Looking for Info on B-29 Photos

m charters · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2009 9:56 pm

I am looking for info on the squadrons of the aircraft in these photos.
Also location it might be!?

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 12:43 am

Beaubomber II was 42-63442 and served with the 73rd Wing, 499th Group, 879th Squadron. She flew from Isely Field, Saipan.

I can't tell squadron assignments for the other two photos because I don't see any ship numbers I can read, but the second picture is a 498th Group airplane, also 73rd Wing on Saipan.

Scott

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

I would imagine they were all on Saipan and 73rd. The 314th BW on Guam would have AC numbers on the fuselage as well.

Thanks for the shots!!!!

I have never seen bombs layed out like this.., without being on a trailer prior to arming. How would they load these.., pick them back up and onto a trailer then crank them into the bombay? What a pain!!

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 9:00 am

Smis,

Those little cradles are designed to work with the small three-wheeled bomb trucks you see in many photos. Notice how the "legs" have the high arches, these arches are to allow the two outboard tires of the little cart to go through. Then you pick up the bomb and remove the cradle. I'm just now leaving the house, but I can find a photo of the three wheeler later if you'd like.

I'm still trying to figure out if the little handcarts were shipped with the M-5 bomb trailers or separately. A certain number of the cradles appear to have been delivered with the big trailer to the units.

Scott

RAMC181 · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 9:22 am

I seem to recall that six cradles were shipped with each M5 Bomb Trailer, while one folding M1 Bomb Lift Truck handcart came with the M6 Bomb Service Truck.

All the best,
Paul

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

Always thought they carried them and loaded them like this!!! :shock:

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

Scott

Is this the trailer??.., in looking at the photo i can see how they would scoot them off of the trailer and onto the rack.., or was it vice versa?

I always thought they would pull the trailer under the bombay and just rachet up the bombs.., apparently not!!!

RAMC181 · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 10:18 am

That's an M5 Bomb Trailer in the foreground, and it's nice to see a photo showing the unloading ramp in use.
The M1 Bomb Lift Truck is the pallet truck in the background in front of the nosewheel, ready to lift one of the loaded cradles.

The trailer would fit under a B-17, B-24s had to be loaded from the cradles due to the low fuselage.
I don't know about the clearance on a B-29 though.

All the best,
PB

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 12:54 pm

You had to use the M1 for the '29 as well, Paul. The forward turret and radome would obstruct getting the M5 in there. I'm not certain about the aft bay, but I don't think I have seen a photo of an M5 under either one.

Great photo, Smis--it's going into my personal bomb trailer restoration file with your permission! And as for loading the big trailer, that was generally done at the bomb dump by using the Chevy bomb loading truck (or its equivalent) that we've documented in my bomb trailer thread in the Maintenance Hangar.

Scott

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

yah, I always loved the photo myself. The three wheeled carts, two of them.., one by the nose gear and one being pushed by the guy near the offloading ramp.

Now, the would wheel these under the bombay and then there was a way to crank them up and lock them down inside? How did they get from the cart to the racks?

Simple enough to pick up a 100lber by hand, as in the photos above.., but not a 500lber!

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 2:41 pm

On the 17, and I am sure the other bombers as well had provisions for installing pulleys and winches to load the racks. On the 17 the bomb hoist was stored on the aft bulkhead of the bombbay, and was clipped onto the racks when in use.

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

Let's see em hand crank this puppy!!!!

4400 lbs!

RAMC181 · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 4:00 pm

4000lb'ers in England, July 1943, just to emphasize how big they are. :wink:

Django · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 4:29 pm

Wow!

Just out of curiosity, what would 1 ginormous bomb do that an equivalent tonnage of smaller bombs could not?

RAMC181 · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 8:11 pm

The AN-M56 4000lb LC was a Light Case weapon, i.e. the weight of explosive was 3245lbs alone, inside a thin metal casing just strong enough to hold the contents during storage and delivery.

This was the AAF's "Block Buster" bomb, designed as a pure blast weapon to "raze areas equal to a city block or more".

I suppose the direct RAF version was the 4000lb Cookie, also available in 8000lb and 12000lb flavours depending on how many were bolted together.

All the best,
PB

Warbird Information Exchange

Looking for Info on B-29 Photos

Who is online