Some 7th AF documentation of fighter escort for B29's over Japan.

Peter Gunn · Oct 23, 2020

Jeffrey Ethell Collection said:
"Zekes within a 15km radius of Osaka"

Could be Zeros belonging to No. 332 kokutai flying out of Naruo airfield north east of OSAKA city on Osaka bay.

View attachment 599233

Note all the 332 ku Zeros minus props lined up at bottom right. Japanese air forces were still very potent force even by the time of the surrender when this photo was taken. The only problem was they could not sustain heavy losses as the B-29 raids had all but wiped out the A/C manufacturing plants.

James

What a great shot! Thanks for posting it.

Mike Williams · Oct 23, 2020

Escort to Tokyo. Mission Report 12 April 1945 of the 45th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group based on Iwo Jima. Various interesting things recorded. Lots of Ki-45 Nicks seen and engaged. See Ki-45 Nick 153A for performance.

fubar57 · Oct 23, 2020

Great one here, Mike. My observations here

First page, gull wing aircraft: maybe something from the Aichi family
Second page, Zeke (A6m) or Oscar (Ki.43) painted black and red: very interested in this one.
Second page, three Tojo's (Ki.44) firing rockets: was not aware they were rocket capable
Third page, black Nicks (Ki.45): These and #2 aircraft very dark green perhaps
Fourth page, Oscar and Nick firing rockets: again, unaware they were capable

Lots to digest here

Mike Williams · Oct 23, 2020

fubar57 said:
Lots to digest here

I agree, that's what I thought too

fubar57 · Oct 23, 2020

Possibility that the gull wing aircraft was an A5M-K. The trainer version was built until 1944 so they would have been available for the above raid

Jeffrey Ethell Collection · Oct 23, 2020

The P-51s would have encountered the Nicks, Ki-45 Toryu (Dragon Slayer) twin engine fighters, as they travelled the length of Honshu Island on approach to Tokyo.

First it would have been Ki-45 from Ozuki airfield in south western Honshu.

These Nicks were from No. 4 Hiko Sentai and their flight leader was Capt Isamu Kashiide who had ace status with 10 kill claims, 9 of those B-29s.

Passing Mt Fuji on their left and with Tokyo in sight ahead of them, the P-51s would have been intercepted by Ki-45 Nicks of No. 53 Hiko Sentai flying from Matsudo airfield.

BTW the shadow of the B-29 at far right center of first photo above, is actually a decoy painted on the ground with oil to throw off the bomb aimers targeting the airfield. It may have also been used by the Nick pilots to fly practice passes against the B-29 which the Japanese called "B-San" or Mr B.

James

fubar57 · Oct 23, 2020

Is that a bomber painted on the ground or a shadow?

Jeffrey Ethell Collection · Oct 23, 2020

fubar57 said:
Is that a bomber painted on the ground or a shadow?

It is a decoy B-29 painted with oil on the ground to throw off the bomb aimers targeting the airfield.

B-29 decoys were used on a number of airfields in China and Japan for that purpose.

James

Mike Williams · Oct 24, 2020

Escort to Yokohama. Mission Report 29 May 1945 of the 47th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group.

Mike Williams · Oct 25, 2020

Escort B-29s to Osaka. Mission Report 7 June 1945 of the 45th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group based on Iwo Jima.

45th Fighter Squadron Mustangs escorting a 498th Bomb Group B-29.

XBe02Drvr · Oct 25, 2020

DarrenW said:
I have heard of airborne early warning radar sets carried by Avengers which had a detection range of up to 100 miles, but I know little about it's actual wartime application. This was basically the beginning of the AWACS concept.

When I was at "A" school in 1970 there was, among the historical photos (sans captions) decorating the walls, a photo of an Avenger with a huge radar dome protruding from its bomb bay that looked a lot like the belly dome on an EC121 Constellation. I think the Connie used an APS22 radar. No idea about the Avenger. I remember hearing that the Avenger's successor, the Guardian, used that set also

syscom3 · Oct 25, 2020

P38 crashed, winter of 1944/45

Dana Bell · Oct 25, 2020

Boy! That P-38 crashed so hard the national insignia decal musta slid right off the top of the wing! (Could the image be reversed?)

Cheers,

Dana

fubar57 · Oct 25, 2020

I wonder if the B-29 in Post #30 is escorting the P-51's; maybe it's used for navigation mentioned elsewhere

syscom3 · Oct 25, 2020

fubar57 said:
I wonder if the B-29 in Post #30 is escorting the P-51's; maybe it's used for navigation mentioned elsewhere

Yes, a B29 was designated as a mothership to handle all navigation duties.

Peter Gunn · Oct 25, 2020

fubar57 said:
I wonder if the B-29 in Post #30 is escorting the P-51's; maybe it's used for navigation mentioned elsewhere

Yup, because of the long overwater distance a B-29 was tasked with navigation, usually for a squadron all the way to the coast of Japan. It would then circle at an RV until all the Mustangs returned and then lead them back home. Alternatively, the P-51's would use the "Uncle - Dog" homing system to find their individual way back to Iwo Jima. On stateside Mustangs you can see a loop antenna for the homing system which I believe was hand rotatable by the pilot.
Here's a photo of a pair of Mustangs equipped with the Uncle-Dog and Brother-Agate system, you can tell by the dual antenna's on the fuselage:
And a description --> 506th Fighter Group Iwo Jima 1945: 506th fighter Group, 457 Fighter Squadron, 458 Fighter Squadron, 462 Fighter Squadron Iwo To Japan VLR History

And for good measure, here's an illustration because I like green...

Mike Williams · Oct 26, 2020

Fighter Sweep Tokyo. Mission Report 10 June 1945, 45th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group.

45th Fighter Squadron Mustangs

fubar57 · Oct 26, 2020

I built #86, "Foxy". She ended up in a fiery ball after being run into by another taxiing P-51

BiffF15 · Oct 27, 2020

Peter Gunn said:
Yup, because of the long overwater distance a B-29 was tasked with navigation, usually for a squadron all the way to the coast of Japan. It would then circle at an RV until all the Mustangs returned and then lead them back home. Alternatively, the P-51's would use the "Uncle - Dog" homing system to find their individual way back to Iwo Jima. On stateside Mustangs you can see a loop antenna for the homing system which I believe was hand rotatable by the pilot.
Here's a photo of a pair of Mustangs equipped with the Uncle-Dog and Brother-Agate system, you can tell by the dual antenna's on the fuselage:
And a description --> 506th Fighter Group Iwo Jima 1945: 506th fighter Group, 457 Fighter Squadron, 458 Fighter Squadron, 462 Fighter Squadron Iwo To Japan VLR History

View attachment 599553

And for good measure, here's an illustration because I like green...

View attachment 599554

Any idea what the black lines on the wing leading edge are?

Peter Gunn · Oct 27, 2020

BiffF15 said:
Any idea what the black lines on the wing leading edge are?

It's no surprise you noticed them

Ed Linfante, a 506 Mustang driver who flew "Shanghai Lil" said they were were supposed to be used as an aid for dive-bombing. Your height and distance aside of the target before you dived dictated which line to use, higher altitude meant using a stripe further out from the fuselage.

Every 506th Mustang had those stripes and I don't think any other Mustang units in the Pacific used them, only the 506th.

Some 7th AF documentation of fighter escort for B29's over Japan.

Master Sergeant

Senior Airman

General

Senior Airman

General

Airman

General

Airman

Senior Airman

Senior Airman

2nd Lieutenant

Pacific Historian

Senior Airman

General

Pacific Historian

Master Sergeant

Senior Airman

General

Tech Sergeant

Master Sergeant

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