"Just discovered" footage of the first B-29 landing on Iwo

[B29Gunner]

March 4th marked the 67th anniversary of the first B-29 to make an emergency landing upon Iwo Jima; piloted by Lt Raymond Malo of the 9th Bomb Group.

Last night - purely by chance - I found a recently uploaded video on YouTube with COLOR footage of Lt Malo's landing, from the USMC Archives. To the best of my knowledge, this footage has never been seen "publically" before. What a piece of history! I've always wondered if footage existed of the landing, and I finally got my wish!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AaK7xU6vC8

The landing took place just two weeks after the invasion began, while intense fighting continued to rage in the Northern part of the island - Iwo would not be officially "secured" until March 26th.

Lt Malo and crew would be lost just six weeks after this footage was shot; their B-29 plummeting into Tokyo Bay. The only member of the crew to survive, CFC Gunner Sgt Allen Hill would perish a month later on May 26th in the Tokyo Military Prison fire. The guards refused to release the prisoners, and allowed them to die. 52 American POW's, mostly B-29er's, would burn to death in their cells. The remains of Lt Malo and seven others from his crew were never found. They remain lost, somewhere in the Southern waters of Tokyo Bay, to this day.

Never forget....

[Chappie]

Amazing footage and a hellva landing. What kind of damage did they have? Quite eeire to see the co-pilot in the window knowing he would die two weeks later.


Chappie

[B29Gunner]

Amazing footage and a hellva landing. What kind of damage did they have?

Ironically it wasn't damage at all, but rather bomb bay doors that wouldn't close after the bomb run! The drag increased fuel consumption, and 360 miles outside of Tokyo it was realized they couldn't make it back Tinian; so it was either ditch or attempt a landing at Iwo. Some have also reported they couldn't transfer fuel due to a faulty transfer pump, but I've yet to confirm that.

This was Malo's first mission, he was just 24 years old.

[Wildchild]

Did the bomber ditch in the Japanese harbor? Cause if so...

[Craig59]

Did the bomber ditch in the Japanese harbor? Cause if so...

The original post clearly states the aircraft plummeted into Tokyo Bay.

[B29Gunner]

Did the bomber ditch in the Japanese harbor? Cause if so...

That's a good question; by Japanese accounts the aircraft "crashed in the water" - was the aircraft out of control, or were they attempting to ditch? I suppose we'll never know for sure, but keep in mind this was a night incendiary raid, and ditching even under the best of conditions was a dangerous affair to say the very least! Not something you'd want to try at night if you could avoid it, in other words. They were obviously attempting to clear Tokyo Bay for open water when the aircraft impacted; be it controlled or not, we'll never know.

How Sgt Hill escaped is also a mystery - I don't have any information to indicate whether he bailed, or was thrown from the airframe as it broke apart. My sense is he was either thrown clear, or remained conscious after the impact and escaped before the wreckage sank.

[Ken]

The internet is an amazing tool. A search of the serial and Lt Malo's name produced two crew photos:

http://fb.fold3.com/comments/mocktree/

http://www.9thbombgrouphistory.org/Chap ... ter_05.pdf

The reports of the bomb doors "jammed open" don't seem to be quite accurate, although the film quality is just poor enough that one can't see if the doors are fully closed either. Reports of a failed fuel transfer pump seem more plausible, although we may never know the real truth.

Here's a witness account: http://www.al4lions.com/Home/the-dave-moses-story

Internet sources say this airplane was named "Dinah Might", one of at least 2 B-29's with that name. Supposedly it survived the war and was "reclaimed at Aberdeen".

Malo's final flight was reportedly in B-29 42-93893. A MCR is here: http://www.fold3.com/browsemore/hVZf1Up ... eh42wKI_1/

Some time spent combing these records this morning was sobering. It's one thing to know an aircraft loss rate or to view a sea of headstones in a National Cemetery, but to learn a story and see the faces, particularly after looking through reams of other lost tail numbers - knowing that each of those crews had their own stories as well - is a stark reminder of the value of our freedom. Had crews like Raymond Malo's not been willing to serve and sacrifice for our freedom, where would history have taken us?

Remember. Honor. Respect.

[Adam Kline]

Looks heavily edited. Wasn't sure if the taxing sequence was the same plane.

[Ken]

Looks heavily edited. Wasn't sure if the taxing sequence was the same plane.

Between the non-standard point of the forward top turret guns and the tail code, it's the same plane in every shot. The crew had repositioned the top turret by the time the shots were taken after engine shutdown. The only sequence that I couldn't nail down was the initial flyby; gear down and very little flap extension. I almost wondered if that was their departure, but, as the film says, it may have been a flyby just to inspect the runway. What a valuable film clip.

[B29Gunner]

The reports of the bomb doors "jammed open" don't seem to be quite accurate, although the film quality is just poor enough that one can't see if the doors are fully closed either. Reports of a failed fuel transfer pump seem more plausible, although we may never know the real truth.

This is actually a very good example Ken of just how much bad information is out there; perpetuation my lazy authors and "historians" in their books over the years - not just limited to this particular incident! Some of the more fantastic claims had Malo shot up over the target, bracketed by fire when landing, making his approach low over Japanese lines, landing on the "Japanese half" of the runway and rolling out to the "American side," etc and others had Marines running up to the B-29 carrying helmets full of fuel, and it goes on and on. It's not easy to discern fact from fiction in a lot of these works!

We can though say for certain 1) the bomb bay doors would not immediately close after bombs away, and 2) they could not transfer fuel. This is what the crew stated in interviews after the fact, but they did not elaborate on the causes.

The only sequence that I couldn't nail down was the initial flyby; gear down and very little flap extension. I almost wondered if that was their departure, but, as the film says, it may have been a flyby just to inspect the runway.

They made 3 passes before landing, one of which is seen in the beginning of the video.

[CoastieJohn]

Don't know if anyone noticed but as the B-29 is taxiing in to stop, there is a small plane already there. Because it is a wheeled plane, I wonder where it came from? It is too small to island hop there. Maybe an aircraft carrier??

[Adam Kline]

That little plane is an L-5 Stinson used for a variety of jobs. It was probably shipped there that is my guess.

[RyanShort1]

That little plane is an L-5 Stinson used for a variety of jobs. It was probably shipped there that is my guess.

On a technicality it's an OY-1 from VMO-4. They had 6 or 7 aircraft and were the true "first" US aircraft on Iwo. They either flew off of an escort carrier, or were off of a Brodie LST as far as I can tell.

http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backiss ... f99/oy.pdf
http://www.fold3.com/image/#55684295

Nice find!

Ryan

[B29Gunner]

Bump - 68 years ago today!

[WIXerGreg]

How's that book coming, Trevor?