Japanese Effectiveness Against B-29 Raids

[Jim Oxley]

Have just finished reading two fascinating books on the B-29 raids over Japan - Birds From Hell by Wilbur Morrison and the excellent Blankets Of Fire by Kenneth Werrell.

Twenty Air Force lost a total of 414 B-29's in combat: 148 to enemy action, 151 to operational causes and 115 to causes unknown. The actual loss rate was a low 2.78% overall, much lower than that suffered by the 8th AF or 15th AF in Europe.

What struck me throughout both books were the very poor results obtained by both the IJAAF and the IJNAF. Of the two the IJAAF was the more effective but even so, the great majority of B-29's lost to Japanese aircraft action were a result of ramming (111 known ramming attacks) rather than shoot down's. By far the greatest danger seemed to be flying the massively overloaded B-29 itself.

Granted daylight operations/intercepts took place high in the jetstream at around 9000m to 10,000m. And that the Japanese fighters were not well suited to high altitude fighting. Also the B-29 was a technical marvel, very fast, armoured and well protected by defensive fire. And was escorted by P-47N and P-51D's from April onwards. Nevertheless one can't help comparing unfavourably the Japanese efforts against the 20th AF to the Luftwaffe's efforts against the 8th and 15th AF.
Nor wondering if the Luftwaffe would have done any better against the B-29.