攻擊新竹飛行場！ Battle of Formosa: Shinchiku Airdrome

Source： AFHRA via Academia Sinica 美國空軍歷史研究部(AFHRA)徵集成果

上圖是我利用美國陸軍航空隊在1943年11月25日首度轟炸新竹飛行場前一天拍攝的偵察照片，加上美軍其他情報分析報告的註解所製成，可以看到飛行場上整齊排列的日軍飛機。
The annotated photo above was made from the reconnaissance photo taken on November 24, 1943, just one day before the US Army Air Force launched its first strike against Shinchiku (currently Hsinchu) Airdrome, with the information from other intelligence reports.

美國海軍第38特遣艦隊在1944年10月12日對台灣的重要目標發動全面作戰的第一天，就曾攻擊新竹飛行場，但是我找不到當天拍攝的照片。下面這張照片，是無畏號航艦（USS Intrepid, CV-11）第18魚雷攻擊中隊（VT-18）的飛機在13日所攝，最上圖提到的棚廠區（Hangars）和營舍區（Barracks）都冒出了濃煙。
Shinchiku Airdrome had been attacked on the first day of Battle of Formosa (October 12, 1944). But I have not been able to find any strike photo of Shinchiku taken on that day. The following photo was shot on the 13rd by aircraft of VT-18 from USS Intrepid (CV-11) in which hangars and barracks in the top photo were attacked.

Source： NARA via Fold3.com

以下照片則是由碉堡山號航艦（USS Bunker Hill, CV-17）起飛的飛機在同一天所拍攝，冒煙的區域是最上圖裡的維修棚廠區（Repair Hangars與Shops）。
The photo below was taken by aircraft from USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), showing smoke rising from Repair Hangars and Shops corresponding to the top photo.

Source： NARA via Fold3.com

注意上圖中的維修棚廠已經被夷為平地。新竹飛行場雖然在一年前曾被美軍飛機轟炸過，從下面這張1944年3月拍攝的照片來看，這些維修棚廠在1943年11月那次攻擊行動中沒有受到嚴重的破壞，因此應該是在美軍這次行動中被炸壞的。
Note in the photo above that the repair hangars and shops had been eliminated. Although Shinchiku had been hit in November 1943, the following reconnaissance dated March 1944 shows that these repair hangars and shops appeared to have survived that attack. So they must have been destroyed in the October 1944 strike.

Source： NARA via Academia Sinica 中央研究院臺灣文史資源海外徵集與國際合作計畫「美國國家檔案館典藏臺灣舊航空照片」

從另一個角度看上圖中的區域在10月13日的戰況：
The same area as in the above photo during the October 13 attack (from a different angle):

Source： NARA via Fold3.com

從西北方的海面上空看當天的新竹飛行場：
Shinchiku aidrome on the same day, looking southeast.

Source： NARA via Fold3.com

無畏號航艦第18轟炸中隊（VB-18）的飛機在14日的攻擊行動中拍下了以下照片，右邊箭頭所指處是新竹飛行場的棚廠區（Hangars）和營舍區（Barracks）之間的區域被炸中，左方箭頭所指則是新竹火車站的設施被擊中：
Aircraft of VB-18 from USS Intrepid took the next photo on the 14th, in which buildings between the hangars and barracks of Shinchiku airdrome (right arrow) and a railroad roadhouse near Shinchiku train station (left arrow) had been hit.

Source： NARA via Fold3.com

以下是美國海軍整理出來在新竹地區的戰果：
The following is the operational summary by the US Navy for the Shinchiku area during the Battle of Formosa:

• October 12: 於地面擊毀一架型號不明的飛機（有照片佐證）。One unidentified aircraft destroyed on ground (confirmed by photos).
• October 13: 擊毀4座棚廠、8座大型廠房、兩座營舍，擊傷兩座大型廠房（有照片佐證）。4 hangars, 8 large shops, and 2 large barracks destroyed, and 2 large shops damaged (all confirmed by photos).
• October 14: 於地面擊毀一架Ki-44鍾馗戰鬥機、擊傷5架雙引擎飛機。擊毀一座棚廠、擊傷營舍與飛機組裝廠最東側的大型建築。另在新竹地區擊傷6至7座工業廠房、一座疑似氧氣工廠、兩座燃料廠建築、變電所的建築與變電器。One Ki-44 Tojo destroyed and 5 two-engine aircraft damaged on ground. One hangar destroyed. Barracks and large building easternmost buildings of aircraft assembly plant damaged. 6-7 large industrial buildings, possible oxygen plant, 2 buildings of fuel plant, buildings and transformers of transformer station in Shichiku damaged.