The 6th Bomb Group

This was a night precision mission involving 18 planes from the 6th Bomb Group:

* * * the attacks on the Empire's industries began again on 24 March with a night attack on the Mitsubishi Engine plant at Nagoya.  Eighteen planes reached the target and bombed by radar.  Results were good, and all planes returned with only three damaged.

[Pirate's Log, p. 34]

20th AF Mission 45

Date: 24 March 1945
Code Name: Eradicate #5
Target: Nagoya, Mitsubishi Engine Plant (193)
Participating Units: 73rd, 3l3th and 314th Bombardment Wings
Number A/C Airborne: 248
% A/C Bombing Primary:  90% (223 primary, 0 Secondary, 3 Opportunity)
Time Over Primary: 250100K - 250217K
Altitude of Attack: 5,660  - 9,800
Weather Over Target:  3/10 - 5/10
Total A/C Lost:  5
Resume of Mission:  One aircraft included in total airborne as observation photo mission and to direct any change in tactics necessary.  173,500 square feet additional damage to Target 193.  8,053,800 square feet of Urban Nagoya destroyed.  Fifty one buildings of Chigusa Factory, Nagoya Arsenal (196) destroyed: 502,000 square feet of Mitsubishi Electric Company (254) destroyed or damaged: 129.000 square feet of Torimatsu Factory, Nagoya Arsenal (200) destroyed or damaged.  Kureha Textile Mill totally destroyed approximately 350,000 square feet:  Asashi Pottery Works totally destroyed - approximately 474,000 square feet.  One aircraft, lost to flak over Target, one aircraft ditched on way to Target and three aircraft missing to unknown reasons.  Twenty two aircraft non-effective.  Enemy air opposition weak, no claims, AA heavy, meager to intense, inaccurate to accurate.  Average bomb load 16,957 lbs, 73rd Wing, 15,330 lbs, 313th Wing and 8,784 lbs.  314th Wing.  Average gas reserve 1021 gallons.