"TOP SECRET" view only with security clearance ...

[Mark Allen M]

... Never mind forget it, that was years ago. But a question could be, do A-Bomb detonations make A-Holes?
Source for these photos here: http://www.clubhyper.com/forums/forum.htm

Part 1


Little Boy unit checked up to a bank of equipment; possibly to test charge components within the device. Unknown whether this is a test unit or L-11; the unit dropped on Hiroshima.


Project A (Alberta) member CDR A. Francis Birch (left) numbers Little Boy Unit L-11 while Norman Ramsey (right) watches. This is the actual unit which was dropped on Nagasaki.


Photograph of personnel checking a casing. A significant number of extra casings were shipped to Tinian and used in various tests


In this photograph, you can see the putty being applied to the forward polar plate.


The sealant is now being applied via spray gun.


Workers have substantially completed application of the sealant. Note the writing on the tail fin assembly and the logo on the bomb's polar plate and on the worker's coveralls.


Once the device was virtually complete, workers began to sign their names and various exhortations onto the device.


Close up of names on tail assembly of Fat Man.


'A Second Kiss for Hirohito!' signed by Rear Admiral W.R. Purnell, USN on the side of Fat Man.


The completed Fat Man device is being lowered checked over on it's transport dolly for the trip to the airfield.

[Mark Allen M]

Part 2


The completed bomb was then towed towards the airfield under cover with an escort.


Preliminary pit alignment was proceeded with.


The Bomb and it's dolley were then manually pushed towards the pit.


The towing cable was then disconnected from the dolley as MPs kept watch.


The device's alignment was checked over by eye and hand.


The device was then raised up on a hydraulic lift and the metal gutters which guided it over the pit were removed.

[The Inspector]

Sometimes ya gotta wonder -notice that all the controller boxes inside 'Little Boy' have been finished on the outside with a nice wrinkle finish, so it looks good being vaporized!?!

[Mark Allen M]

Part 3


Once it was aligned with the pit, the device was then lowered down.


Device almost lowered to the bottom of the pit.


One of two bomb pits constructed on Tinian


Device now fully seated in the pit. Still covered with tarp for security reasons.


Once the device was aligned up, the security protective shroud was removed in anticipation of loading.

[Mark Allen M]

Part 4


The aircraft that will carry the device is then backed up slowly over the pit.


Alignment of the device with the aircraft's bomb bay proceeded with a lot of 'hands on' from fairly high ranking personnel.


Alignment of the device with the aircraft's bomb bay proceeded with a lot of 'hands on' from fairly high ranking personnel.-2


This is Unit L-11; the actual “Little Boy” bomb being (or about to be) loaded into the Enola Gay.


A different view of the device in the bay.

The device is nearly there...

[Mark Allen M]

Part 5


Hydraulic lift has raised the device about halfway into the bomb bay.


View from within the pit showing the dolley frame and the fully extended hydraulic lift.


The device is now in the bomb bay and is in the process of being attached to the sway brackets that will secure it to the aircraft.


Pit Number One Today. Used to load Little Boy onto the Enola Gay. Identification was accomplished by historians from studying photographs of the bomb loading sequences and comparing the bolt holes.


Pit Number Two today. It was used to load Fat Man onto Bocks' Car.

[Mark Allen M]

Part 6


Enola Gay, Tinian 1945


Tinian, Marianas Islands. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress 'Enola Gay' Which Was Used In The First Atomic Bombing Mission On Hiroshima, Japan


Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Pilot Of B-29 Superfortress, 'Enola Gay'


Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Pilot Of B-29 Superfortress, 'Enola Gay'


Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Pilot Of B-29 Superfortress, 'Enola Gay'


The Ground Crew Of The B-29 'Enola Gay' Which Atom-Bombed Hiroshima, Japan. Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, The Pilot Is In The Center


The Ground And Flight Crew Of Boeing B-29 'Enola Gay'

[Mark Allen M]

Part 7


B-29 Bockscar


B-29 Bockscar


Boeing B-29 crew photo taken Aug. 11, 1945, two days after the Nagasaki mission. Note there is no nose art on the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo)

[Mark Allen M]

Part 8

[Rajay]

Project A (Alberta) member CDR A. Francis Birch (left) numbers Little Boy Unit L-11 while Norman Ramsey (right) watches. This is the actual unit which was dropped on Nagasaki.

You meant Hiroshima, right?

Hiroshima = Little Boy (Uranium-235; long & "skinny" case with internal gun-type detonator) = August 6, 1945

Nagasaki = Fat Man (Plutonium; short, fat case with spherical "soccer ball" model implosion detonator) = August 9, 1945

Nevertheless,very cool "behind the scenes" look at one of the most significant (series of) events is all of human history! It certainly changed everything forever!

[Mark Allen M]

Sorry, didn't write it, but I guess I should have checked it. oops!!! thx for the correction, you guys are good

[Mark Allen M]

To answer your PM (you shall remain nameless out of respect) but to make sure to any others who may have wondered the same thing.

I guess I could say I have somewhat of a connection to the A-bombs and the decision for them to be dropped. I'll see if I can try to explain it. My dad spent two combat tours with VF-13 and VF-11 and at wars end was training with VF-153 to return to combat which would most likely have been in support of the invasion of Japan. The odds perhaps being strong he would have had a poor chance of survival (who really knows for sure at this point). So if it weren't for the decision to drop the bombs to aid in ending the war, I might not be here to grace your presence with this thread. One can wonder right?

do A-Bomb detonations make A-Holes?

What doesn't kill you (in my case not death, but birth) only makes you stronger to make light of things? Or something like that
Anyway no disrespect intended to anyone with that quote of mine above, and if someone was offended ... sorry about that

[Mudge]

Terrific pictures and info. Many thanks.

Mudge the impressed

[Taylor Stevenson]

Does anyone know when the cage and glass was added over the bomb pit on Tinian? When I was there in 2000, I'm 99% sure it wasn't there...

[seabee1526]

http://www.444thbg.org/tinianseabees.htm