A outline of the 505 Bomb Group Missions
505 Bomb Group WWll
It is Felt that all Officers and Enlisted Men of the 505th Bombardment Group will apperciate a brief history of the Group from it's activation to the wars end. Such was the thought in the mind when we produced this booklet. Space does not premit covering all phases of operation and administration, but the pertinent facts are contained herein and we trust that during the ensuing years you will derive pleasure in reviewing it.
Colonel Charles M. Eisenhart
We were actived on the 11th of March 1944 at the Dalhart Army Air Field, Dalhart, Texas. The cader for the unit was drawn from the old 9th Bombardment Group. We commence training at Harvard, Nebraska with a handful of Officers and Enlisted men, few who had ever known each other, but with a Commanding Officer who had a well earned reputatoin of being one of the hottest four engine pilots in the Air Forces. Colonel Robert A. Ping had recently flown General Arnold to all theaters of combat and had established a time record in a b-17 from Australia to the U.S.. As organization proceeded, Officers and Enlisted Men arrived in quantity and crew training started in earnest on 1 July 1944.
Throughout the period of training we were hampered by shortages in personnel, particulary air crew personnel, and equpment. Maintenace was a serious problem Stateside and many of us gaped umbelievingly when a formation of six B-29s went overhead. Eventually it was done, we sweated out POM inspection and were declared Fit.
Changes were constantly being made within organization, but the final line up on 6 Nov. when the Ground Echelon departed, was this: Commanding Officer, Col. Robert A.Ping; Deputy Group Commander, Lt. Col.Clifford Macomber, Ex. Of. Lt. Col. Charles F. Heidrick Jr. , Adj. Maj Erik H. Erikerson , Intel. Of Maj Horld S. Funk, Op. Of. Maj John R. Wilcox , En. Of. Maj. Vernon W. Bocock. The 482 , 483, 484th Bs were commanded Lt. Col. Ellery D. Preston ,Maj James a. Ferguson , and Lt. Col. Charles M. Eisenhart respectively.
The Ground Echelon departed from Seattle on the 14th of Nov., and, after an interminably long ocean voyage, debarked at Tinian Town early on the 24th of Dec. 1944. Meanwhile, the Air Echelon and combat crews were being processed through Kearnery, Nebraska, Hamilton and Mather Fields, Ca.. The therory was that the Ground Echelon would arrive and prepare the camp site. When the Ground Echelon moved into the area alloted to the Grp. we found that Maj Julian Dendy, who later became Comanding Officer of the 482nd BS, his crew and four other crews were on the Island.
The work of building a camp commenced immediately, and despite lack of tools, poor but not intolerable living conditions, shortage of water and a month of eating C&K rations we made great progress. Enlisted personnel pitched shelter halves and lived in them until pyramidal tents could be secured. Officers were quartered in the one Quonset hut in the area. Coupled with the normal confusion attendant upon overseas organization, we were subjected to several air raids. Actually, Saipan was the target, But the Bettys always made their bomb run over Tinian. Every alert saw most personnel in search of a foxhole. The possibility of Jap snipers in and around the 505th area served to keep the preimeter guard so on edge that many rounds of ammunition were expened in the general direction of waving sugar cane fields. No known contact with the enemy was made, and after the personnel overcame their initial uneasiness the majority of haphazard firing ceased.
In spite of the nuisance raids and the constant drain on Gr. personnel for many and varied details, the organiztion & building of the camp had progressed so fast that it was possible to run a practice mission six days after our arrival. Because of the distance seperating the billet area from N. Field, the problem of transportation gave us some concern, but eventually a line bus was put into operation leaving the area for the line every half hour. A battle scarred building, once a Japanese Fighter Command Headquaters, was transformed into a line mess hall.
During the month of Jan. we were kept busy flying training missions ans preparing in other ways against that day when we would strike againest the Moen Airfield in the Truk Atoll. Three days later, in a combined operation with the Navy and elements of the 7th AF, the group attacked an airfield installations in Iwo Jima. On 29 Jan. we again went to Iwo Jima for another shot at an airfield,and here saw our first enemy aircraft- he made a pass but didn't fire. Meanwhile, we were kept very busy accomplishing alot of things which weren't actually flying but were necessary.
Maj Wilcox & Cap. Wilkinson were engaged in working up and publishing SOP for use within the Group. More mess halls were put into opperation, showers with rationed water were assembled and nightly picture show relieved us of a little monotony. The briefing room was compleated, and we move out of circus tent hard by West End Avenue. The value of Air-sea Rescue was brought home forcibly to us when Cap. Johnnie Weir and crew, with Maj. Ferguson, Cmd. Of. of the 483rd BS as a passenger, went down at sea in a burning plane. Cpl. Estle Davidson floated for 5 days in a 1 man dinghy before being rescued. This was a high price to pay, but we all learned something when we talked to Cpl. Davidson and realized he consumed only a half a pint water in 5 days! We gained a spirtual boost when he said "have faith you'll be picked up." We thought we were ready for action when we left the plains of Nebraska, but after a month on the rock we were sure of it.
WE ATTACK!!!!
The 4th of Feb. was the day, the port and urban area of Kobe was the place. We loaded incendiaries with a few frags thrown in for good measure. 20 Aircraft hit the target. Veterans of the European Theater said they had seen more flak, but none so accurate.
The Nakajima Aircraft Assembely plant located at Ota was the next target. 21 aircraft were airborne, and 18 attacted the target by visual means. 8 were lost. Slaughter and Barnhart collided over target, Schoreder was last seen with approximately 10 fighters on him. Quay crashed on take off, Nicholles was unheard of after he called the Tower on return. Halloran and Cash ditched with all crew members rescued, Lowery ditched, and 4 crew members, including Lt. Lowery, were not seen after impact.
On the 15th of Feb. 15 aircraft were airborne in a strike against the Mitsubishi Aircraft Engine Factory at Nagoya. Because of wether, only 4 aircraft attacked the primary. Hachijo Jima, Hamamatsu, Maisaka and Fukude were attacked by our planes on this mission.
20 Aircraft hit the port of Tokyo an the 19th of Feb.. This was a secondary target and because the primary, the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory, was socked in. Kawasaki, Toyohashi, and Shizouka were last resort targets attacked this day.
Tokyo was the target on the 25th of Feb., and 8 aircraft bombed the primary by radar, and 7 aircraft hit the last resort targets of Hamamatsu,Toyohashi, Numazu,and Kega.
The Musashine Aircraft Engine Factory in Tokyo was the target Mar. 4th, but because of inclement weather, the port and urban area of Tokyo was attacked. 21 aircraft dropped 250 x 500 lb M17 incendiaries on Tokyo and 12 500 lb M17's on Hamamatus.
Early morning of 10 March, the Group attacked the port and urban area of Tokyo from 6,400 ft in the first of the low level attacks. 20 aircraft dropped incendiaries on the primary, and other aircraft hit Kasumigoura airfield, Haha Jima, Chichi Jima, and Guguan. Cpt. B.l. McCasskill, with Lt. Col. Macomber as a pilot ditched on a return to base. All aboard were rescued.
The 2nd of the now historic blitz mission came on at night of 11/12 March when 25 aircraft bombed the port and urban area of Nagoya. Our planes loaded with E-46 Incendiaries went in between 7,5000 & 8,000 ft. Results were not as good as we had expected.
Osaka's port and urban area was the next list for the Group. 26 aircraft unloaded incendiaries bombs 5,000 to 9,400 ft early in the morning of the 14th. 11 attacks from enemy fighters were experienced, but we received only minor damage.
On the night of 16/17 March, 32 aircraft attacked the great shipbuilding center of Kobe. We carried incendiaries and frag clusters-excellent results were obtained with o losses to the Group.
Nagoya was agained bombed on the night of 18/19 by 31 aircraft from the Group. Heavy, accurate flak was encountered, and Cpt. Shipp was forced to ditch after number 2 and 3 engines received flak hits. All aboard were rescued by the destroyer Gatling after floating for 38 hrs.
21 B-29's from the Group struck the Mitsubishi Aircraft Engine Plant on the 24th of march. Results looked good, but photo reconnaissance showed we were a little short of the MPI. However, considerable damage was done to the city. Heavy flak was encountered over the bay and dock area.
On the 27th of March, the group inaugurated a new type of warfare when they dropped aerial mines in the Shiomonoseki Straits area. Here we encountered the most accurate flak and searchlights to date. Many aircraft were hit, but we had no casualties.
Mining was continued on the night of the 30th when 25 aircraft dropped 297 mines in Love Field in the Straits area.
On the 3rd of April, 29 aircraft were airborne on 2 seperate missions. 9 aircraft proceeded to the Inland Sea area near Kure where they dropped 88 mines. 20 aircraft went to the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Plant at Koizumi. 4 aircraft found visual bombing possible, the balance hit the port and urban area of Tokyo as briefed.
The Mitsubishi Aircraft Works at Nagoya was attacked on the 7th of April. 32 planes were airborne, 21 of which struck the assigned target and virtually destroyed it. Hamamatus, Ujiyamada, Akazaki, Kushimoto and Owase were also attacked on this mission. We destroyed 8 enemy Aircraft with 3 probables and 7 damaged.
Kanoya East Airfield was the target on the 8th of April, but because of weather difficulities, a primary radar target of the city of Kagoshima was attacked. 1 aircraft formed with the 6th BG and attacked the primary visual.
10 aircraft reinforced minefild Mike in the Shiomonoseki Straits area on the night of the 9th of April.
The longest mission to date was flown on the 12th of April when 2 Sqd went to the Hodagaya Chemical Plant at Koriyama. McGugin & Wilcox led the mission and had to go around twice to avoid a collision, and McIntyre went in all alone.
The arsenal area of Tokyo was hit on the night of the 13/14 of April. 35 aircraft hit the target with excellent results. Lt Kretzer and crew were lost on this mission. Many "balls of fire " were encountered in the target area.
25 aircraft unloaded fire bombs on Kawasaki on the night of the 15/16 of April. Harper had his number 4 engine shot out over the target and had to crash land at Iwo. Found his right wing gas tank holed, elevater tip shot off and aileron cable cut.
2 Sqd attacked Kokubi Airfield on Southern Kyushu on the 17th of April. Enemy oppsition was weak and ineffective and results were excellent.
Kokubu Airfield was the target again an the 21 when 22 aircraft bombed in 3 formations with good results.
Kushira Airfield on Kyushu was the next target on the list, but because of weather difficulties only 2 planes got to it. 5 other plains attacked Kanoya airfield.
We went back to strategic bombing on the 24th of April when 10 aircraft from the Group bombed the Hitachi Aircraft Company west of Toyko.
On the 26 of April we were back on the Airfields. 18 aircraft attacked Nittagahara Airfield on Southern Kyushu by radar methods.
Kokubu Airfield was attacked again on the 27th of April by 8 Aircraft from the Group. Kokubu was hit again on the 28 by 2 Sqds.
The Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal was the next target to be hit, but because of cloud cover the formation of 9 aircrafts attacked the Japanese Propeller Plant at Hamamatsu.
23 Aircraft were airborne that night of the 3/5 May to reinforce minefield Mike in the Shimonoseki area and Able in the Kobe-Osaka area. Opposition was light and the mines were dropped as briefed.
Mining continued on the night of the 5/6 of May when 24 aircraft were airborne in a strike against 3 minefields. Kig Field in the Tokuyama area, Able in the Kobe-Osaka area and Tarai the Nagoya area were reinforced.
On the 7th of May, 2 formations attacked airfields at Oita and Usa.
The formation on the Oita raid made a second pass at the target and was jumped by approximately 60 fighters. 1st Lt Richard A. Gray and crew went down over target, Lt Andrew DeV. Penn, who was injured over target, was lost in ditching. The formation at the Usa ran into stiff fighter opposition also, & Lt McKillip was rammed over the target by an enemy fighter.
The Okinawa Campaign support continued on the 10th when two formations attacked Miyazaki,& Kanoya airfields. The formation attacking Kanoya received aggressive enemy aircraft attacks.
Saeki Airfield was next on the list. 8 aircraft attacked with excellent results on the 11th of May.
The urban area of Nagoya was attacked with incendiary bombs on the 14th of May with excellent results. Cpt Kelly ditched on return, and Lt Low bailed out his crew over Iwo Jima.
Nagoya was attacked again on the night of 16/17th of May. The target was completelty covered by clouds and we experienced very little in the way of enemy defence.
24 aircraft carried general purpose bombs on a raid to Hamamatsu on the 19th of May. 1st Lt Tony Obert crashed into the sea shortly after take off on this mission.
35 aircraft attacked the urban area of Tokyo on the nights of 23/24th of May. Bombing was divided between radar and visual, excellent results were achieved. Approximately 40 "balls of fire" were observed from the target area to landsend.
Toyko was again the target on the night of the 25/26th May. Heavy, intense, accurate flak was encountered over the target, and we lost 4 crews this night.
Col Charles Eisenhart & Cpt Jones led the entire 20th Bomber Command in the highly successful daylight incendiary attack on Yokohama on the 29th of May. Yokohama was never again the target for B-29's.
31 planes started the month's operations in a daylight incendiary attack on Osaka 1 June. Heavy accurate flat was encountered, and excellent results were achieved.
On the 5th of June, 33 planes attacked Kobe in the daylight raid. 18 of our aircraft were damaged by flak, and one plane was lost over the target. Results were excellent.
On the night of 7/8th June, we commenced a period of mining which lasted until the 4th of July. All mining done in the 20th Bomber comand during this period was carried out by the 505th BG in this the most sucessful operation of it's kind in the history of warfare.
26 aircraft reinforced minefields Mike, Love, & Charlie on the night of the 7/8th June.
28 planes were airborne on the night of 9/10 June to sow mines in fields Love, & Mike in the Shimonoseki Straits area.
On the night of 11/12 June, 26 Planes sowed minefields Mike and Zebra. Zebra, located in the Tsurga Bay, was a new field for this Group.
30 plane were airborne on the night of 13/14th June on a mining mission against minefields Love & Uncle.
3 forces of 30 aircrafts attacked minefields Charlie, Nan , & Mike & Able on the night of the 17/18 June.
28 planes were airborne on the night of 19/20 June to reinforce minefield Mike, Uncle, Zebra and 28 planes dropped 232 mines.
In the early morning hours of the 22nd June, 30 planes attacked X-ray , Nan, Ablr without any serious opposition. Minefiels Charlie , Yoke & Uncle were next reinforced when 27 planes were airborne on the night of 23/24 June.
26 aircraft were effective on the nights of 25/26 June when minefields Mike, Love & Zebra were reinforced. Minefields X-ray , Able & Uncle were next reinforced on the night of 27/28th June by 29 planes from the Group.
The month's operation came to a close on the night of 29/30th June when 29 planes were airborne in a strike against Minefields Mike, Zebra and Uncle.
On the night of 1/2 July, 28 planes sowed mines in a minefields Love & Nan. The night of 3/4 July found 3 forces of 26 planes carrying mines to fields William, Zebra,& Mike. Minefield William located at Funakawa was the longest mission flown to date by this Group.
Bombing missions were undertaken by the group on the night of 6/7 July. The port city of Shimizu was the target & 33 planes attacked with excellent results. Wakayama, Industrial city on Shikoku, was fired on the night of 9/10 July by 35 Aircraft from this Group.
Tsuruga, port city on North Centeral Honshu, was bombed through a heavy undercast on the night of 12/13th July. Reconnaissence photos showed excellent results. Kuwana, small industrial city southwest of Nagoya, next felt the might of the 505th. On the night of 16/17 July, 32 planes struck with fire bombs with excellent results.
The port city of Choshi, East of Tokyo, was attacked the night of 19/20 July with excellent results.
The Group departed from incendiary bombing & carried 2,000 ld general purpose bombs against a precision target on the 24th July. The target was the Aichi Aircraft Factory, and it was attacked by 33 aircrft. A grabag list of last resort targets was also hit this day.
Tokuyama was attacked with incendiaries on the night 26/27th by 32 planes. The last mission in July was flown on the night of 28/29 July when 32 planes raided Ujiyamada on Honshu.
38 Group planes hit Nagaoka on the night of 1/2 Aug. and produced the most termendous fires we had ever seen. 30 planes hit Maebashi, North of Tokyo , on the night of 6/7th Aug with excellent results.
One Sqd led by Cpt Mel Cash attacked the Toyokawa Naval Arsenal southereast of Nagoya with excellent results on the 7th Aug.. the long awaited Yawata raid came on the 8th Aug, 31 planes were airborne, 3 of which failed to attack. Heavy, meager to moderate flak was encountered over the target and excellent results were produced.
Despite the rumors of peace, the group went out 3 Sqd strong to attack the Marifu Marshalling Yards on the 14th Aug., Visual bombing resulted, and by the time the 3rd Sqd reached the target it was demolished.
The finial mission was flown on the night of the 14/15 of Aug. when 5 planes struck the Kumagaya urban area with excellent results.
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