Our target was a factory 14 miles northwest of Tokyo but it was cloudy and we could not see it. A lot of flack but none hit us. I went to the hospital as soon as we landed but got out on the 10th1.
— Joe Caner Swann
The target for this mission was the Tachikawa Aircraft Company near Tokyo. The 73rd Bomb Wing operated alone this time (the other wings flew to other targets) with 113 aircraft.
The bombers were heavily loaded (around 18,000 lbs.) and because of this had low fuel reserves when returning to base (an average of 800 gal. per plane). They arrived over the target between 3:30 and 5:30 am of April 4 flying at low altitudes (5,700-7,200 feet). The target was "socked in" with 9/10 to 10/10 cloud cover.
The bombing results were considered good with over 365,000 square feet of the factory's roof area damaged or destroyed. The combined damage to the target from this and previous missions was over 505,000 square feet of roof area.
Enemy air opposition was weak and antiaircraft fire was inaccurate. However, the mission records do record that a "ball of fire" was seen following the aircraft2.
One aircraft did not return.
Additional Resources
- Read the complete journal kept by the Star Duster's right gunner, Joe Caner Swann.
- Resume of 20th Air Force Missions, (see book information on the books resources page).
- Mission resumes are also available on the Twentieth Air Force Association web site. This site is built with frames. To view the mission resumes click the "Missions" link in the top menu on the site's home page. This is mission 57.
Mission List
- Truk (October 30, 1944)
- Iwo Jima (November 8, 1944)
- Bonin Island (November 20, 1944)
- Tokyo (December 3, 1944)
- Tokyo (December 19, 1944)
- Pagan (December 30, 1944)
- Nagoya (January 3, 1945)
- Nagoya (January 14, 1945)
- Scheduled -- Grounded due to mechanical problems (January 19, 1945)
- Nagoya (January 23, 1945)
- Scheduled -- Grounded due to mechanical problems (January 27, 1945)
- Search (January 31, 1945)
- Weather Strike to Kobe (February 6, 1945)
- Incomplete (February 15, 1945)
- Tokyo (February 25, 1945)
- Tokyo (March 4, 1945)
- Tokyo (March 9, 1945)
- Nogoya (March 11, 1945)
- Kobe (March 16, 1945)
- Nagoya (March 18, 1945)
- Tachiarai (March 27, 1945)
- Dumbo (March 31, 1945)
- Tachikawa (April 3, 1945)
- Dumbo (April 7, 1945)
- Dumbo (April 13, 1945)
- Tachiarai (April 17, 1945)
- Tachikawa (April 24, 1945)
- Mayazaki (April 29, 1945)
- Fighter Escort to Tokyo (May 7, 1945)
- Tokayama (May 10, 1945)
- Nagoya (May 14, 1945)
- Nagoya (May 16, 1945)
- Tokyo (May 23, 1945)
- Tokyo (May 25, 1945)
- Yokahama (May 29, 1945)
- Fighter Escort to Osaka (June 1, 1945)
- Incomplete (June 7, 1945)
- Hitachi (June 10, 1945)
