Comes with hand-signed C.O.A.

These XXI Bomber Command target photo maps 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.

MISSION 242 - UBE - JULY 1945

This incredibly scare and museum-grade ‘RESTRICTED’ WWII XXI Bomber Command (20th Air Force) TARGET AERIAL PHOTO MAP 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 “UBE AREA”, this A-2 SECTION was produced in limited quantities with previous aerial reconnaissance mission photos by the 3rd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron taken on May 28th, 1945.

This navigators and bombardier aerial photo 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 target photo 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.

These aerial photo charts were referenced during pre-mission briefings as well as when the bombardier was approaching the target. This was meant to provide the B-29 bombardier with the most real view of his target for the best target identification. The most important primary target buildings were always outlined and marked with a number to be referenced on the target key.

The 315th Wing opened its specialized campaign on 26 June with a strike against the Utsube Oil Refinery at Yokkaichi, the top-priority target. By 14 August the wing had run fifteen missions against ten targets, petroleum refineries or synthetic plants, which included besides the first: Maruzen Oil Company at Wakayama; Mitsubishi Oil Company at Kawasaki; Nippon Oil Company plants at Akita, Kansai, Kudamatsu, and Amagasaki; Imperial Fuel Industry Company at Ube; and Toa Fuel Industry at Wakayama. In all, the 315th Wing dispatched 1,200 planes, of which 1,095 bombed primary targets, dropping 9,084 tons of 500-pound GP's, the bomb considered most effective against the scattered installations attacked. The very heavy bomb load lifted was possible because the planes were stripped and bombed individually at night; with experience, the crews were able to increase the weight carried from an average of 14,631 pounds on the first mission to 20,684 on 9 August. Removing most of the guns did not prove too dangerous: only four planes were lost and sixty-six damaged during the entire campaign.