Warbird Information Exchange

It appears there may be a British connection to the Enola Gay after all.
The Silverplate B-29s used the British type F release unit and type G shackle assembly. other mods were made usuing the H-frame support, sway braces carrier assembly and other mods including bombay mods so the bombs would fit. After the "Silverplate" codename was compromised it became Saddletree and American components were eventually developed replacing those from the UK. (B-29 derivitives part 2 D+S Vol 26 Alwyn T. Lloyd . Source) Picture in the article chow these mods.
Ironically ,one of the Japanese baloon bombs came down on a powerline and tripped a breaker shutting down the Hanford reactors delaying the production of the plutonium for the second bomb. Due to weather changes Nagasaki became the second target because of the delay or it may have been spared. Such are the odds in the game of war.
I worked at the Hanford project for 31 years.
Mike.

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Beware of the use of the word "NEVER" as it can come back to bite you.

Banks said he did not see the loading or takeoff of Enola Gay, just that he doubts the bomb would fit inside it. The stock B-29 did hve to be modified to make the bomb fit.
What is likely to be true? First, least likely seems that another plane carried the bomb in secret. Witnesses in Japan saw only one plane over the city at that time, plus all the crew and newsphotos. It also seems unlikely to me that he made the whole thing up. It's obvious that he would receive a lot of doubters just as on this topic on WIX.
I'd guess he saw something that he thought of in that way.

Other people have verified that there was a USMC unit there just as he said, also that there were white Lancs in the Pacific.

Could he, as an ordinary GI have gotten close to the bomb or the crate it was in? Maybe so, after all GIs on the base had no way of knowing what the bomb could do, it would just look like a big bomb, nor did they have any communication off the island even if they wanted to give away some info. They may have used troops to move it or to work on the loading pit or the planes. It could even be something simple like Banks was taking something out to the guys at the plane. And security is run by people, it is rarely perfect. I once stood 5 feet away from President Johnson at the Dallas airport,just the two of us,not in a crowd. and I didn't have any security clearance, or go through any check. I was in the AF at the time , but I wasn't in uniform.I don't want to go into details here, but I'll tell you about it if you see me at a show, etc., and it for sure happened.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

the vet did also state that what he saw was the bomb being loaded into the white aircraft and then unloaded. nowhere did he say that the white plane left with the bomb in it. possibly a trial fit in case a backup was needed?? who knows, but i think that there is probably some truth to what the vet saw. stange things have come to light as the years have gone by.

i think the way some of you guys have jumped on this fellow, calling him all kinds of derogatory things, is pretty offensive. i'm no liberal, but i think that someone that was actually there deserves a little benefit of the doubt, rather than take the word of some of you armchair generals that have seen pearl harbour on dvd. yeah, i dont think that any other plane than the enola gay dropped the bomb either, but to rule out the possibility of the bomb being trial fitted into another aircraft is ridiculous in itself considering everything else that was going on at the time.

people on this board need to lighten the f*ck up!!

It's a shame the Enola Gay is not displayed with the forward bomb bay doors open. A lot of work went into restoring/preserving this area and making a replica A-Bomb mount (the original was long ago removed and presumably destroyed). The same needs to be done for Bockscar. I might have some pictures of the replica mount from when the plane was undergoing restoration at Garber and when the forward fuselage was on display at the downtown museum. I'll have to dig around and check (and scan them). The bomb had no problem fitting into the forward bomb bay...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I guess I've got the WIX-grumpys too. I originally thought that folks would make a few replies in a humorous light but this thing has gone to 5 pages and posters sound seriously offended that their knowledge of the war has been challenged by a little old man who, as others pointed out in heartfelt posts, is probably just suffering the effects of age. Whatever happened to "Whatever you say, sir" and move on? He's not intentionally malicious. If so he'd have probably broken the story when he was 50. He's still wrong ... but don't disrespect a vet who needs care.

Instead, have any of you invested any time in trying to contact the author to inform them of their blatant misuse of their position in reporting "news"?

I flew in Bosnia, counter-drug ops down south, and recently Iraq and Afghanistan, in part, protecting freedom of speech. So be glad you can bash the poor impaired guy. Since he apparently was a Marine in the Pacific I doubt he thought he'd ever see 80.

Ken

Folks, it's the internet, just like it's started by a (probably) second string newsperson looking to fill some space one day.

It's interesting just for discussion, and has thrown up some interesting documented other info; (Silverplate, Mike13 and APG85's comments) so I reckon it's been worth it. Personally, I don't believe it, but I'm not attacking the guy.



As far as I'm aware, the Tiger Force Lancasters (white ones) were going to be in the Pacific but never were because of the atomic bombs.

There were a) never any Lancs in that area of the Pacific pre August '45; b) nor white ones, and c) Lancasters are significantly smaller than a B-29. D) He never stated 'Lancaster' either.

As I said before, it's probably a genuine mistake that's grown. Understandably supported by his family, it doesn't make his recollection 'accurate'. People's (including USMC) aircraft recognition wasn't any better than than it often is now!

And the acid test for thse going 'well it coulda...' and the right to free speech; remember just because something could have happened, doesn't mean it did.

PS: I've never seen Pearl Harbor, I'm just sitting on a castor chair and many of us have been studying the air war for multiple times longer than it actually lasted.

Just a few thoughts.

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

A good day to bring this silly story back for review and rebuttal

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Don't touch my junk!!

Jack, you're such a "pot-stirrerer"!

Geez, I recall this thread when Jack posted it back in 05. Come to think about it, I have come to the conclusion that Rectal Cranial Inversion is not a recent development or for that matter a Congressional Problem but an illness that has been around for several decades. I highly recommend that those suffering from it take up Yoga. The increase in flexability should allow you to remove your coconut from your tailpipe. Please pass this along to: Barny Frank, Nancy Pelosi, Henry Waxman, Brabara Boxer, and anyone else you mike recomend. Did they have Crack on Tinian back then?

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tracers work both ways

funny what people tell themselves and how they remember it.

There is a gentleman who swears that he was sent on a 200 ft photo mission with the 505th BG a mere 30 minutes after the bomb was dropped. He swears it on his grave. Having interviewed many of the 509th members and 393rd BS pilots - there was NO other B-29 in the air over hiroshima that day other than the 509th guys. Still this guy swears it happened.

Tom P.

how would the 509th know about 505th ops? I mean your average pilot, not the brass.

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

And moderator warnings, locking and burial

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Ladies and gentlemen,
I for one do not doubt what the veteran says is true. He could well have observed a white aircraft being loaded with an atomic bomb.

In 1945 and prior to cessation of hostilities, at least two Lancasters were sent to the Far East painted white for heat trials. These two aircraft, or possibly others of the same type (I have no figures on just how many other Lancasters went to the India/Pacific region for trials), would no doubt have all their normal fitout installed. Was it not thought, at one stage prior to the B-29 being used, that possibly Lancasters would have to foot the bill, and do the drops? In addition, I do recall that the bomb shackles in the B-29 'Silverplates' (I believe that is the expression) were of RAF origin, would this be correct? Furthermore, if, for whatever reason, the B-29s could not be used, wouldn't it be prudent to check out whether the bombs could fit into the bomb bay of a Lancaster? Particularly easy to undertake if Lancasters are in the region.

Regards

Pete A.

Plus there were 2 RAF observers assigned to the 509th, that I believe hitched a ride on the second mission.

It's not inconceivable that they could have had another aircraft (maybe white PTO Lancasters) there at some point on Tinian and just wanted to see if it would fit, should the war continue. Is there a 509th historian that would know an obscure detail like that?

Did Tinian have Water Towers or Flak Towers?

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

Visit Django Studios online or Facebook!

I see the Tinian FLAK water towers every day, when I am driving to work


Saludos,


Tulio

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Why take the best part of life out of your life, when you can have life with the best part of your life in your life?

I am one of them 'futbol' people.

Will the previous owner has pics of this double cabin sample

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