The 6th Bomb Group

This was a daylight mission involving 3 planes from the 6th Bomb Group:

The first Empire strikes by any Sixth ships occurred on 19 Feb when planes of the 40th Squadron participated in a Tokyo raid with the 504th and 505th Groups.  Considerable enemy opposition was encountered with flak intense and accurate, and over 400 enemy fighters attacked the formations.  Sgt Joseph D. Duggan, radio operator, was wounded when a shell fragment his his right shoulder.  He became the first Sixth man to qualify for the Purple Heart.  Airplane commanders were Capt Frank, Lt Gipson and Lt Steel.

[Pirate's Log, p. 29]

20th AF Mission 37

Date: 19 February 1945
Code Name: Enkindle #4
Target: Tokyo (357) - Nakajima A/C Plant, Musashino
Participating Units: 73rd and 313th Bombardment Wings
Number A/C Airborne: 150
% A/C Bombing Primary: 0  (0 primary, 119 secondary, 7 last resort, and 5 opportunity)
Time Over Secondary: 191549K - 191647K
Altitude of Attack: 24,500 - 30,000
Weather Over Target: 5/10 and haze cirrus deck
Total A/C Lost: 6
Resume of Mission: Cloud cover over primary necessitated bombing of secondary, Tokyo Urban Area, by radar. Damage assessment amounted to 800,900 square feet of the Target area. Thirteen early returns, eight of which bombed Targets of opportunity and last resort. One aircraft ditched on return, two aircraft lost to enemy action by ramming, one aircraft missing to unknown reasons, two aircraft destroyed on return to base when one crashed and collided with a parked aircraft. Enemy air opposition heavy - 570 attacks. Enemy aircraft destroyed thirty nine, probably destroyed sixteen and thirty seven damaged. AA moderate to intense, inaccurate to accurate. Some air-to-air bombing reported. Average bomb load 6860 lbs, 73rd Wing, 5439 lbs. 313th Wing. Average fuel reserve 955 gallons.