Japanese Surrender Ceremony “Show of Force”
It seemed that all of the aircraft north of Henderson Field were going to fly over Tokyo Bay as a “display of power” before, during, and after the formal surrender ceremony.
FORECAST: DISASTER — 27 P-51s COLLIDE IN BAD WEATHER
In May 1945, our bomber crew was selected to fly from Tinian to Iwo Jima where, with 9 other B-29s, we would act as navigational escorts for a maximum P-51 fighter assault on the Japanese mainland. The mission was not a happy one, nor am I proud to have been a part of it.
DELAYED CAPTURE SAVED MY LIFE
I flew only one combat mission to the Japanese Empire. You will note I said TO the Empire - THAT mission was terminated shortly after our bombs were dropped on a flaming fire-bombed target in Kawasaki the night of April 15, 1945
Pacific War: B-29 Blasted Upside Down Firebombing Japan
During the low level nighttime firebombing raid over Osaka on March 13, 1945, a Japanese military arsenal violently exploded hurling a directly overhead B-29 upward 5000 feet, flipping it upside down and into a slow roll, high speed death dive to the ground.
We Flew Search and Rescue for Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
The top secret atomic bombing mission of Hiroshima was even kept from the Search and Rescue teams for that mission. B-29 Flight Engineer Lawrence Stewart tells the fascinating story of his Search and Rescue assignment for the Hiroshima bombing and what he was told.
Horrifying Flirt with Ditching Our B-29
Their B-29 was violently shaking and rapidly losing altitude from a damaged engine that had caught fire. The crew faced ditching in the middle of the Pacific.
Search and Rescue – Submarines and Dumbos
Search and rescue submarines, destroyers and aircraft operated between the Marianas and Japan to rescue downed B-29s. B-29 crews were periodically assigned to search and rescue as a part of their mission duty.
First B-29 Landing on Iwo Jima
The 9th BG B-29 Dinah Might made an emergency landing on Iwo Jima on March 4, 1945 while the Battle of Iwo Jima was still ongoing. The crew took Japanese mortar fire while frantically repairing a gas valve.
Emergency B-29 Landing at Iwo Without Brakes
Taking a crippling flack hit over Tokyo, Newell Penniman's B-29 crew was forced to make an emergency landing at Iwo Jima without brakes. To partially overcome the loss, the gunners tossed their parachutes out the exits of the plane upon landing. Read the first-hand story..
Explosive B-29 Crashes
The USAAF lost 267 B-29s to engine fires, mechanical failures and takeoff crashes, nearly twice as many as from enemy fire during the Pacific War. B-29 crashes involving heavy fuel and incendiary bomb payloads were violently explosive. The up close experience of explosive B-29 crashes is told first hand by Donald Kearney who served as a runway flagman at North Field.
