B-29 bombing missions to Hokkaido Island

[Stig Jarlevik]

Scott

I cannot locate a single source giving details about any B-29 missions to Sapporo either on
the 14th or 15th of July 1945.

Very odd details indeed.

I also agree with Martin that the loads vs number of aircraft etc just don't make any sense.

Cheers
Stig

[twocee]

Vol. 5 of the official Army Air Forces WWII History has a list of incendiary raids on secondary Japanese cities. It shows no such attacks anywhere for 14 and 15 July, and no such attacks at any time on Hokkaido cities.

[25Kingman49]

The list which George in referring to can be found here
https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/V/AAF-V-21.html

[R Leonard]

Originally Posted by 25Kingman49

https://pacificwrecks.com/provinces/japan_sapporo.html
It appears the only source for these two B-29 missions to Sapporo on 14 & 15 July 1945 is Pacific Wrecks, normally a reliable source. However they ‘Pacific Wrecks’ do not site their source(s) so this content is little better than uncorroborated hearsay. If anyone here has contact with Pacific Wrecks perhaps a source citing could be requested for this content, or failure of that a retraction this Sapporo content altogether on their web site.

You could, of course, click where it says "Submit Info" at the top and ask them yourself.

[25Kingman49]

Thanks for your suggestion. request summitted.
https://pacificwrecks.com/provinces/japan_sapporo.html
What is the Pacific Wrecks source for this content relative to two B-29 bombing missions to Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan on 14 & 15 July 1945?
Now lets see if they respond.

[25Kingman49]

By the way. If anyone else here wishes to contact Pacific Wrecks relative to this Sapporo, Hokkaido content please do so. More than one voice requesting this content and fact based source may result in a more rapid and complete response by Pacific Wrecks. Thanks in advance to all for your continued support this topic.

[RSwank]

Scott,

On the Sapporo website which talks about the 14/15 July Air Raids here:
https://www.city.sapporo.jp.e.ain.hp..._21/index.html
I looked at link 11 (on the right side) which was an attack on Shiraishi railway station:
https://www.city.sapporo.jp.e.ain.hp..._11/index.html
The wording is interesting as talks about locomotives “shot by machine guns”. This sounds like a low level staffing attack (probably by navy carrier planes). This might imply that the 14/15 July attack on Sapporo was just the navy attack on those dates mentioned earlier. No B-29s involved.


Unfortunately, I then found this map (click it to enlarge) which shows where the various navy units (planes and ships) attacked at the end of the war. Note there are no navy attacks on Sapporo shown on any dates.
https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/...ages/p_127.jpg

[25Kingman49]

Thank you, Rolland.
Most interesting indeed, and the map you found seems to support content here
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/...hron-1945.html where as USN forces were concentrating their attacks on the southern end of Hokkaido it appears due to bad weather in the region.
This further begs the question of who bombed Sapporo so significantly. It is beginning to look like 20th Air Force B-29s were not the attacking force. However if not them then who beyond the USN had the reach to bombard this city? The mystery continues.

[twocee]

On 15 July aircraft from TF38 attacked targets in the Otaru/Ishikari areas, close to Sapporo. Presumably these attacks are what the website is referring to.

As regards the B-29s, I should think it extremely unlikely that Army bombers would have been allowed to operate in an area under attack by TF38. No doubt there was a demarcation agreement covering the Northern Honshu/Hokkaido strikes.

[RSwank]

George,

The TF38 attacks July 15 on Otaru/Ishikari you mentioned would show that the navy strike map I found is incomplete and there were navy attacks close to Sapporo.

It think it is possible that there may not have been any B-29 attacks on Sapporo or even Hokkaido during the war.


This is an article about the "Longest" B-29 bombing mission which went from Guam to Akita:

https://www.pacaf.af.mil/News/Articl...ended-on-guam/

Akita is in northern Honshu.