Monday, July 27, 2020

B-29 Superfortress “Umbriago III - Dat’s My Boy" of the 73rd Bomber Wing, 499th Bomber Group, ditched 90 miles NW of Saipan after bombing the Mitsubishi aircraft factory at Nagoya. Photo taken by US Navy PBY-5A Catalina that rescued the survivors. The aircraft remained afloat all night and was sunk the next day by naval fire.


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  1. Don in OregonJuly 28, 2020 at 7:11 AM

    The US had an extremely effective system for rescuing the crew of aircraft that had to ditch due to battle damage, fuel exhaustion, or wounded crew.

    PBY Catalinas orbited at pre-designated stations along the return route, and submarines were stationed close in to the Japanese islands.

    Aircrew were briefed on these locations before missions and marked them on their mission charts, along with radio frequencies.

    I have one of those charts from a mission my Dad flew, the first P-51 mission flown from Iwo Jima escorting B-29's to Japan.

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