B-29 SUPERFORTRESS BOMBER ~314TH BOMB WING~29th BG ~ (2 - PHOTOS) - GUAM-1945

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Present your best items with Auctiva's FREE Scrolling Gallery.Two early original dramatic vintage photographs of B-29 Superfortress Heavy Bombers.This group with the letter "O" tail number was attached to the 314th Bomb Wing - 29th Bomb Group stationed at Guam in early 1945.During World War II the 314th Bombardment Wing (314th BW) was part of Twentieth Air Force. The 314th BW engaged in very heavy bombardment B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan.The 314th Bombardment Wing was activated in July 1944 at Peterson Field, Colorado as a command and control organization for four very heavy B-29 Superfortress bombardment groups. Organization trained in Colorado while subordinate groups were trained in Kansas by Second Air Force.When training was completed moved to Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 The 315th was the fourth B-29 Wing assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. It's mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability. In the Marianas, the Wing provided command and control to the 19th, 29th 39th and 330th Bombardment Groups. The 19th and 29th arrived in January; 39th and 330th in February.Its groups flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The 19th began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo; the 29th with a firebombing mission over central Tokyo on March 9. The 330th attacking the Hodagaya Chemical Works in Koriyama on 12 April; the 39th hitting the same three days later on April 15.The group continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, but the first ten day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Like her sister wings, the 314th then flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.The Division continued attacking urban areas until the end of the war in August 1945, its subordinate units conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The wing flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, the wing's B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria.The 330th Bomb Group was relieved from assignment on 21 November, it's personnel and equipment returning to the United States for demobilization (Operation Sunset); the 39th in December. The other groups returned in May 1946. The Wing then moved to Johnson Army Airbase, Japan in mid-May 1946 to become part of the Fifth Air Force Occupation forces.With the postwar consolidation of units, the organization was redesignated 314th Composite Wing in 1946, having both groups and squadrons of varying missions assigned to the wing. For approximately two years (1946-1948) the 314th served as one of Fifth Air Force's major components. It maintained intensive training schedules, participated in training exercises and took part in the post-hostilities program of mapping Japan.Photograph measure 8 x 10 inches and are in very good condition with a few bends and creases and a couple 1/2 inch closed tears at the border areas (see scans). The images are sharp and have strong tones with good contrast and clarity. Back is clean with no writing. read more

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