Z Square 7, A B-29 True Story

 Author's Summary

They flew from Saipan, Tinian and Guam to Kobe, Nagoya and Tokyo! They flew to Osaka, Yokohama and Tachikawa! The B-29s reaped destruction and devastation on the entire country of Japan during World War 2. The destruction was so thorough throughout the country that the Japanese were asked to surrender months before the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Major General Curtis E. LeMay, Commander of the B-29 bombers, wrote in a commendation to his crews , "Men of your courage, resourcefulness, and determination enabled the B-29s to lay waste to the heart of the Japanese mainland and thus hasten the close of World War 2."

MWSA Review

History of Brave Men who crewed B-29s over Japan!

This book will educate young people who have no concept of what the war was really like against Japan or what personal scarifies those brave crewmen who flew B-29s made. Some of the cold facts that jump out at you when reading author Frank Grube’s book Z Square 7: A B-29 True Story are astounding and appalling. Take for example some of the numbers that the author presents about the aircraft shot down and how many crewmen survived; of the 20th Air Force alone they lost almost 500 aircraft and had 5,000 crew members shot down – but at the war’s end less than 200 were still alive in POW camps in Japan. The 504th Bomb Group only had 18 men liberated at the end of the war.

This book is well written and informative without sounding like some history text book. It is really a great read and will hold your interest from cover to cover. The writing style mixes facts, shared personal information from witness to events and veterans with lots of researched data. The author does a good job of keeping the flow of the story of men he writes about. What started off as a scared act of research into his step-father’s words about his son’s death in the war ended up being so much bigger and inclusive of so many others. This book is full of tales of real heroes!

This book is not just about one bomber crew on one aircraft; this is a good look at the air war over Japan and many of the men who flew those missions. Although the B-29 called “Z Square 7” crashed into Tokyo Bay over 60 years ago – the author will keep their story fresh and alive through his wonderfully written book. If you love aviation stories or WWII history then this is a must read for you. One of the best books written on the air war over Japan in the last decade!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)