 Flying at 30 @,@ 000 feet ( 9 @,@ 100 m ) put the B @-@ 29s above the effective range of Japanese flak . Each Pumpkin bomb mission was conducted by a formation of three aircraft in the hope of convincing the Japanese military that small groups of B @-@ 29s did not justify a strong response . This strategy proved successful , and Japanese fighters only occasionally attempted to intercept the 509th Composite Group 's aircraft . One B @-@ 29 incurred minor battle damage in operations . 
