Mission 39 - Nittagahara Airfield (May 11)

This was a daylight precision mission involving 11 planes from the 6th Bomb Group:

The following day, eleven B-29’s were dispatched against Nittagahara Airfield with delayed-fuze bombs in the bomb bays. Bad weather was encountered after the assembly point and the formation was forced to break up. Five ships hit the primary radar target, Miyashi, with unobserved results while six others bombed targets of opportunity.

[Pirate’s Log, p. 43]

20th AF Mission 169

Date:	11 May 1945
Target:	Nittagahara A/F (PV) 90.33-2531 Niyazaki (PR) 90.38-2529
Participating Units:	313th Bombardment Wing
Number of A/C Airborne:	11
% A/C Bombing Primary:	55% (5 primary and 6 opportunity)
Type of Bombs and Fuzes:
Tons of Bombs Dropped:
Time Over Primary:	111653K - 111715K
Altitude of Attack:	15,400 - 22,400
Weather Over Target:	2/10 - 6/10
Total A/C Lost:	0
Resume of Mission:	Photo reconnaissance showed numerous craters in S portion of field not filled-in. Field is operative. Flak was heavy, meager, and inaccurate. No E/A sighted. Two A/C landed at Iwo Jima. Average Bomb Load: 11,440 lbs. Average Fuel Reserve: 723 gallons.

Mission 39 – Nittagahara Airfield (May 11)

20th AF Mission 169