The 6th Bomb Group

A picture of Osaka taken 5 days after the attack.
Thanks to Col Clarence E. Becker for finding these photos.

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

Third Blitz target was Osaka.  Twenty-nine planes reached the target and bombed successfully, using radar.  One plane was lost on takeoff when No. 3552, 40th Squadron, crashed and burned.  Lt Steel and the entire crew escaped from the flaming plane with only minor burns.  Sgt Charles R. Albert and Sgt Charles S. Lyezko, returned to the burning airplane, believing the tail gunner was trapped inside.  They searched the entire rear compartment but the gunner had already escaped.  For this act of heroism, both men were awarded the Soldier's Medal in May  On the 27 March this crew failed to return from a mining mission over Shimonoseki Straits and all listed as missing-in-action.

[Pirate's Log, p. 33]

Mission Number 42

Date: 13 March 1945
Code Name: Peachblow #1
Target: Osaka Urban Area
Participating Units: 73rd, 313th and 314th Bombardment Wings
Number A/C Airborne: 298
% A/C Bombing Primary:  92% (274 Primary, 0 Secondary and 5 Opportunity)
Time Over Primary:  140057K - 140425K
Altitude of Attack: 5,000 - 9,400
Weather Over Target: 5/10 - 6/10
Total A/C Lost:  2
Resume of Mission: 226,010,000 square feet  (5200 acres or 8.1 square miles) destroyed.  Fifteen early returns, one aircraft lost to unknown reasons and one aircraft lost to survey.  Enemy air opposition slight - 40 attacks.  Enemy aircraft destroyed one and none probably destroyed or damaged, AA medium to heavy, meager to moderate, inaccurate to accurate.  Average bomb load 13,739 lbs.  Average gas reserve 1049 gallons.