Mission 71 - Nagaoka Urban Area (Aug 1)

Burned Area in NAGAOKA due to the Air Raid (ref.#3, p. 870) [Source: nagaoka4581]

This was a night incendiary mission involving 45 planes from the 6th Bomb Group: On the 1st of August, Army Air Force Day, combat operations continued with a maximum effort night incendiary mission. The Sixth’s target was Nagaoka, machine tool manufacturing center of 75,000 people on northern Honshu.


Forty-seven Sixth ships were airborne by 1840 that day, but engine trouble forced two to return to base shortly after takeoff. The remaining forty-five, except one which bombed a target of opportunity, hit Nagaoka at 0100 with excellent results. The last crews over the target reported smoke and thermals rising from the burning city to a height of 20,000 feet. Later photographs showed 2.03 sq mi, 65 per cent of the city burned out. Opposition from the Japs was negligible as only six night fighters were seen. The Group’s contribution to the Air Force Day raid was forty-five planes over the Empire, its greatest number thus far. [Pirate’s Log, pp. 52-53]

Date:	1/2 August 1945
Target:	Nagoya Urban Area
Participating Units:	313th BW
Number of A/C Airborne:	136
% A/C Bombing Primary:	91.91% (125 Primary and 5 Opportunity)
Type of Bombs and Fuzes:	M19 (500# incendiary clusters set to open 5,000 feet above target) M47A2 (100# incendiary and white phosphorous bombs with instantaneous nose.)
Tons of Bombs Dropped:	924.3 tons on Primary and 36.6 tons on Opportunity.
Time Over Primary:	012335K - 020058K
Altitude of Attack:	12,100 - 13,400
Weather Over Target:	0/10 - 2/10
Total A/C Lost:	0
Resume of Mission:	Bombing results reported as excellent by crews. Fires were visible 100 miles and heavy thermals encountered up to 25,000 feet. Photo reconnaissance showed 65.5% of the town (1.33 sq. mi.) had been damaged. Six A/C were non- effective. Fifty-five A/C bombed visually and 70 bombed by radar. E/A opposition was weak to moderate and unaggressive. Forty to 50 E/A sighted made 5 attacks. Medium and light, nil to meager and inaccurate flak at Toyama. Two ground-to-air rockets reported in target area. One Wind-Run A/C not included in total A/B. Thirty-eight B-29s landed at Iwo Jima. Average bomb load: 15,791 lbs. Average fuel reserve: 558 gallons.