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Summary of Missions

BRIEF SUMMARY OF MISSIONS PROVIDED BY HARRY D. HINK,
PILOT/AIRCRAFT COMMANDER
CREW 27

1. April 12, 1945 - Raid on Koriyma, Japan. One hundred fifty miles north of Tokyo. Day mission. Longest bombing mission. Flight time 18:35 hrs.

2. April 13, 1945 - Raid on Tokyo. War factories manufacturing ammunition in North Tokyo area. Night mission bombing altitude 7,000 ft. Incendiary bombs. Flight time 15:30 hrs.

3. April 15, 1945 - Raid on Kawasaki, Japan. Southern industrial area of Tokyo. Night mission. Bombing altitude 7,000 ft. Incendiary bombs. Flight time 15:00 hrs.

4. April 17, 1945 - Raid on Kanoya Air Field, Kyushu Island, southern most Island of Japan. Navy requested raid to destroy Japan fighter opposition at Okinawa. Day mission.
Flight Time 15:00 hrs.

5. April 21, 1945 - Raid on Kanoya Air Field, Kyushu Island, Japan. Lead the 39th Bomb
Group formation over the target. Day mission. Bombing altitude 16,000 ft. Flight time 16:00 hrs.

6. April 30, 1945 - Raid on Kokubu Air Field, Kyushu Island, Japan. Japanese fighters were waiting to meet the attack. Day mission. Bombing altitude 17,000 ft. Flight time 15:45 hrs.

7. May 4, 1945 - Raid on Saeki Air Field, Kyushu Island, Japan. Air Field used for staging and final training of Japanese special attack corps used against the Navy at Okinawa. Day mission. Bombing altitude 18,000 feet. Flight time 15:30 hrs.

8. May 10, 1945 - Raid on Otake Oil Refinery, Honshu Island, Japan. Second largest
refinery in Japan. Reduced Japanese fuel supply. Dropped 500# GP bombs. Day mission. Bombing altitude 16,000 ft. Flight time 16:30 hrs.

9. May 14, 1945 - Raid on City of Nagoya, Honshu Island, Japan. Incendiary raid to
burn out industrial area of the City. One of Japan’s four leading cities and main industrial area. Led 39th Bomb Group formation. Day mission. Bombing altitude 12,000 ft. Flight time 16:20 hrs.

10. May 17, 1945 - Raid on City of Nagoya, Japan. Fire raid against urban part of city.
Night incendiary raid. Bombing altitude 7,500 ft. Feathered #2 engine over target area. Landed at Iwo Jima with three engine operation. Left aircraft at Iwo Jima for #2 engine change.

11. June 7, 1945 - Raid on City of Osaka, Japan. Incendiary raid on industrial area of the City. Led Squadron formation. Day mission. Bombing altitude 20,500 ft. Flight time 16:00 hrs.

12. June 10, 1945 - Raid on Chiba Aircraft Factory located across the bay from Tokyo. Radar run encountered light operation. Day mission. Dropped 500# general purpose bombs. Bombing altitude 15,000 ft. Flight time 14:35 hrs.

13. June 15, 1945 - Raid on City of Osaka, Japan. Incendiary mission on southern urban
section of the City. Day mission. Bombing altitude 21,000 ft. in complete overcast. Landed at Iwo Jima for fuel. Flight time 15:30 hrs.

14. June 18, 1945 - Raid on Kagoshima on Kyushu Island. Incendiary raid on urban area of City. Pathfinder mission. Caught the Japanese by complete surprise. Night mission. Bombing altitude 7,600 ft. Flight time 15:35 hrs.

15. June 22, 1945 - Raid on City of Tamashima, Japan. Destroyed 85% of Mitsubishi Aircraft Factory. Led 39th Bomb Group formation. Daylight raid. Bombing altitude 15,000 ft. 500# general Purpose bombs. Flight time 15:15 hrs. Saw 19th Bomb Group aircraft spin in over Japan.

16. June 26, 1945 - Raid on arsenal complex in Nagoya, Japan. Fighters and flak were
aggressive and accurate. Picked up five flak holes over the city. Day mission. Flight time 15:00 hrs. Saw two B-29’s go down over assembly area. P-13 was hit and crew bailed out over U.S. submarine. Col. Mundy, 39th Group Commander, was riding on P-13 as formation commander and was successfully picked up by the crew of the submarine.

17. July 4, 1945 - Raid on City of Tokushima on the Island of Shikoku, Japan. Night incendiary mission. Flew as pathfinder aircraft. The second aircraft to hit the wing target. Bombing altitude 11,000 ft. Flight time 14:00 hrs.

18. July 7, 1945 - Raid on City of Kofu, Japan. Night incendiary raid against urban area of City. Bombing altitude 14,000 ft. Flight time 14:00 hrs.

19. July 13, 1945 - Raid on City of Uwajima on west coast of Shikaku, Japan. Night incendiary mission. Target area was covered with complete overcast. Bombing altitude 15,000 ft. Flight time 14:20 hrs.

20. July 17, 1945 - Raid on City of Hiratasuka, Japan. Incendiary mission against urban
area of the City. Bombing altitude 12,000 ft. Flight time 14:05 hrs.

21. July 20, 1945 - Raid on City of Okajaki, Japan. Night incendiary mission against urban area of the City. Flew as pathfinder aircraft. Bombing altitude 14,400 ft. Flight time 13:30 hrs.

22. July 24, 1945 - Raid on Naka Jima Aircraft Factory, Handa, Japan. Radar drop due to
undercast covering target area. Bombing altitude 18,000 ft. Day mission. Flight time 14:00 hrs.

23. August 2, 1945 - Raid on City of Mito, Japan. Night incendiary mission. In celebration of “Air Force Day”, over eight hundred aircraft took part in bombing several targets in the area. Flew as pathfinder aircraft. Bombing altitude 12,400 ft. Landed at Iwo Jima due to shortage of fuel and to repair oil leak. Flight time 12:30 hrs.

24. August 6, 1945 - Raid on City of Nishinomiya, Japan. Night incendiary mission. Bombing altitude 12,400 ft. In an effort to secure peace, Japan was provided a list of targets that would be bombed. This was one of the targets. Flight time 13:55 hrs.

25. August 10, 1945 - Raid on Tokyo arsenal complex in the northwestern section of the city. Had fighter escort from Iwo Jima. Flak was heavy and accurate. Dropped 2,000# demolition bombs. Bombing altitude 22,000 ft. Flight time 13:55 hrs.

26. August 15, 1945- Raid on City of Isesaki, Japan. Night incendiary mission. Received news of official Japanese surrender on way back from the target. Bombing altitude 15,000 ft. Flight time 13:55 hrs.

27. August 29, 1945 - Dropped supplies to prisoner of war camps at Kamagama #2 located 30 miles from Tokyo. Also took low level photos of Tokyo area with special camera equipment. Flight time 15:30 hrs.

28. September 2, 1945 - Flew maximum effort formation over Tokyo Bay in display of air power while the peace treaty was being signed aboard the Battleship Missouri. Flight time 15:00 hrs.

Source: Harry D. Hink, Pilot/AC, P-27