USAAF Nose Art Research Project


 

Pride of the Yankees
B-29-45-BW 42-24676

500th Bomb Group, 882nd Bomb Squadron



Nose art painted by
Cpl Henry JOHNSON
500th Bomb Group, 882nd Bomb Squadron
Isley Field, Saipan

Pride of the Yankees

Once again Henry Johnson found inspiration in another Alberto Vargas pin-up girl illustration in "Esquire" magazine and used it to adorn aircraft number Z-24 of 882nd Bomb squadron, "Pride of the Yankees".

This Super Fort was almost lost on the night of 27-28th January 1945 on the mission to Tokyo. 20mm cannon fire from Japanese fighters ripped into its number 2 prop which then wind-milled until it broke off, taking part of the cowling with it and in doing so severely damaged the number 1 prop. Pilot Lt Frank Carrico was able to nurse the stricken B29 back to a safe landing on the only two remaining engines in spite of the damage.

"Pride of the Yankees" survived hostilities with sixty missions credited and flew at least two post war non-combat missions to drop desperately needed supplies to POW camps.

Known Mission List

Date Pilot

Target

Notes
7 Oct 1944C Tackett / At Kearney AAB
26 Oct 1944C Tackett / Left Kearney AAB for overseas deployment via Mather AAB
6 Nov 1944C Tackett / Arrived at Saipan, Isley Field #1
24 Nov 1944C Tackett /Musashino Nakajima
27 Nov 1944C Tackett /Musashino Nakajima
3 Dec 1944C Tackett / ??Musashino Tokyo
8 Dec 1944C Tackett /Iwo Jima
10 Dec 1944Schmitz /Training(NS) - Bombed Pagan Island
13 Dec 1944C Tackett /Nagoya MitsubishiFlak hit upper left wing - 2 day repair
18 Dec 1944C Tackett /Nagoya Mitsubishi3" flak hole in right wing
22 Dec 1944Hodge /Nagoya MitsubishiHit by flak in fuselage + vert stab
24 Dec 1944W Hodge / LtCol J Brannock /Weather strike
28 Dec 1944Carrico /Weather strike Tokyo
29 Dec 1944Weather strike
3 Jan 1945F Carrico / ??NagoyaCarried intercept and jamming equipment
9 Jan 1945Carrico /Tokyo Nakajima
13 Jan 1945C Tackett /Photo reconR/E (NS) - #2 eng
24 Jan 1945Weather strike
27 Jan 1945F Carrico / M RobinsonTokyo20mm hit #2 eng, caught fire. Landed on 2 engines.
20 Feb 1945Hughes /Weather strike
25 Feb 1945Capt C Tackett / Capt J M Savage /Tokyo
9 Mar 1945Sasser /Tokyo
9 Mar 1945Sasser /Tokyo
11 Mar 1945Capt C Tackett /Nagoya
11 Mar 1945Capt C Tackett /Nagoya
13 Mar 1945Capt C Tackett /Osaka
16 Mar 1945Capt C Tackett /Kobe
16 Mar 1945Capt C Tackett /Kobe
18 Mar 1945Sasser /Nagoya
18 Mar 1945Sasser /Nagoya
24 Mar 1945Capt C Tackett /Nagoya Mitsubishi
27 Mar 1945Haas /Kyushu AFs
31 Mar 1945Sealy /Tachiari
1 Apr 1945Capt C Tackett /Tokyo Nakajima
3 Apr 1945Capt C Tackett / LtCol DoughertyTokyo TachikawaPFF a/c
8 Apr 1945Capt C Tackett /Kagoshima
12 Apr 1945Sasser /Tokyo Musashino NakajimaHit by flak
13 Apr 1945Hughes /Tokyo Arsenal
13 Apr 1945Hughes /Tokyo Arsenal
15 Apr 1945Hughes / Southern Tokyo
21 Apr 1945Capt C Tackett / E Betts /Oita & Usa AFs
5 May 1945Kure Hiro
6 May 1945Capt C Tackett /Weather strike
10 May 1945Sasser /Tokuyama
11 May 1945Capt C Tackett /Kobe Kawanishi
14 May 1945Sasser /NagoyaHit by friendly fire
16 May 1945Capt C Tackett /Nagoya
16 May 1945Capt C Tackett /Nagoya
19 May 1945Capt C Tackett / Maj F ParsonsHamamatsu
23 May 1945Capt C Tackett /Southern Tokyo
25 May 1945Capt C Tackett /South Tokyo
1 Jun 1945Coffman /Osaka urban
5 Jun 1945Capt C Tackett / LtCol J Brannock /Kobe
7 Jun 1945Capt C Tackett /Osaka
10 Jun 1945Capt C Tackett /Chiba Hitachi
15 Jun 1945Capt C Tackett / Col J Dougherty /Osaka AmagasakiR/E S)? - #2 engine oil leak
26 Jun 1945Capt C Tackett / ???Osaka
28 Jun 1945Capt C Tackett /Sasebo
1 Jul 1945Capt C Tackett /Kumamoto
6 Jul 1945Capt C Tackett /Akashi
6 Jul 1945Capt C Tackett /Akashi
9 Jul 1945Capt C Tackett /SakaiHit by flak
16 Jul 1945Capt C Tackett / Col J Sutherland /Oita
16 Jul 1945Capt C Tackett / Col J Sutherland /Oita
19 Jul 1945Potter / N Garrigus /Hitachi
19 Jul 1945Potter / N Garrigus /Hitachi
26 Jul 1945Sawyer /Matsuyama
28 Jul 1945Sawyer /Ichinomiya
1 Aug 1945Sawyer /Toyama
5 Aug 1945Sawyer /Nishinomiya
8 Aug 1945YawataR/E (NS) - #3 eng
14 Aug 1945Sawyer /Osaka
28 Aug 1945POW Supply #5
31 Aug 1945POW Supply #6



 
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© Ray Bowden 2 December 2023