Comes with hand-signed C.O.A.

These XXI Bomber Command target map rarely come up for sale in the public sector. This is a once in a timeline chance to own a piece of B-29 WWII history.

This incredibly scare and museum-grade ‘RESTRICTED’ WWII XXI Bomber Command (20th Air Force) TARGET CHART was used during the USAAF long-range bombardment operations, against Japan until mid-July 1945. The XXI Bomber Command was headquartered at Harmon Field, Guam, in the Mariana Islands.

Dated June 1945 and titled “KAGAMIGAHARA AREA” version of this A-2 SECTION - TARGET CHART NO. 13C were produced in limited quantities with previous aerial reconnaissance mission photos by the 30th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron.

This navigators and bombardier perspective chart map was specifically creating using the most updated military intelligence in order to give B-29 Superfortress aircraft the most accurate target information. This was done for fast and effective target identification as well as accurate navigation and bomb/incendiary accuracy. These perspective target charts were handed to B-29 crews during the target mission briefing and were then carried on the B-29 aircraft to used during the raid itself.

This KAGAMIGAHARA, Japan perspective target chart was used by WWII 1st Lieutenant Cecil Rix who served as a B-29 Bombardier Navigator in the Pacific Theater as well as a Radar Observer on Saipan and Guam during the later part of WWII.

*What makes this specific edition of the perspective target chart very rare is the lower left key noting vital Japanese aerial targets and key military and industrial building/factories. The key translates to the numbered building on the map for accurate target identification…and even shows that specific targets elevation. This was valuable information as it could be used on multiple missions raids based on the carrying primary targets.

This specific target map of KAGAMIGAHARA shows the KAWASAKI A/C WORKS PLANT, KAGAMIGAHARA MILLITARY BASE, OGAKI IRON WORKS, KAGAMIGAHARA MACHINERY WORKS, AND MITSUBISHI A/C WORKDS.

XXI Bomber Command B-29 Air Raid on KAGAMIGAHARA:

• Again on 22 June there were six targets, this time in southern Honshu. Kure Naval Arsenal was assigned six groups and the other targets, all aircraft factories, forces ranging from one to four groups. In all, 446 B-29'swere airborne and 382 bombed, dropping 2,103 tons of bombs. Post-strike photos showed 72 per cent of the roof area at the Kure arsenal damaged. No analysis of the results at Mitsubishi's Kagamigahara plant is available, but postwar investigations showed varying degrees of destruction elsewhere: only slight damage at Kawasaki's works at the same town; at Kawanishi's Himeji plant, great destruction among the buildings and total destruction of machine tools; at Mitsubishi-Mizushima, 135 of 235 machine tools and almost half the roof area destroyed, drastically curtailing production of Betty bombers and George fighters; at Kawasaki-Akashi, where the extent of damage done on 19 January was not fully appreciated, the empty buildings were completely destroyed.

• On 26 June LeMay sent out nine formations against southern Honshu and Shikoku targets, with a total force of 510 B-29's and an escort of 148 P-51's. Good weather was predicted but heavy clouds over much of the area made assembly difficult and many of the planes bombed targets of opportunity individually or in small flights. Damage for those targets where assessment is available (aircraft factories, light-metals industries, and arsenals) varied from light at Aichi's Eitoku plant (already hit heavily) to unnecessarily severe at Kawasaki-Akashi, where well-placed 4,000-pound bombs served only to whip a dead dog. At Kawasaki's Kagamigahara plant, however, the slight damage done on the 22d was so greatly increased that every important building was knocked out.