The Mission of the 6th Bomb Group Association is to preserve the history and lessons of the 1945 Pacific War Over Japan, and the legacy of those who fought it for future generations to better understand the sacrifice and cost. That said, we encourage Submissions based on our Mission, and pledge to provide only authentic history & viewpoints in our Blog.
We invite you to become a Guest Author. Click to email us.
They Shot Down Our “BLIND DATE” Over Tokyo
At Kempi Tai I was reunited with most of my crew and placed in an 8x11 ½ foot cell which held sixteen captives. That was the last time I saw daylight until after the atomic bomb was dropped.
Firebombing of Tokyo – May 25, 1945: “Finishing Tokyo”
This exceptional narrative takes you into the cockpit to experience the crew dialog, comradery, perils and horrors of what was the 20th Air Force’s most costly raid and the one that “finished Tokyo”.
Firebombing of Tokyo – May 23, 1945: “First of Two Roughest B-29 Missions”
This exceptional narrative takes you into the cockpit to experience the crew dialog, comradery, perils and horrors of what was the first of the 20th Air Force’s two most costly raids (May 23 and May 25).
Firebombing of Tokyo – March 9, 1945: “Most Devastating Bombing Raid in History”
This exceptional narrative takes you into the cockpit to experience the crew dialog, comradery, perils and horrors of what was the first firebombing mission over Japan and the most devastating bombing raid in history.
Unfortunate Bail Out
[This article is an excerpt from Sgt. Creek’s military memoirs Short Stories of World War II.] It tells the story of a B-29 that caught fire due to being hit by flak. Half the crew bailed out thinking the plane was going down. They were caught by the Japanese and spent months at Kempei Tai HQ Prison as described in the B-29 POW page.
Was The Atomic Bomb Necessary to Win the War
U.S. interrogation of Japanese government and military officials immediately following the end of the Pacific War confirmed that the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were militarily unnecessary and did not influence Japan’s decision to surrender.
Surviving a Crippling Flak Hit – by Lt. Charles Schlosser
Measured against all other bombing missions flown in WW II, prior to Aug. 6, the most devastating were the two largest low level “firestorm” missions over Tokyo on the nights of May 24 and 26 in which 15 square miles of the city were completely destroyed. On May 30, 1945 Lt. Charles Scholsser wrote a letter to his wife about this mission
Anyone but the 6th
Read about why the Japanese feared the 6th Bomb Group. Read an original account from Sergeant Virgil Morgan, B-29 Engineer assigned to the 6th Bomb Group based on Tinian Island in the Marianas during the Pacific War. He flew 19 long range combat missions over Japan.
Lessons of War: Bombing Survey – Was the Atomic Bomb Necessary?
The 6th Bomb group has just added an important article to it’s LESSONS OF WAR category. It is the entire text of a Report entitled, “United States Strategic Bombing Survey Summary Report, an Official U.S. Government Pacific War Document.” This is a concise and extremely accurate overview of what happened and why.
Lessons of War: The Home Front Was Critical To Winning WWII
Lessons of War: The Home Front Was Critical To Winning WWII. Written by Edgar L. Vincent, B-29 Aircraft Commander. "World War II veterans are happy to believe that the war was won on the battle front. I disagree"
The Path to Becoming a B-29 Pilot – Ralph C. Wilson
Ralph C. Wilson was the aircraft commander of the Wilson Crew (Crew #4007) of the 40th Bomb Squadron, who flew the Superfortress “White Mistress,” The path to becoming a B-29 pilot was challenging especially when your instructor falls 4,000 feet out of the airplane. Read more about this fascinating account.
A B-29 Stunt That May Have Helped Create the USAF
The B-29 bomber had just redefined warfare in its unique capability to strike a crippling military blow to an enemy by carrying heavier bomb loads over significantly greater distances. What transpired was a stunt. The standard B-29 was incapable of flying non-stop, 27.5 hours to Washington DC. Yet, four B-29s on November 1, 1945 did so.
How the Superfortress Paced the Attack Against Japan
The Superfortress B-29 Story. Twenty years ago this fall the first B-29s, operating from the newly captured Marianas, struck the Japanese home islands. It was the first blow in an aerial campaign that, in the next nine months, was to reduce Japan’s war industry to rubble and so lower the morale of the Japanese people that, many say, the war in the Pacific could shortly have been ended without either atomic bombs or the scheduled land invasion.
A Day of Infamy – Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941
“A DAY OF INFAMY” is a phrase that resonates in America even today. On the first day, December 7, 1941 (December 8 on the other side of the International dateline) Asian targets were attacked, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was a great success; much of the Pacific fleet was in ruins. On Dec 8, 1941, FDR presented the case for war in his address to Congress and the American people saying “a state of war has existed with Japan.” The United States declared war on Japan.
6th Bomb Group War Diaries: Al Dimsha 1945
My first mission. We took off at 2 a.m. in the morning. Our assembly point was just off the coast of Japan. Target was the city of Osaka. Arrived as the assembly point about 9 a.m. but the weather was very soupy. Flew around in the soup awhile until we got orders to proceed in over the target alone. We flew into the soup for a half hour. Dropped our bombs by radar & proceeded back. Right after leaving target, we began to pick up ice.
Khaki vs. Blue Air Force Colors
Regarding Khaki vs. Blue: During WWII, the Air Force was still part of the Army (USAAF). The Air Force did not become an independent branch until 1947. However, khaki was not the only color worn by the Army. Enlisted men wore khaki, while officers wore olive drab jackets and khaki pants ("pinks and greens").
