The Army Air Forces in World War II: Volume 5
The Pacific: MATTERHORN to Nagasaki
June 1944 to August 1945
Prepared under the editorship of
Wesley Frank Craven, Princeton University,
James Lea Cate, University of Chicago.
By Air Historical Group United States Air Force
Wilfred J. Paul, Col, USAF, Director
Albert F. Simpson, Air Force Historian
Table of Contents
Section 1: The Twentieth Air Force and MATTERHORN
James Lea Cate, University of Chicago
Chapter 2: The Twentieth Air Force
Chapter 3: Matterhorn Logistics
Chapter 4: XX Bomber Command against Japan
Section 2: Aid to China: The Theater Air Forces in CBI
Woodford A. Heflin, Air University
Lee Bowen, USAF Historical Division
Woodford F. Heflin
Chapter 7: Delay in Burma, Disaster in China
Lee Bowen
Chapter 8: The Liberation of Burma
Lee Bowen
Lee Bowen
Section 3: Return to the Philippines
Frank Futrell, USAF Historical Division
Maj. Bernhardt L. Mortensen, USAF
Chapter 10: Prelude to Invasion
Frank Futrell
Frank Futrell
Frank Futrell
Frank Futrell
Frank Futrell
Maj. Bernhardt L. Mortensen
Chapter 16: Cutting the Enemy’s Lifeline
Maj. Bernhardt L. Mortensen
Section 4: Strategic Bombardment from Pacific Bases
James Taylor, Southwest Texas State Teachers College
James Lea Cate, University of Chicago
James C. Olson, Nebraska State Historical Society
Frank Futrell, USAF Historical Division
Wesley Frank Craven, Princeton University
Chapter 17: Preparation for Combat
James Taylor
Chapter 18: Precision Bombardment Campaign
James Lea Cate
James C. Olson
James Lea Cate
James C. Olson
Chapter 20: Urban Area Attacks
James Lea Cate
James C. Olson
Chapter 21: The All-Out B-29 Attack
James Lea Cate
James C. Olson
Chapter 22: Reorganization for Victory
Frank Futrell
James Taylor
James Lea Cate
Wesley Frank Craven
List of Maps and Charts
B-29 Target Cities in Japan – Potential B-29 bases with radius of action of 1,600 nautical miles – Kharagpur area airfields – Chengtu area airfields – Ceylon airfields – Hump routes of XX bomber command – Primary targets of B-29’s from China bases – Primary targets of B-29’s from India bases – Location of service units in the India–Burma Air Service Command and China Air Service Command – Southeast Asia – China – The Burma Campaign – The Philippines – Palau Islands – Morotai – Leyte- Samar, P.I. – Landing area – combat zones (Leyte) – San Jose area (Mindoro) – Landing area, Lingayen Gulf, Luzon – Luzon, Philippine Islands – Corregidor – Air Force Bases, Luzon–Mindoro – AAFSWPA areas of responsibility, 1 April 1945 – Southern Philippines – Southern Philippine Is., Borneo, and Halmahera Celebes – Formosa – Allied Air Forces SWPA search sectors, April 1945 – Organization of US AAFPOA and deputy commander – Twentieth Air Force – Twentieth Air Force bases in the Marianas – Command relations in Pacific Ocean areas
List of Illustrations
Building the Chengtu airfields – MATTERHORN Operations – Before the Yawata mission – Attack on Mingaladon cantonment area, Rangoon – C-46’s on the Assam–China route – The first ridge on the Hump route – Loading gasoline drums – The Ledo road – Bomb damage at Myitkyina – Air supply in Burma – Rail bridge in Burma destroyed by the 7th Bombardment Group – Operation GRUBWORM, December 1944 – Fourteenth air force bases – Runway at Liuchow – Abandoning Hengyang – Battle for Leyte Gulf – FEAF planes sink Abukuma – But miss Yamato – Ormoc bay – FEAF planes sink destroyer – Attack on a transport – Bombing Corregidor – Return to Clark Field – Close Support in Luzon – Air Liaison Officer in l-5 marking target – P-38 bombing ahead of ground troops – P-38’s dropping napalm bombs near Ipo dam – Balikpapan – Attack by Thirteenth Air Force B-24’s – Damage to cracking plant – B-25’s of the 345th Bombardment Group sink frigate near Amoy, 6 April 1945 – Marianas air bases – Harmon field, Guam – Isley field, Saipan – B-29 maintenance – R-3350 engines at Guam – Night work during the March fire blitz – Japanese attack on Isley field, 27 November 1944 – Japanese weather – Japanese defenses – Fighter making a pass under B-29 – Direct hit on B-29 by flak – P-51’s on Iwo Jima – Tokyo: burnt-out areas – Nakajima- Musashino – Incendiary attack on Osaka – Osaka: area burnt-out – M26 mine dropped by b-29 – Okinawa: airfield Motobu – Last day: attack on Marifu rail yards, 14 August 1945 – The Atom Bomb Directive – Hiroshima: last-minute instructions – Letter from president Truman 12 January 1953 – Nagasaki: the atomic cloud – Nagasaki: photo post-strike – Hiroshima: Before attack – Nagasaki: steel works and Mitsubishi arms
United States Air Force Historical Advisory Committee
(as of May 1, 1983)
Lt. Gen. Charles G. Cleveland, , USAF Commander, , Air University, ATC
Maj. Gen. Robert E. Kelley, USAF , Superintendent, USAF Academy
Mr. DeWitt S. Copp , The National Volunteer Agency
Dr. Joan Kennedy Kinnaird , Trinity College
Dr. Warren W. Hassler, Jr. , Pennsylvania State University
Mr. David E. Place, , The General Counsel, USAF
Dr. Edward L. Homze , University of Nebraska
Gen. Bryce Poe II, , USAF, Retired
Dr. Alfred F. Hurley Brig. Gen., USAF, , Retired North Texas State University
Dr. David A. Shannon (Chairman) , University of Virginia