B-29 Losses Over Japan.
Willy
many planes were involved, how many were lost and damaged, and
so on. On the German side, the same: How many fighter planes
were in the air, their losses, etc.
However, when it comes to B-29 losses over Japan, the information
has not the same richness. For instance, we know that the
Japanese made suicide attacks against the B-29 bombers, and
tried to hit them directly. Were they more, or less successful
than their fellow pilots, who did the same against American and
British warships?
Can someone lighten up my ignorance?
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the Memphis Belle, and of Dauntless Dottie, first B29 over Japan. He reinforces
the idea that at high level the Japanese were helpless to hit the B29's, but at
lower level they could and did attack, but with almost no success. The figure
of total losses over Japan, not counting write-offs after returning to base,
were about 360 B29's. The air-to-air kamikazes had some success, however, at
this stage what the Japanese did not have was trained pilots, yet to hit a B29,
which was faster than much of the Japanese fighter arsenal after they dropped
their payload, required a highly skilled pilot. Wasting them in suicide attacks
was not looked upon with the same favor as their naval counterparts.
Saburo Sakai, in "Samurai", recounts a final flight against a B29, in which a
dozen Japanese fighters, flown by the best veterans around, emptied their
magazines against one B29. Eventually it began losing altitude, with no visible
damage, but they never saw it crash.
Hope this helps.
Bill
John Brookes
> However, when it comes to B-29 losses over Japan, the information
> has not the same richness. [snip] Were they more, or less successful
[snip]
See Kenneth P. Werrell's (1996) "Blankets of Fire - U.S. Bombers Over
Japan During World War II" Smithsonian History of Aviation Series, 350
pp. Werrell was a B-29 pilot shortly after the war ended, later a
historian at an American university. He details the fate of virtually
every B-29 that participated, or tried to participate, in the Japan
bombings. Got my copy from amazon.com for about $ 18.00.
John
Geoffrey Sinclair
Willy wrote in message <39c8b4ea...@news.nsw.dialix.com.au>...
>About The Allied air raids over Germany, we know a lot about how
>many planes were involved, how many were lost and damaged, and
>so on. On the German side, the same: How many fighter planes
>were in the air, their losses, etc.
>Japanese made suicide attacks against the B-29 bombers, and
>tried to hit them directly. Were they more, or less successful
>than their fellow pilots, who did the same against American and
>British warships?
>Can someone lighten up my ignorance?
Figures from B-29 Superfortress, Pimlott,
A= B-29 lost in combat
B= B-29 non combat loss
C= HE bomb tonnage
D= Incendiary bomb tonnage
14th air force,
Date A B C D
Apr-44 7
May-44 5
Jun-44 10 8 501 46
Jul-44 3 5 209
Aug-44 14 5 184 68
Sep-44 3 7 521
Oct-44 5 16 1023 646
Nov-44 19 2 1415 215
Dec-44 16 6 1556
Jan-45 4 3 1584 422
Feb-45 4 2 1261 604
Mar-45 2 1 1019 417
totals 80 67 9273 2418
20th air force,
Nov-44 4 5 343 232
Dec-44 21 6 1495 610
Jan-45 27 927 477
Feb-45 26 3 1140 1015
Mar-45 34 3086 10761
Apr-45 57 1 13209 4283
May-45 88 3 6937 17348
Jun-45 44 7 9954 22588
Jul-45 22 5 9388 33163
Aug-45 11 7 8438 12591
totals 334 37 54917 103068
14th Air force, B-29 Bomb Groups
BG squadrons, Joined Transferred
40 25,44,45,(395) Jun-44 Mar-45
444 676,677,678,(679) Jun-44 Mar-45
462 768,769,770,(771) Jun-44 Mar-45
468 792,793,794,(795) Jun-44 Mar-45
squadons in brackets disbanded 9-10/44
20th Air Force, B-29 Bomb Groups
BG squadrons, Joined
6 24,39,40 Jan-45
9 1,5,99 Jan-45
16 15,16,17 Jun-45
19 28,30,93 Feb-45
29 6,43,52 Feb-45
39 60,61,62 Apr-45
40 25,44,45 Apr-45
330 457,458,459 Apr-45
331 355,356,357 Jul-45
444 676,677,678 Apr-45
462 768,769,770 Apr-45
468 792,793,794 Apr-45
497 869,870,871 Oct-44
498 873,874,875 Oct-44
499 877,878,879 Nov-44
500 881,882,883 Nov-44
501 21,41,485 Jun-45
502 402,411,430 Jun-45
504 398,421,680 Jan-45
505 482,483,484 Dec-44
509 393 Jul-45
680 squadron did not join 504th until 6/45
Geoffrey Sinclair