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

OBJECTIVE: P-40 pilots fly a “diversionary alert” over Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~12:30 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Seven P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Bell, Lt. Lundy, Lt. Meyer, Lt. Strantz, Bates, Lt. Gordon F. Bennett, La Touralle

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: None

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Two Japanese fighters are spotted, but they do not engage.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: One P-40 is lost when Lt. Bennett develops engine trouble and bails out.

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: Sea sweep over South China Sea

TIME OVER TARGET: Twelve noon

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

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• B-25 #38: 1^st Lt. Edgar N. Gentry; 1^st Lt. William M. Henry; 2^nd Lt. Ralph Kamhi; Sgt. Robert L. Lantz
• B-25 #88: 1^st Lt. Dow J. Richter; 2^nd Lt. Thomas H. Anderson; 2^nd Lt. Charles A. Lutton; Staff Sgt. Frederick T. Kavaney

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 8 x 500-pound bombs

RESULTS: The B-25s bomb and strafe a 200-foot armed freighter at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta.  The ship is mostly likely the auxiliary minesweeper Genchi Maru (525 GRT).  The vessel is on fire and sinking when the B-25s depart the scene.  Crewmen who abandon ship are strafed by gunners aboard the B-25s.

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.
• The Imperial Japanese Navy in World War Two: A Graphic Presentation of the Japanese Naval Organization and List of Combatant and Non-Combatant Vessels Lost or Damaged in the War from the Military History Section of the General Headquarters of the U.S. Far East Command in 1952.

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 Tai Koo dockyard and HK & Whampoa dockyard

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

• Six B-25s from the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group)
• Six B-25s from the 2^nd Bomb Squadron (1^st Bomb Group, Chinese American Composite Wing)
• Eight P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Six P-51As from the 76^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Seventeen P-40Ns from the 3^rd Fighter Group (Chinese American Composite Wing)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• P-40s (74^th FS): Col. Rouse; Lt. Colonel Norval C. Bonawitz; Major Denney; Captain Bell; Lt. Lundy; Lt. Hendrickson; Lt. Morello; Lt. Morin
• P-51s (76^th FS): Lt. Col. David L. “Tex” Hill; Captain James M. “Willie” Williams; 1^st Lt. Dale Bell; 1^st Lt. Robert T. Colbert; 1^st Lt. Harry G. Zavakos; Flight Officer Wilson
• B-25s (2^nd BS): Lt. Colonel Branch; Captain Conrad; Captain Harper; Captain Carson; Captain Churchill; 1^st Lt. Seacrest; Sgt. C.C. Wei
• B-25s (11^th BS):
  • B-25 #38: Flight Officer Richard M. Gramling; Flight Officer William R. Monroe; Sgt. Rafael C. Arellano; Corporal Everett F. Hamilton
  • B-25 #46: 2^nd Lt. John M. Overstreet; 2^nd Lt. Stanley A. Johnson; 2^nd Lt. Ralph Kamhi; Sgt. Frederick C. DeWitt; Private Charles J. Wilder
  • B-25 #57: 1^st Lt. Edgar N. Gentry; 2^nd Lt. Harold E. Sparhawk; 1^st Lt. Paul J. Diekman; Sgt. William H. Johnson; Staff Sgt. Robert D. Shaak; Corporal E.Z. Mann
  • B-25 #68: 1^st Lt. William A. Brenner; 2^nd Lt. Delwyn F. Ritzdorf; 1^st Lt. Frank H. Gibson; Staff Sgt. Ray T. Hamilton; Sgt. Alvin A. Stainker
  • B-25 #88: 1^st Lt. George T. Grottle; 2^nd Lt. Harold Rochelle; 2^nd Lt. Robert B. Fischborn; Staff Sgt. Golden U. Gallup
  • B-25 #92: Lt. Col. Joseph B. Wells; 1^st Lt. William M. Henry; 1^st Lt. Charles J. Bethea; 2^nd Lt. Herbert I. Robinson; Sgt. Joe D. Josserand; Sgt. Harold J. Coleman; Corporal Arbun K. Griffen

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 72 x 500-pound bombs

RESULTS: Bombs hit the Tai Koo and HK & Whampoa dockyards.  At Tai Koo, the 2,645-ton Teiren Maru is damaged beyond repair.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Ki-43 and Ki-44 pilots from the 85^th Sentai

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• Pilots of the 85^th Sentai shoot down two P-51As (pilots Colbert and Williams) and damage a third (pilot Hill)
• One B-25 gunner claims to shoot down one enemy fighter and Lt. Col. Hill damages one Ki-44

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).

Here's how the raid is reported in the following day's Hong Kong News:

OBJECTIVE: Bomb the Kowloon shipyards (most likely the HK & Whampoa dockyard)

TIME OVER TARGET: ~12:30 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Eight P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group) escort seven B-25s from the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group) and an unknown number of B-25s from the 1^st Bomb Group of the Chinese American Composite Wing. 

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• P-40s: Colonel Rouse; Major Denny; Captain Bell; Captain Jones; Lt. Lundy; Lt. Lee; 1^st Lt. Richard Mauritson; 2^nd Lt. Altheus B. Jarmon
• B-25s (11^th BS):
  • B-25 #46: 1^st Lt. William A. Brenner; 2^nd Lt. Delwyn F. Ritzdorf; 2^nd Lt. Richard W. Sherman; Staff Sgt. Ray T. Hamilton; Sgt. Alvin A. Stainker
  • B-25 #56: 1^st Lt. Robert A. Nice; 2^nd Lt. Thomas H. Anderson; 2^nd Lt. Robert B. Fischborn; Staff Sgt. Eugene E. Banzhof; Sgt. Jean W. Walburn
  • B-25 #55: 2^nd Lt. Dow J. Richter; 2^nd Lt. John T. Schmidt; 2^nd Lt. Gerald M. O’Day; Sgt. Walter P. White; Sgt. Frederick T. Kaveney
  • B-25 #57: 1^st Lt. Carl J. LaValle; 2^nd Lt. Richard L. Edwards; 1^st Lt. William H.C. White; Staff Sgt. Robert A. Petrucelli; Sgt. Harold J. Coleman; Corporal Carl Cannon
  • B-25 #68: 1^st Lt. LeRoy J. Fontaine; 2^nd Lt. Harold E. Sparhawk; 1^st Lt. Seaborn V. Howard; Staff Sgt. Marino R. Galluzzo; Staff Sgt. Arthur B. Smith
  • B-25 #79: 2^nd Lt. Edward J. Pawlowski; 2^nd Lt. Orrin G. Zebarth; 1^st Lt. Paul J. Diekmann; Staff Sgt. Robert C. Appleby; Staff Sgt. Louis L. Steiner
  • B-25 #92: Lt. Col. Joseph B. Wells; Captain Loren S. Nickels; 2^nd Lt. Jack H. Potter; 2^nd Lt. Charles A. Lutton; 2^nd Lt. Herbert I. Robinson; Sgt. Joe D. Josserand; Staff Sgt. Harry L. Veale; Corporal Arbun K. Griffen

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: Due to heavy cloud cover the bomber crews are unable to bomb the target and return all bombs to Kweilin

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 Tien Ho airfield at Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~2:08 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

• Twenty-nine B-24s from the 373^rd, 374^th, 375^th and 425^th Bomb Squadrons (308^th Heavy Bomb Group)
• Eleven P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Five P-51s and seven P-40s from the 76^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Unknown number of P-40Ns from the 32^nd Provisional Fighter Squadron (Chinese American Composite Wing)

AMERICAN and CHINESE PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• B-24s: Lt. Haley; Lt. Gochnauer; Lt. Frazier; Lt. Maupin; Sgt. Smith; Sgt. Miller; Sgt. Orovecz; Sgt. Patty Gerrone; Tech Sgt. Robert Berman; Sgt. Roy D. Smith; Sgt. Cords; Sgt. Bodgemicz; Sgt. Yovick; Sgt. Randleman; Sgt. Kunkel; Tech Sgt. Lengyell; Sgt. Rasbang; Tech Sgt. Holbrook; Tech Sgt. Bates; Tech Sgt. Ferguson
• P-40s (74^th FS): Capt. Mimmack; 1^st Lt. Richard Mauritson; Lt. Hendricksen; 1^st Lt. Samuel P.M. Kinsey; Lt. Lee; 1^st Lt. Meyer; 1^st Lt. James E. Spurgin; Lt. Adams; Lt. Gordon F. Bennett; Lt. Heelen; Lt. Garrett; 2^nd Lt. Bear; 2^nd Lt. Cook; 2^nd Lt. Crawford; 2^nd Lt. Wallace Cousins
• P-40s: (76^th FS): Lt. Olney; Lt. Templeton; Lt. Richard Perkins; Lt. Watt; 1^st Lt. Vern Kramer; Flight Officer Wilson; Lt. Wilson (16^th FS); Lt. McDonald (26^th FS)
• P-51s (76^th FS): Captain Stewart; Lt. Gibson; Lt. Celani; Lt. Schaeffer; Lt. Lunsford; Lt. Trecartin; Lt. Saunders
• P-40s (32^nd PFS): Captain Jim Dale; Captain Hung; Captain Tim Maloney; Captain William L. Turner; Lt. Chen; Lt. S.Y. Hwang; Lt. Lindell; Lt. K.C. Wang

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 240 x 100-pound bombs; 99 x 250-pound bombs; 139 x 100-pound fragmentation bomb clusters

RESULTS: All B-24s bomb White Cloud airfield by mistake.  Bombs crater runway, hit revetments, and possibly destroy two aircraft on the ground.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: An estimated fifteen fighter aircraft intercept the B-24s.  These include Ki-43s, possibly from the 11^th and/or 25^th Sentai, and Ki-44s from the 85^th Sentai.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• Enemy fighters inflict minor damage on four B-24s and serious damage on one B-24, though all five aircraft return safely to Kweilin.  Three lieutenants (Gochnauer; Frazier; Maupin) bail out of the badly damaged B-24 over friendly territory and eventually rejoin their unit.
• Two P-40s from the 32^nd Provisional Fighter Squadron are shot down, killing Lt. Hwang and Lt. Wang.
• Three P-40s from the 74^th and 76^th Fighter Squadrons crash land, though the pilots are uninjured.
• American pilots and B-24 gunners claim to shoot down at least eleven enemy fighters, but Japanese records indicate that only Sgt. Major Hidesue Ikubo of the 85^th Sentai is lost 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 Tien Ho airfield at Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~12:55 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

• Eighteen B-24s from the 373^rd, 374^th, and 425^th Bomb Squadrons (308^th Heavy Bomb Group)
• Unknown number of P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Three P-51s and one P-40 from the 76^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Unknown number of P-40Ns from 28^th Provisional Fighter Squadron (Chinese American Composition Wing)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• P-40s (28^th PFS): Major Eugene Strickland; Captain Cheng; Lt. C.Y. Meng; Lt. Y.H. Chao; Lt. S.L. Chow; Lt. Frank Smiley; Lt. Art Skidmore
• P-40s (74^th FS): Lt. Virgil A. Butler
• P-40s (76^th FS): 1^st Lt. Harry G. Zavakos
• P-51s (76^th FS): Captain Lee Manbeck; Lt. Boylan; Lt. Butler
• B-24 #246: Staff Sgt. Joe Duran; Staff Sgt. Earl L. Smith; Staff Sgt. Frederick D. Day
• B-24 #247: Tech Sgt. Sydney H. McPherson
• B-24 #249: Sgt. F.G. Blair; Staff Sgt. Ben A. Weischman
• B-24 #252: Tech Sgt. John E. Beaudoin, Jr.; Staff Sgt. Marvin D. Gray
• B-24 #257: Staff Sgt. Leonard Davenport; Staff Sgt. Herman Peterson; Staff Sgt. Howard A. Buchman; Sgt. Clarence J. King
• B-24 #262: Staff Sgt. Clemon V. Eaton
• B-24 #286: Staff Sgt. Arthur Regal, Jr.; Staff Sgt. John Coughlin; Staff Sgt. Clifford T. Hamilton; Staff Sgt. W.S. Polchlopek; Staff Sgt. Cecil L. Olson
• B-24 #309: Tech Sgt. LeRoy C. Jordon; Staff Sgt. Charles V. Dumato; Tech  Sgt. Robert O. Wafle
• B-24 #317: Staff Sgt. Barton W. Owens; Tech Sgt. Robert Berman; Staff Sgt. John Orovecz
• B-24 #320: Staff Sgt. Roy D. Smith
• B-24 #324: Sgt. Beckman Winecoff
• B-24 #329: 1^st Lt. Charles M. Swanson; 2^nd Lt. H.W. Linihan; 2^nd Lt. Dale R. Anderson; 2^nd Lt. Harvey Berman; 2^nd Lt. Charles C. Boone; Tech  Sgt. Perry J. Humphries; Tech Sgt. Dan W. Lee; Staff Sgt. Wendell G. Mettert; Staff Sgt. Alfred H. Geibel; Staff Sgt. Raymon L. Pavilina; Staff Sgt. Willis D. Culps
• B-24 #436: Tech Sgt. Stanley Marshall; Tech Sgt. Alvin Heath

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 198 x 250-pound bombs and 8 x 300-pound bombs

RESULTS: For the second day in a row, the B-24s fail to find the correct target and bomb an auxiliary airstrip by mistake.  Bombs hit runway and revetments, and possibly destroy one aircraft.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS:

• Ki-43 pilots from the 11^th Sentai and 25^th Sentai, including Capt. Nakakazu Ozaki
• Ki-44 pilots from the 85^th Sentai

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• B-24 #329 is shot down over Canton, most likely by Capt. Nakakazu Ozaki.  Five of the crew bail out and eventually return to their unit (Swanson; Boone; Lee; Geibel; Culps).
• One P-40 is lost in a forced landing, though the pilot (Zavakos) is uninjured.
• Enemy fighters inflict minor damage on four more B-24s.  Sgt. Blair in #249 is wounded in the leg by a 20mm cannon shell fragment.
• B-24 gunners claim to shoot down at least 17 Japanese fighter aircraft, and P-40 pilots of the 28^th Provisional Fighter Squadron claim three more.  Japanese losses are unknown, but certainly nowhere near the 20 planes claimed by American aviators.

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: Drop anti-ship mines into Victoria Harbor

RESULTS: B-24s successfully drop mines into shipping channels of Victoria Harbor.  Reconnaissance mission flown three days later photographs a 325-foot ship sinking in the channel where the mines are laid.

TIME OVER TARGET: ~7:30 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two B-24s from the 373^rd Bomb Squadron (308^th Heavy Bomb Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Unknown

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: Seven anti-ship mines of unknown type

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: Fly reconnaissance mission over Hong Kong

RESULTS: Reconnaissance photographs are taken that show a 325-foot ship sinking in the channel where B-24s laid mines in Victoria Harbor on January 11.

TIME OVER TARGET: Unknown, but during daylight

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Unknown, but likely a single F-4 or F-5 from the 21^st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Unknown

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Unknown

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: Air strike against Kai Tak airfield

RESULTS: B-25s bomb buildings on the east edge of Kai Tak; American and Chinese fighter pilots dogfight with defending Japanese fighter pilots

TIME OVER TARGET: ~2:45 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

• Eleven P-40s from 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Fifteen P-40Ns from 28^th and 32^nd Provisional Fighter Squadrons (3^rd Fighter Group, Chinese American Composite Wing)
• Nine B-25s from Chinese American  Composite Wing

AMERICAN AND CHINESE PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• 74^th FS: Col. David L. “Tex” Hill; Major Barry Melloan; Capt. Eugene Lundy; Capt. Morello; 1^st Lt. Jess T. Garrett; Lt. Thomas P. Bennett; Lt. Strantz; 2^nd Lt. Charles E. Cook; 2^nd Lt. Chester Denny; Lt. Virgil A. Butler; Lt. Moolen [?]; Lt. Gordon  F. Bennett
• 28^th and 32^nd PFS: Lt. Col. Eugene L. Strickland; Capt. James T. Bull; Capt. C.A.L. Martin; Capt. Charles C. Wilder; Capt. Frank C. Smiley; 1^st Lt. James E. Bush; Capt. S.T. Cheng; 1^st Lt. C.M. Chang; 1^st Lt. C.Y. Meng; 2^nd Lt. T.C. Chao; 2^nd Lt. Y.C. Chang; 2^nd Lt. C.H. Yang; 2^nd Lt. C.P. Mao; 2^nd Lt. M.Y. Sun; 2^nd Lt. J.L. Kuo

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: Unknown

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: An estimated four to six Ki-43s and/or Ki-44s, possibly from the 11^th Sentai and/or  85^th Sentai.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• Two P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron crash land, though pilots are uninjured (Denny; T.P. Bennet).
• One P-40N from 3^rd Fighter Group is damaged.
• American and Chinese pilots claim to shoot down one Japanese fighter and to damage another, but Japanese records do not indicate any Japanese pilots are lost 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: Air strike against Kai Tak airfield

RESULTS: Twelve B-25s bomb Kai Tak.  Four P-40s are shot down in a dogfight with defending Japanese fighters.

TIME OVER TARGET: ~1:37 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

• Six P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Fourteen P-40Ns from the 32^nd Provisional Fighter Squadron (3^rd Fighter Group, Chinese American Composite Wing)
• Six B-25s from the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group)
• Six B-25s from the 2^nd Provisional Bomb Squadron (1^st Medium Bomb Group, Chinese American Composite Wing)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• 32^nd PFS: Major William L. Turner; 1^st Lt. Keith G. Lindell; 1^st Lt. Thomas M. Maloney; 1^st Lt. John R. Dehaven; 1^st Lt. Donald W. Kerr; Captain C.W. Hung; 1^st Lt. S.L. Wu; 1^st Lt. Y. Wu; 1^st Lt. Y.T. Tien; 2^nd Lt. L.C. Teng; 2^nd Lt. S.C. Wang; 2^nd Lt. W. Yu; 2^nd Lt. C.Y. Mo; 2^nd Lt. Y.C. Yang (楊應求少尉)
• 74^th FS: Major Barry Melloan; Lt. Aston; Lt Oren Bates; Lt. Robert Gibeault; 1^st Lt. Samuel Kinsey; Lt. George Lee
• 2^nd BS: Irving L. Branch; Chester M. Conrad; John B. Sanders; T.F. Folay; T.H. Chang; C.K. Tsao (all aircraft commanders)
• 11^th BS:
  • B-25 #426: Lt. Col. Joseph B. Wells; 1^st Lt. James W. Funk; 1^st Lt. Charles A. Lutton; 1^st Lt. Robert D. Guma; Staff Sgt. Laurier R. Dumas; Staff Sgt. Hadsall D. Barnhouse; Staff Sgt. William J. Holtz
  • B-25 #425: 1^st Lt. Theodore J. Michel; 2^nd Lt. Daniel J. Phiefer; 2^nd Lt. Herbert M. Edwards; Staff Sgt. Robert L. Harmon; Tech Sgt. Lawrence W. Jarrett; Tech Sgt. Herbert G. Passarino
  • B-25 #415: 1^st Lt. William R. Monroe; 2^nd Lt. Orrin G. Zebarth; 2^nd Lt. Walter L. Wade; Tech Sgt. Thomas R. Touchstone; Sgt. Alvin A. Stainker; 1^st Lt. Thomas B. Cox
  • B-25 #429: 1^st Lt. Robert R. Schuppert; 2^nd Lt. Stanley A. Johnson; 2^nd Lt. Merry A. Mansy[?]; Staff Sgt. Alfred Carraway; Sgt. Paul A. LeFrancois; Private William C. Whaley
  • B-25 #401: 1^st Lt. George R. Laverell; 2^nd Lt. Carl R. Kostol; 2^nd Lt. Earl C. Stone; 2^nd Lt. Richard W. Sherman; Corporal Dennis E. Conley; Sgt. Jean W. Walburn; 1^st Lt. Robert C. Culp
  • B-25 #423: 1^st Lt. James J. Harnett; 1^st Lt. Harold E. Sparhawk; 2^nd Lt. James F. Butler; 1^st Lt. Richard C. Combs; Staff Sgt. Marino R. Galluzzo; Staff Sgt. Arthur B. Smith  

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 34 x 500-pound bombs are dropped by the 11^th Bomb Squadron.  The ordnance dropped by the 2^nd Bomb Squadron is unknown, but likely the same.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: An estimated twenty Ki-43s and/or Ki-44s, possibly from the 11^th Sentai and/or 85^th Sentai

AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

• 74^th FS: Lt. Lee and Lt. Bates are shot down, but both escape and evade with the assistance of the BAAG
• 3^rd FG: Lt. Kerr is shot down, but escapes and evades with help of communist guerrillas; Lt. Yang is shot down and dies of wounds
• P-40 pilots claim to shoot down six Japanese fighters, though Japanese records do not indicate that any Japanese pilots were lost over Hong Kong 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: Attack southbound convoy that has just departed Hong Kong

RESULTS: B-25s search without success for convoy reported to be offshore between San Chau and Hong Kong.  The pilots fly within five miles of Hong Kong, which they can see is not blacked out.

TIME OVER TARGET: ~6:00-7:00 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One B-25H and two B-25Ds of the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• B-25 #430: Lt. Col. Joseph B. Wells; 2^nd Lt. Earl C. Stone; Staff Sgt. William H. Johnson; Sgt. Jean W. Walburn
• B-25 #431: Captain George T. Grottle; 1^st Lt. Harold Rochelle; 2^nd Lt. Gerald M. O’Day; Staff Sgt. Charles M Cox; Staff Sgt. Golden U. Gallup; Sgt. Alvin A. Stainker
• B-25 #426: 1^st Lt. Edward J. Pawlowski; 1^st Lt. James W. Funk; 1^st Lt. Ralph Kamhi; Tech Sgt. Robert C. Appleby; Staff Sgt. Louis L. Steiner; Staff Sgt. Thomas P. Kolenda

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

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 HK & Whampoa dockyard

RESULTS: B-24s attempt to bomb dockyard at night with the aid of flares, but only six aircraft find the target.  Bombs are widely scattered and cause little damage, with some apparently falling on Hong Kong Island.  The Hongkong News later claims a hospital is hit, killing several Chinese patients.  The 308^th judges that the use of flares for night bombing over Hong Kong is a failure and the group does not repeat this experiment.  

TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:20 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Eleven B-24s from the 374^th and 375^th Bomb Squadrons (308^th Heavy Bomb Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Captain Fiser; Captain Morgan; Captain Crawford; Captain Hairston; Lt. Smith; Lt. Huffman; Lt. Braun; Lt. Bingman; Lt. Manning; Lt. Heeth; Lt. Nolan (all aircraft commanders)

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 36 x 1,000-pound bombs plus 25 air-dropped flares

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 Tien Ho airfield at Canton

RESULTS: Aircraft fail to find target due to cloud cover and return to base without dropping any bombs

TIME OVER TARGET: ~8:15 to 8:45 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

• Eight P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)
• Eight P-40s from the Chinese American Composite Wing (squadrons unknown, but possibly 28^th or 32^nd Provisional Fighter Squdron)
• Nine B-25s from the 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group)
• Eleven B-25s (most likely 1^st Bomb Squadron, 1^st Medium Bomb Group) from the Chinese American Composite Wing

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• 74^th FS: Major Barry Melloan; Lt. Bear; Lt. Duffy; Lt. Robert Gibeault; Lt. Strantz; Lt. [Kenneth?] La Tourelle; Lt. [Virgil A?] Butler; Lt. Cousins
• 11^th BS:
  • B-25 #431: 1^st Lt. Edward J. Pawlowski; 1^st Lt. Delwyn F. Ritzdorf; 1^st Lt. Raymond J. Mazanowski; 1^st Lt. Robert D. Guma; Tech Sgt. Robert C. Appleby; Staff Sgt. Louis L. Steiner; Staff Sgt. Thomas P. Kolenda
  • B-25 #436: Captain Robert S. Thompson; 1^st Lt. Harold Rochelle; 1^st Lt. Frank H. Gibson; Staff Sgt. Ray T. Hamilton; Staff Sgt. Louis L. Lucas; Sgt. Alvin A. Stainker
  • B-25 #429: 1^st Lt. James J. Harnett; 1^st Lt. William F. Angell; 2^nd Lt. James F. Butler; Tech Sgt. Henry M. Ellis; Staff Sgt. Michael Ilnicki; Staff Sgt. Frederick C. DeWitt
  • B-25 #428: 1^st Lt. Robert A. Nice; 1^st Lt. Richard M. Gramling; 1^st Lt. Arthur I. Blechman; 1^st Lt. Herbert I. Robinson; Tech Sgt. Eugene E. Banzhof; Staff Sgt. Earl F. Porter; Sgt. Arbun K. Griffen
  • B-25 #427: Captain Theodore J. Michel; 2^nd Lt. Daniel J. Pfiefer; 1^st Lt. Robert B. Fischborn; Staff Sgt. Robert L. Harmon; Staff Sgt. George E. Zecher; Tech Sgt. Lawrence W. Jarrett
  • B-25 #432: 1^st Lt. Carl J. LaValle; Lt. Colonel Joseph B. Wells; 1^st Lt. Thomas B. Cox; 1^st Lt. Clyde H. Wells; Tech Sgt. Robert A. Petrucelli; Staff Sgt. Lambert B. Regstock; Staff Sgt. Harold J. Coleman
  • B-25 #425: 1^st Lt. Denning M. Perdew; 2^nd Lt. Raymond S. Horey; 2^nd Lt. Earl C. Stone; Staff Sgt. Steven Simon; Sgt. William C. Whaley
  • B-25 #415: 1^st Lt. Dow J. Richter; 1^st Lt. Stanley A. Johnson; 2^nd Lt. Gerald M. O’Day; Staff Sgt. Walter P. White; Staff Sgt. Frederick T. Kaveney; Private First Class Herbert Morrison

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

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: Reconnaissance flight to determine weather conditions over Canton

RESULTS: Pilot reports light overcast at 7,000 feet and very heavy ground haze and fog.

TIME OVER TARGET: ~6:30 a.m.

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

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Thomas P. Bennett

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

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: Fighter sweep over Canton airfields

RESULTS: P-51 fighter pilots strafe ground vehicles, buildings, and parked aircraft at Tien Ho, White Cloud, and University airfields. 

TIME OVER TARGET: ~3:00-3:10 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Eight P-51s from the 76^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Captain Butler; Lt. Melgard; 2^nd Lt. Jerome F. Eisenman; Lt. Moore; Lt. Short; Lt. Carpenter; Lt. Christensen; Lt. Bedient

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 4,000 rounds of .50-caliber heavy machine gun

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None are in the air; units on the ground are unknown

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: Three Japanese aircraft on the ground are damaged by strafing.

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: Harass the Canton airfields with a series of one-plane night raids staggered over a four-hour period

RESULTS: Due to poor weather conditions only three of eight B-25s reach the target and release their bombs; two B-25s run out of fuel and crash.

TIME OVER TARGET: From 8:25 p.m. on April 6 to 12:37 a.m. on April 7

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

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Unknown

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 24 x parachute fragmentation bomb clusters; 6 x 500-pound bombs

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: Two B-25s go down on the return flight when their crews are unable to find landing fields and run out of fuel over friendly territory.  All crewmen successfully bail out and eventually return to duty.

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: Sea sweep over San Chau Island and surrounding coastline

RESULTS: Junks and barges are strafed and rocketed to the west of San Chau

TIME OVER TARGET: Midday

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Nine P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Col. David L. “Tex” Hill; Major Barry Melloan; 2^nd Lt. Chester Denny; Lt. [Kenneth?] Latourelle; Captain Lee; Lt. Thomas P. Bennett; Lt. Gordon  F. Bennett; Lt. Richard D. Mullineaux; Lt. Koasy [Kossy?]

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: ~24 rockets from wing-mounted T-30 rocket launchers; 1,375 rounds of .50-caliber heavy machine gun

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: Sea sweep over South China Sea

RESULTS: Two vessels are attacked at sea by the B-24DR “Sweepy Time Gal,” but no hits are scored.  “Sweepy Time Gal” strays off course on the return flight and flies into Victoria Harbor at low altitude, where it is shot down by Japanese fighter pilots.

TIME OVER TARGET: Precise times are unclear, but “Sweepy Time Gal” was apparently shot down during the early afternoon.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two B-24s from 373^rd Bomb Squadron (308^th Heavy Bomb Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

• B-24DR #614: Lt. Zerba
• B-24DR #622 (“Sweepy Time Gal”): 2^nd Lt. Glen A. McConnell; 2^nd Lt. Samuel Auslander; 1^st Lt. Robert Carney; 2^nd Lt. R.E. Moessner; Tech Sgt. Peter S. Maholick; Tech Sgt. Robert Berman; Staff Sgt. Barton W. Owens; Staff Sgt. Tony M. Spadafora; Staff Sgt. Carl Wilson Holley; Staff Sgt. John K. Orovecz; 2^nd Lt. John V. Mroz; Staff Sgt. Erwin H. Posner

ORDNANCE EXPENDED:  An unknown number of 500-pound bombs, plus .50-caliber machine-gun rounds

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Ki-44-IIs, most likely from the 85^th Sentai

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: One B-24DR (“Sweepy Time Gal”) is shot down.  Lt. McConnell and Sgt. Spadafora are taken prisoner and survive the war; ten other crewmembers are killed.  The Japanese place the salvaged wreck of the plane on display in or near Statue Square.

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: Fighter sweep and reconnaissance mission over Canton

RESULTS: No contact with enemy aircraft and poor visibility prevents observation of the Canton airfields

TIME OVER TARGET: ~Noon

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Eight P-40s from the 74^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Colonel Brightweiser; Major Barry Melloan; Lt. Thomas Aston; Lt. Duffy; 1^st Lt. Kenneth Latourelle; Lt. Thomas P. Bennett; Lt. Robert Gibeault; Lt. Balyard

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

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).