Secret?? Huh?? Secret until 1985?? Double Huh???

There’s no secret here.

This mission shows up in the 1976 edition (and subsequent) of the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II Combat Chronology 1941 – 1945 as:

“8/14/45 Twentieth AF
“302 B-29’s bomb naval arsenal at Hikari and Osaka Army Arsenal while 108 bomb railroad yards at Marifu. VII FC planes escort VHBs over Osaka area. During 14/15 Aug, 160-plus B-29’s attack Kumagaya and Isezaki with incendiaries while 132 (in the longest nonstop unstaged B-29 bombing mission from the Marianas-3,650 mi) bomb Nippon Oil Company at Tsuchizakiminato. 39 others mine waters at Nanao, Shimonoseki, Miyazu, and Hamada. These are the final B-29 combat missions against Japan. Before the last B-29’s return, President Truman announces the unconditional surrender of Japan.”

As this entry points out, the Japanese did not surrender until 15 August and that these were the final missions. This mission was flown on the night of 14-15 August. The war was still on; it did not end with the bombing of Nagasaki. USN aircraft from TF-38 actually flew a dawn strike package on the morning of 15 August before word on the surrender was received. A follow-on strike was recalled.

You kind of have to ask yourself:
132 B-29s?
that’s about, what, 1320 men?
and their ground crews?
and the 20th AF staff?
and the squadron staffs?

So what are we talking about here, about, maybe, 2000 men? Or sure, that’s a secret that can be kept. And exactly why would it be a secret? Did they bomb something after the Japanese had surrendered? No, their raid was carried out the night before the Japanese government agreed to surrender. And there were other missions flown between the Nagasaki bomb and these last missions of 14/15 August.

No, this was just an ordinary mission that happened to be one of the last of the war.

Just goes to show you, don’t believe everything you find on websites.

Rich

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I wonder what this button does . . .