Enola Gay and the Atomic Bomb: US History for Kids ***

Contents:

• ENOLA GAY
• ENOLA GAY FACTS
• WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENOLA GAY AFTER IT DROPPED THE ATOMIC BOMB
• THE REAL MEANG BEHD THE NAME ENOLA GAY, THE PLANE THAT DROPPED THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB
• THE ENOLA GAY
• THE ENOLA GAY'S HISTORY LIV ON
• THE CREW OF THE ENOLA GAY ON DROPPG THE ATOMIC BOMB
• THE INLIBLE ENOLA GAY
• HIROSHIMA’S ENOLA GAY RRIED 12 MEN, HOPE AND THE WORLD’S ADLIT WEAPON

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.

ENOLA GAY FACTS

Japan officially surrenred on September 2, Enola Gay remaed service for several years before beg given to the Smhsonian Instutn on July 3, 1949. Pl Tibblets, the pilot of the Enola Gay when dropped Ltle Boy on Hiroshima, did not have a funeral or headstone on his ath, fearg would bee a se for prott. The Grandson of Col Pl Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay (Hiroshima, Aug 6, 1945) is now the send mand of all US Nuclear bomber and missile forc.

The Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima named by ’s pilot Col Pl Tibbets, after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets, who was named after a character of the book, *Enola; or, Her fatal mistake. He appeared on the Amerin televisn show This is Your Life, where the host surprised him by brgg out the pilot of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb.

A survivor of the bombg of Hiroshima, Rev Tanimoto, was on an Amerin televisn show 1955 to raise money for the victims and was forced to meet and listen to the -pilot of the Enola Gay talk about what he did. When the US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima there were three plan the 509th Compose Group: "Enola Gay", "The Great Artiste", and "Necsary Evil". Lewis, the Co-Pilot of the Enola ary rad ll sign of Enola Gay, the B-29 aircraft ed to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, was ‘Dimpl Eight Two’.

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

- sourceThe battle ciser USS Indianapolis was sunk by a Japane sub as attempted to return to the fleet after had livered s rgo of the first atomic bomb "Ltle Boy" to Tian Island sted to be load on the Enola Gay and dropped on Hiroshima--out of 1, 196 crew, only 317 survived - sourceThe plane that rried the atomic bomb to Hiroshima was lled the Enola bomber ed to drop the first atomic bomb was named after the pilots mother, Enola Gay - sourceHow high was the enola gay when dropped the bomb? Pl Tibbets on natnal televisnThe last Hiroshima bomber om Enola Gay mented that "the Japane today are nice people", has hosted Japane stunts his California home and uldn't ask for better onHiroshima bomber and Enola Gay crew member Theodore Van Kirk has hosted Japane exchange stunts who stayed at his homePl Tibbets, one of the pilots flew the Enola Gay to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, lerally took a nap on the flight back om the bombg. The Enola Gay is a B-29 Superfortrs, which pilot Pl Tibbets named after his mother, and which had been stripped of everythg but the necsi, so as to be thoands of pounds lighter than an ordary plane of that make.

In the aftermath of World War II, the Army Air Forc flew the Enola Gay durg an atomic tt program the Pacific; was then livered to be stored an airfield Arizona before beg flown to Illois and transferred to the Smhsonian July 1949.

Adams, who is leavg his job after 10 relatively ntroversy-ee years, sent back a three-page answer stiffly turng down her requt for the Enola Gay. And as long as is on display, the qutns rais are likely to ntue — after all, they have been wh the Enola Gay sce first beme a hoehold name. However, several plane nam of the World War II-era are known exclively by their name, cludg the famo Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber that was ed to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan (via Branni).

THE REAL MEANG BEHD THE NAME ENOLA GAY, THE PLANE THAT DROPPED THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB

It's important to note that durg the war, not many plan which were mass-produced were given as much fanfare, so the Enola Gay stood out om the pack. 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. 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. Many veterans had advoted for the display of the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortrs ed to drop the bombs, as a celebratn of Amerin triumph over Japan, but there were already ncerns that the Smhsonian was creatg a polilly rrect, revisnist terpretatn of the events.

Harw rigned on May 2, 1995, jt days before he was schled to ttify Senate heargs.On June 28, 1995, an exhibn, simply tled "Enola Gay," opened at the Natnal Air and Space Mm.

THE ENOLA GAY

Only the felage was on display, acpanied by basic facts and rmatn about the plane's rtoratn.The entire Enola Gay bomber is currently on display the "World War II Aviatn" exhibn at the Natnal Air and Space Mm's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.Related RourcCollectns related to the Enola Gay, Smhsonian Instutn ArchivThe Enola Gay: A Natn's, and a Mm's, Dilemma, Edorial by Mart Harw, The Washgton Post, Augt 7, 1994Special Report: The Smhsonian and the Enola Gay, Air Force Associatn, March 15, 1994Smhsonian Cancels Exhib on Atomic Bomb, The Baltimore Sun, January 31, 1995Recent Acquisn - Rerds om Mart Harw, Director, NASM, 1986-1995, The Bigger Picture, Smhsonian Instutn Archiv. Colonel Pl Tibbets and the Enola Gay Enola Gay Facts: Fast Fact Sheet for kidsFast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Qutns (FAQ's) about the Enola was the Enola Gay?

The Enola Gay was the name given to the airplane, a Boeg B-29 Superfortrs bomber, that dropped the atomic bomb "Ltle Boy" on the cy of Hiroshima, Japan durg was the pilot of the Enola Gay?

The "Ltle Boy" uranium re atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on Augt 6, 1945 om the 'Enola Gay' Boeg B-29 Superfortrs bomber and the "Fat Man" a-bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on Augt 9, 1945 om the 'Bocksr' Gay Facts - 2: Project Alberta (Project A) was a sectn of the Manhattan Project that prepared for the livery of the atomic bomb by nductg bomb livery tts and modifyg aircraft for rryg the atomic Gay Facts - 3: Details of the Enola Gay cludg the serial number, height, weight, length, speed and bomb load are as follows:Mol Type: Boeg B-29 Superfortrs bomberSerial Number: 44-86292Length: 30. 2 m (99 ft) Height: 9 m (29 ft 7 )Wgspan: 43 m (141 ft 3 )Weight: 31, 400 kg (69, 000 lb) emptyWeight: 54, 500 kg (120, 000 lb) fully loadCise Speed: 355 km/hr (220 mph)Maximum Speed: 588 km/hr (365 mph)Combat Radi: 4670 km (2900 )Bomb Load: 9090 kg (20, 000 lb)Enola Gay Facts - 4: Tian, one of the three prcipal islands of the Mariana Islands, was one of the largt airbas of WW2 and the North Field nway was the parture pot of the 509th Compose Group bombers Enola Gay and BocksrEnola Gay Facts - 5: The Enola Gay arrived on Tian on 6 July 1945.

THE ENOLA GAY'S HISTORY LIV ON

Enola Gay Facts - 6: Litenant Colonel Pl Tibbets ma the cisn to e his mother�s name 'Enola Gay Tibbets' as the name for the aircraft bee she was always posive and had once told him, �Whatever happens to you your life, everythg will work out�.

THE CREW OF THE ENOLA GAY ON DROPPG THE ATOMIC BOMB

The unual name given to his mother was om the heroe of the novel Enola; or, Her fatal Gay Facts - 7: The Enola Gay was built unr a top secret program, -name "Silverplate", to produce huge B-29 Superfortrs bombers specially modified for atomic bombg Gay Facts - 8: On Augt 5, 1945, the day before the missn, B-29 was manvered over a bomb loadg p om which the atomic bomb "Ltle Boy" was hoisted on an hydrlic lift to the aircraft weapon bay and then taxied to Runway Able at North Field, Tian.

45 hrs the morng Tian time on Augt 6, Gay Facts - 12: Once the Enola Gay was safely airborne, Navy Capta William Parsons climbed to the bomb bay and armed the 9, 000-pound "Ltle Boy" atomic bombEnola Gay Facts - 13: At 0815, Hiroshima time, bombardier Tom Ferebee released the nuclear weapon. As soon as the bomb was released the Enola Gay began s pe Gay Facts - 14: The effects of the atomic bomb explosn produced an tense light flash and a tremendo roar due to the shock wave of the explosn.

THE INLIBLE ENOLA GAY

A ball of fire rose rapidly, followed by a mhroom cloud that extend to the height of 40, 000 feet (12, 200 metr) Gay Facts - 15: The Enola Gay was rocked by the shock wave that traveled directly om the fireball.

Several sends later the aircraft was stck by a send weaker shock reflected om the Gay Facts - 16: The mhroom cloud, which had climbed to 40, 000 feet, was visible om the Enola Gay for almost an hour and a half, fally beg lost om sight 363 om Gay Facts - 17: After a return flight, lastg 12 hours and 13 mut, the Enola Gay land safely at Tian Island. It is timated that 265, 000 people died due to the Hiroshima atomic bomb, cludg s radactive Gay Facts - 19: On 4 July 1949 the Enola Gay was transferred by the U.

The airplane unrwent rtoratn om 1984 to Gay Facts - 20: After nsirable ntroversy the Enola Gay was put up for exhibn and moved to s permanent lotn at the Steven F. The lyrics of the anti-war song relate directly to the events of the day the atomic bomb was dropped wh reference to "eight fifteen" the time the bomb was dropped and asks the qutn "Is mother proud of ltle boy today" reference to the Hiroshima bomb's Gay Facts for kidsFacts about the Enola Gay Facts for kids: The Flight CrewThe followg fact sheet ntu wh tertg rmatn, history and facts on the crew of Enola Gay for Gay Facts for kids: The Flight CrewEnola Gay Facts - 22: The flight crew of the Enola Gay nsisted of twelve men, cludg Pl Tibbets, who were all traed secret for the missn.

HIROSHIMA’S ENOLA GAY RRIED 12 MEN, HOPE AND THE WORLD’S ADLIT WEAPON

Jeppson, bomb electronics tt officerEnola Gay Facts - 23: The only people who knew the signifince of the top secret bomb on the Enola Gay were the Pl Tibbets, the pilot, Capta Robert Lewis the -pilot and Capta Deke Parsons. The crew knew they were on a special missn, bee the chaplas were there to see them off and before take-off they were surround by ary photographersEnola Gay Facts - 24: Pl Warfield Tibbets, Jr. Brigadier General Llie Grov, director of the Manhattan Project, selected Pl Tibbets to be rponsible for anizg and trag the flight crew and for the role of pilot on the Enola Gay.

He published his tobgraphy, 'The Pl Tibbets Story' Gay Facts - 25: Capta Robert Lewis (October 18, 1917 - June 18, 1983) was the Co-Pilot of the Enola Gay aircraft.

� Enola Gay Facts - 26: Capta Deke Parsons (26 November 1901 � 5 December 1953) was a Naval gunnery officer (Weaponeer), who had worked as a scientist on the Manhattan Project and appoted the head of Project Alberta. He was rponsible for the livery of the nuclear Gay Facts - 27: 2nd Litenant Morris Jeppson (June 23, 1922 � March 30, 2010) was an Ordnance Expert and electronics specialist who was assigned to arm the atomic bomb on the Enola Gay.

Enola Gay Facts - 28: Litenant Jab Ber (May 15, 1921 � June 16, 1992) was an Army Air Force radar specialist and rponsible Electronic Countermeasur. He was the only man to served on both the Enola Gay missn and the Bocksr missn which bombed Nagasaki three days later on Augt 9, 1945Enola Gay Facts - 29: Sergeant Joseph Stiborik (1914�1984) was the Radar Operator on the Enola GayEnola Gay Facts - 30: Staff Sergeant Robert Caron (October 31, 1919 - June 3, 1995) was the Tail Gunner on the Enola Gay.