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This article is about the bomber. For the OMD song inspired by and alluding to the Hiroshima bombing, see Enola Gay (song). " Enola Gay " is a song by British Synthpop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (normally abbreviated to OMD
"Enola Gay"

Colonel Paul Tibbets waving from Enola Gay's cockpit before taking off for the bombing of Hiroshima. Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr ( February 23, 1915 &ndash November 1, 2007) was a Brigadier general in the United States Air Force The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at (USAF Photo)
Type Bomber
Manufacturer Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Primary user United States Army Air Forces

The Enola Gay is the name of the B-29 Superfortress bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb, code-named "Little Boy", to be used in war, by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the attack on Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945, just before the end of World War II. A bomber is a Military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets primarily by dropping Bombs on them An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. A bomber is a Military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets primarily by dropping Bombs on them A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Little Boy was the Codename of the Atomic bomb, developed via the "Manhattan Project" which was dropped on Hiroshima, on August 6 1945 by the War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The Japanese city of ( is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest of Japan 's For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Because of the bomber's role in the atomic bombings of Japan, its name has been synonymous with the controversy over the bombings themselves. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at The B-29 was named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Paul Tibbets. Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr ( February 23, 1915 &ndash November 1, 2007) was a Brigadier general in the United States Air Force [1]

The Enola Gay gained additional national attention in 1995 when the cockpit and nose section of the aircraft was exhibited at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution in downtown Washington, D.C. The exhibit was changed due to a controversy over original historical script displayed with the aircraft. The National Air and Space Museum (NASM of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington D The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D In 2003, the entire restored B-29 Enola Gay went on display at NASM's new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in

Contents

World War II history

The Enola Gay (B-29-45-MO, serial number 44-86292 [2], victor number 82) was assigned to the USAAF's 393d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, 509th Composite Group. Unit identification aircraft markings, commonly called "tail markings" after their most frequent location were numbers letters geometric symbols and colors painted onto the The 393d Bomb Squadron ( 393 BS) is part of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The 509th Composite Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 509th Operations Group, is [3]The bomber was one of 15 B-29s with the "Silverplate" modifications necessary to deliver nuclear weapons. Silverplate was the code reference for the United States Army Air Forces participation in the Manhattan Project during World War II. Enola Gay was built by the Glenn L. Martin Company at its Omaha, Nebraska, plant at what is now known as Offutt Air Force Base and was personally selected by Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., commander of the 509th Composite Group, on 9 May 1945 while still on the assembly line. The Glenn L Martin Company was an early US Aircraft company founded by aviation pioneer Glenn Luther Martin. Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr ( February 23, 1915 &ndash November 1, 2007) was a Brigadier general in the United States Air Force Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar An assembly line is a Manufacturing process in which parts (usually Interchangeable parts) are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned This would be the B-29 that he would use to fly the atomic bomb mission.

Enola Gay in its 6th BG livery, victor number 82 visible on fuselage just forward of the tail fin
Enola Gay in its 6th BG livery, victor number 82 visible on fuselage just forward of the tail fin

The aircraft was accepted by the USAAF on 18 May 1945, and assigned to Crew B-9 (Captain Robert A. Lewis, aircraft commander), who flew the bomber from Omaha to the 509th's base at Wendover Army Air Field, Utah on 14 June 1945. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Robert A Lewis (c 1918- June 18, 1983) was a United States Air Force Officer serving in the Pacific Theatre during World War Wendover Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Utah now known as Wendover Airport. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Thirteen days later, the aircraft left Wendover for Guam, where it received a bomb bay modification, and flew to Tinian on 6 July. Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated Tinian (ˈtɪniən /ˌtiːniˈɑːn/ is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (14°59’51”N 145°37’39”E Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England It was originally given the victor number "12," but on 1 August was given the circle R tail markings of the 6th Bomb Group as a security measure and had its victor changed to "82" to avoid misidentification with actual 6th BG aircraft. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Unit identification aircraft markings, commonly called "tail markings" after their most frequent location were numbers letters geometric symbols and colors painted onto the

During July of that year, after the bomber flew eight training missions and two combat missions to drop pumpkin bombs on industrial targets at Kobe and Nagoya, Enola Gay was used on 31 July on a rehearsal flight for the actual mission. "Pumpkin bombs" were conventional High explosive aerial Bombs developed by the Manhattan Project and used by the United States Army Air is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1 is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently A "dummy" Little Boy assembly was dropped off Tinian. Little Boy was the Codename of the Atomic bomb, developed via the "Manhattan Project" which was dropped on Hiroshima, on August 6 1945 by the

On 5 August 1945, during preparation for the first atomic mission, pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets who assumed command of the aircraft, renamed the B-29 after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets (1893–1983), who, coincidentally, had been named for the heroine of a novel. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr ( February 23, 1915 &ndash November 1, 2007) was a Brigadier general in the United States Air Force According to Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts [4], regularly assigned aircraft commander Robert Lewis was unhappy to be displaced by Tibbets for this important mission, and became furious when he arrived at the aircraft on the morning of 6 August to see it painted with the now-famous nose art. For the fictional supervillain see " Typeface (comics;" for the singer/songwriter see " Gordon Thomas (outsider musician. Max Morgan-Witts is a British producer director and author of Canadian origin Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Tibbets himself, interviewed on Tinian later that day by war correspondents, confessed that he was a bit embarrassed at having attached his mother's name to such a fateful mission.

The Hiroshima mission had been described as tactically flawless, and Enola Gay returned safely to its base on Tinian to great fanfare on the base. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at The first atomic bombing was followed three days later by another B-29 (Bockscar) [5] (piloted by Major Charles W. Sweeney) which dropped a second nuclear weapon, "Fat Man", on Nagasaki. Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 Bomber that Major General Charles W Sweeney (27 December 1919 - 16 July 2004 was an officer in the U "Fat Man" is the codename for the Atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9 ( is the Capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. The Nagasaki mission, by contrast, had been described as tactically botched, although the mission had met its objectives. The crew encountered a number of problems in execution, and Bockscar had very little fuel by the time it had landed on Okinawa. Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 Bomber that [6] On that mission, Enola Gay, flown by Crew B-10 (Capt. George Marquardt, aircraft commander, see Necessary Evil for crew details), was the weather reconnaissance aircraft for Kokura. Necessary Evil sometimes referred to as Plane # 91 was the name of a B-29 Superfortress (B-29-45-MO 44-86291 victor number 91 participating

Subsequent history

On 6 November 1945, Lewis flew the Enola Gay back to the United States, arriving at the 509th's new base at Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico, on 8 November. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Walker Air Force Base was the largest Strategic Air Command base of the United States Air Force at the time of its closure in 1967 New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration On 29 April 1946, Enola Gay left Roswell as part of Operation Crossroads and flew to Kwajalein on 1 May. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Operation Crossroads was a series of Nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States in the summer of 1946 Kwajalein Atoll ( Marshallese: Kuwajleen; kʷuwːɔ͡ɛt̪ʲl̪ʲɪn̪ʲ common English pronunciation ˈkwɑːʤəlɨ̞n often nicknamed Kwaj Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. It was not chosen to make the test drop at Bikini Atoll and left Kwajalein on 1 July, the date of the test, and reached Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Field, California, the next day. Bikini Atoll (also known as Pikinni Atoll) is an Atoll in one of the Micronesian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC located three miles (5 California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

Enola Gay in the Smithsonian storage facility at Suitland, 1987.
Enola Gay in the Smithsonian storage facility at Suitland, 1987.

The decision was made to preserve the aircraft, and on 24 July 1946, the plane was flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, in preparation for storage. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base adjacent to Tucson, Arizona. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. On 30 August 1946, the title to the aircraft was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution and was removed from the USAAF inventory. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of From 1946 to 1961, the Enola Gay was put into temporary storage at a number of locations:

Restoration of the bomber began on 5 December 1984, at the Paul E. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Suitland.

Recent developments

Enola Gay today at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
Enola Gay today at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in

Enola Gay became the center of a controversy at the Smithsonian Institution in 1994, when the museum put its fuselage on display as part of an exhibit commemorating the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of The exhibit, "The Crossroads: The End of World War II, the Atomic Bomb and the Cold War", was drafted by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and arranged around a restored version of Enola Gay. The National Air and Space Museum (NASM of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington D

Critics of the exhibit, especially those of the American Legion and the Air Force Association, charged that the exhibit focused too much attention on the Japanese casualties inflicted by the nuclear bomb, rather than on the motivations for the bombing or the discussion of the bomb's role in ending the World War II conflict with Japan. For other uses of American Legion see American Legion (disambiguation The American Legion was chartered by the U The Air Force Association ( AFA) is an independent nonprofit civilian organization promoting public understanding of aerospace power headquartered in Arlington Virginia The exhibit brought to national attention many long-standing academic and political issues related to retrospective views of the bombings (see Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki). The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at As a result, after various attempts to revise the exhibit in order to meet the satisfaction of competing interest groups had failed, the exhibit was cancelled on 30 January 1995, though the fuselage did go on display. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 On 18 May 1998, the fuselage was returned to the Garber Facility for final restoration. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar)

Under the cockpit window of the Enola Gay, while in storage 1987.
Under the cockpit window of the Enola Gay, while in storage 1987.

The entire aircraft has since been restored for static display and is currently a major permanent exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D. The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in C. As a result of the earlier controversy, the signage around the aircraft provides only the same succinct technical data as other aircraft in the museum, without discussion of the controversial issues. The aircraft is shielded by various means to prevent a repetition of the vandalism which was attempted against it when it was first placed on display.

The four lightweight aluminum variable pitch propellers that were used on the bombing mission to save weight ended up at Texas A&M University. One of them, trimmed to 12. 5 ft, provides the thrust for the Oran W. Nicks Low Speed Wind Tunnel. A 1,250 kVA electric motor provides constant revolutions (900 RPM) and the propeller's pitch/yaw is changed to control the windspeed (up to 200 mph) in the tunnel.

Mission personnel

Bombardier Thomas Ferebee with the Norden Bombsight on Tinian after the dropping of Little Boy .
Bombardier Thomas Ferebee with the Norden Bombsight on Tinian after the dropping of Little Boy . Thomas Ferebee ( November 9, 1918 &ndash March 16, 2000) was the bombardier aboard the B-29 Superfortress, Enola The Norden bombsight was a Bombsight used by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Tinian (ˈtɪniən /ˌtiːniˈɑːn/ is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (14°59’51”N 145°37’39”E Little Boy was the Codename of the Atomic bomb, developed via the "Manhattan Project" which was dropped on Hiroshima, on August 6 1945 by the

Enola Gay's crew on 6 August 1945 consisted of 12 men:

(*Regularly crewed Enola Gay)


The Enola Gay on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in

A Cockpit view of The Enola Gay at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in

A Side view of The Enola Gay at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in

A close up Cockpit view of The Enola Gay at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in

References

Notes

  1. ^ Paul Tibbets Commanded Enola Gay, dropped first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, AcePilots. com. Retrieved: 19 December 2007. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  2. ^ "Enola Gay B-29". Columbus, Ohio: Mid Coast Marketing, 2001. Enola Gay Retrieved: 19 December 2007. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  3. ^ Knaack, Marcelle Size. Post-World War II bombers, 1945-1973. Washington: Office of Air Force History, 1988. ISBN 0-16-002260-6.
  4. ^ Thomas 1977
  5. ^ Bockscar
  6. ^ The Story of Nagasaki: The Missions

Bibliography

External links

See also

Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 Bomber that
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