The First Mission from Saipan in newly identified historic film "Waddy's Wagon" - 10

[syscom3]

I've never seen these scenes. Hope you like it.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxwnorwqKgQ!

 

[davparlr]

great flick of B-29 ops from the cockpit. You certainly get the feeling that most of the trip was boredom. Too bad it did not show action over Truk. Sad they did not make it through the war. What sacrifices were made.

 

[Gnomey]

Interesting find!

 

[Airframes]

Nice find, and nicely put together too. Darned shame to be lost, especially when trying to help other comrades. Not having seen much of B29 operations, I thought it gave a good impression of how technologically advanced the B29 must have seemed then, more so after flying the B24, as in Waddy's case.

 

[Wildcat]

Great footage!

 

[TheMustangRider]

Great film! and the music that goes with it is very appropriate too.
A well deserved tribute.

 

[Glider]

I do hope that any relatives know about this tape.

 

[infoguy]

Thanks for the nice comments. I made that video and I am in touch with two families of gunners seen on it. I'm hoping to get the link to Walter Young's family this week.
There was no footage of the actual bombing which was done at high altitude. The video quality isn't the best I could get (the HD version is almost $500.00 and I didn't have that kind of $) but there appears to be smoke coming off an island seen through the window. Two squadrons (869 and 870) with 9 B 29's each were on this first combat mission. Waddy's Wagon being in the first wave. The bombing results were not good for this initial run. They kept trying in the weeks ahead returning to bomb Truk and also Iwo Jima before their first strike on Tokyo 11/24/1944. That being the first bombing of Tokyo since The Doolittle Raid in 1942.
Mark Maloy

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you for posting Syscom.

 

[B29WereWolf]

My uncle's B-29 was in the 870th, and I'll check it out to see if it show's his airplane A Square 28, I'd love to catch a glimpse of it.