A/C Lost:  0

12. Resume of Mission:  Strike photos showed well concentrated fires in the city, with a brisk ground wind from the NE.  Crews reported glow of fires visible nearly 200 miles.  Smoke columns were up to over 17,000 feet.  The Target was visible to only 5 A/C.  6 A/C were non-effective.  15 E/A sighted made 5 attacks.  One possible air-to-air phosphorous burst met over Target.  Flak was heavy and medium, meager to moderate, inaccurate, barrage and continuously pointed.  Approximately 20 S/L’s in Target area.  Flak damaged 5 B-29’s.  One A/C, not included in A/B preceded main force to transmit weather information.  Dropped 6.3 tons on Target.  Two A/C landed at Iwo Jima.  Average Bomb Load:  13,972 lbs.  Average Fuel Reserve:  812 gallons.

 

 

Next Mission

Index