Everything tagged: air raids

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton and Hong Kong

RESULTS: Pre-strike photos are taken of Victoria Harbor.  Pilot reports that numerous ships are in port.  No photos are taken of the Canton airbases, which are obscured by cloud.

TIME OVER TARGET: ~9:45 to 9:55 a.m. over Hong Kong

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One F-5B (#388) from Flight B, 21^st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Neely

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton and Hong Kong

RESULTS: Cloud cover obscures Canton and Hong Kong from view, but recon photos are taken of Samshui.

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One F-5E (#287) from Flight B, 21^st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Campbell

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

OBJECTIVE: Sink merchant vessel anchored on south side of Hong Kong Island

RESULTS: Pilots strafe a motor launch and claim four direct hits on a tanker in or near Repulse Bay.  Possibly, this is the oiler IJNS Kamoi, but if so, the ship suffers no damage during the attack.

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two P-51s from the 118^th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Pascoli and DeVeer (26^th Fighter Squadron)

OBJECTIVE: Bomb aircraft revetments at White Cloud airbase in Canton

RESULTS: Bombers claim to destroy six to seven enemy aircraft in revetments and inflict additional damage on buildings and other installations at the airbase

TIME OVER TARGET: ~2:50 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Twenty-eight B-24s from all four squadrons (373^rd, 374^th, 375^th, and 425^th) of the 308^th Heavy Bomb Group escorted by 50 fighter aircraft from the following squadrons:

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton area

RESULTS: Numerous reconnaissance photos taken of Canton area

TIME OVER TARGET: ~2:30 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One F-5B (#301) from Flight B, 21^st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Schmidt

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton and Hong Kong

RESULTS: Numerous reconnaissance photos taken of Tien Ho airbase in Canton and Kai Tak airbase and Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong.  Pilot observes thirteen large ships in Victoria Harbor.

TIME OVER TARGET: ~12:15 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One F-5B (#262) from Flight B, 21^st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Stevenson

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

OBJECTIVE: Destroy radar station near White Cloud airbase at Canton

RESULTS: Pilots bomb and strafe the radar installation, causing substantial damage.  The pilots also strafe and set alight two fighter aircraft (or dummy aircraft) on the ground at White Cloud.

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

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

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Major Slocumb (23^rd FG) and Lt. Oran S. Watts (118^th TRS)

OBJECTIVE: Fighter sweep over the Canton airfields

RESULTS: No enemy aircraft are encountered in the air or observed on the ground.

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

• Eight P-40s and six P-51s from the 76^th Fighter Squadron
• Nine P-51s and three P-40s from the 118^th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (TRS)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton, Hong Kong, and Sanchau Island

RESULTS: Pilot takes a series of recon photos.  Pilot reports 15 ships in the 200 to 400-foot range in Victoria Harbor and a large 400-foot tanker in a bay on the south side of Hong Kong Island.  Engine failure prevents coverage of Sanchau Island.

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One F-5E from Flight B, 21^st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Snyder in aircraft #305

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

OBJECTIVE: Fly nocturnal sea sweep mission to detect and sink Japanese ships in the South China Sea.

RESULTS: The radar-equipped B-24 fails to locate any Japanese ships.  The aircraft commander then opts to bomb the Kowloon docks (the designated secondary target) on the return flight.  Damage is unknown.

TIME OVER TARGET: Late evening

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One B-24 from the 308^th Heavy Bomb Group

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Captain Armstrong in plane #823

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 12 x 500-pound bombs