air intelligence report, v1n14

8/8/2019 Air Intelligence Report, V1N14

1/7

0 . '291 SATUUnTOKYO OIFEMnS"tl "

'AGE 8

''''1 15,AOI 1:1

/4>~ . / t " , OF TOTAL, /. , . TOKYO DAMAtI

..., . O.AI lA . MAY "AVI"'ClI' It. IICJ IROTHIR~


2/7

I t 1s intended t h a t this wIeldy re _port be a source of information tOf' co",_ba t crew, ant! starr officer, who have al I t t t:l.raate interest In th e operatiol15 ofth e XXI Banber COlll.'llllnd. ' ~ l t h l n thoselimits i t should receive th e Widest p05.s i b l e circula t ion pIl'lllluible under th eprov isions o f AR :'100.5.

In order that ll. QlIX11llUm or i n t e l l i _gence mey be included th e report 15given an overall elauthcat tol l of Sec_r e t . "/hen the nature of th e materialwarrants, indiVidual a r t i e l . , have re_ceived e lower security classification.The r ep or t I s so assembled that thecOlllponent sections mey be removed endcirculated or rUed sepa rate ly , If por_ttOM ar e r e p r ~ U C l l t l . seeurlty regu18_tions mus t be ob.!llrvec! end the sourcecredi ted.Correspondence regarding this pub

Heation shoolll be addressed to the Com_lllIlooll16 General, XXI DOlllber COIllOaOO.APO 34, c/ o Postmaster, San Francisco,Cal1fcrn1a. Attention: AC or S. A-2.

( ~ t o ~Colonel , G.S.C.Ae or S, A-2TH: C.G. XXI B .C . Initials (J4.b

DATI 9 JUDe 19.e, -p--RlJ)rOduetd bJ ~ I PTU

, .. L o ~ \ ' _ " " ~

J 1 l " t , l ~

d ' blowing from th e! 'D1,108 ' ' In, of the bes t pre_'11Ul som.iIrtA, done by t h i s or anyeuiOll b Q l l l ~ i t , comblned on 29 Vay.

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10. . . . .tb'-"" BURRm OUT: Lit t le 184 t . 1 l ~ 1 1 1 portion or Yokobua after tbtltlQllI t a11110D, or 29 11&7. The gray pOl'-&l. . 'tllloelUdtng al l tb e bea.. 1 l 7 - p o P u l a t . ~~ (COnfidential)

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A 'DIVINE WIND' workS ,,,,, til' J th iS time, sweeping B_29.. 5 t a r t t d l o d 1 l l l U : ~ward h'om th e coast through r c : o r 1 4 ' ~ l t "area or Yokohama OD 2911&1


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TWenty th e B_29t .ere lost Dbtb a a1s110n. the 58th '1101 lost 10:One abandoned crrer 1110 boca 1Ibieba ll bu t one e rn !lImHr .. re Ia1'ld,and nine to unmowu CAUSes. !bl73rd los t tour SUer-Itt: anl.5abandoned OftI' 1110, al l C:'tft.orescuedj t. o ,sltehld, t in .univorsj one to unknown causes, lineB29s ot the 313th ' i l l f l wert. lo.t:One ditched, all rueued; CIl:.e aban-doned O'9'er t.o, a ll rescued; ,n ' l lto unknOlnl causes. th e 3Utb loatt .o to unknown causa,

!l!S1lLtsInclul1ed 1n ttlIItles or area e 18.6 squal"1I1ssion and the =De:C by thllare 31 targats or surt 24 .. .,.end importaaca to ha n ~ C : 1 a l l t .ilolind1vidual nu:lbers .,eD, &S.1&tlI4f r . ~ i n dCllIl s(llle damaga- to ecapletA iss tructlon. The, are: I -i probeble p01ll!.er plaot' Xuli:uJUElectrlc Co=pall1 (!oah1aa' P1a.lIt) ,Jl:onlsh1 Photo WorD' 5blnjuk:1 sU:tlon and RR JunctiOlll j all arMIIT'Arm'Y ArSenal anI!.!nl1Delt sctloOl:Ravy oepartment TOWC'S j ! a r l " ' ~Dartdson 1I0torc:,.dt CClIpIn1; To'rTOCentral StatlODj Ctlltnl IIttCWOologlcal Qbser_toni IltiubUb1 A/CCo. SblbauN p!.aatjBlaoM40 P1".RlppOO ElaetrlC C O . ~ o r r 10.1;

Ikep.ll1ot plaDtj !oll:FO _ i l l "pal l tJ Staa p],aDt; JiPpoa n.nruCo. plant 10. ~ ott ElectriC copll1Dt 110. 1: h l_an l a C ~ CO.jE'b1au BHl" C ~ p e . I I 1 ; " ' ~ R aarob LabOr&\ClI')'; 1aJII!a IaIlI...11\& Co.; SblbaV1. ibirtSbl. . . . . . !!tl. Co, !oIlJO nus;

.ederasba &lec\r1C&l COo,Japan SUd 1Ie&I'101"CO; 01~ o r k l ; 11tnb1Jb.1 C co.Plall': IUIJ'" s...,...;_ WotPJ.!otJO au _ D""'o. , J_ .,..101.. ee, ...1.._ ...... 6 :tt

crart 80M ucebed 43 1Il.etttetl..a t tecb , some ot whleh 11'", aur-Sl..... Tbil 1I1ng also UPOI't.dto 5S - b a l ~ ot tu, and nlll k.kU . The 314tb. "111& '1&hted 408 ili_aD)' alreratt and reelb.d 15 It .taco . I t reported 400 to 405 .ball.or t i re- .

OPPOOIT101f...:-r .11' oPposltion ~ a r l e 4 . 'nIe'lrerJflI reported very ..ak en . , -b t PPOSltion. w1th 15 a lb . 73rd slst\ted 44 and re .b t 15 n o n ~ a W e u 1ve to q&! 'd tth.'It.ll.eu, plul 45 -ba11l of Tb. 31Mh 11ghted &6 a1J'-.

Babiaa breakd01fD tor th e wlnsS.... tallows: 58th, 116 ai rcra t t , \GaIi " ~ r d , 1 3 2 Ale, 1,103 tonl jIUt:lL "; ' Alc, " tons; 3Uth , 125lit, n) \OM.b::'.'t11 or opportunltr,1Dcludins_ tsu. Tater .a . ShlauoD aad.. . Jo n. . , receivad 39 toM t rc . llreratt.

~ ~ ~ N Y Qt ~ 4 e _we~ 2 ,m e nc! p&r;'1ll1eO 16 . (onee"" .,"",01> ~ T e . , . ~ e r l ~. t ~ : : ' l I i les t cit,. l n b ~ COlllll&talq..- larle I Boa Totb11'd bJ th erXX2&.Z6 )lay i.s 51.3

.. ~ : " , , ' . b ~ ~ , t y . : , . b U l l ~ - ~ to tha or th e admlsalo..-&, .U " bJ th e l e t t .; : : ;" ' ~ ; t mu,b " . r rer tmll.PS, a . a x l ~ Tokyoike was a1ll5t t a araa.fb.I,tr attack a ' tha urban B-29slKIllillarJUon or eight 58thPalAtt : : red n l n . t ~ O l l O ' l l t " 2 : ' :51!thF a b as 1 4 , TI:1a. . I l 1 r b C l l ' ~ 3 r 4 Wing. 136 ' :5 1Mtt.ac. :i 3Htb w a : l ~ ; ' u e k ~ c r ~ r t .

t . r ,et t 'rc. 446 and radaror beabs bT v1Suala.l;ltuda orttl1cb droppedan a....r&g.lIUlodJ fi'ca10,400 teet.

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In a ~ d l t l o n to the 6 .9 squar , mile, or daYay, th e s t r ike destroyed or damaged 19 DUlllbert':lt to tOla..-til'"" ~ 62 .. Radogeya Sub..$tatlon .. 9fi percent ot btl ' "I.63 .. Kanag.w. Steam Power Plant .. 30 percent l ~ t i T Geat...-_lS6 .. Takash:lm8 Freight Yard .. 1 mae 4estJooJ'4 ~ - ~ ' "67 .. Statton Junction overpass - .. ,everal b u l l d ~ ~ '71 .. Uraga Dockyare5 No .3 .. 75 percent ot bUildl So499 .. N l p r ~ ~ ; a r b o n Co. Fact. 1 .. 90 percent b u l ~1338 - Iu t ble s torage Docks - !S percent ot pllll.t1339 .. Ammun1tion Storage - 35 percent or buildlllCs _ ...1346 - Yokohama Electr ic Ugh t Co. Power Plant .. eo pet"'-'1399 - Hadogaya Soda .. 80 p.anent or bulld1nss dlSt:07I41432 .. Yokohama Harbor Pasaenge r Wharves - 15 pet bldp 1438 .. K,yoritsu Warehouse - 90 percent bUilding, l S t S t l ~1442 _ Yokohama Warehouse .. 96 percent buildings d ~ 13 .. Rational Si lk Conditioning House - I S pet bl dpl S _ Yokohama Harbor Cooperative Purchae1ng Co. war ......15 p e rcent d e st ro y ed .1446 .. Bas t A si a Development Co, Warehouses .. as perCIllt L"-1451 .. Nantn. Warehouse .. 20 perc.aat or bulldiDgS de.tr/lftll,1493 _ Toshin and Shlnko WarehoU!J8lI - 60 percent or bl4p 6In\3054 .. Unident1tied _ 20 percent or butld1nss destl'0J'4. ( ~ - ,

'l"be mines la ld a re expected todiscourage ships !rom anchoring orrHe Sald, in th e eastern entrance toSh1lll0nosek1. P'luh1ki, in To)"amaWan on the nortb coast of Honshuwil l be Cloged to Shlps tor severe!days. Fukuko and Karatsu, on th e

Bo enem,. a ir opposition was en cou.ntered end only three I tgbt lngsor eneID)" ai rcra t t were reported.All B-29s returoed safel,. .

, . w o ~ ~ MUSI,M.Ttle 16th mining misnon f'iown by wes't coast or ' f ' ~ - : ;th e 313tb Wing was airborne on th e be th e sceneta:' rI ...n 1g bt o f 26_27 Kay. Mining wae: as iogs and a I 1tMJl.t o l l on : Western approach811 to expected tb .. . tor

Sh1monoseki Stral ts , two a l rc ra t t 17'l'B 1lJIIII-aying 1 . 2.000-pounders; eastern ,approach., . !. seven ai rcraf t . laying ollaftalllll":.9 mlnes or th e same size; P'UShiki l On tb . f tOG .. -_aU a1l 'cratt laytng 33 2.000_pouna 1I10iOl a1I'uw-". ines and 12 lJOOO-pound 1Il1nes; P'U- B-291 were" _ .......lmko-Jl:aratlu. 1. ai rcra t t laying 98 th e e.. tarn 'PiDI2,000 pound mines. Dropping a l t t - , ek i Stral' tl t " ._ _tudes were f'rc:m 5,900 'to 8,200reet . c ra f t waa 101 ,ta rg . t 1111-Blgbt B-2" loJ1 .. l ne . In th e ret'-.!.7,4S0 to 7 , . , ~ 000la14 seven ~ __6 030 t . e t . S .. . ", ....c;a t t 'If8!" ,lib 1taoka. ..

I t 11 b e l 1 ~ . 1 .~ ~ ~ : I ! t...,..,

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!li!""e a 1 1 ' < t 1 t ~ C 1 1 's VIEWThe blackened area 10 til ~ " la toqo ot' Japan nOlf1'bis 15 what hpel"OI"res en ts th e t o t a l d&J'll88 : ~ o k l D ! ~ ~ o . ! b . located in S : ~ 8 trOlll b.la palaCf5 1 .3 s qu ar e m il es . the e o o ' l d 1 " " ~ " $ :..fray areas e c e n t e r of tb l lci ty 's l imits and encl05eJ u-e'''' ) a r e bUJ'Ded o u t .a s o f l i t t l e ml11t8r y1apCl' _ 7

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7/7

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OPPOSItlC8'!b.- . b&4 pear17 WlJ'DiDI ti lth e ca.1D& attaCk aDd hll aeteDl"

.... , . . t b o r O U l b l J ~ ' f t v.o..co l .. .1....... of . . . . . . . . . . . . .... .,Iuen\ aa4 WI eoar41DaUOllot . . .-obl1lbtl aa4 rJ,al . . . . , . "Ice4........ro._ . -OIl! ..be . t tbII ., to . .appall tiOD _re t I. ".. t at . . , 1D ,til: .tre

.pproaob1Dl. "I ~ ....ob . . , . " 0CI'I14 . . . ...., . .QUoebl1lll- ." \l1li. ~ , ~ _ ! ' . . : : " eI . . 6. " .... ..w-- . . . .." tI1f . . ..._dI'..,.. _ .....J eo - M,.....- .- ~

THE ATTACK:

I"':SRTURRTI ;;::T 0KYO DI F IN" S...,W:.:.....:.+ ~ . ' ; . { . : 4 . 0.67 lI1eute. PO' pia" to r_ ~ ~ ~ " " ' I 1 t ' " J / ~ f : . : ; " : ; ; : ~ ( " ' ~ ~ " " th e 3Uth Wiq:..', ~ r :', . . ' - I ' I : ~ .,...-.'.,

":,,,' .\ . " .;1 ,I l .:-t., ....' I . _ ' ~ ~ , . ~ " i: " Bacb Wlq: acb l" .s a COed dill"", ot compreu10n or torCI, and subnquant laturation or d,rena., Slneeth e tiJa.' oft I' t he t a r , . t t or d lt teran.t w1nCt OftZ'lappa4. and tb ld l l t . nc . ' batwe.n a1.ll1"8 polntlu..4 b,. 41rt.rent un! t I "r t .. .11ccaparad to tb . hcrllontal l'adlU19t t i re ot J.J,. IU!lI a t . n ra se bcab1111 alt i tud the d'll'ae ot ce.pl 'eulon 11 pel 'hapi batter lIleaJ"Q1'adon th a ball . ot the t1lll1 Cl'l'el' tar. e t to r th e tlbcl. Bcabel' coualJ5

'l'b1l ... 0.19 IIl1nute. per plane .0 . a:l:cell.nt relul t .'fh . . . . . .ther on r tbe WSet dUrin g th e .ttack was el&ll' to 3/10undercast anti dceHent b(W,blD8 re lulU were .ebillYed. .1&11' tbe .115dle ot th e attack, t i r e ' edd hi en thrOUlhOllt the t&t,.t-uea. j,1004 SraQnd w1Dd helped til,, t trelto spread an4 llerSe toIether &Dd tor.duce turbUl.nc. a ' ~ b 1 D & alU-tu4e.

1. 0.'715 _alltae p er p lana fo rtbe 5etb 1f1D1.I. O . aiwte l pe.. plaM tr1J'tbe 131'4 nac .I. l . aiWWI pel' plaM to rthe S ~ t b n a c .

!Il, attack ..a led b1 42 path..f1aIet lirc:ratt, . . . . .n trOll th ..... f111C,12 trca th e 7 ~ r d . 12 t r a .31Jth 1111 11 trOlD th e 314th.tbe aSa i . pointa betwe .n1o_1DIl. 240321lt, hoc. 7,800 to,....., t . ., .

4 1 1 ~ 1II. tare., CODllJlt:1n& of~ c r a t i , aitaoado th . tlU"S.t10D0 n U03tl& aDd 24oM38 11:. hoc:., to U.l00 teet .-:' "erase t ta . i n ~ . l 1 be - t -plaDl. ewer th . 'tar t . . . . .OUO'llI

~ l I & 11 tlak obl&l"9'tr' I011 ttl_ '1'0k10 n1lht mill iODr.......'in th1. .tlllon 520 bOllberl otl III Balllr COlDMDd droppe4I ~ , toQJ ot IDC.ndiary bOl lb ' onl ~ l l l I l l t l : D Totr0' Th. 1111ll.nlit,.i. lbI ,ttlok OlD b 0. trOll th .rl1lGl1D& r tF . . ,

1, '01' two houre tba: bombl dropl'Ile&UI' w let aua a t an a"'lrasl1111 1,000 poundS per cond.2, !be 10.9 aquaI'11ea or th e_lIt ut a were eCl",re4 by boalbs; \ ; ...&rq& ~ e n a i t y ot 1Il0re th.n, pcIQII4I per acre.

base Without &versionary t&ctitack: .11ba clOSing m Ct0b t t,-.operation in :elnellt t Q t o l l ~ t r .euYers were e: tl:l-., t ~ 1ll&M. Plo7fld br- ; : ,

RADAA IS ._ .. ..- .....'l'here is . p l ecate that the J n t ~ _ to' ra4io locator ' aP8( bat. l b..'equipment Wbtch alrblltTlt . ' ' ' 'th e track:1ng mOVemWOUld ~ ~ this observation en.i:e1zlill. . _ would lllerely ba;e hdistanee and d1rect1to 11lll1eatt ...cra t t beiDl; tollowe4011 or ttllJJd1:Jtance between tb 'l'he t th e l1 gh ts a re nelthl &l:Qotft l/iInor to o ta r to r the el' taoot th e Jap airborne ~ a r , e t e l l l t ~".It is known the Jaairborne searcbl1ShtPll-, bm.phenomenon eould have b e t J ~ ' l I l t ~l1ghts ot other trpu UlDW'th e a i rcraf t . The ehallet in t could have been a1ded by ,tiel;..ic conditiobS.

The. size and appe&!'Ul:t or l!Ill1ght phenanenon canton1a.to Je t exhaust planes. It II sucD. th e varIat10n 10 eolar IlI:Ibe accompl1'sbed by !1flte:b1rc taltanks wh11e 1n low thra!It opnt1&Inasmuch as th e lmOWll eapabWtllot both enelllJ and f'l'llD4l1let.,ai rcrat t do not acMcI 'fUI:It 1me ot apprOX1matel1 ~ 1 t 18 regarded as hllbl1 .1_that thIs was a je t 'FPI_"AS8UIIling th e p lane _ tobau th e elaptetl tb l 0::would be apprortUt .el1 ,11

Absence ot our rsdIt:t:suggests t he pos atb1 l1 t1 _. .ul3&lerted obsentl ' dill ' ~ . ad a pi p or that the .,.,,!-Ilwooden ao ' sbond ' l1bll"II'SIghting. It !!A Pe:tI1b111I1:probable that r_1I ' or rtf"impaired by 50lIl8 t sorbent. as on t h kel t s u b a l ~ i n e . (

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mid. by th e attie. or the A s a l s t e n ~Chief ot the Air s t at t, I nt el ll I tnc . :baluat ion: re . or the cbaracterlstlcs Oi this all' phenomenon asreported relata to those o f other-Ball ot ' l r s - 11lgbtiD&S reosnUTreported over t he Japan ese home..land. 'J'b,111 ob!!l8natlon Is simllarIn deBr.. onl7 to bu t two or 1I0rethan 50 .uch sightings.

It Is probable the lights cb ur",.d ar e those ot an unknown typecarrIed OD. Japanese aircraft .po" .Ulng tl1'gtit capabi l i t ies orthe IrYID&. aDS.ged on aD. exper1_1 l I . ~ t a l , cUnJ'sloDlll'1. or observatl)D. lI1uloD..

I t 18 possible bu t highly im_probable th e l1Shts were hom 8 j e ttype aircraft because the durationot flight greatly exceeds the knownes])abll1tles at any enemy or friend_11 je t aircraf t .t ~ l J : s n : The action ot the111 n eats that there was Inte.ltg.nea within the objeet. There_

tW 8 i t was & type or aircraf t thatcould carry a uo . Because visualcontact was Dot possible throughoutthe t l ight , some torm ot airborner aw WBS used, permitting t8eticsas reported.MIGHT BE IRVING

1rh1le enelll7 airt:l 'att strengtb. 00Truk is l1mited, this loog establ1!had Jap base ba s Wltlergrouodhangars anti t a ci li ti e s t or rebuildiO& experimental types. In 'fiew orth e conjestetl contlition ot th e skyway1 over th e Japanese homeland i ti s not unr ea sonabl e that experi_aent. !light be conducte tl in th erebt ive l1 isolated Truk &rea. Anumber ot Irvinga had formerly beenbaUd on Truk. The Irving has th erange (1300 miles) to r th e f l ightor this type.

'l'he scarcity ot enem,. a i rcra t ts u g ~ e s t s why th e enem,. did no t r i .kclosing against th e B-24 bu t continued t h. t li sh t to pertorm t tsaillllion or experiment, observation,or 41verllion. The experlment couldtla" be.n tor unknown uses ot th el ight phenomenon or to r airborneradar. The approach to th e Ciu&lll

air intelligence report, v1n14

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