Tokyo (May 23, 1945)

We bombed Tokyo again. The lights picked us up several times but we were not hit. We hit the smoke and really got a ride. This was really a large raid. Take off: 21:23, Land: 10:45.

— Joe Caner Swann

This was a large mission to the Tokyo Urban Area — 558 aircraft. It wan an early morning (2:30-4:30 am), low to mid altitude (8,000-15,000 ft) raid. Bombing results were unobserved due to cloud cover. (A combined damage assessment after the return trip on May 25 showed 18.6 square miles of the target burned out.)

Enemy opposition consisted of antiaircraft fire (which brought down two planes) and sixty enemy aircraft which made eighty-three attacks (and shot down one B-29). Some six enemy fighters were destroyed, one probably destroyed, and two damaged. In all, seven aircraft did not return from this mission.

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 was mission 181.

Mission List

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