Gunless B29's increased bomb load
 

This article
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/...20050313x1.htm
states that removing all except the B29s tail guns enabled the bomb load to be increased by 65%.

Is this correct?

Re: Gunless B29's increased bomb load
 

Werrell gives the following in "Blankets of Fire":
Average bomb load in February 1945 (high altitude tactics, but a bit lower than the early raids and a little higher gross weights): 6,700#

Bombloads for the first fire raid on Tokyo: varied from almost 14,000# for the most experienced wing (73rd) from Saipan, to as little as 9,700# for the least experienced (elements of 314th) from Guam, 120nm greater round trip.

The weight of ammo and gunners left behind was around 2,700#. According to his footnote it's not clear which and to what extent guns per se were actually removed for this raid, but some groups carried no ammo at all, even for tail guns.

Anyway depending on comparing what to what, the increase could have been more than 65%, but the lower altitude flight profile was apparantly also more efficient in carrying a larger load, not just defensive armament weight reduction.

Joe