B-29'S Rehearse For Attack On Tokyo In formation, a group of B-29 Superfortresses flies over the sea near Saipan in the central Pacific Marianas, where a new base has been built for the American "sky battleships"; This was one of a series of practice flights the giant bombers made before their first attack on Tokyo on Nov. 23, 1944. After this smash at industrial targets of Japan's capital, General H. H. Arnold, commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces and commanding general of the global 20th (Superfortress) U.S. Air Force sent this congratulatory message to Brigadier General Haywood S. Hansell, commanding general of the Saipan-Based 21st BomBer Command! "You have successfully engaged the enemy in the very heart of his empire. This marks the Beginning of what I know will be a most distinguished career for the 21st Bomber Command..." December 22, 1944. (Photo by U.S. Office of War Information).