The radius of total destruction was about one mile (1.6 km), with resulting fires across 4.4 square miles (11 km 2). Americans estimated that 4.7 square miles (12 km 2) of the city were destroyed. The U-235 weapon was considered very inefficient, with only 1.7% of its fissile material fissioning. The detonation created a blast equivalent to 16 kilotons of TNT (67 TJ). Although buffeted by the shock, neither Enola Gay nor The Great Artiste was damaged. Enola Gay traveled 11.5 mi (18.5 km) before it felt the shock waves from the blast. The release at 08:15 (Hiroshima time) went as planned, and the Little Boy took 43 seconds to fall from the aircraft flying at 31,060 feet (9,470 m) to the predetermined detonation height about 1,968 feet (600 m) above the city. Jeppson, removed the safety devices 30 minutes before reaching the target area. His assistant, Second Lieutenant Morris R. "Deak" Parsons of Project Alberta, who was in command of the mission, armed the bomb during the flight to minimize the risks during takeoff. The aircraft arrived over the target in clear visibility at 9,855 meters (32,333 ft). On request, he gave a friendly wave for the cameras.Īfter leaving Tinian, the aircraft made their way separately to Iwo Jima, where they rendezvoused at 2,440 meters (8,010 ft) and set course for Japan. When he wanted to taxi, Tibbets leaned out the window to direct the bystanders out of the way.
Groves, Jr., wanted the event recorded for posterity, so the takeoff was illuminated by floodlights. The director of the Manhattan Project, Major General Leslie R. Enola Gay, piloted by Tibbets, took off from North Field, in the Mariana Islands, about six hours' flight time from Japan, accompanied by two other B-29s, The Great Artiste, carrying instrumentation, and a then-nameless aircraft later called Necessary Evil, commanded by Captain George Marquardt, to take photographs. Hiroshima was the primary target of the first nuclear bombing mission on 6 August, with Kokura and Nagasaki as alternative targets. Following delivery to the US Twelfth Air Force, the aircraft was assigned to the 393rd Bombardment Squadron (VH) of the 315th Bombardment Wing, receiving individual aircraft number 82. The aircraft was named for the mother of Colonel Paul Tibbets, who flew the aircraft on the Hiroshima mission.Įnola Gay was one of the 536 B-29s built at the Martin-Omaha plant from mid 1944. It is famed for dropping the world's first nuclear bomb used in warfare, which was dropping the Little Boy on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress. You can help the Aircraft Wiki by expanding it.Įnola Gay on the ground, showing the arrowhead painted on the tail in place of the group letter On August 6, 1945, Captain Claude Eatherly flew reconnaissance in “Straight Flush” over Japan and determined the weather was clear for the “Enola Gay” to drop the bomb on Hiroshima.This article is a stub.
Currently, the B-29 is painted to depict the B-29 “Straight Flush” assigned to the 509th Composite Group, one of 531 B-29s manufactured by the Glen L. In 1983, museum staff transferred B-29 #44-86408 from Dugway Proving Ground to Hill Aerospace Museum, where it underwent restoration and still resides today.
For the next 30 years, the aircraft would reside at Dugway, acting as a ground test vehicle for testing various types of chemical warfare agents. In November 1953, the aircraft was dropped from the United States Air Force inventory while serving at Michaels Army Air Field, Dugway Proving Grounds. The aircraft encountered several more transfers in May 1953, it was transferred to the Wright Development Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where it remained until June 1953.įollowing time at Wright-Patterson, the aircraft was relocated to Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah, for chemical munitions testing. In October 1949, the B-29 then moved to the 43rd Bombardment Group (SAC) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. One year later it transferred to the 4002nd Base Services Squadron, Strategic Air Command (SAC), at Campbell Field, Kentucky. Now located at Hill Aerospace Museum, in June 1948, our B-29 moved to the 97th Bombardment Group, Strategic Air Command, at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas. After the war, Hill Air Force Base stored these airframes in large numbers and would later go on to modify some for the Korean conflict. During the war, Hill Air Force Base also supported Wendover Field, Utah, where the renowned 509th Composite Group trained with its Silverplate B-29s. Hill Air Force Base played a critical role in repairing, maintaining, storing and refurbishing B-29s after World War II.