PAGE  1
000 A000000 02/28/2005
000 C000000 0000810943
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 6.1
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 PUTNAM HIGH INCOME BOND FUND
001 B000000 811-5133
001 C000000 6172921000
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003  000000 N
004  000000 N
005  000000 N
006  000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000  0
007 C010100  1
007 C010200  2
007 C010300  3
007 C010400  4
007 C010500  5
007 C010600  6
007 C010700  7
007 C010800  8
007 C010900  9
007 C011000 10
007 C011100 11
007 C011200 12
007 C011300 13
007 C011400 14
007 C011500 15
007 C011600 16
007 C011700 17
007 C011800 18
007 C011900 19
007 C012000 20
007 C012100 21
007 C012200 22
007 C012300 23
007 C012400 24
007 C012500 25
007 C012600 26
007 C012700 27
007 C012800 28
007 C012900 29
      PAGE  2
007 C013000 30
007 C013100 31
007 C013200 32
007 C013300 33
007 C013400 34
007 C013500 35
007 C013600 36
007 C013700 37
007 C013800 38
007 C013900 39
007 C014000 40
007 C014100 41
007 C014200 42
007 C014300 43
007 C014400 44
007 C014500 45
007 C014600 46
007 C014700 47
007 C014800 48
007 C014900 49
007 C015000 50
007 C015100 51
007 C015200 52
007 C015300 53
007 C015400 54
007 C015500 55
007 C015600 56
007 C015700 57
007 C015800 58
007 C015900 59
007 C016000 60
007 C016100 61
007 C016200 62
007 C016300 63
007 C016400 64
007 C016500 65
007 C016600 66
007 C016700 67
007 C016800 68
007 C016900 69
007 C017000 70
007 C017100 71
007 C017200 72
007 C017300 73
007 C017400 74
007 C017500 75
007 C017600 76
007 C017700 77
007 C017800 78
007 C017900 79
007 C018000 80
      PAGE  3
007 C018100 81
007 C018200 82
007 C018300 83
007 C018400 84
007 C018500 85
007 C018600 86
007 C018700 87
007 C018800 88
007 C018900 89
007 C019000 90
008 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-7974
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02109
008 A000002 PUTNAM INVESTMENTS LIMITED
008 B000002 S
008 C000002 801-61441
008 D010002 LONDON
008 D050002 ENGLAND
008 D060002 SW1A 1LD
011 A000001 DELETE
012 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES
012 B000001 84-401299
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02109
013 A000001 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
013 B030001 02110
015 A000001 PUTNAM FIDUCIARY TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02109
015 E010001 X
015 A000002 DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
015 B000002 S
015 C010002 JERSEY CITY
015 C020002 NJ
015 C030002 07311
015 E010002 X
015 A000003 BOSTON SAFE DEPOSIT AND TRUST COMPANY
015 B000003 S
015 C010003 PITTSBURGH
015 C020003 PA
015 C030003 15258
015 E010003 X
015 A000004 BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.
      PAGE  4
015 B000004 S
015 C010004 BOSTON
015 C020004 MA
015 C030004 02109
015 E010004 X
015 A000005 JP MORGAN CHASE BANK
015 B000005 S
015 C010005 NEW YORK
015 C020005 NY
015 C030005 10017
015 E010005 X
015 A000006 CITIGROUP N.A.
015 B000006 S
015 C010006 TAMPA
015 C020006 FL
015 C030006 33610
015 E010006 X
015 A000007 UMB BANK N.A.
015 B000007 S
015 C010007 KANSAS CITY
015 C020007 MO
015 C030007 64106
015 E010007 X
018  000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000  108
019 C000000 PUTNAMFUND
020 A000001 LAZARD FRERES & CO., LLC
020 B000001 13-5545100
020 C000001      6
020 A000002 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS HOLDINGS, INC.
020 B000002 11-2418191
020 C000002      4
020 A000003 SG COWEN SECURITIES CORP.
020 B000003 13-1976032
020 C000003      3
020 A000004 DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000004 13-2730828
020 C000004      3
020 A000005 LEHMAN BROTHERS
020 B000005 13-2518466
020 C000005      3
020 A000006 CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON
020 B000006 13-5659485
020 C000006      1
020 A000007 RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.
020 B000007 59-1237041
020 C000007      1
020 A000008 INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGY GROUP, INC.
020 B000008 95-4339369
020 C000008      0
      PAGE  5
020 C000009      0
020 C000010      0
021  000000       21
022 A000001 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
022 B000001 13-3604093
022 C000001      2143
022 D000001      3818
022 A000002 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS HOLDINGS, INC.
022 B000002 11-2418191
022 C000002      3620
022 D000002      1564
022 A000003 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000003 13-2518466
022 C000003      3194
022 D000003      1917
022 A000004 MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER & CO.
022 B000004 13-2655998
022 C000004      3343
022 D000004      1519
022 A000005 MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.
022 B000005 13-5674085
022 C000005      3469
022 D000005      1207
022 A000006 MORGAN (J.P.) CHASE & CO.
022 B000006 13-3224016
022 C000006      2655
022 D000006      1433
022 A000007 LAZARD FRERES & CO., LLC
022 B000007 13-5545100
022 C000007      1774
022 D000007      2153
022 A000008 CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON
022 B000008 13-5659485
022 C000008      2341
022 D000008      1331
022 A000009 BANK OF AMERICA CORP.
022 B000009 94-1687665
022 C000009      1662
022 D000009      1627
022 A000010 DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000010 13-2730828
022 C000010      1169
022 D000010      1176
023 C000000      30242
023 D000000      20760
024  000000 Y
025 A000001 LEHMAN BROTHERS HOLDINGS, INC.
025 C000001 E
025 D000001    1125
025 D000002       0
025 D000003       0
      PAGE  6
025 D000004       0
025 D000005       0
025 D000006       0
025 D000007       0
025 D000008       0
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 Y
026 G020000 Y
026 H000000 N
027  000000 N
028 A010000         0
028 A020000         0
028 A030000         0
028 A040000         0
028 B010000         0
028 B020000         0
028 B030000         0
028 B040000         0
028 C010000         0
028 C020000         0
028 C030000         0
028 C040000         0
028 D010000         0
028 D020000         0
028 D030000         0
028 D040000         0
028 E010000         0
028 E020000         0
028 E030000         0
028 E040000         0
028 F010000         0
028 F020000         0
028 F030000         0
028 F040000         0
028 G010000         0
028 G020000         0
028 G030000         0
028 G040000         0
028 H000000         0
030 A000000      0
030 B000000  0.00
030 C000000  0.00
031 A000000      0
031 B000000      0
032  000000      0
033  000000      0
      PAGE  7
035  000000      0
036 B000000      0
038  000000      0
042 A000000   0
042 B000000   0
042 C000000   0
042 D000000   0
042 E000000   0
042 F000000   0
042 G000000   0
042 H000000   0
043  000000      0
044  000000      0
045  000000 Y
046  000000 N
047  000000 Y
048  000000  0.750
048 A010000        0
048 A020000 0.000
048 B010000        0
048 B020000 0.000
048 C010000        0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000        0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000        0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000        0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000        0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000        0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000        0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000        0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000        0
048 K020000 0.000
049  000000 N
050  000000 N
051  000000 N
052  000000 N
053 A000000 Y
053 B000000 N
053 C000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
      PAGE  8
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056  000000 Y
057  000000 N
058 A000000 N
059  000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061  000000        0
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000   0.0
062 C000000   0.0
062 D000000   0.0
062 E000000   0.0
062 F000000   0.0
062 G000000   0.0
062 H000000   0.0
062 I000000   0.0
062 J000000   0.0
062 K000000   0.0
062 L000000   6.7
062 M000000   0.0
062 N000000   0.0
062 O000000   0.0
062 P000000  42.4
062 Q000000  17.8
062 R000000  36.2
063 A000000   0
063 B000000  4.2
064 A000000 Y
064 B000000 N
066 A000000 N
067  000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069  000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
      PAGE  9
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 Y
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 Y
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 N
071 A000000     33710
071 B000000     33901
071 C000000    135366
071 D000000   25
072 A000000  6
072 B000000     3407
072 C000000     1552
072 D000000        0
072 E000000       16
072 F000000      492
072 G000000       14
072 H000000        0
072 I000000       34
072 J000000       64
072 K000000       11
072 L000000       14
072 M000000        8
072 N000000        9
072 O000000        0
072 P000000        0
      PAGE  10
072 Q000000        0
072 R000000       35
072 S000000        6
072 T000000        0
072 U000000        0
072 V000000        0
072 W000000       24
072 X000000      711
072 Y000000        3
072 Z000000     4267
072AA000000     3033
072BB000000        0
072CC010000     4105
072CC020000        0
072DD010000     4261
072DD020000        0
072EE000000        0
073 A010000   0.0279
073 A020000   0.0000
073 B000000   0.0000
073 C000000   0.0000
074 A000000      239
074 B000000        0
074 C000000    13193
074 D000000   119135
074 E000000    69781
074 F000000     1803
074 G000000        0
074 H000000        0
074 I000000      191
074 J000000     1349
074 K000000        0
074 L000000     2370
074 M000000        0
074 N000000   208061
074 O000000     1046
074 P000000      526
074 Q000000        0
074 R010000        0
074 R020000        0
074 R030000        0
074 R040000     8269
074 S000000        0
074 T000000   198220
074 U010000    22520
074 U020000        0
074 V010000     8.80
074 V020000     0.00
074 W000000   0.0000
074 X000000     1321
074 Y000000     7484
      PAGE  11
075 A000000        0
075 B000000   134081
076  000000     7.87
077 A000000 Y
077 C000000 Y
077 E000000 Y
077 M000000 Y
078  000000 N
080 A000000 NATL UNION FIRE/ACE AMER/QUANTA INDEM/FID&DEP
080 B000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000    85000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 107
082 A000000 N
082 B000000        0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000        0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000        0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000      0
086 A020000      0
086 B010000      0
086 B020000      0
086 C010000      0
086 C020000      0
086 D010000      0
086 D020000      0
086 E010000      0
086 E020000      0
086 F010000      0
086 F020000      0
087 A010000 COMMON STOCK
087 A020000 746779107
087 A030000 PCF
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 N
SIGNATURE   MICHAEL T. HEALY                             
TITLE       PRINC. ACCT. OFFICER