Black Friday - June 1, 1945

[Peter Gunn]

A picture wurger posted reminded me of something, 73 years ago today, three Mustang groups (the 15th, 21st and 506th, 148 aircraft in all) left Iwo Jima to escort B-29's to Osaka. They ran into a massive cloud front and absolutely rotten weather, but there was a mission to fly so the commander decided to "go".

End result - In his book, Mustang at War, R. A. Freeman states that the combined losses of the three fighter groups were 27 airplanes and 25 pilots. He also says that this is the largest loss of Mustangs on any mission in Europe or Asia during World War II.

506 Group History of Black Friday.

God Bless you boys.

 

[fubar57]

 

[Wurger]

 

[Barrett]

That's probably a true statement. Weather was by far-far and away the biggest problem faced by VII Fighter Command. I addressed the situation in "Whirlwind" based on interviews and correspondence from the 70s.

 

[Pops]

Web log related to air missions against Osaka at: Ōsaka kūshū

 

[vikingBerserker]

That's probably a true statement. Weather was by far-far and away the biggest problem faced by VII Fighter Command. I addressed the situation in "Whirlwind" based on interviews and correspondence from the 70s.

Excellent book!

 

[MrMojok]

I've read a lot about this, and it was terrible. I have long wondered if any of the individual pilots who flew into the storm that day, were also there on March 25th when about 400 Japanese came out of the tunnels and attacked airfield #2 in force, and killed a bunch of them.

Probably not. I sure hope not, because to endure both of these things two and a half months apart...

 

[Checkertail20]

The 21st Fighter Group had just had just arrived on Iwo Jima when the Japanese made their surprise attack on their camp. I do know that this fighter group along with the 15th and 506th fighter groups did fly the Black Friday mission.

I have seen a program on the History Channel about the Black Friday mission and believe it was on YouTube for awhile but can't find it anymore. What I remember is a Colonel got a medal for the mission while bad mouthing one of the squadron leaders who didn't make it back and had his reputation ruined. The pilots in his squadron was pissed at the Colonel. I can't remember the title of the program but would love to see it again.