On July 9, 1945, the crew was briefed on a mission to bomb Gifu, a mid-sized town with manufacturing facilities, which wasn’t expected to be heavily defended. Upon arriving at Gifu, they saw the town burning and unexpectedly encountered a Japanese searchlight battery. As they approached their bomb run, the searchlight locked onto their plane, making visibility difficult. During the extended bomb run, they felt their plane being hit and saw tracers through the left wing. A night fighter targeted them using the searchlight and flew so close that they saw the pilot’s face. When the bombardier released the bombs, they got stuck, causing a large explosion in the front bomb bay. Despite efforts to resolve the issue, the bombs remained in place, and the bombardier later admitted he hadn’t engaged the safety switch before takeoff.
Standing (Left to Right)
Cpl Arthur D. Ford, Tail Gunner
S/Sgt Robert L. Clark, CFC Gunner
S/Sgt Edward W. Marcussen, Radio Operator
S/Sgt Russell Forbes, Left Gunner
Standing (Left to Right)
1st Lt Rowland E. Ball, Navigator
1st Lt David L. Coughtry, Pilot
Capt Harry G. Kozik, Airplane Commander
1st Lt Robert L. Hosford, Radar Observer
1st Lt Robert B. Battin, Bombardier
*M/Sgt Glade E. Loy (Crew 5), Flight Engineer (Temporary replacement for M/Sgt Edward D. Williams)
S/Sgt Carl E. Forness, Right Gunner
