WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China: View pages

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: Just after daylight

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One P-40 fighter plane from 76^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1^st Lt. William Steffano

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: No significant Japanese activity observed

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

SOURCES: Original mission report in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb Tien Ho airfield at Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~11:20 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Five B-25C medium bombers from the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Squadron) escorted by eleven P-40s from the 16^th and 76^th Fighter Squadrons (23^rd Fighter Group).  All units are from the China-based 14^th Air Force.

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 

• P-40s: Captain Marvin Lubner; Stewart; C.H. Yang; 1^st Lt. Roderick P. Mac Kinnon; 2^nd Lt. Robert J. Wilson; 1^st Lt. James M. “Willie” Williams; Bullard; Olney; Lt. Robert Sweeney; [Lt. Max?] Noftsger

• B-25 #55: Lt. Col. Morris F. Taber; 2^nd Lt. Edward J. Pawlowski; 1^st Lt. J.F. Dockwiller; 1^st Lt. G.P. Baird; Tech Sgt. George W. Gouldthrite; Staff Sgt. Louis L. Lucas; Staff Sgt. George J. Atack
• B-25 #09: 2^nd Lt. R.A. Nice; 2^nd Lt. E.F. Kane; 2^nd Lt. Robert A. Fischborn; Staff Sgt. E.E. Banzhof; Staff Sgt. J.T. Hopkins
• B-25 #61: Captain D.M. Milan; 2^nd Lt. L.J. Fontaine; 2^nd Lt. Dickman; 2^nd Lt. Raymond J. Mazanowski; Staff Sgt. Joe Edmonson; Staff Sgt. Kenneth C. Prothe; Sgt. Passarine
• B-25 #68: 2^nd Lt. J.J. Hartnet; 2^nd Lt. Richard L. Edwards; 2^nd Lt. S.V. Howard; Staff Sgt. N.R. Galluzzo; Staff Sgt. A.B. Smith
• B-25 #65: 2^nd Lt. H.F. Hemp; Flight Officer L.B. Goode; 2^nd Lt. Wayne J. Aberle; Sgt. M.S. Waite; Staff Sgt. E.J. Carton

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 24 100-pound fragmentation bombs and 36 100-pound high-explosive bombs

RESULTS: Bomber crews unable to observe results of their bombing due to clouds

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Ki-44 pilots from the 85^th Sentai led by Capt. Yukiyoshi Wakamatsu

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• One P-40 is lost, but the pilot (Lt. Sweeney) is unharmed.
• American fighter pilots and a bomber gunner (Tech Sgt. Gouldthrite) claim to shoot down four enemy fighters for certain and claim an additional eight as “probables.”  Actual Japanese aircraft losses are unknown, though Japanese records indicate that no pilots were lost over Canton on this day. 

SOURCES:

• Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.
• Japanese Army Fighter Aces, 1931-45, by Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, and Christopher Shores

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb HK & Whampoa dockyard

TIME OVER TARGET: ~12:40 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Fourteen B-24s from 323^rd, 325^th, and 425^th Bomb Squadrons (308^th Heavy Bomb Group).  Fighter escort consists of seven P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron and ten P-38s from the 449^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group).  All aircraft are from the 14^th Air Force.

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• P-38s: Captain Sam Palmer; 1^st Lt. Lewden Enslen; 1^st Lt. [Robert?] Schultz; 1^st Lt. Moon;  2^nd Lt. Earl E. Helms
• P-40s: Col. Clinton D. Vincent; 2^nd Lt. Altheus B. Jarmon; Lt. Slay; 1^st Lt. Lynn F. Jones; Lt. Lundy; Lt. Bennett; Lt. T.Y. Cheng
• B-24s: Major Henry G. Brady (commander); Staff Sgt. Smith; Staff Sgt. Spencer; Tech Sgt. Donahue (gunners)
• B-24 #413: 1^st Lt. P.C. Keish; Flight Officer H.B. Tyra; 2^nd Lt. H.V. Smith; 2^nd Lt. D.A. Peterson; Tech Sgt. J.R. Ferguson; Staff Sgt. A.A. Dykes; Pfc. R.O. Watson; Staff Sgt. H.L. Berkowitz; Staff Sgt. A.D. McQuary; Staff Sgt. L. Hayford

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 56 500-pound high-explosive bombs

RESULTS: Bomber crews estimate between 75 to 85 percent of bombs fall within the target area, damaging one ship in dry dock and two smaller vessels.  At least four stray bombs hit godowns on the northeast coast of Hong Kong Island.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: An estimated 7 to 20 Japanese fighter aircraft attempt to intercept the B-24s.  The units involved are unknown, but may have included pilots from the 25^th, 33^rd, and 85^th sentai flying Ki-43-II and Ki-44-II fighters.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• B-24 #413 develops engine trouble on return flight.  Eight of the ten men aboard bail out to lighten the load, and the ship returns safely to Kunming.  The eight crewmen eventually return to their unit.
• One P-40 piloted by Lt. T. Y. Cheng crash lands due to unspecified causes.  Cheng apparently walks away from the wreck, but the condition of his aircraft is unknown.
• B-24 gunners claim to shoot down two enemy fighters.  P-40 pilots claim to shoot down one fighter, plus one probable.  A P-38 pilot claims one enemy fighter destroyed.  Actual Japanese losses are unknown, though existing records indicate no Japanese pilots are killed over Canton on this date.

SOURCES:

• Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

• Japanese Army Fighter Aces, 1931-45, by Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, and Christopher Shores

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Fighter sweep and reconnaissance flight over Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~11:30 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Three P-40Ks from 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:  1^st Lt. William B. Hawkins; 1^st Lt. Samuel P.M. Kinsey; 1^st Lt. Richard Mauritson

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: Pilots report there is very little air activity and river traffic in Canton area

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

SOURCES: Original mission report in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Skip-bomb ships in convoy near Hong Kong.  This is the first time that American fighter pilots in the China theatre attempt skip-bombing, which will become a widespread tactic used by 14^th Air Force pilots to attack Japanese ships. 

TIME OVER TARGET: ~1:15 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Four P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group, 14^th Air Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1^st Lt. Davis G. Anderson; 1^st Lt. Paul Bell; Lt. Thomas P. Bennett; 1^st Lt. William B. Hawkins

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: Two 500-pound bombs and 2,000 rounds of .50-caliber heavy machine gun ammunition

RESULTS: A small naval escort vessel and three small merchant ships are bombed and strafed as they leave Hong Kong.  Pilots report that the escort and freighter are set afire and another freighter is left burning and listing.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb shipping in Victoria Harbor

TIME OVER TARGET: ~1:45 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Three P-40s from 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group, 14^th Air Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Captain Morrison; Lt. Mimmack[?]; Lt. Robert M. Cage

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: Two 500-pound bombs and 1,500 rounds of .50-caliber heavy machine gun ammunition

RESULTS: One 450-foot freighter or tanker possibly named the Shirogane Maru damaged near Stonecutters Island.  One 50-foot launch sunk.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

SOURCES: Original mission report and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb POL (petroleum, oil, and lubricants) depot at Lai Chi Kok

TIME OVER TARGET: ~11:30 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Ten B-25s from the 11^th Medium Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group) escorted by three P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group).  Two additional P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron are tasked with skip-bombing ships in Victoria Harbor.  All aircraft belong to the 14^th Air Force.

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• P-40s: Captain Crooks; Captain Morrison; Lt. Lundy (escorts); Captain Hawkins and Lt. Mimmack (skip-bomb flight)
• B-25 #09: 2^nd Lt. George T. Grottle; 2^nd Lt. Gerald H. Dornbach; 1^st Lt. Charles H. Dearth; Staff Sgt. Loren Morris; Sgt. Golden U. Gallup
• B-25 #36: 2^nd Lt. Edgar N. Gentry; 2^nd Lt. Donald G. O’Leary; Staff Sgt. Edward M. Cooning; Sgt. William H. Johnson; Staff Sgt. Robert D. Shaak
• B-25 #41: 1^st Lt. Charles F. Whiffen; 2^nd Lt. Edward J. Pawlowski; 1^st Lt. Charles J. Bethea; 2^nd Lt. Robert D. Guma; Tech Sgt. Karl H. May; Sgt. Jack L. Gould
• B-25 #46: 1^st Lt. Daniel Manley; 2^nd Lt. William F. Angell; 2^nd Lt. Raymond J. Mazanowski; 2^nd Lt. Paul J. Diekmann; Tech Sgt. Thomas R. Touchstone; Tech Sgt. Frank E. Osborne
• B-25 #54: 2^nd Lt. Richard R. Rouse; 2^nd Lt. John M. Overstreet; 2^nd Lt. Ralph Kamhi; Staff Sgt. Henry M. Ellis; Staff Sgt. William V. Vickery
• B-25 #55: Lt. Col. Morris F. Taber; 2^nd Lt. Clifford T. Schapansky; 1^st Lt. Joseph F. Dockwiller; 1^st Lt. Guy P. Baird Jr.; Tech Sgt. George W. Gouldthrite; Staff Sgt. Louis L. Lucas; Staff Sgt. George J. Atack
• B-25 #56: 2^nd Lt. Robert A. Nice; 2^nd Lt. Earle F. Kane; 2^nd Lt. Robert B. Fischborn; Staff Sgt. Eugene E. Banzhof; Staff Sgt. James T. Hopkins
• B-25 #57: 2^nd Lt. Herbert F. Hempe; 2^nd Lt. Dow J. Richter; Sgt. Rafael C. Arellano; Sgt. Martin S. Waite; Staff Sgt. Michael Barnick; [no rank given] E.O. Hauser
• B-25 #61: Captain Don H. Milan; 2^nd Lt. LeRoy J. Fontaine; 1^st Lt. Glee G. Smith; 2^nd Lt. Clyde H. Wells; Tech Sgt. Joe Edmonson; Staff Sgt. Clair G. Archer; Sgt. Herbert G. Passarine
• B-25 #68: 2^nd Lt. James T. Hartnet; 2^nd Lt. Richard L. Edwards; 2^nd Lt. Seaborn V. Howard; Staff Sgt. Marino R. Galluzzo; Staff Sgt. Arthur B. Smith

ORDNANCE EXPENDED:

• B-25s: 48 x 500-pound demolition bombs and 24 x 136-pound incendiary clusters
• P-40s: Two 500-pound bombs and 800 rounds of .50-caliber machine-gun ammunition (strafing)

RESULTS:

• B-25s set Lai Chi Kok oil tank farm ablaze and the resultant smoke plume rises three miles high. 
• P-40 pilots claim to hit a tanker with one 500-pound bomb; they also strafe at least two “fire barges” trying to put out the fire at Lai Chi Kok.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Six to eight Japanese fighters, possibly from the 25^th or 33^rd sentai.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: P-40 pilots and B-25 gunners claim to shoot down three intercepting Japanese fighters.  Japanese records do not record any pilots lost on this date over Hong Kong, however.

SOURCES:

• Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

• Japanese Army Fighter Aces, 1931-45, by Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, and Christopher Shores

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb Tien Ho airbase in Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~1:00 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Ten B-25s from the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group) escorted by seven P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group).  All aircraft are from the 14^th Air Force.

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• P-40s: Unknown, but includes at least one Chinese pilot attached to the 74^th Fighter Squadron
• B-25 #09: 2^nd Lt. Carl J. LaValle; 2^nd Lt. Richard L. Edwards; 2^nd Lt. Wayne J. Aberle; Staff Sgt. Robert A. Petrucelli; Staff Sgt. Lambert B. Rebstack
• B-25 #36: 1^st Lt. James C. Rautt; 2^nd Lt. Richard R. Rouse; Staff Sgt. Edward M. Cooning; Staff Sgt. Henry M. Ellis; Staff Sgt. William V. Vickery
• B-25 #39: 2^nd Lt. Edward J. Pawlowski; 2^nd Lt. John M. Overstreet; 2^nd Lt. Seaborn V. Howard; Staff Sgt. Ray T. Hamilton; Staff Sgt. Earl F. Fester
• B-25 #41: 1^st Lt. Charles F. Whiffen; 1^st Lt. Edgar N. Gentry; 1^st Lt. Charles J. Bethea; 2^nd Lt. Robert D. Guma; Tech Sgt. Karl H. May; Staff Sgt. Robert E. Johnson
• B-25 #46: 1^st Lt. Daniel Manley; 2^nd Lt. LeRoy J. Fontaine; 2^nd Lt. Raymond J. Mazanowski; 1^st Lt. Paul J. Diekmann; Tech Sgt. Thomas R. Touchstone; Tech Sgt. Frank E. Osborne
• B-25 #56: 1^st Lt. Clifford T. Schapansky; 2^nd Lt. Dow J. Richter; 2^nd Lt. Frank H. Gibson; Staff Sgt. Eugene E. Banzhof; Staff Sgt. Michael Barnick
• B-25 #57: 2^nd Lt. Herbert F. Hempe; 1^st Lt. Richard C. Battle; 2^nd Lt. Ralph Kamhi; Staff Sgt. Carl S. Penka; Staff Sgt. Gale B. Cehill
• B-25 #61: Captain Joseph L. Skeldon; 2^nd Lt. Robert A. Nice; 1^st Lt. Glee G. Smyth; 2^nd Lt. Clyde H. Wells; Tech Sgt. Joe Edmonson; Staff Sgt. Clair G. Archer; Sgt. Herbert G. Passarine
• B-25 #68: 2^nd Lt. George T. Grottle; 2^nd Lt. Donald G. O’Leary; 2^nd Lt. Robert B. Fischborn; Staff Sgt. Loren Morris; Staff Sgt. Golden U. Gallup
• B-25 #88: 1^st Lt. William A. Brenner; 2^nd Lt. Earle F. Kane; 1^st Lt. Charles H. Dearth; Staff Sgt. Charles J. Wilder; Staff Sgt. Walter J. Schexnayder

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 84 x 192-pound M-3 fragmentation clusters and 36 x 100-pound demolition bombs

RESULTS: B-25 crews report 90% of bombs falling in target area, but weather prevents damage assessment

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: An estimated eight to 15 fighters intercept the American formation, most likely from the 85^th Sentai. 

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: Accurate antiaircraft fire damages one B-25, which returns safely to Kweilin.  P-40 pilots claim to shoot down up to four Japanese fighters, though Japanese records do not record any pilots lost over Canton on this date.

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. 

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb White Cloud airbase at Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~11:45 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Eight B-25s from the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group) escorted by eleven P-40s from the 74th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group).  All aircraft are from the 14^th Air Force.

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• P-40 pilots: Colonel “Rosy” Grubbs; Captain Morrison; Captain Bell; Lt. Mimmack; Lt. Jones; Lt. Lundy; 2^nd Lt. Altheus B. Jarmon; Lt. Meyer; 1^st Lt. Richard Mauritson; Lt. Thomas P. Bennett; 1^st Lt. Samuel P.M. Kinsey.
• Crewmen aboard B-25 shot up by Japanese fighter pilots: 2^nd Lt. Herbert F. Hempe; Captain L.S. Nickels; 1^st Lt. Charles H. Dearth; Sgt. Martin S. Waite; Staff Sgt. Michael Barnick
• B-25 crew on other aircraft: 2^nd Lt. Robert D. Guma; Staff Sgt. Loren Morris; Staff Sgt. Golden U. Gallup; Staff Sgt. Charles M. Cox

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 96 x 100-pound bombs

RESULTS: Bombs fall within perimeter of airbase, and B-25 crews report direct hits on one hangar and one fuel dump

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: An estimated 15 to 25 Ki-43-II and Ki-44-II from the 25^th Sentai and 85^th Sentai.  Pilots include Major Toshio A. Sakagawa and Captain Yoshiaki Nakahara.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• P-40 pilots and B-25 gunners claim to shoot down up to nine Japanese fighters, though Japanese records indicate that just one pilot—Captain Nakahara—was shot down and killed on this date over Canton.
• Ki-43 pilots claim to shoot down two American planes, but no American aircraft are lost on this mission.  However, the B-25 flown by 2^nd Lt. Hempe is badly shot up, and the copilot (Capt. Nickels) and bombardier (1^st Lt. Dearth) are wounded.  Hempe lands his badly damaged B-25 safely at Kweilin.

SOURCES:

• Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

• Japanese Army Fighter Aces, 1931-45, by Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, and Christopher Shores.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb riverfront godowns at Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~3:00 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Four P-38s from the 449^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1^st Lt. Lewden Enslen; 2^nd Lt. Billie M. Beardsley

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 8 x 500-pound bombs

RESULTS: Pilots report direct hits on godowns

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS:

• Ki-43-II and Ki-44-II from the 25^th Sentai and 85^th Sentai.  Pilots may have included Major Toshio A. Sakagawa.
• One Ki-57 transport plane.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: P-38s shoot down the Ki-57 transport plane, killing Lt. General Nakasono Moritaka and members of his staff.

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb Whampoa docks in Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~4:00 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Six P-38s from the 449^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Captain L.O. Gregg; 2^nd Lt. Weber

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: Unknown, but since only four of the six P-38s carry bombs, probably 8 x 500-pound general-purpose bombs

RESULTS: P-38 pilots claim three hits on Whampoa docks

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Up to seventeen Ki-44-II led by Captain Yukiyoshi Wakamatsu.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• American pilots claim to shoot down one Ki-44 and damage another, but Japanese records indicate no pilots are lost over Canton on this date.
• Captain Wakamatsu and his pilots score multiple hits on two P-38s, though both return to base safely.

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb ships in Victoria Harbor

TIME OVER TARGET: ~2:00 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Ten P-38 Lightnings from the 449^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 2^nd Lt. Gregg; 2^nd Lt. Newnom; 2^nd Lt. Ivan A. Rockwell; 2^nd Lt. Taylor

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: Four P-38s use skip-bombing tactics and drop 4 x 500-pound bombs, while six P-38s fly top cover

RESULTS: Three P-38 pilots bomb merchant ships, and though they claim two hits, none of the vessels sink.  A fourth pilot bombs a dam on Hong Kong Island, but the bomb apparently fails to explode.  All four pilots strafe the gunboat IJNS Saga.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: Two P-38s are damaged by antiaircraft fire and one later crashes, killing 2^nd Lt. Rockwell.  He is the first pilot from the 449^th to be killed on a mission to Hong Kong.

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb Kowloon docks and godowns

TIME OVER TARGET: Due to heavy cloud cover, the bombers do not reach the target

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Nine B-25s from the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group) and an unspecified number of escorting fighters, probably from the 74^th and/or 449^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group).  All aircraft are from the 14^th Air Force.

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Goode; 2^nd Lt. Edward J. Pawlowski; Staff Sgt. Robert C. Appleby; Sgt. Golden U. Gallup; Tech Sgt. George W. Gouldthrite; Staff Sgt. J.J. O’Connel

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: No bombs are dropped.

RESULTS: None

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Up to ten enemy fighters intercept the B-25s, probably from the 25^th, 33^rd, or 85^th Sentai.  

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: B-25 gunners claim to shoot down up to five enemy fighters, though Japanese records do no indicate any pilots were lost over the Pearl River delta on this date.  The escorting American fighters fail to rendezvous with the B-25s due to the poor weather and do not engage the Japanese fighters.

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb Kowloon docks

TIME OVER TARGET: ~12:45 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

• Twenty-one B-24s from the 373^rd, 374^th, 375^th and 425^th Bomb Squadrons (308^th Heavy Bomb Group)
• Seventeen P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Nine to twelve P-40s from the 75^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Eight P-38s from the 449^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• 74^th Fighter Squadron: Col. Norval C. Bonawitz; Captain Bell; Lt. Garrett; Lt. Heelen; Lt. Duesler; Lt. Meyer; Lt. Jones; Lt. Strantz; Lt. Gibeault; Lt. Lundy; 2^nd Lt. Altheus B. Jarmon; Lt. Thomas P. Bennett; Lt. Duffy; Lt. Robert M. Cage; 1^st Lt. Harlyn Vidovich; Lt. Lee; Lt. Smith
• 75^th Fighter Squadron: Captain Grosvenor; Captain Pryor; Lt. Long; Lt. Balderson; Lt. Anning; Lt. Vurgaropulos; Lt. Casey; Lt. Howard; Lt. Brown; Lt. Bennett
• B-24 #251: 1^st Lt. Herbert W. Oglesby; 1^st Lt. John M. White; 1^st Lt. Irwin Zaetz; 1^st Lt. Edward W. Smith; Tech Sgt. Leroy A Harned; Staff Sgt. Waino M. Williams; Staff Sgt. George J. McKorkell; Tech Sgt. Lawrence Bouchard; Sgt. Keene; Sgt. R.C. Schuman
• B-24 gunners: Staff Sgt. John A. Caughlin; Staff St. Dallas C. Thomas; Sgt. Earl T. Smith; Staff Sgt. James M. Shook; Staff Sgt. Benjamin L. Ross; Tech Sgt. Burman [possibly Richard Berman]; Staff Sgt. Spodafara [possibly Tony Spadafora]

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: No bombs are dropped due to overcast conditions at Hong Kong

RESULTS: None

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: American pilots report they are attacked by up to 38 enemy fighters, which is almost certainly an overestimation.  Intercepting Japanese fighters likely belong to the 85^th Sentai.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• B-24 #251 is struck by antiaircraft fire over Canton and then shot up by enemy fighters, forcing the crew to bail out.  All crewmembers eventually return to their unit.
• Two P-40s are damaged.
• B-24 gunners claim to shoot down up to five enemy fighters and P-40 pilots claim three more.  However, Japanese records suggest that only 1^st Lt. Yoshiji Shiki of the 85^th Sentai is lost over Canton on this date.

SOURCES:

• Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

• Japanese Army Fighter Aces, 1931-45, by Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, and Christopher Shores

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

The next day's Hong Kong News reported an attempted raid had been driven back before it reached Hong Kong:

OBJECTIVE: Bomb Kowloon docks and mine Victoria Harbor

TIME OVER TARGET: ~11:00 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Twenty B-24s from the 373^rd, 374^th, 375^th and 425^th Bomb Squadrons (308^th Heavy Bomb Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• B-24 #183: Captain Sam J. Skousen; Captain James S. “Jack” Edney; 1^st Lt. Ralph E. Bower; 1^st Lt. Daniel J. Palmer; 1^st Lt. Malcolm S. Sanders; Tech Sgt. Arthur J. Benko; Tech Sgt. Robert M. Kirk; Tech Sgt. A.L. Flaherty; Tech Sgt. W.J. Novak; Staff Sgt. Casper J. Chirieleison
• B-24 #409: 1^st Lt. Wyndham M. Manning; 2^nd Lt. Milton H. Werner; 2^nd Lt. Winfred A. Cates; 2^nd Lt. Harold M. Thomas; Tech Sgt. Anastacio M. Contreras; Staff Sgt. Norman E. Bonds; Staff Sgt. Orla M. Reichel; Staff Sgt. Paul E. Ebner; Staff Sgt. James J. Garrott
• B-24 #826: 2^nd Lt. James P. Gilbert; 2^nd Lt. Linus J. Austin; 2^nd Lt. Donald G. Richardson; 2^nd Lt. John W. Grosbeck; Tech Sgt. Harold W. Case; Staff Sgt. Barton W. Owens; Staff Sgt. Patsy Gerrone; Staff Sgt. Arthur Regal; Staff Sgt. John Orovecz; Staff Sgt. Clifford T. Hamilton

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 61 x 500-pound bombs and 18 x 1,000-pound anti-ship mines (some B-24s fail to find target and return to base with bombs and mines still aboard)

RESULTS: Bomb damage to Kowloon docks is unknown.  Mines are dropped in Kellet and Lei Yue Mun channels.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• B-24 #409 and #826 crash on the return flight, apparently due to fuel exhaustion.  All crewmen bail out and eventually return to their unit.
• B-24 #183 loses two engines and seven of the ten crewmen bail out.  1^st Lt. Sanders and Tech Sgt. Benko are captured after landing in enemy territory.  #183 makes the field at Kweilin despite the loss of two engines.

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

The following report was written on the 16th, but printed in the Hong Kong News on the 18th:

Photo from that attack:

Additional notes from ssuni86:

What I can piece together from flight intelligence reports and other U.S. military documents in my possession:

The aircraft involved in this raid took off from Guilin (Kweilin), a frequent staging point for air strikes on Hong Kong by units of the 14th Air Force of the USAAF.  The airstrike was executed by 12 B-24 Liberator heavy bombers of the 308th Bomb Group and B-25 Mitchell medium bombers of the 11th Bomb Squadron (341st Bomb Group).  The 23 escorting P-40 fighters came from the 74th and 75th Fighter Squadrons of the 23rd Fighter Group.  As per standard operating procedure, the B-24s made conventional bombing runs from 16,000 feet while the B-25s made their bomb runs "on the deck."  The B-24s targeted the Kowloon docks (i.e., the HK & Whampoa dockyard at Hung Hom) while the B-25s went after individual ships in the harbor.

The 74th Fighter Squadron lost two P-40s, with the pilots reported as MIA.  One B-24 was shot up by Japanese fighters, but managed to return to Guilin.

A 520-foot cargo ship (11,500 tons) was sunk by the B-25s, according to postwar assessment of Japanese merchant shipping losses.  The was perhaps the vessel in the photo.

As always, this information is somewhat speculative and based on reports filed by American pilots whose recollections of events were colored by the chaos of combat and the fact that the Japanese were doing their level best to blast them out of the sky. 

--Steven Bailey

OBJECTIVE: Attack shipping in Victoria Harbor

TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:50 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two B-25s from the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• B-25 #36: 1^st Lt. George T. Grottle; 1^st Lt. William A. Brenner; 1^st Lt. Raymond J. Mazanowski; Staff Sgt. Golden U. Gallup
• B-25 #92: 1^st Lt. Harold K. Searle; 2^nd Lt. John O. Sandbach; 1^st Lt. Howard V. Seaborn; Sgt. Robert W. Richardson

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 10 x 500-pound bombs

RESULTS: The B-25s score multiple hits and near misses on a 520-foot freighter, causing it to catch fire and sink in shallow water.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb Kowloon docks

TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:50 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

• Eleven B-24s from the 308^th Bomb Group
• Thirteen P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Eight P-40s from the 75^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• 74^th Fighter Squadron: Bell; G.F. Bennett; Lt. Duffy; Lt. Robert Gibeault; Heelen; Lt. Hendrickson; 1^st Lt. Samuel P.M. Kinsey; Lee; Lundy; 2^nd Lt. Robert L. Milks; Lt. Mimmack; Morello; Morin
• 75^th Fighter Squadron: Lt. Col. David L. “Tex” Hill; Major Richardson; Lt. Lee; Lt White; Lt. Scoville; Lt. Wang; Lt. Brown; Lt. Long

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: ~94 x 500-pound bombs

RESULTS: Bombing is extremely inaccurate, with some bombs landing on the southwestern side of Hong Kong Island in the vicinity of Aberdeen and the Dairy Farm

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: As many as six Ki-43-II pilots from an unknown unit intercept a straggling B-24

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• One B-24 is holed in the wing by antiaircraft fire and one B-24 is shot up by the Ki-43 pilots, though both bombers return safely to base.
• P-40 pilots claim to shoot down one Ki-43-II near Wuchow.

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: Take reconnaissance photographs of Kowloon

TIME OVER TARGET: ~9:15 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One F-4 or F-5 (photo-recon version of the P-38)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Unknown

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: Recon photos of Kowloon show no evidence of damage from the B-24 raid the previous evening (Nov. 15).  Numerous ships are at the HK & Whampoa dockyard.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).