Warbird Information Exchange

The landing gear was apparently pulled up by a fishing boat a few days ago, but Taizou Nakamura has been posting more information about it over the past few days on his Facebook page and Twitter account.


(Source: YouTube)

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I read through the thread and was unable to figure out where it was found. Were you able to figure that out? I am looking for the disposition of one particular B-29 (44-69748) as I have all the remaining footlocker materials from one of the flight crew.

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FF,

The info below is from a Japanese site (don't remember the name) on Aircraft Losses over Mainland Japan. The MACR is from Fold3.

Hope they help,

Mac

Note: Mission No.45 (Target: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagoya engine plants.
249 B-29s sortied from 73BW, 313BW and 314BW, and 5 were lost)
◇ Mar. 25, 1945, B-29 (either #42-65210, nicknamed Fay, 73BW, 498BG, or #44-69748,
313BW, 9BG) crashed in Nakashinden 3-chome, Yatomi-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoyashi.
Note: 1 of the 5 B-29s lost in the above mentioned Mission No.45.
Exploded in the air, the plane and crewmembers were dismembered to pieces.
All 11 crewmembers including 1/Lt. Folid O. TOBEY Jr. (#65210 A/C) or 1/Lt. Murel
W. HARDGRAVE (#69748 A/C) were killed. Only 1 body was found and all others
were missing.

◇ Mar. 25, 1945, B-29 (either #42-65210, nicknamed Fay, 73BW, 498BG, or #44-69748,
313BW, 9BG) crashed in 14-chome, Moriyama-cho, Higashi-Kasugai-gun (present
Moriyama-ku, Nagoya-shi), Aichi-ken.
Note: 1 of the 5 B-29s lost in the above mentioned Mission No.45.
The plane exploded in the air, fell down on the ground, and furiously burned.
All 11 crewmembers including 1/Lt. Folid O. TOBEY, Jr. (#65210 A/C), or 1/Lt.
Murel W. HARDGRAVE (#69748 A/C) were killed. Seven to eight bodies were buried
in Jyoganji Temple Cemetery in 9-chome, Moriyama-cho.

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I wonder if the main casting could be salvaged. If the seals held up, it could be possibly media blasted and disassembled?

Jim,
Thanks for posting that. I did not have the MACR on 44-69748. I had found other information similar to what you have which stated the aircraft was lost, but the same lack of conclusion if it was 42-65210 or 44-69748. Since Nagoya has waterfront, I wondered if it came from near Nagoya that this might be part of 44-69748.

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