<p>The target was the aircraft engine plant of the Nakajima Aircraft Co. Ltd at Musashino, near Tokyo. On 24 November, 111 B-29s took off, led by O'Donnell in 'Dauntless Dotty', lead ship of the 869th Bomb Squadron. They were joined by a few Boeing F-13As, the photo version of the B-29, to drop 'rope'—longer and heavier strands of the foil used to confuse ground radars—and to photograph the effects.
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<p>That mission ran afoul of the jet stream, then an unexperienced phenomenon. A high-altitude wind, roaring along at a ground speed of nearly 150 mph (240 km/h), carried the bombers along at well over 400 mph (645 km/h). Bombing accuracy suffered; the ballistics tables had not allowed for such speeds. Two dozen Superforts hit the primary and 14 dropped bombs on the docks and on Musashino. About half the bombing was done by radar. The F-13 photographs showed 48 bomb hits in the factory area. Casualties among the Japanese were 57 killed and 75 wounded. The 73rd lost one bomber in combat, with its 11-man crew listed as missing, one crewman dead and four wounded.
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<p>The first mission did accomplish two things. It had proved the point; the bombers had found and hit a major, heavily defended target in bad weather, and had sustained minimum losses. Bombing accuracy would improve things later. Second, the Japanese had just learned they were no longer safe at home in the island chain.
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<p>Three days later the bombers returned to Musashino, and left the target undamaged. In their absence, Japanese bombers raided Isley Field, the Saipan base, and destroyed four Superforts in two strikes that day. It became a serious threat, wherein Japanese bombers would fly in low from Iwo Jima, and hit and run. Before they were temporarily stopped by a heavy combined raid by B-29s and Seventh AF B-24s, they had destroyed 11 Superforts, severely damaged eight, and had done minor damage to 35. The raids had killed 45 Americans and wounded more than 200.
