Here's a Japanese view of the opening round of the air war in Burma, as published in Umemoto Hiroshi's Burma Air War, vol 1. Top right: at 12:54 p.m., six Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" heavy bombers of the 3rd Chutai, 62nd Sentai, approach Mingaladon airport on a heading of 240 degrees, altitude 4,000 meters. They're attacked by Brewster Buffalo fighters, whose bullets hit the #4 bomber, flown by Capt. Niioka Akira. It falls behind the formation and is attacked by AVG Tomahawks. Top left: at 12:55, after bombing the airport, the #2 Sally, flown by Capt. Sabe Keiji, is also hit. Both planes crash, Niioka's plane on Rangoon's waterfront at 1:07 p.m. and Sabe's to the east of the city at 1:02 p.m.

Center left: the four remaining bombers turn south, their gunners claiming two Allied fighters shot down. Lower left: they continue the turn, and another Allied fighter supposedly goes down. Bottom: the fight continues over the estuary south of Rangoon, with two more Allied fighters shown splashing in the water. (This one squadron is here credited with more Allied fighters than were actually shot down on Dec. 23 by all Japanese bombers and fighters combined.)

The Japanese narrative

The heavy bombers set out from Don Maung airport in Bangkok at 07:24 local time, joining up with the fighters and light bombers over Raheng on the Thai-Burma border at 11:45. The assembled formation consisted of 72 aircraft:

62nd Sentai with 15 Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" heavy bombers
31st Sentai with 27 Mitsubishi Ki-30 "Ann" light bombers
77th Sentai with 30 Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate" fighters

The formation crossed the Salween River at an altitude of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). The heavy bombers were in the lead, with the light bomber trailing three kilometers behind them on the left, protected by the fighters. At 12:30 the bomber crews could see the white "A" of Mingaladon's runways, and the dust from the Allied fighters taking off.

Near Pegu, about 30 enemy fighters came up to attack the heavy bombers, which fought off the attack by themselves and maintained their course. The Brewster Buffaloes were the first to hit them, attacking from below just as the Sallys were moving into their bombing run. The bomber crews reported that each fighter was firing two streams of incendiary bullets "like a shower."

In the 3rd Chutai (squadron) the Number 4 Sally was hit, evidently in the right engine, which belched smoke continuously. The plane slowed, dropped behind the formation, and eventually went down at a steep angle. The remaining planes dropped their bombs at 12:55, five minutes ahead of schedule. The bombs "sparkled in every direction," and Mingaladon airport disappeared in "a cloud of fire". Black smoke rose into the air and lingered there.

The Sallys continued flying straight ahead, trying to gain speed to escape from the fighters attacking from every side. The crews wanted only to be home. They later reported that they were attacked by Buffaloes, Hurricanes, Spitfires, and Curtiss P-40s, these last being confirmed by their distinctive glycol cooling system.

Also in the 3rd Chutai, a pilot took a bullet through his right arm and hand. In the 1st Chutai, meanwhile, the Sally piloted by 1st Lt Ikura, already damaged by the Allied fighters, received a direct hit from an ack-ack shell and likewise plunged from the formation. The 3rd Chutai also lost another Sally at about this time, when the heavy bomber flown by Capt. Chototo* began to burn fiercely from a fuel leak in its left wing.

The Sallys now began a left turn, which took them over downtown Rangoon and its anti-aircraft defenses. The formation by this time was thoroughly confused. The bomber crews continued to work their guns against the Allied fighter planes. One Japanese historian singled out the #77 Tomahawk flown by R.T. Smith--"very eager," the account reads, firing his four rifle-caliber wing guns and two .50-caliber nose guns with "a sound so loud it filled the sky". (This was evidently the report from a Sally that escaped R.T.'s attack by diving down in a spiral and then climbed back up to rejoin the formation.

The 77th Sentai fighters meanwhile were still protecting the 31st Sentai light bombers as they attacked the airport with 50 kg bombs and machine-gun fire. The fighter formation too had broken up in the air-to-air combats; the plight of one fighter pilot was compared to "a duckling that has left his mother," prior to being shot down over the water. Other fighter planes now came to the defense of the beleaguered heavy bombers.

1st Lt. Ikura with six crew, from the 1st Chutai, shot down by anti-aircraft fire
Capt. Sabe Keiji with six crew, from the 2nd Chutai, shot down by AVG Tomahawks
Capt. Niioka Akira with six crew, from the 3rd Chutai, shot down by AVG Tomahawks
1st Lt. Shingansho (name approximate) with six crew, from the 3rd Chutai, shot down by Brewster Buffaloes
1st Lt. Shimada with six crew, from the 3rd Chutai, shot down by AVG Tomahawks

In addition, the 10 Sallys that made it home were badly shot up, with one plane riddled with 47 bullet holes. The gunners on the surviving bombers reported that they "fought well and shot down 10 planes certain plus 4 probable." The 77th Sentai fighters meanwhile claimed 9 Allied aircraft shot down.

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