This crew is listed on Speical Order 186 issued by HQ 314th BW as being in the 39th Bomb Group (VH). This is the first mention of this crew.
"Two Passes and Crap" (773) When the plane righted itself for the second time, Senger again asked Bates for our altitude. We were now at 500 feet!
Crew photo and roster; Crew Honor Roll; Missions unknown.
July 13, 1944 found 195 "combat crewmen" shipped to Alamogordo, New Mexico for training. These orders did not include officers. We, enlisted men, were being trained, as were the officers.
B-29 # 44-69756 "Sliver Streak": on their thirteenth combat mission received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for the daylight formation hit on Kobe 5 June. Flak damage was significant. We lost an engine over the target, cabin ruptures caused partial decompression and pilot, Bob Winn's flak suit prevented loss of "his manhood" when it stopped a 3 inch piece of shrapnel that came through his seat, his survival dinghy and stopped when it hit the flap of his flak suit between his legs.
B-29 # 42-94045 "Liberty Belle II"; Mission list, Mission Diary
1,000th B-29 built by Boeing-Wichita was assigned to this crew; their missions were a mix of combat missionsand navigational escort (from Saipan).
Original Crew 26 - On 28 April, one composite Squadron of the 39th of 12 aircraft, along with other groups of the 314th Wing, struck the Kushira Airfield.
Replacement Crew 26 was assembled in Pyote Texas. They flew 17 missions; Crew History, photos, crew profiles.
B-29 # 44-6971 "Little George" Arrived on Guam 01 April 1945, Flew 28 Missions including the "Show of Force" 02 September 1945
The "City of Virginia Beach" went from 1000 feet to the deck PDQ!
29 December 1945 - Our crew bailed out near Smoky Hill because two engine fires and a runaway prop.
B29 # 42-65364 "City Of Roswell"/"Skyscrapper" read what happened to this crew and their aircraft. Added video interview with 3 crew members regarding their bailout on 1 June 1945
Orders were cut for Crew 31. 5 November, 1944 at Smoky Hill as were those for Crews 21 to 37. At some point this crew was reassigned and found their way to 315th BW's 331st BG at Northwest Field, Guam. Crew photos and roster, crew profile.
Replacement Crew 31: Seriously hurt by a direct flak hit and a closely pressed enemy attack while on the bomb run P-31 found itself in perilous straits...
B 29 # 44-69796 "City of Albuquerque" aka "Piledriver"
Crew 33 flew 32 missions against the Japanese with 469 hours. They dedicated their plane to the 52nd Seabees who built just about everything on Guam.
The men of the "Black Sheep" were on a daylight strike against Kushira airfield on Kyushu, Japan on April 28, 1945...
Crew 35 flew a total of 18 missions as a crew; some of the crew did fly missions as fill-ins on other crews.
Crew 36 flew 21 missions, thanks to Hyman Blumenstock, for providing mission list and photos.
B-29 # 42-93975 "Four Aces" and "Her Majesty"; Crew missions
Complete Crew roster & List of missions provided by Orrin Beane, Jr., son of the crew's Tail Gunner.
The information on Crew 39 came from a list compiled by Lt. Robert Woodard, P-33.
This crew flew 13 combat missions in additional mission to Korea on 30 Sept 1945; while on a training mission 3 October 1945 they ditched crash at 1209 hrs 8 miles W. of Aguinan, Marianas - mission flown in B-29 # 44-69792 (P-33) 9 members of the regular crew and 1 replacement from Crew 36 were aboard - one person survived!
On 25-26 May 1945, B-29 (airframe number 42-94079, 314BW 39BG) crashed on the farm of Yabunodai, Maruya, Makida-village (now, Kisarazu-city), Kimitsu-county, Chiba-prefecture (One of the lost 26 aircrafts that participated in Tactical Mission 183, Target: Tokyo Urban Area).
This crew appears on Special Order 195 issued by HQ Davis-Monthan AAF, 14 July 1945; then appear on 39th BG 61st Rosters dated Sept 1945.
This crew arrived late in the war as a replacement crew and flew one mission.
According to Capt Ken Trow this crew flew only 5 missions before the end of the war.
