The 6th Bomb Group

Mission 34. Tachikawa Arsenal (Apr 30)



This was a daylight precision mission involving 7 planes from the 6th Bomb Group:

[A] third [attack] against the Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal on the 30th * * * [was] carried out with only seven aircraft * * *.

[Pirate's Log, p. 38]

 

20th AF Mission 126

Date: 30 April 1945 Code Name: Blockhouse #1
Target: Tachikawa Air Depot, Hamamatsu  (primary visual); 90.17-1404 and City of Hamamatsu (primary radar).
Participating Units: 73rd and 313th Bombardment Wings
Number A/C Airborne: 106
% A/C Bombing Primary: 65%   (69 prime 9 Sec & 14 Opp)
Time Over Primary: 301122K - 301154K
Altitude of Attack: 17,800  - 21,500
Weather Over Target: 6/10  - 10/10
Total A/C Lost: 0
Resume of Mission: Bombing results were unobserved with 313th Wing aircraft attacking primary visual and primary radar Target.  Four of 73rd Wing six squadrons hit Hamamatsu with good results.  Two overlapping patterns of bursts started large fires   in area.  Several hits on Imperial Government Shop.  Fighter opposition consisted of 90 sighted enemy aircraft making 46 attacks.  Enemy aircraft destroyed one, probably destroyed none and four damaged.  AA heavy, meager and inaccurate.  Fifteen aircraft landed at Iwo Jima.  Average bomb load 11,595 lbs.  Average gas reserve 737 gallons.