4E night bombings during Pacific-FEast campaigns

[Paolo Tagliaferri]

Hi
I wondered if someone knew about any significant action by 4E bombers over objectives such as airfields and/or ports during the Pacific Campaign and/or Middle East-Burma campaigns. Did allies bombed also those objectives or they just hit cities/industries?

I've read of night bombings with B26 over Lae (in Sakai's book), and I wondered if there were similar actions over airfields/ports by 4E bombers ...

:)

[Double T]

Taglia:
A friend of mine's father was an aircraft commander of B-24J Liberators. His unit flew unpainted silver-skinned '24s with a skull and crossbones on each rudder.
I can't remember any mission details, nor Air Force (9th?) but he was deployed in the South Pacific. He told the story that after the war had ended, they flew soldiers who had the points to rotate home back to the 'States.
He said they welded the bomb-bays shut so they could carry personnel there, and that it was very-cramped for those unlucky enough to fly "coach."I don't think the soldiers minded all that much. They were going HOME!
Let me see what else I can find-out...

Tim

[GregP]

Hi Taglia,

The Pacific Theater saw action by B-17s, B-24s, and B-29s of the USAAC and I believe there were also a few British heavies in the Theater as well.

The B-29s bombed all kinds of targets in Japan. The B-24s flew out of India and supported operations all over the theater. Their campaigns are well documented. B-17s bombed all over including the Phillippines, convoys, and many other targets.

Did you have anything specific in mind?

[Paolo Tagliaferri]

Well, actually I play a combat simulation of the Pacific Campaign (http://www.warinthepacific.net/) and with my opponent we are trying to play with "realistic approaches" in using the various assets.

Now in that game many players use to group hundreds of heavies (B-17, Wellington, B-24 and so on) to night bomb airfields, when the enemy CAP is less effective and it's possible to shred effectively the planes parked on the field. But I think this is unrealistic.

So, I was wondering if actually, in the reality, the 4-engine bombers made specific effort to disrupt enemy airfields with massive night actions.

The only action I know about is the B-26 (2 engine) bombers that flew from Port Moresby over Lae airfield to bomb the runway and the parked planes at night. I've read that in Saburo Sakay's biography. I wondered if such night actions were performed also with 4 engine bombers.

I know that the 4 engine bombers did various offensive missions during the day (B-17 for example hit airfields, ports, shipping, cities and resource centers), but I don't know about any notable night actions apart from city bombings.

Is it clear?