The 6th Bomb Group

This was a daylight mission involving 30 planes from the 6th Bomb Group:

Switching to precision bombing for one mission, Sixth crews were briefed for a raid on the Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal. Bad weather cause a change of targets and thirty planes carrying 668 five hundred pounders bombed the primary radar target, the city of Hammamatsu, with unobserved results. Five of the airborne Sixth ships were early returns.

[Pirate's Log, p. 43]

20th AF Mission 178

Date:  19 May 1945
Target:  Tachikawa Air Arsenal  (90.30-2008) and A/C Plant (792)  PV; Hamamatsu City (PR)
Participating Units:  58th, 73rd, 313th, and 314th Bombardment Wings
Number A/C Airborne:  309
% A/C Bombing Primary:  87.04%   (272 radar and 14 opportunity)
Time Over Primary (Radar):  191151K  - 191258K
Altitude of Attack:  13,300  - 26,640
Weather Over Target:  10/10
Total A/C Lost:  4
Resume of Mission:  64 acres of the city burned.  The Target was not visible and all bombing was done by radar on the primary radar Target, on which 1486 tons of bombs were dropped.  23 A/C non-effective.  Only 8 E/A sighted and they made no attacks.  No claims A/A did no damage.  20 B-29’s landed at Iwo Jima.  Average Bomb Load:  12,029 lbs.  Average Fuel Reserve:  817 gallons.