Warbird Information Exchange

This was forwarded to me. Anyone have a clue on this one?



Hello, I'm trying to find as much information I can on my grandfather he was on tinian island in 1945 I know that he worked on and around a B-29 named Jackpot SN# 42-24797, the MARC # is 13694, I know the plane was lost off the coast of Japan on 19 march 45, all crew was saved, if you have any more information on the plane and/or ground crew or where I might find this kind of information, my family and myself would greatly appreciate it, thank you.

Scott Martin
Lafayette, In

A family friend Bill Tufts was Radio Man on all four "Jackpots".
One Jackpot was hit with flak over Japan and ditched in the sea, another "Jackpot" crashed on takoff on Tinian after losing two engines, and yet another "Jackpot" crash landed on Iwo Jima. Lastly, "Jackpot 4"'s last mission was to fly the films of the Atomic bomb drops on Nagasaki and Hiroshima to Washington DC.

Boy, I have heard so many names of aircraft that were supposedly involved in that flight it would have spanned the globe it would have been such a massive squadron.

Aircraft from the 40th BG were reportedly involved as was the 330th BG plus many others. Not entirely sure what is true.

_________________
S.

I befriended one of the gunners on Jackpot - Marion Vic Lewis of Texas. Mr. Lewis died in 2000. I was only 29 at the time but enjoyed hearing many of his stories and viewing his extensive photo albumn.

Bill Tufts was my Dad. He spoke often of Jackpot and I have a lot of his photos and his notes on the missions. I remember him speaking of being shot down and floating in the Pacific for days before being rescued. I would love to hear more about the plane and its missions.

18 MARCH 1945 JAPAN

(Mission 44) During the night of 18-19 March, 290 of 313 B-29's dispatched from units of the XXI BC attack the Nagoya urban area with incendiary bombs at altitudes between 4,500ft and 9,000ft for the second time in as many weeks. An additional 3 square miles are burned including the Nagoya Arsenal, Aichi Aircraft Engine Plant and freight yards. The Mitsubishi plant escape with minor damage. One B-29 is lost.

1 B-29 is lost:

42-24797 "Jackpot" 505th BG MACR 13694 Shipp crew rescued by USS GATLING

Ray Brashear's
Navigator's Notes:
(This was not one of our nicer missions. It was a poor way to earn a living!! Ray)
Mission 13:
5th and last of the blitz missions
3/18/45
Nagoya (1st fire zone no visual corrections)
Night fire 5.000ft
2030-10451345 20805
Lots of lights and flak. In the lights for fifteen minutes 5.5 sq. mi. burned out. Total of 31 or more sq. mi. of Japanese Indust. area burned out.

T Square #54?

Mission #5: Capt. Carl Floyd crew

Lee Florence's Diary:
Saipan Briefed for incendiary raid on Nagoya at 5000'
T.O. 9:00PM Bombed at 0415--19th. Large fires. Heavy flak. No fighters.




Found here:

http://user.xmission.com/~tmathews/b29/ ... 4503b.html


B-29 assigned to the 505th BG (ship #37) on Iwo Jima (U.S. Air Force photo)


B-29's on either Iwo Jima or Tinian 1945, circle 'W' is a 505th BG, 'Z' 500th BG, circle 'R' 6th BG, 'A' 497th BG, 'V' 499th BG, triangle 'I' 468th BG, 'K' 330th BG (U.S. Air Force photo)

More can be found here ...
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/2 ... p-81406756



More here ...
http://www.fold3.com/image/29423834/
http://books.google.com/books?id=5SdDW6 ... 97&f=false
http://books.google.com/books?id=2zxbWJ ... 97&f=false

Hope some of this helps

_________________
Impeach, Remove, Convict, Imprison!!...

Thank you!! I remember my Dad talking about the USS Gatling. The ship picked them up in the Pacific on March 20. They had been in the water a few days.

These photos are amazing. I will be looking at the websites too.

Thanks so much,
Mary Tufts

Your very welcome, that's what this crazy WIX site is for
I'll see what else I can find.

M

_________________
Impeach, Remove, Convict, Imprison!!...