75 Years Ago: The Flight of the Enola Gay | Natnal Air and Space Mm

Contents:

• ENOLA GAY
• PRIMARY SOURCE: BOMBG HIROSHIMATHE BATE NTU SEVENTY-FOUR YEARS LATER.NOEL C. CILKER·FOLLOW15 M READ·AUG 6, 2019--2LISTENSHARESEVENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY, COLONEL PL TIBBETS, PILOTG THE ENOLA GAY, A B-29 HE NAMED AFTER HIS MOTHER, TOOK OFF OM AN AIRFIELD ON TIAN, A SMALL ISLAND THE NORTHERN MARIANAS. SIX OTHER AIRCRAFT JOED HIM FOR WEATHER RENNAISSANCE, SCIENTIFIC MEASURG, AND PHOTOGRAPHIC AND VIO RERDG. THE STATN WAS A SIX-HOUR FLIGHT AWAY: HIROSHIMA, AN DTRIAL CY AND MANUFACTURG CENTER FOR THE JAPANE ARY. SHOULD WEATHER TERFERE, KOKURA AND NAGASAKI WERE NEXT ON THE LIST.THIRTY MUT BEFORE ARRIVAL, SEND LITENANT MORRIS JEPPSON REMOVED THE SAFETY VIC, AND AT 8:15 A.M. LOL TIME, TIBBETS DROPPED HIS PAYLOAD. AT 1,900 FEET TONATED. CAPTA WILLIAM PARSONS, CHARGE OF THE MISSN, SAID LATER THAT “THE WHOLE THG WAS TREMENDO AND AWE-SPIRG … THE MEN ABOARD WH ME GASPED ‘MY GOD’”.IT WAS THE FIRST TIME HISTORY A NUCLEAR VICE WAS ED ON HUMAN BEGS. LS THAN A MONTH EARLIER, J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER AND HIS TEAM OF PHYSICISTS ON THE MANHATTAN PROJECT HAD SUCCSFULLY EXPLOD A TT BOMB THE NEW MEXI SERT, CULMATG THREE YEARS OF TENSE SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATN AND DISVERY. THE QUTN THEN BEME, SHOULD THIS NEW “SUPERBOMB” BE ED ON PEOPLE?BY JULY 1945, JAPAN WAS THE THRO OF FEAT BUT HADN’T SURRENRED. THIS LEFT G PRINT HARRY TMAN WH AGONIZG OPTNS:LNCH A MASSIVE LAND VASN OF JAPAN. THIS WAS TENSELY RISKY AND POTENTIALLY LARGER THAN D-DAY EUROPE. IT ALL BUT GUARANTEED THOANDS OF SUALTI, IF NOT UPWARDS TOWARD A LN ARY PERSONNEL AND CIVILIANS.DROP AN ATOMIC BOMB ON AN UNHABED LOTN AND SRE THE JAPANE TO SURRENRG. BUT WHAT IF THE BOMB WAS A DUD, OR THE JAPANE MOVED AMERIN PRISONERS OF WAR TO THE MONSTRATN SE?DROP AN ATOMIC BOMB ON A JAPANE CY. THIS WOULD PRERVE THE SHOCK-AND-AWE QUALY OF THE ATTACK AND SAVE AMERIN SOLDIERS, BUT THOANDS OF CIVILIANS WOULD BE KILLED.TMAN AND THE RT OF WAR-WEARY AMERI WANTED THE WAR OVER. WHAT WAS THE BT WAY TO DO , AND WHAT ST WAS ACCEPTABLE TO GET DONE? KEEPG MD THAT THE UNED STAT JT LAST WEEK WHDREW OM THE INTERMEDIATE-RANGE NUCLEAR FORC TREATY WH RSIA, ARE THOSE REASONS AND JTIFITNS VALID TODAY?THE ATOMIC CLOUD RIS 20,000 FEET ABOVE HIROSHIMA JT AFTER THE BOMB WAS DROPPED. (NATNAL ARCHIV)PRINT ROOSEVELT ENURAG HIS MANHATTAN PROJECT LEAD.THREE YEARS BEFORE PL TIBBETS TOOK OFF FOR HIS TARGET, BRIGADIER GENERAL LLIE GROV, DIRECTOR OF THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, SELECTED J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER, PROFSOR AT U.C. BERKELEY, TO LEAD THE SECRET WEAPONS LABORATORY. OPPENHEIMER CHOSE NEW MEXI AS HIS BASE AND LED HIS TEAM OF PHYSICISTS THERE TO VELOP THE NUCLEAR BOMB, CULMATG WH A SUCCSFUL TT THREE YEARS LATER. PRINT ROOSEVELT, WHO WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE NAZIS VELOPG A NUCLEAR WEAPON, DID WHAT HE ULD TO ENURAGE HIS FLEDGLG, SECRET ANIZATN. ON JUNE 29, 1943, THE PRINT SENT HIS THANKS TO OPPENHEIMER AND HIS LLEAGU.MY AR DR. OPPENHEIMER . . . .I AM WRG TO YOU AS THE LEAR OF ONE GROUP WHICH IS TO PLAY A VAL ROLE THE MONTHS AHEAD. I KNOW THAT YOU AND YOUR LLEAGU ARE WORKG ON A HAZARDO MATTER UNR UNUAL CIRCUMSTANC. THE FACT THAT THE OUTE OF YOUR LABORS IS OF SUCH GREAT SIGNIFINCE TO THE NATN REQUIR THAT THIS PROGRAM BE EVEN MORE DRASTILLY GUARD THAN OTHER HIGHLY SECRET WAR VELOPMENT. I HAVE THEREFORE GIVEN DIRECTNS THAT EVERY PREUTN BE TAKEN TO SURE THE SECURY OF YOUR PROJECT AND FEEL SURE THAT THOSE CHARGE WILL SEE THAT THE ORRS ARE RRIED OUT. YOU ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE REASONS WHY YOUR ENAVORS AND THOSE OF YOUR ASSOCIAT MT BE CIRCUMSCRIBED BY VERY SPECIAL RTRICTNS. NEVERTHELS, I WISH YOU WOULD EXPRS TO THE SCIENTISTS ASSEMBLED WH YOU MY EP APPRECIATN OF THEIR WILLGNS TO UNRTAKE THE TASKS WHICH LIE BEFORE THEM SPE OF THE DANGERS AND THE PERSONAL SACRIFIC. I AM SURE THAT WE N RELY ON THEIR NTUED WHOLEHEARTED AND UNSELFISH LABORS. WHATEVER THE ENEMY MAY BE PLANNG, AMERIN SCIENCE WILL BE EQUAL TO THE CHALLENGE. WH THIS THOUGHT MD, I SEND THIS NOTE OF NFINCE AND APPRECIATN.VERY SCERELY YOURS,FRANKL D. ROOSEVELTPRINT FRANKL ROOSEVELT.PRINT TMAN IS RMED OF THE RULTS OF THE TT BOMB.THE MANHATTAN PROJECT WAS SO SECRETIVE, NOT EVEN HARRY TMAN, PRINT ROOSEVELT’S VICE PRINT, KNEW OF S EXISTENCE. WHEN ROOSEVELT DIED APRIL 1945 AND TMAN BEME PRINT, THE NEW PRINT LEARNED OF THE WEAPON AND S TERRIBLE POWER, “GREAT ENOUGH TO STROY THE WHOLE WORLD,” HE WROTE HIS DIARY. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE SERT OF NEW MEXI, SCIENTISTS SUCCSFULLY TTED THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB. ON JULY 25, TMAN RERD HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT THE IMMENSY OF .WE HAVE DISVERED THE MOST TERRIBLE BOMB THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. IT MAY BE THE FIRE STCTN PROPHIED THE EUPHRAT VALLEY ERA, AFTER NOAH AND HIS FABULO ARK.ANYWAY WE “THK” WE HAVE FOUND THE WAY TO E A DISTEGRATN OF THE ATOM. AN EXPERIMENT THE NEW MEXI SERT WAS STARTLG — TO PUT DLY. THIRTEEN POUNDS OF THE EXPLOSIVE ED THE PLETE DISTEGRATN OF A STEEL TOWER 60 FEET HIGH, CREATED A CRATER 6 FEET EP AND 1,200 FEET DIAMETER, KNOCKED OVER A STEEL TOWER 1/2 E AWAY AND KNOCKED MEN DOWN 10,000 YARDS AWAY. THE EXPLOSN WAS VISIBLE FOR MORE THAN 200 AND DIBLE FOR 40 AND MORE.THIS WEAPON IS TO BE ED AGAST JAPAN BETWEEN NOW AND AUGT 10TH. I HAVE TOLD THE SEC. OF WAR, MR. STIMSON, TO E SO THAT ARY OBJECTIV AND SOLDIERS AND SAILORS ARE THE TARGET AND NOT WOMEN AND CHILDREN. EVEN IF THE JAPS ARE SAVAG, THLS, MERCILS AND FANATIC, WE AS THE LEAR OF THE WORLD FOR THE MON WELFARE NNOT DROP THAT TERRIBLE BOMB ON THE OLD PAL OR THE NEW.HE AND I ARE ACRD. THE TARGET WILL BE A PURELY ARY ONE AND WE WILL ISSUE A WARNG STATEMENT ASKG THE JAPS TO SURRENR AND SAVE LIV. I’M SURE THEY WILL NOT DO THAT, BUT WE WILL HAVE GIVEN THEM THE CHANCE. IT IS CERTALY A GOOD THG FOR THE WORLD THAT HLER’S CROWD OR STAL’S DID NOT DISVER THIS ATOMIC BOMB. IT SEEMS TO BE THE MOST TERRIBLE THG EVER DISVERED, BUT N BE MA THE MOST EFUL.PRINT TMAN’S DIARY ENTRY OM JULY 25, 1945. (TMAN PRINTIAL LIBRARY)GENERALS RELAY THE ORR.ON JULY 26, 1945, ALLIED LEARS ISSUED THE POSTDAM DECLARATN, MANDG UNNDNAL SURRENR BY JAPAN. IF JAPAN REFED, THE ALLI THREATENED “THE EVABLE AND PLETE STCTN OF THE JAPANE ARMED FORC AND JT AS EVABLY THE UTTER VASTATN OF THE JAPANE HOMELAND”. THEY DID NOT MENTN THE ATOMIC BOMB. WHEN JAPAN CLED TO RPOND, PRINT TMAN GAVE HIS FAL APPROVAL TO E THE BOMB, WRG, “SUGGTN APPROVED. RELEASE WHEN READY.” HIS GENERALS RELAYED THE ORR.TO: GENERAL CARL SPAATZ, COMMANDG GENERAL, UNED STAT ARMY STRATEGIC AIR FORC1. THE 509 COMPOSE GROUP, 20TH AIR FORCE WILL LIVER S FIRST SPECIAL BOMB AS SOON AS WEATHER WILL PERM VISUAL BOMBG AFTER ABOUT 3 AUGT 1945 ON ONE OF THE TARGETS: HIROSHIMA, KOKURA, NIIGATA AND NAGASAKI. TO RRY ARY AND CIVILIAN SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL OM THE WAR DEPARTMENT TO OBSERVE AND RERD THE EFFECTS OF THE EXPLOSN OF THE BOMB, ADDNAL AIRCRAFT WILL ACPANY THE AIRPLANE RRYG THE BOMB. THE OBSERVG PLAN WILL STAY SEVERAL DISTANT OM THE POT OF IMPACT OF THE BOMB.2. ADDNAL BOMBS WILL BE LIVERED ON THE ABOVE TARGETS AS SOON AS MA READY BY THE PROJECT STAFF. . . .THOS. T. HANDYGENERAL, G.S.C.ACTG CHIEF OF STAFFGENERAL THOMAS HANDY’S LETTER TO GENERAL CARL SPAATZ THORIZG THE DROPPG OF THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB, JULY 25, 1945. (DEPT. OF DEFENSE)THE PILOT WHO DROPPED THE BOMB REFLECTS ON THE MORALY OF .COLONEL PL TIBBETS PILOTED THE ENOLA GAY, WHICH DROPPED THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA ON AUGT 6, 1945. IN AN TERVIEW 1989, TIBBETS SCRIBED WAG FOR THE EXPLOSN AND THE ROLE OF MORALY WARFARE.WHEN THE BOMB LEFT THE AIRPLANE, OF URSE WE WERE 10,000 POUNDS LIGHTER RIGHT TO START WH. THAT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNY TO, TERMS OF THE VERNACULAR, ROLL THE AIRPLANE OVER ON S SI AND PULL AROUND AN UNUALLY STEEP CURVE FOR AN AIRPLANE OF THAT SIZE AND AT THAT ALTU. WE WERE AT 33,000 FEET. BUT I HAD PRACTICED THIS TIME AND TIME AGA, AND UNRSTOOD HOW TO DO . WE DID JT EXACTLY THAT VERY THG.AS I MA THAT TURN AND LEVELED THAT AIRPLANE OUT, MY TAIL GUNNER STG THE BACK SAYS, “HERE .” WELL, HE HAD SEEN THE EXPLOSN BEFORE WE DID. HE WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT ULD LOOK DIRECTLY AT . WHAT HE SAID WAS, “HERE ,” MEANG, “HERE THE SHOCK WAVE,” AND THAT’S WHAT WE WANTED. . . .I MA UP MY MD THEN THAT THE MORALY OF DROPPG THAT BOMB WAS NOT MY BS. I WAS STCTED TO PERFORM A ARY MISSN TO DROP THE BOMB. THAT WAS THE THG THAT I WAS GOG TO DO THE BT OF MY ABILY. MORALY, THERE IS NO SUCH THG WARFARE. I DON’T RE WHETHER YOU ARE DROPPG ATOM BOMBS, OR 100-POUND BOMBS, OR SHOOTG A RIFLE. YOU HAVE GOT TO LEAVE THE MORAL ISSUE OUT OF .COL. PL TIBBETS ONT OF THE ENOLA GAY, 1945.A GERMAN-BORN PRIT HIROSHIMA REUNTS THE AFTERMATH.
• HIROSHIMA LOG OF THE ENOLA GAY
• SHORT ENOLA GAY: GAME ROURC AND PRIMARY SOURC
• ENOLA GAY
• CONTROVERSY OVER THE ENOLA GAY EXHIBN
• SHORT ENOLA GAY: SENDARY SOURC
• WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENOLA GAY AFTER IT DROPPED THE ATOMIC BOMB
• THE CREW OF THE ENOLA GAY ON DROPPG THE ATOMIC BOMB
• THE ENOLA GAY

ENOLA GAY

Enola Gay, the B-29bomber that was ed by the Uned Stat on Augt 6, 1945, to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, the first time the explosive vice had been ed on an enemy target. ” The Enola Gay—Tibbets had a matenance man pat that name on the aircraft’s nose shortly before takeoff—was acpanied by var other plan.

Tibbets flew the Enola Gay back to Tian, where he was award the Distguished Service Cross.

Three days later the Enola Gay nducted weather rennaissance the lead-up to the bombg of Nagasaki, Japan. Japan officially surrenred on September 2, Enola Gay remaed service for several years before beg given to the Smhsonian Instutn on July 3, 1949. In 2003 the fully rtored Enola Gay was put on display at the NASM’s Steven F.

PRIMARY SOURCE: BOMBG HIROSHIMATHE BATE NTU SEVENTY-FOUR YEARS LATER.NOEL C. CILKER·FOLLOW15 M READ·AUG 6, 2019--2LISTENSHARESEVENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY, COLONEL PL TIBBETS, PILOTG THE ENOLA GAY, A B-29 HE NAMED AFTER HIS MOTHER, TOOK OFF OM AN AIRFIELD ON TIAN, A SMALL ISLAND THE NORTHERN MARIANAS. SIX OTHER AIRCRAFT JOED HIM FOR WEATHER RENNAISSANCE, SCIENTIFIC MEASURG, AND PHOTOGRAPHIC AND VIO RERDG. THE STATN WAS A SIX-HOUR FLIGHT AWAY: HIROSHIMA, AN DTRIAL CY AND MANUFACTURG CENTER FOR THE JAPANE ARY. SHOULD WEATHER TERFERE, KOKURA AND NAGASAKI WERE NEXT ON THE LIST.THIRTY MUT BEFORE ARRIVAL, SEND LITENANT MORRIS JEPPSON REMOVED THE SAFETY VIC, AND AT 8:15 A.M. LOL TIME, TIBBETS DROPPED HIS PAYLOAD. AT 1,900 FEET TONATED. CAPTA WILLIAM PARSONS, CHARGE OF THE MISSN, SAID LATER THAT “THE WHOLE THG WAS TREMENDO AND AWE-SPIRG … THE MEN ABOARD WH ME GASPED ‘MY GOD’”.IT WAS THE FIRST TIME HISTORY A NUCLEAR VICE WAS ED ON HUMAN BEGS. LS THAN A MONTH EARLIER, J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER AND HIS TEAM OF PHYSICISTS ON THE MANHATTAN PROJECT HAD SUCCSFULLY EXPLOD A TT BOMB THE NEW MEXI SERT, CULMATG THREE YEARS OF TENSE SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATN AND DISVERY. THE QUTN THEN BEME, SHOULD THIS NEW “SUPERBOMB” BE ED ON PEOPLE?BY JULY 1945, JAPAN WAS THE THRO OF FEAT BUT HADN’T SURRENRED. THIS LEFT G PRINT HARRY TMAN WH AGONIZG OPTNS:LNCH A MASSIVE LAND VASN OF JAPAN. THIS WAS TENSELY RISKY AND POTENTIALLY LARGER THAN D-DAY EUROPE. IT ALL BUT GUARANTEED THOANDS OF SUALTI, IF NOT UPWARDS TOWARD A LN ARY PERSONNEL AND CIVILIANS.DROP AN ATOMIC BOMB ON AN UNHABED LOTN AND SRE THE JAPANE TO SURRENRG. BUT WHAT IF THE BOMB WAS A DUD, OR THE JAPANE MOVED AMERIN PRISONERS OF WAR TO THE MONSTRATN SE?DROP AN ATOMIC BOMB ON A JAPANE CY. THIS WOULD PRERVE THE SHOCK-AND-AWE QUALY OF THE ATTACK AND SAVE AMERIN SOLDIERS, BUT THOANDS OF CIVILIANS WOULD BE KILLED.TMAN AND THE RT OF WAR-WEARY AMERI WANTED THE WAR OVER. WHAT WAS THE BT WAY TO DO , AND WHAT ST WAS ACCEPTABLE TO GET DONE? KEEPG MD THAT THE UNED STAT JT LAST WEEK WHDREW OM THE INTERMEDIATE-RANGE NUCLEAR FORC TREATY WH RSIA, ARE THOSE REASONS AND JTIFITNS VALID TODAY?THE ATOMIC CLOUD RIS 20,000 FEET ABOVE HIROSHIMA JT AFTER THE BOMB WAS DROPPED. (NATNAL ARCHIV)PRINT ROOSEVELT ENURAG HIS MANHATTAN PROJECT LEAD.THREE YEARS BEFORE PL TIBBETS TOOK OFF FOR HIS TARGET, BRIGADIER GENERAL LLIE GROV, DIRECTOR OF THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, SELECTED J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER, PROFSOR AT U.C. BERKELEY, TO LEAD THE SECRET WEAPONS LABORATORY. OPPENHEIMER CHOSE NEW MEXI AS HIS BASE AND LED HIS TEAM OF PHYSICISTS THERE TO VELOP THE NUCLEAR BOMB, CULMATG WH A SUCCSFUL TT THREE YEARS LATER. PRINT ROOSEVELT, WHO WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE NAZIS VELOPG A NUCLEAR WEAPON, DID WHAT HE ULD TO ENURAGE HIS FLEDGLG, SECRET ANIZATN. ON JUNE 29, 1943, THE PRINT SENT HIS THANKS TO OPPENHEIMER AND HIS LLEAGU.MY AR DR. OPPENHEIMER . . . .I AM WRG TO YOU AS THE LEAR OF ONE GROUP WHICH IS TO PLAY A VAL ROLE THE MONTHS AHEAD. I KNOW THAT YOU AND YOUR LLEAGU ARE WORKG ON A HAZARDO MATTER UNR UNUAL CIRCUMSTANC. THE FACT THAT THE OUTE OF YOUR LABORS IS OF SUCH GREAT SIGNIFINCE TO THE NATN REQUIR THAT THIS PROGRAM BE EVEN MORE DRASTILLY GUARD THAN OTHER HIGHLY SECRET WAR VELOPMENT. I HAVE THEREFORE GIVEN DIRECTNS THAT EVERY PREUTN BE TAKEN TO SURE THE SECURY OF YOUR PROJECT AND FEEL SURE THAT THOSE CHARGE WILL SEE THAT THE ORRS ARE RRIED OUT. YOU ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE REASONS WHY YOUR ENAVORS AND THOSE OF YOUR ASSOCIAT MT BE CIRCUMSCRIBED BY VERY SPECIAL RTRICTNS. NEVERTHELS, I WISH YOU WOULD EXPRS TO THE SCIENTISTS ASSEMBLED WH YOU MY EP APPRECIATN OF THEIR WILLGNS TO UNRTAKE THE TASKS WHICH LIE BEFORE THEM SPE OF THE DANGERS AND THE PERSONAL SACRIFIC. I AM SURE THAT WE N RELY ON THEIR NTUED WHOLEHEARTED AND UNSELFISH LABORS. WHATEVER THE ENEMY MAY BE PLANNG, AMERIN SCIENCE WILL BE EQUAL TO THE CHALLENGE. WH THIS THOUGHT MD, I SEND THIS NOTE OF NFINCE AND APPRECIATN.VERY SCERELY YOURS,FRANKL D. ROOSEVELTPRINT FRANKL ROOSEVELT.PRINT TMAN IS RMED OF THE RULTS OF THE TT BOMB.THE MANHATTAN PROJECT WAS SO SECRETIVE, NOT EVEN HARRY TMAN, PRINT ROOSEVELT’S VICE PRINT, KNEW OF S EXISTENCE. WHEN ROOSEVELT DIED APRIL 1945 AND TMAN BEME PRINT, THE NEW PRINT LEARNED OF THE WEAPON AND S TERRIBLE POWER, “GREAT ENOUGH TO STROY THE WHOLE WORLD,” HE WROTE HIS DIARY. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE SERT OF NEW MEXI, SCIENTISTS SUCCSFULLY TTED THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB. ON JULY 25, TMAN RERD HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT THE IMMENSY OF .WE HAVE DISVERED THE MOST TERRIBLE BOMB THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. IT MAY BE THE FIRE STCTN PROPHIED THE EUPHRAT VALLEY ERA, AFTER NOAH AND HIS FABULO ARK.ANYWAY WE “THK” WE HAVE FOUND THE WAY TO E A DISTEGRATN OF THE ATOM. AN EXPERIMENT THE NEW MEXI SERT WAS STARTLG — TO PUT DLY. THIRTEEN POUNDS OF THE EXPLOSIVE ED THE PLETE DISTEGRATN OF A STEEL TOWER 60 FEET HIGH, CREATED A CRATER 6 FEET EP AND 1,200 FEET DIAMETER, KNOCKED OVER A STEEL TOWER 1/2 E AWAY AND KNOCKED MEN DOWN 10,000 YARDS AWAY. THE EXPLOSN WAS VISIBLE FOR MORE THAN 200 AND DIBLE FOR 40 AND MORE.THIS WEAPON IS TO BE ED AGAST JAPAN BETWEEN NOW AND AUGT 10TH. I HAVE TOLD THE SEC. OF WAR, MR. STIMSON, TO E SO THAT ARY OBJECTIV AND SOLDIERS AND SAILORS ARE THE TARGET AND NOT WOMEN AND CHILDREN. EVEN IF THE JAPS ARE SAVAG, THLS, MERCILS AND FANATIC, WE AS THE LEAR OF THE WORLD FOR THE MON WELFARE NNOT DROP THAT TERRIBLE BOMB ON THE OLD PAL OR THE NEW.HE AND I ARE ACRD. THE TARGET WILL BE A PURELY ARY ONE AND WE WILL ISSUE A WARNG STATEMENT ASKG THE JAPS TO SURRENR AND SAVE LIV. I’M SURE THEY WILL NOT DO THAT, BUT WE WILL HAVE GIVEN THEM THE CHANCE. IT IS CERTALY A GOOD THG FOR THE WORLD THAT HLER’S CROWD OR STAL’S DID NOT DISVER THIS ATOMIC BOMB. IT SEEMS TO BE THE MOST TERRIBLE THG EVER DISVERED, BUT N BE MA THE MOST EFUL.PRINT TMAN’S DIARY ENTRY OM JULY 25, 1945. (TMAN PRINTIAL LIBRARY)GENERALS RELAY THE ORR.ON JULY 26, 1945, ALLIED LEARS ISSUED THE POSTDAM DECLARATN, MANDG UNNDNAL SURRENR BY JAPAN. IF JAPAN REFED, THE ALLI THREATENED “THE EVABLE AND PLETE STCTN OF THE JAPANE ARMED FORC AND JT AS EVABLY THE UTTER VASTATN OF THE JAPANE HOMELAND”. THEY DID NOT MENTN THE ATOMIC BOMB. WHEN JAPAN CLED TO RPOND, PRINT TMAN GAVE HIS FAL APPROVAL TO E THE BOMB, WRG, “SUGGTN APPROVED. RELEASE WHEN READY.” HIS GENERALS RELAYED THE ORR.TO: GENERAL CARL SPAATZ, COMMANDG GENERAL, UNED STAT ARMY STRATEGIC AIR FORC1. THE 509 COMPOSE GROUP, 20TH AIR FORCE WILL LIVER S FIRST SPECIAL BOMB AS SOON AS WEATHER WILL PERM VISUAL BOMBG AFTER ABOUT 3 AUGT 1945 ON ONE OF THE TARGETS: HIROSHIMA, KOKURA, NIIGATA AND NAGASAKI. TO RRY ARY AND CIVILIAN SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL OM THE WAR DEPARTMENT TO OBSERVE AND RERD THE EFFECTS OF THE EXPLOSN OF THE BOMB, ADDNAL AIRCRAFT WILL ACPANY THE AIRPLANE RRYG THE BOMB. THE OBSERVG PLAN WILL STAY SEVERAL DISTANT OM THE POT OF IMPACT OF THE BOMB.2. ADDNAL BOMBS WILL BE LIVERED ON THE ABOVE TARGETS AS SOON AS MA READY BY THE PROJECT STAFF. . . .THOS. T. HANDYGENERAL, G.S.C.ACTG CHIEF OF STAFFGENERAL THOMAS HANDY’S LETTER TO GENERAL CARL SPAATZ THORIZG THE DROPPG OF THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB, JULY 25, 1945. (DEPT. OF DEFENSE)THE PILOT WHO DROPPED THE BOMB REFLECTS ON THE MORALY OF .COLONEL PL TIBBETS PILOTED THE ENOLA GAY, WHICH DROPPED THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA ON AUGT 6, 1945. IN AN TERVIEW 1989, TIBBETS SCRIBED WAG FOR THE EXPLOSN AND THE ROLE OF MORALY WARFARE.WHEN THE BOMB LEFT THE AIRPLANE, OF URSE WE WERE 10,000 POUNDS LIGHTER RIGHT TO START WH. THAT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNY TO, TERMS OF THE VERNACULAR, ROLL THE AIRPLANE OVER ON S SI AND PULL AROUND AN UNUALLY STEEP CURVE FOR AN AIRPLANE OF THAT SIZE AND AT THAT ALTU. WE WERE AT 33,000 FEET. BUT I HAD PRACTICED THIS TIME AND TIME AGA, AND UNRSTOOD HOW TO DO . WE DID JT EXACTLY THAT VERY THG.AS I MA THAT TURN AND LEVELED THAT AIRPLANE OUT, MY TAIL GUNNER STG THE BACK SAYS, “HERE .” WELL, HE HAD SEEN THE EXPLOSN BEFORE WE DID. HE WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT ULD LOOK DIRECTLY AT . WHAT HE SAID WAS, “HERE ,” MEANG, “HERE THE SHOCK WAVE,” AND THAT’S WHAT WE WANTED. . . .I MA UP MY MD THEN THAT THE MORALY OF DROPPG THAT BOMB WAS NOT MY BS. I WAS STCTED TO PERFORM A ARY MISSN TO DROP THE BOMB. THAT WAS THE THG THAT I WAS GOG TO DO THE BT OF MY ABILY. MORALY, THERE IS NO SUCH THG WARFARE. I DON’T RE WHETHER YOU ARE DROPPG ATOM BOMBS, OR 100-POUND BOMBS, OR SHOOTG A RIFLE. YOU HAVE GOT TO LEAVE THE MORAL ISSUE OUT OF .COL. PL TIBBETS ONT OF THE ENOLA GAY, 1945.A GERMAN-BORN PRIT HIROSHIMA REUNTS THE AFTERMATH.

On Augt 6, 1945, the crew of a modified Boeg B-29 Superfortrs named Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb ed warfare, lled “Ltle Boy, ” on the cy of Hiroshima, Japan.

As a new and adly weapon, an atomic bomber, Enola Gay facilated a turng pot human history as hered the dawn of the Atomic Age and the threat of nuclear war. Tibbets and his crew took off om Tian  Enola Gay at 2:45 am on Augt 6, 1945. Upon visual lotn of Hiroshima, Tom Ferebee aimed for the cy center and Enola Gay dropped the “Ltle Boy” bomb om 31, 000 feet at 9:15 am.

After “Ltle Boy” left the forward bomb bay, Enola Gay lurched upward, and Tibbets iated a high angle evasive manver to get as far away om Hiroshima as possible. ” Enola Gay land back at Tian 12 hours later at approximately 3 pm.

HIROSHIMA LOG OF THE ENOLA GAY

Enola Gay tail gunner Bob Caron took this picture of the cloud of smoke billowg 20, 000 feet above Hiroshima after the explosn of the Ltle Boy atomic bomb on Augt 6, 1945. The history and memory of Enola Gay and s part the atomic attacks on Japan, and their effect on endg the war the Pacific and the nuclear tensns of the Cold War, reflects differg viewpots. The Smhsonian has been at the center of bat over those differg perspectiv terms of the terpretatn and public display of Enola Gay.

SHORT ENOLA GAY: GAME ROURC AND PRIMARY SOURC

Air Force the late 1940s, Enola Gay remaed storage for s. Enola Gay was to be the central artifact a planned exhibn at the Mm examg the atomic bombgs durg the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. The Boeg B-29 Superfortrs Enola Gay is now on display at the Steven F.

ENOLA GAY

In a revised exhibn, Enola Gay’s forward felage and bomb bay, two eng, a propeller, and other ponents, cludg a activated Ltle Boy bomb, went on display the Natnal Mall Buildg om June 1995 to May 1998. Udvar-Hazy Center opened December 2003, the fully-assembled Enola Gay went on permanent display the World War II Aviatn display area the Boeg Aviatn Hangar.

The display of the Enola Gay has generated a variety of rpons rangg om public protts  1995 and 2003 to opposg pots of view exprsed  alternative exhibns, petns, and reports, and ntu to serve as a se study  prentg history the public sphere that is vigoroly discsed and bated to this day.

CONTROVERSY OVER THE ENOLA GAY EXHIBN

Enola Gay on display the Boeg Aviatn Hangar of the Steven F. The flight of the Enola Gay on Augt 6, 1945, signifi an end and a begng terms of our evolvg unrstandg of technology and warfare the twentieth century. Seventy-four years ago today, Colonel Pl Tibbets, pilotg the Enola Gay, a B-29 he named after his mother, took off om an airfield on Tian, a small island the Northern Marianas.

Colonel Pl Tibbets piloted the Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Augt 6, 1945. You have got to leave the moral issue out of Pl Tibbets ont of the Enola Gay, 1945.

The strike plane rryg the Ltle Boy Atomic Bomb is Enola Gay, which is piloted by Col. His job was to rerd the flight path of Enola Gay this log, which was provid to the Atomic Herage Foundatn by Clay Perks. This document begs on 2:55am when Enola Gay tak off and ends on 2:58pm when they land back at the base Tian Island.

SHORT ENOLA GAY: SENDARY SOURC

Tibbets piloted the Enola Gay durg the 509th Compose Group‘s missn to drop the Ltle Boy bomb over Hiroshima. At 0245 Tian time on Monday, 6 Augt 1945, Col Tibbets and crew took off the Enola Gay.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENOLA GAY AFTER IT DROPPED THE ATOMIC BOMB

The two other 509th plan that acpanied the Enola Gay clud the stment aircraft, the Great Artiste, piloted by Major Charl Sweeney and a third B-29, equipped wh photographic equipment, mand by Major Gee Marquardt.

THE CREW OF THE ENOLA GAY ON DROPPG THE ATOMIC BOMB

At precisely 0815:17 Japan time, the Enola Gay released the first atomic bomb over the target of Hiroshima. Enola Gay.

THE ENOLA GAY

While this exhib is now closed, Mm specialists ntued to rtore the remag ponents of the airplane, and after an addnal ne years the fully assembled Enola Gay went on permanent display at the Natnal Air and Space Mm’s Steven F. This past exhibn, cidg wh the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, told the story of the role of the Enola Gay securg Japane surrenr.

It ntaed several major ponents of the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber ed the atomic missn that stroyed Hiroshima, Japan. A vio prentatn about the Enola Gay's missn clud terviews wh the crew before and after the missn cludg missn pilot Col. Another portn of the exhib tailed the pastakg efforts of Smhsonian aircraft rtoratn specialists who had spent more than a rtorg parts of the Enola Gay for this exhibn.

Boeg B-29 Superfortrs "Enola Gay". Frequently Asked Qutns Regardg Exhibn of B-29 Superfortrs Enola Gay. The Enola Gay: The B-29 That Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima.