These incredibly rare, museum-grade WWII artifacts are Type One original aerial raid mission photographs from the 20th Air Force, 444th Bombardment Group, 676th Bombardment Squadron taken from the open bomb bay of a USAAF B-29 Superfortress during the squadron’s final mission against the Hikari Naval Arsenal, Japan, on August 14, 1945—the day before Japan’s surrender. Despite the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, Japan did not immediately surrender. As a result, U.S. Air Force bombing campaigns on mainland Japan continued until August 15, 1945, when Japan finally capitulated. The raid was reported to have taken place after Emperor Hirohito had begun his surrender message to the Japanese people. It was carried out by the XXI Bomber Command, classified as Mission 325. Its target code was "Thunderhead”. What makes this WWII artifact exceptionally rare is that it captures the very last U.S. Air Force B-29 mission against mainland Japan during World War II. This photograph is not only an incredibly rare piece of WWII history but also a one-of-a-kind testament to the final day of the conflict.
