This was a daylight precision raid on Toyokawa Naval Arsenal. The strike photos showed that the Sixth had achieved a high level of proficiency:
On 7 August the Group changed to a daylight precision attack on the Toyokawa Naval Arsenal, thirty-seven miles from Nagoya. Only twelve Sixth ships were scheduled and all bombed the primary target. No post-strike photography was made for damage assessment but strike photos indicated 90 per cent of the Sixth’s bombs fell within 1000 feet of the main point of impact.
[Pirate’s Log, p. 53]
20th AF Mission 317
| Date: | 7 August 1945 |
| Target: | Toyokawa Naval Arsenal ( 90.21 – 1653 ) |
| Participating Units: | 58th BW 73rd BW 313th BW 314th BW |
| Number of A/C Airborne: | 131 |
| % A/C Bombing Primary: | 94.65% ( 124 A/C ) |
| Type of Bombs and Fuzes: | M64 (500lb. G.P. bombs with 1/100 sec. delay nose and non-delay tail) |
| Tons of Bombs Dropped: | 813.3 tons on Primary and 3.5 tons on Opportunity. |
| Time Over Primary: | 071113K – 071139K |
| Altitude of Attack: | 16,000 – 23,600 |
| Weather Over Target: | 0/10 – 4/10 |
| Total A/C Lost: | 1 |
| Resume of Mission: | Crews reported good to excellent results. Thirteen planes sighted visually and 111 by radar. Seven A/C were non-effective. One A/C bombed both the primary and target of opportunity. Two E/A sighted did not attack. Flak was generally meager. Fighter escort was present over the target. Flak damaged 21 A/C. The A/C lost was due to flak damage which forced the crew to bail out over Iwo Jima. All men were rescued. Two Wind-Run A/C were not included in the A/C A/B. Seven B-29s landed at Iwo Jima. Average bomb load: 14,518 lbs. Average fuel reserve: 894 gallons. |
