American Valor Quarterly Issue 3 - Summer 2008 | Page 12

The Navy has already
super vised takeoff
tests made at Norfolk,
Virginia, using B-25B
bombers carrying
loads of 23,000
pounds,
26,000
pounds, and 29,000
pounds. These tests
indicate that no
difficulty need be
anticipated in taking
off from the carrier
deck with a gross
load of around
31,000 pounds.

drop their bombs may be used to indicate arrival at gassing points
some six or seven hours later.
Care must be exercised to see that the Chinese are advised just in
time, as any information given to the Chinese may be expected
to fall into Japanese hands and a premature notification would
be fatal to the project.
An initial study of meteorological conditions indicates that the
sooner the raid is made the better will be the prevailing weather
conditions. The weather will become increasingly unfavorable after
the end of April. Weather was considered largely from the point
of view of avoiding morning fog over Tokyo and other targets,
low overcast over Chuchow and Chungking, icing, and strong
westerly winds.

If possible, daily weather predictions or anticipated weather
The Navy will be conditions at Chungking and the coast should be sent, at a specified
charged with pro- time, in suitable code, in order to assist the meteorologist on the
viding a carrier carrier in analyzing his fore