Pages tagged: air raids

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the first American air raid on Canton is to bomb Japanese aircraft on the ground at Tien Ho airfield

TIME OVER TARGET: ~7:45 a.m.

OBJECTIVE: Bomb Tien Ho airfield at Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~6:20 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Five B-25C from 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group) escorted by 7 P-40Es from 23^rd Fighter Group.  All aircraft are from the China Air Task Force.

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Major Dalene E. Bailey (B-25s); Captain Charles Sawyer; 1^st Lt. Patrick H. Daniels; 1st Lt. Charles H. Dubois; 1^st Lt. Harold K. Stuart (P-40s)

OBJECTIVE: Bomb targets in Kowloon and draw Japanese fighter pilots into a dogfight on terms favorable to American fighter pilots.  This is the first American air strike on Hong Kong during the Second World War.

TIME OVER TARGET: ~1:30 p.m.

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance over Canton airfields

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One P-43A Lancer loaned to the 75^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group) by the Chinese Air Force

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1^st Lt. Joseph H. Griffin

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: 15-20 aircraft observed on the ground at White Cloud airbase

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Aircraft observed on the ground

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance over Canton and Hong Kong

TIME OVER TARGET: ~9:00 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One P-43A Lancer on loan to the 23^rd Fighter Group (China Air Task Force) from the Chinese Air Force

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Major Bruce K. Holloway

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: Pilot reports no apparent damage from strikes on October 25 and 26, 1942, and this assessment is confirmed by aerial photographs of Kowloon taken during the mission.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

OBJECTIVE: Bomb the North Point power station

TIME OVER TARGET: ~Midnight (American military documents, BAAG reports, and eyewitness accounts disagree on the time of the raid, which is said to occur somewhere between 23:00 on Oct. 25 and 01:30 on Oct. 26.)

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 500-pound bombs and 17-kg fragmentation bombs

RESULTS: No damage to power station, despite American claims to the contrary.  Some civilian casualties in residential areas near the plant.

OBJECTIVE: Tien Ho airfield at Canton is the primary target, but when ground fog obscures the airbase, the bombers hit gasoline storage facilities and godowns instead.

TIME OVER TARGET: ~4:15 a.m.

AMERICAN SQUADRONS AND AIRCRAFT: Three B-25s from 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group, China Air Task Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

OBJECTIVE: Dive-bomb shipping in Victoria Harbor

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Seventeen P-40Es from 16^th and 75^th Fighter Squadrons (23^rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, 10^th Air Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

OBJECTIVE: Secret interception mission in vicinity of Hong Kong and Canton

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:  Three P-40E1 from 16^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, 10^th Air Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1^st Lt. Dallas A. Clinger; 2^nd Lt. Walter E. Lacy

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: Anticipated enemy aircraft did not appear

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton, San Chau, and Hong Kong

TIME OVER TARGET: ~9:00 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two P-40E1s from 16^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, 10^th Air Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1^st Lt. Robert E. Smith; 2^nd Lt. Melvin B. Kimball

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton, San Chau, and Hong Kong

TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:15 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two P-40E1s from 16^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, 10^th Air Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1^st Lt. Jack R. Best and 1^st Lt. Donald D. Bryant

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: Canton and San Chau obscured by cloud cover.  Hong Kong almost entirely obscured.

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None observed

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over San Chau and Hong Kong

TIME OVER TARGET: ~7:15 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two P-40E1s from 16^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, 10^th Air Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Captain Edmund H. Goss; 1^st Lt. Robert H. Mooney

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton, San Chau, and Hong Kong

TIME OVER TARGET: ~Noon

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One P-43 Lancer on loan to the 75^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, 10^th Air Force) from the Chinese Air Force.

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1^st Lt. Roger C. Pryor

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

OBJECTIVE: Bomb airfield at San Chau Island

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Ten P-40E and P-40K from 75^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group) and six B-25s from 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group).  All aircraft are from the China Air Task Force (10^th Air Force).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb Tien Ho airfield in Canton

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

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Seventeen P-40E and P-40K from 16^th, 75^th, and 76^th Fighter Squadrons (23^rd Fighter Group) and six B-25s from 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group).  All aircraft are from the China Air Task Force (10th Air Force).

OBJECTIVE: Bomb river shipping (B-25s) and an aircraft assembly factory (P-40s) at Canton

TIME OVER TARGET: ~Noon

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Seventeen P-40s from the 16^th and 76^th Fighter Squadrons (23^rd Fighter Group) and six B-25s from 11^th Bomb Squadron (341^st Medium Bomb Group).  All aircraft are from the China Air Task Force (10th Air Force).

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton and Hong Kong

TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:30 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two P-40E1 from 16^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, 10^th Air Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1^st Lt. John D. Lombard; 1^st Lt. Robert H. Mooney

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

OBJECTIVE: Feint towards Hong Kong to throw off the Japanese and then bomb river shipping and Tien Ho airfield at Canton. 

TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:15 a.m.

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton and Hong Kong

TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:30 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One F-4 (photographic reconnaissance version of P-38 Lightning) from Flight A of the 9^th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (attached to China Air Task Force, 10^th Air Force)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Major Dale L. Swartz

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

RESULTS: Unknown

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None