Did you know the last aerial fight of World War II occurred after the war ended?
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A B-32 Dominator, the type of bomber involved in the last fight
(Photo: U.S. Air Force)
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Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender (Read our earlier article – The Jewel Voice Broadcast) on August 15, 1945, a few days after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. World War II was over, but the victorious Allied troops still had a lot to do.
Several B-32 Dominators, heavy bombers designed as a possible alternative to the B-29 Superfortress, flew numerous photo recon flights above Japan to find POW camps and routes for occupation troops into the country, and to make sure the Japanese were adhering to the terms of surrender. On August 18, two Dominators on one such mission were attacked by a group of 17 Japanese fighters. The reason for the attack was unclear. One Japanese ace later claimed they thought the American planes were going to drop bombs. Another stated several decades later that the pilots were so incensed by the sight of American bombers over a devastated Tokyo that they felt compelled to ignore the surrender.
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Hobo Queen II, one of the two Dominators attacked in the last air combat action of the war
(Photo: National WWII Museum)
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The bombers claimed two Japanese planes shot down in the resulting battle, even though Japanese records show no losses that day. The attackers fared somewhat better. Both Dominators were damaged and several crewmen wounded – one of them took years to fully recover, and another died on the way back to Okinawa. Whatever the reason for the attack was, it was not sanctioned by the Japanese government or the military. The following day, grounded Japanese planes had their propellers removed to make sure they couldn’t repeat such an incident.
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A desolated Tokyo after the war
(Photo: U.S. Army Signal Corps)
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$500 discount for the 80th anniversary D-Day celebrations and all our tours
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D-Day festivities in Normandy
(Photo: Author’s own)
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We'll be celebrating the 79th anniversary of D-Day, the historic Allied landings in Normandy, in two weeks. On this occasion, you will get a discount of $500 on all our tours if you book and pay in full until June 6, 2023. In addition to the discount, this promotion includes also our available D-Day anniversary tours in 2024 (80th anniversary!) and 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to secure your seat for next year to enjoy the commemorations and festivities with the participation of veterans and reenactors. According to statistics, seats for the main D-Day anniversaries get sold out approximately a year before the event. So, book your tour as soon as possible because the most popular ones will be fully booked very soon. Note that this offer applies only in case of new bookings, and it cannot be combined with other special promotions. If you have any questions related to this promotion or our tours, feel free to contact our travel consultants.
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