Everything tagged: air raids

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

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:

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?]

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

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

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

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:

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.

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:

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: