Capt Jack A Nilsson (1919-1945) - Find A Grave Memorial

APC Pilot: O-421127Jack Andrew Nilsson Capt CA 24-April-1945 B-29 #44-70075 T-SQ-46

875th Bomber Squadron, 498th Bombardment Group (VH), 73rd Bomb Wing, XXI Bomber Command, 20th Air Force at Isely Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands; Western Pacific Theatre of Operations.

During the night of 23-24 May 1945, 44 B-29 Superforts from 498th Bombardment Group took off from Saipan for an incendiary mission against targets in south Tokyo. They joined up with other B-29 Superforts from four bomb wings to create an imposing total force of 558 aircraft headed for Japan. B29, tail code T-Square-46, piloted by Capt. "Jack" Nilsson, was in a pathfinder role, operating in total radio silence from the time it took off from Saipan. It was the pathfinder’s job to fly over the target ahead of the rest of the force to “light up” the target for the following bombers.

The Japanese air defenses were very active and ground-based searchlights picked up Nilsson’s B-29 pathfinder plane as it approached the target area. T-SQ-46 took multiple 20mm anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) cannon hits, including flak in the center wing tank. The plane caught fire and the “Bail out!” order was issued by Nilsson. The Superfortress was last seen going down in a spin and fell into Tokyo Bay. It later washed up on shore, where the Japanese found the pilot and co-pilot dead in the plane.

According to the 498th Bombardment Group’s Unit History for the 24 May 1945 mission: “We have 44 planes scheduled and 44 airborne in a big night strike at south Tokyo. There are no aborts, but four planes do not return – B-29s piloted by Capt. Olds and Capt. Zweifel of the 874th Bomber Squadron, and Capt. Nilsson and Lt. Ross of the 875th Bomber Squadron.” Those four B-29s were:

B-29 #44-69852 T-SQ-26: “Filthy Faye III” Capt. Virgil Olds

B-29 #44-69777 T-SQ-28: “Danny Mite” Capt. Everett Zweifel

B-29 #44-70075 T-SQ-46: No known nickname Capt. "Jack" Nilsson

B-29 #42-24751 T-SQ-48: “Antoinette” 1Lt. James Ross