Comes with a hand-signed C.O.A. and a full historical write-up research document

From: World War II - Pacific Theater

Unit: XXI Bomber Command - 40th Bomb Group - Twentieth Air Force

Type: “CONFIDENTIAL” Marked Aerial Reconnaissance Intelligence Photograph Taken By XXI Bomber Command’s 40th Bomb Group B-29 Superfortress During Strategic Bombing Operations On Kyushu, Japan

Size: 10 × 10 inches

Dated: January 1945

Target: Ronchi Airfield - Kyushu, Japan

The Ronchi Airfield on Kyushu, though lesser known than some of its eastern counterparts, held considerable strategic importance during the final phase of World War II as part of Japan’s increasingly desperate aerial defense efforts. Located on the southern end of the island, Ronchi was part of a network of military airfields utilized by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy to stage aircraft for both conventional defensive operations and kamikaze attacks aimed at Allied forces advancing through the Pacific. By early 1945, with the success of Allied operations in the Marianas and the bloody conclusion of the Battle of Okinawa on the horizon, Ronchi’s proximity to Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands placed it within critical striking range of Allied naval assets and ground staging areas. This made it a high-priority target for the U.S. XXI Bomber Command’s airfield suppression campaign. Utilizing B-29 Superfortress bombers based in the Marianas under the Twentieth Air Force, American air planners integrated Ronchi into a broader initiative designed to cripple Japan’s ability to project air power from Kyushu. Beginning in the spring and intensifying through the summer of 1945, raids on Ronchi were coordinated with photographic reconnaissance flights by F-13 Superfortresses, which gathered critical intelligence on runway conditions, aircraft dispersal patterns, and defensive emplacements. These raids aimed to crater airstrips, destroy parked aircraft, and eliminate support infrastructure such as fuel and ammunition depots. The targeting of Ronchi was not only intended to weaken Japan’s last aerial reserves but also to pave the way for the planned Allied invasion of the Japanese home islands by denying the Japanese any remaining ability to mount significant air resistance. As with other key installations across Kyushu, the destruction of Ronchi Airfield contributed to the overall degradation of Japan’s defensive air capabilities in the closing months of the war.

This extremely rare and museum-grade World War II artifact is an original XXI Bomber Command aerial reconnaissance intelligence photograph, stamped “CONFIDENTIAL” and used by the XXI Bomber Command of the Twentieth Air Force during its intensive strategic bombing campaign against the Japanese home island of Kyushu in 1945.

These marked aerial reconnaissance intelligence photographs of Kyushu, Japan were vital operational tools used by B-29 Superfortress crews during some of the most critical and technically sophisticated bombing missions of the Pacific Theater. As part of a broader intelligence network, these photographs were central to the success of the airfield suppression campaign, a late-war strategic initiative aimed at neutralizing Japanese aerial capabilities on Kyushu to prevent kamikaze attacks and secure air superiority ahead of potential invasion plans under Operation Downfall.

The XXI Bomber Command was a major component of the Twentieth Air Force, established to carry out long-range strategic bombing operations from bases in the Mariana Islands—primarily Tinian, Saipan, and Guam. By mid-1945, the B-29 units under XXI Bomber Command had already executed devastating raids on the Japanese mainland, including the infamous firebombing of Tokyo in March. However, the emphasis shifted toward southern Japan, particularly Kyushu, as the Allies prepared for the possible ground invasion of the Japanese home islands. The suppression of Japanese airfields on Kyushu was deemed essential to minimize the threat from kamikaze fighters, which had caused catastrophic damage during the Okinawa campaign.

The Kyushu airfield suppression raids, which intensified between July and August 1945, were meticulously planned operations targeting major military installations, airfields, and logistical infrastructure. Sites like Kagoshima, Miyakonojo, Kanoya, Oita, and Tachiarai were considered high-priority targets, as they housed interceptor aircraft, bomber units, and kamikaze squadrons poised to strike Allied naval forces. Many of these airfields were camouflaged or dispersed across challenging terrain, making them difficult to identify without accurate and timely intelligence.

This is where aerial reconnaissance photographs became indispensable. These images were typically captured by the F-13 Superfortress—a specially modified B-29 equipped with advanced photographic equipment capable of high-altitude and high-resolution imagery. F-13 missions would often precede major bombing raids, flying at altitudes above 30,000 feet to avoid enemy flak and fighters. The intelligence gathered was sent back to analysis units where photographic interpreters would study the prints to identify structures, camouflaged positions, runways, aircraft revetments, fuel storage tanks, and anti-aircraft batteries. These interpreters then annotated the photographs with key tactical information before passing them along to mission planners and flight crews.

During mission briefings, B-29 crews received these marked reconnaissance photographs to familiarize themselves with terrain features and target layouts. Navigators and bombardiers were trained to memorize key landmarks and to use the photos as visual references during bombing runs—especially critical in regions prone to cloud cover or where precise navigation was needed to hit dispersed or hidden targets. In many cases, copies of these images were carried onboard during the mission itself for mid-flight reference. Commanders could adjust flight paths, bombing altitudes, and target sequences based on updated intelligence from successive reconnaissance flights, reflecting a growing sophistication in U.S. air campaign planning.

In the broader context of the war, the integration of aerial photographic intelligence into XXI Bomber Command operations signaled a turning point in strategic airpower. It enabled a level of precision and adaptability previously unavailable in large-scale bombing missions. These images didn’t just guide bombs—they helped preserve lives by minimizing exposure to flak zones and reducing the risk of failed missions. They also allowed for the rapid reassessment of enemy defenses and infrastructure damage, shaping both immediate tactical choices and long-term strategic decisions.