Warbird Information Exchange

I'm sure I already know the answer, but did any B-29's ever serve in the ETO at anytime during the war? Either on a mission or for any other reason? And what was the first B-29 mission of the war? And if B-29's would have flown bombing missions against Nazi Germany starting in mid-1944, you think the war in Europe would have ended sooner? Interesting to wonder what the German high command thought about the thought of B-29's being used against them. They surely knew about them during the war.

Mark the wonderer

Here's a pic of YB-29 "Hobo Queen" in England. Is this what you're looking for?



And as far as the B-29 ending the war sooner in Europe: Only if it had a Fat Man onboard.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Just this one was sent to the ETO (first time I've seen a photo of it) for propaganda purposes, hoping the Germans would notice it. They used them in the CBI before the Pacific if you want to get technical. After WWII it was used all over the world including Korea. The British took possession of some and called them Washingtons.

Nope. I very much doubt it would have made a difference to the length of the war in Europe. The only thing that ended the war was boots on the ground in Berlin (both Allied and Soviet). Bombing, for all its supporters, didn't end the war by itself. The guys on the ground did that. Whether the US bombs that disrupted the German war effort were dropped by B-17s and B-24s or by B-29s would not have made any difference to the time taken to reach and take Berlin, IMHO.

The B-29s were needed in the Pacific because of their range, the B-17s and B-24s already had the range to reach into Eastern Germany.

I believe June 6, 1944 was the first B-29 mission, whether that was the first one, or the first one to Japan, it has slipped my mind. They launched from the CBI before the Mariana Islands were available.

My father fly on the B-29 "Georgia Peach" in the 468 Bomb Group, 793rd Bomb Squadron. Their first mission flown on 6/5/44 was to Bangtok. On 6/15/44, their group flew a mission aginst the steelworks plant in Yawata, Japan. That was the first mission against Japan since the Doolittle raid.

http://www.468thbombgroup.org/LinkClick ... 79&mid=439