This was a night incendiary mission involving 36 planes from the 6th Bomb Group:
The next incendiary mission was flown on 6 July. Takeoff was in the late afternoon and the target: Shimizu. Thirty-six planes were scheduled, thirty-six were airborne and thirty-six bombed the primary target, dropping 6616 bombs. Fifty-two percent of the Shimuzu’s total area was destroyed. No opposition encountered; no aircraft experienced trouble; all returned safely. Performance of the Sixth on this mission neared perfection.
[Pirate’s Log, p. 49]
20th AF Mission 253
| Date: | 6/7 July 1945 |
| Target: | Shimizu Urban Area |
| Participating Units: | 313th BW |
| Number of A/C Airborne: | 136 |
| % A/C Bombing Primary: | 97.09% (133 A/C) |
| Type of Bombs and Fuzes: | AN-M47A2 (100lb incendiary bomb with instantaneous nose) AN-M17 (500lb incendiary cluster with nose set to open 3,000 feet above target) |
| Tons of Bombs Dropped: | 1,029.6 tons |
| Time Over Primary: | 070133K – 070310K |
| Altitude of Attack: | 7,100 – 8,300 |
| Weather Over Target: | 4/10 – 10/10 |
| Total A/C Lost: | 1 |
| Resume of Mission: | Crews that were able to observe through breaks in the clouds said the entire city was ablaze to the water- front. Severe thermals were encountered. Reconnaissance indicated 47% (.67 sq. mi.) of the Shimizu Urban area, 60% of the docks and 30% of the Honan Oil Plant were damaged or destroy- ed. Flak consisted of heavy, medium and AW fire, meager to moderate and generally inaccurate. Two B-29s were damaged by flak. Ground rockets were reported, some in groups of six. Twelve E/A sighted made 4 attacks. Twenty-five A/C bombed visually and 108 by radar. Three A/C were non-effective. Two B-29s landed at Iwo Jima. The A/C lost ran off the runway be- cause of brake failure. Average bomb load: 15,053 lbs. Average fuel reserve: 1,103 gallons. |
