The Last Bomb - Frame 2
 The Last Bomb
History
The Strategic Bombing of Japan October 1944 - August 1945
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On June 15, 1944, the first B-29 raid flew from China to strike at a factory in Japan. This was the precision target bombing that the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) had practiced for years.
This policy would be abandoned for area bombing of civilian targets. It would represent a major shift from the doctrine practiced in Europe and the policy that had cost so many American lives over German cities. The B-29 was arguably the finest bomber of the war. It could carry 20,000 pounds of bombs for 2,000 miles round-trip, and had remotely controlled turrets for defense. It incorporated many of the lessons of the air war in Europe, including pressurized cabins and heavy defensive armament.
The B-29s were being massed in daylight raids on precision targets, like their counterparts in Europe had done. The British had abandoned daylight bombing as too costly, preferring area bombing at night. The around the clock bombing raids had amounted to a second front, with thousands of men and machines held in Germany and away from battlefronts in Russia, Africa, Italy and France.
When Curtiss LeMay arrived and took command in January 1945, he ordered a switch from high altitude high explosive precision daylight attacks to night area bombing with a mixture of incendiaries and antipersonnel weapons. This prevented the firefighters from putting out the fires, which spread wildly over the Japanese cities.
From March 1945 through the end of the war, many Japanese cities were subjected to area bombing with incendiaries. Tokyo, Osaka, and many other cities were burned out by firestorms that reached over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. The bombings may have killed as many as 500,000 people.
The B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was the largest bomber to enter service in World War II. B-29's played a major part in the overall bombing campaign in the Far East and two B29 Superfortress bombers ('Enola Gay' and 'Bockscar') took part in the atomic bomb raids on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Battle Elements and Event Schedule
• April 15th – The Beginning of the End
• April 22nd – Fight to the Last
• April 29th – The Last Bomb
Each frame starts at 8pm in the UK, 9pm in France/Germany, 10pm in Finland/Estonia and 3pm EST. The planned length of a single frame is 2 hours.
“The Last Bomb†on YouTube
1 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH-toQZPAog
2of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P7SQJjLpTY
3 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nnf6_ROisQ
4 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osgxcfLCs-Y
Frame 2 Background
The first bomb raid on Osaka lasted for about three and a half hours from 23:57 on March 13th, 1945 to 03:25 on 14th. A total of 274 B-29 heavy bombers attacked Osaka. At first, 43 bombers belonging to the 314th Bombardment Wing flew from the Guam island. It was a low-level night raid from an altitude of about 2,000m aiming at the local civilian housings. The pathfinder dropped napalm bombs at a target in the Minato ward and made a conflagration. The following bombers dropped incendiary cluster bombs around the point. Secondly, 107 bombers of the 313th Bombardment wing arrived from Tinian and attacked the Naniwa ward. Finally, 124 bombers of the 73rd Bombardment wing from Saipan arrived and attacked the Kita ward and the Nishi ward. This bomb raid resulted in 3,987 dead and 678 missing.
Okayama became one of the most important places in western Japan for transportation and education. When World War II began, Okayama city had a Japanese Army base camp. On June 29, 1945, the city was attacked by the US Army with incendiary bombs. Almost all the city was burned, and many people died. Okayama suffered terrible damage in the war.
MISSION SUMMARY
Mission Number 20
Date: 19 January 1945
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Code Name: Fruitcake # 1
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Target: Osaka (1547) - Kawasaki A/C Plant, Akashi
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Participating Unit: 73rd BW
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% A/C Bombing Primary: 78% (62 Primary, 0 Secondary, 9 last resort and Opportunity)
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Time Over Primary: 191450K - 191524K
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Altitude of Attack: 25.100 - 27,400
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Weather Over Target: 2/10 - 3/10
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Total A/C Lost: 0
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Resume of Mission: Bombing results good - major damage 39% of total roof area of engine and assembly plants destroyed or damaged - 1,032,000 square feet. Seven early returns. Enemy aircraft destroyed four, probably destroyed four and damaged 8. AA meager to moderate, inaccurate. Average bomb load: 5,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,037 gallons.Â
Allies
Aircraft: (Skin Selections)
B-29……. (6th BG, 40th BS and 24th BS)
P-51D….. (506th FG, 457th FS)
P-47N….. (318th FG, 333rd FS and 19th FS)
P-38L…... (475th FG)
Orders
This is Operation "Long Haul". The strategic night bombing campaign against mainland Japanese targets. Two seperate targets are to be bombed "Osaka" and "Okayama". All B-29s will launch from A122 NE to target locations 10,10,1 and 7,10,3 then RTB as possible. Fighter support will be provided by P-51Ds, P-47Ns, and P-38Ls from A122 launching on E runway to provide close escort. Plan your flights accordingly with the appropriate fuel and ordnance to complete the job.
Restrictions
All bombers must release their ordnance no higher than 14 thousand ft. AGL.
Axis
Aircraft: (Skin Selection)
A6M5b…… (302nd NAG)
Ki-45(BF110C-4b).. (Default)
Ki-61……… (*Default)
Ki-84……… (73rd Sentai)
N1J2-J……..(343 NAG and 201 NFG)
Orders
All Imperial Japanese pilots will intercept the incoming raid as follows; All Ki-45s (BF110s) and Ki-61s will airspawn S from A119. All Ki-84s will launch from A33 will orders to strip off the fighter escorts. All N1K2-Js and A6M5Bs will launch from A22. The A6Ms will cover the N1K2-Js in their attempts to destroy American bombers.
Restrictions
None
Victory Conditions:
*Note – If the Japanese interceptors are able to destroy fifteen or more bombers the frame will go to the Axis.
*Note - If the American bomber force exceeds 375 objects destroyed. The Axis will conceed the victory to the Allies.
Frame 2 - Arena Setting:
1. Terrain – Japan (Latest Map)
2. Icon Range - short
3. Wind – 25 kts W
4. Time – Start time 0400
5. Fighter and Bomber Warning Range - 36,960 about 7 miles
6. Enemy Collisions - On
7. External view for bombers (F3) - On
8. Visibility - 15
9. Friendly Collisions - Off
10. Fuel – 1.0
11. Ack - .3
12. Kill Shooter - off
13. Tower Range – 36,960 for display to match the above setting.
14. Radar – On
Designer Notes:
This is a single life event.
SEC Event Designer and Host
Redtail7Â Â Â
History
The Strategic Bombing of Japan October 1944 - August 1945
Â
On June 15, 1944, the first B-29 raid flew from China to strike at a factory in Japan. This was the precision target bombing that the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) had practiced for years.
This policy would be abandoned for area bombing of civilian targets. It would represent a major shift from the doctrine practiced in Europe and the policy that had cost so many American lives over German cities. The B-29 was arguably the finest bomber of the war. It could carry 20,000 pounds of bombs for 2,000 miles round-trip, and had remotely controlled turrets for defense. It incorporated many of the lessons of the air war in Europe, including pressurized cabins and heavy defensive armament.
The B-29s were being massed in daylight raids on precision targets, like their counterparts in Europe had done. The British had abandoned daylight bombing as too costly, preferring area bombing at night. The around the clock bombing raids had amounted to a second front, with thousands of men and machines held in Germany and away from battlefronts in Russia, Africa, Italy and France.
When Curtiss LeMay arrived and took command in January 1945, he ordered a switch from high altitude high explosive precision daylight attacks to night area bombing with a mixture of incendiaries and antipersonnel weapons. This prevented the firefighters from putting out the fires, which spread wildly over the Japanese cities.
From March 1945 through the end of the war, many Japanese cities were subjected to area bombing with incendiaries. Tokyo, Osaka, and many other cities were burned out by firestorms that reached over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. The bombings may have killed as many as 500,000 people.
The B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was the largest bomber to enter service in World War II. B-29's played a major part in the overall bombing campaign in the Far East and two B29 Superfortress bombers ('Enola Gay' and 'Bockscar') took part in the atomic bomb raids on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Battle Elements and Event Schedule
• April 15th – The Beginning of the End
• April 22nd – Fight to the Last
• April 29th – The Last Bomb
Each frame starts at 8pm in the UK, 9pm in France/Germany, 10pm in Finland/Estonia and 3pm EST. The planned length of a single frame is 2 hours.
“The Last Bomb†on YouTube
1 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH-toQZPAog
2of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P7SQJjLpTY
3 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nnf6_ROisQ
4 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osgxcfLCs-Y
Frame 2 Background
The first bomb raid on Osaka lasted for about three and a half hours from 23:57 on March 13th, 1945 to 03:25 on 14th. A total of 274 B-29 heavy bombers attacked Osaka. At first, 43 bombers belonging to the 314th Bombardment Wing flew from the Guam island. It was a low-level night raid from an altitude of about 2,000m aiming at the local civilian housings. The pathfinder dropped napalm bombs at a target in the Minato ward and made a conflagration. The following bombers dropped incendiary cluster bombs around the point. Secondly, 107 bombers of the 313th Bombardment wing arrived from Tinian and attacked the Naniwa ward. Finally, 124 bombers of the 73rd Bombardment wing from Saipan arrived and attacked the Kita ward and the Nishi ward. This bomb raid resulted in 3,987 dead and 678 missing.
Okayama became one of the most important places in western Japan for transportation and education. When World War II began, Okayama city had a Japanese Army base camp. On June 29, 1945, the city was attacked by the US Army with incendiary bombs. Almost all the city was burned, and many people died. Okayama suffered terrible damage in the war.
MISSION SUMMARY
Mission Number 20
Date: 19 January 1945
Â
Code Name: Fruitcake # 1
Â
Target: Osaka (1547) - Kawasaki A/C Plant, Akashi
Â
Participating Unit: 73rd BW
Â
% A/C Bombing Primary: 78% (62 Primary, 0 Secondary, 9 last resort and Opportunity)
Â
Time Over Primary: 191450K - 191524K
Â
Altitude of Attack: 25.100 - 27,400
Â
Weather Over Target: 2/10 - 3/10
Â
Total A/C Lost: 0
Â
Resume of Mission: Bombing results good - major damage 39% of total roof area of engine and assembly plants destroyed or damaged - 1,032,000 square feet. Seven early returns. Enemy aircraft destroyed four, probably destroyed four and damaged 8. AA meager to moderate, inaccurate. Average bomb load: 5,000 lbs. Average gas reserve: 1,037 gallons.Â
Allies
Aircraft: (Skin Selections)
B-29……. (6th BG, 40th BS and 24th BS)
P-51D….. (506th FG, 457th FS)
P-47N….. (318th FG, 333rd FS and 19th FS)
P-38L…... (475th FG)
Orders
This is Operation "Long Haul". The strategic night bombing campaign against mainland Japanese targets. Two seperate targets are to be bombed "Osaka" and "Okayama". All B-29s will launch from A122 NE to target locations 10,10,1 and 7,10,3 then RTB as possible. Fighter support will be provided by P-51Ds, P-47Ns, and P-38Ls from A122 launching on E runway to provide close escort. Plan your flights accordingly with the appropriate fuel and ordnance to complete the job.
Restrictions
All bombers must release their ordnance no higher than 14 thousand ft. AGL.
Axis
Aircraft: (Skin Selection)
A6M5b…… (302nd NAG)
Ki-45(BF110C-4b).. (Default)
Ki-61……… (*Default)
Ki-84……… (73rd Sentai)
N1J2-J……..(343 NAG and 201 NFG)
Orders
All Imperial Japanese pilots will intercept the incoming raid as follows; All Ki-45s (BF110s) and Ki-61s will airspawn S from A119. All Ki-84s will launch from A33 will orders to strip off the fighter escorts. All N1K2-Js and A6M5Bs will launch from A22. The A6Ms will cover the N1K2-Js in their attempts to destroy American bombers.
Restrictions
None
Victory Conditions:
*Note – If the Japanese interceptors are able to destroy fifteen or more bombers the frame will go to the Axis.
*Note - If the American bomber force exceeds 375 objects destroyed. The Axis will conceed the victory to the Allies.
Frame 2 - Arena Setting:
1. Terrain – Japan (Latest Map)
2. Icon Range - short
3. Wind – 25 kts W
4. Time – Start time 0400
5. Fighter and Bomber Warning Range - 36,960 about 7 miles
6. Enemy Collisions - On
7. External view for bombers (F3) - On
8. Visibility - 15
9. Friendly Collisions - Off
10. Fuel – 1.0
11. Ack - .3
12. Kill Shooter - off
13. Tower Range – 36,960 for display to match the above setting.
14. Radar – On
Designer Notes:
This is a single life event.
SEC Event Designer and Host
Redtail7Â Â Â