B-29's ...

[Mark Allen M]

Some nice B-29 photos along with a few interesting images of what I believe to be the 'Enola Gay' at different times. Sources, USAF Archives, SDASM, Library of Congress

Part 1 of 4


"Enola Gay" Tinian 1945


B-29 Superfortress named "Rusty Dusty" from the 499th Bomb Group recieving some maintenance. (U.S. Air Force photo)


Unknown


"Enola Gay" 1946


"Enola Gay" location unknown


Boeing B-29-55-BW (S/N 42-24878) "Flak Alley Sally" from the 331st Bomb Group, 315th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force at Iwo Jima, Motoyama airfield No. 2 on March 17, 1945. (U.S. Air Force photo)


"Dinah Might"
Martin-Omaha B-29-25-MO Superfortress
Serial number 42-65286
1st Bomb Squadron, 9th Bomb Group, 20th Air Force

This photo was taken on March 4,1945 after "Dinah Might" became the first B-29 to make an emergency landing on Iwo Jima, while the fighting was still going on. She was repaired, refueled and flown out. (U.S. Air Force photo)


Perth Australia 1945


Perth Australia 1945


Seattle 1945


"Rush Order"
Bell-Atlanta B-29-10-BA Superfortress
s/n 42-63393
768th Bomb Squadron, 462nd Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force.


"Black Jack"
B-29-5-BW Superfortress
s/n 42-6292
678th Bomb Squadron, 444th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force.
Lost on May 19,1944. (U.S. Air Force photo)


Boeing B-29 "The Dragon Lady" from the 497th Bomb Group undergoes maintenance on Saipan, Marianas. Note that the No. 1 and No. 2 propellers have been removed. (U.S. Air Force photo)

"Dragon Lady" (A-Square 41)
Bell-Atlanta B-29-15-BA Superfortress
s/n 42-63425
871st BS, 497th BG, 20th AF
Later re-named "Terrible Terry", she survived the war.


Tinian 1945


The near aircraft is K55 "Ol' Smoker", also named "City of Miami Beach,FL". She flew with the 459th Bomb Squadron, 330th Bomb Group, 314th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force.
She was a B-29-30-MO serial number 42-65370.
The next plane in line is X5 "Sweet Sue" from the 1st Bomb Squadron, 9th Bomb Group, 313th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force. She was a B-29-80-BW serial number 44-70112. (U.S. Air Force photo)


The near plane is a Boeing B-29-45-BW Superfortress, built at the Wichita plant. She was lost on March 31,1945 when the crew had to ditch her in the Pacific due to engine failure, one crewmember was killed. Served with the 498th Bomb Group.
The next two aircraft in line are Martin B-29-15-MO Superfortress' built in the Omaha plant. (U.S. Air Force photo)


Aircraft from the 29th Bomb Group, 314th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force on North Field,Guam.
Plane #33 from the 43rd Bomb Squadron was named "City of Sweetwater", but also carried the names "Ingrid" and "Battlin' Boomerang" at some point. She was lost on April 14,1945 and the entire crew was KIA. (U.S. Air Force photo)


Bell-Atlanta B-29-50-BA Superfortress


I believe Tinian


Location unknown

[Mark Allen M]

Part 2 of 4


XB-29 1942


Boeing XB-29 41-18335 the third of three prototypes


Two Boeing B-29 Superfortress in flight over Laredo AAF Laredo Texas on Army Air Forces Day August 1 1945


B-29's 29th Bomb Group 314th Bomb Wing 20th Air Force


B-29's 19th Bomb Group POW supply drop missions flown from August 27-September 20 1945


B-29 Superfortress of the 499th Bomb Group 73rd Bomb Wing out of Isley Field Saipan over Mount Fuji Japan 1945


The all too common engine fire on a B-29 from the 29th Bomb Group. (U.S. Air Force photo)




"Little Organ Annie" (42-24893) from the 794th Bomb Squadron, 468th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)


Boeing B-29s drop bombs over Rangoon, Burma. Nearest aircraft is B-29-25-BA (S/N 42-63529) of the 792nd Bomb Squadron, 468th Bomb Group, 20th Air Force. This aircraft was reported as MIA near the Marianas Islands on May 26,1945. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Lost on the May 26,1945 mission to Tokyo, shot down by fighters.
1st Lt. Homer H. Hinkle - Pilot (MIA)
1st Lt. John C. Lamon - Co-Pilot (POW)
1st Lt. Arthur M. Shelton,Jr. - Navigator (POW)
1st Lt. Wesley C. Halbert - Bombardier (POW)
M/Sgt. Willis A. White - Flight Engineer (MIA)
S/Sgt. Clarence P. Reams - Radar Operator (POW)
S/Sgt. Thomas W. Peel - Radio Operator (KIA)
S/Sgt. Fred R. Dunham - Central Fire Control Gunner (MIA)
S/Sgt. Eugene Lewis - Left Gunner (MIA)
S/Sgt. Alvin Jelgerhuis - Right Gunner (POW)
S/Sgt. Donald E. Ryan - Tail Gunner (MIA)


314th BW at North Field Guam.


"Black Sheep" also named "City of Jackson"
Martin-Omaha B-29-30-MO Superfortress
Serial number 42-65369
61st Bomb Squadron, 39th Bomb Group, 314th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force.
This plane crashed and burned at Kadena AFB on April 12,1951.




B-29's over Mt Fuji 1945

[The Inspector]

I'm basically a FORD guy, but give complete props to the DODGE Div. of CHRYSLER who were tasked with producing and taming the R-3350. Through constant improvements programs DODGE not only turned the engine from a spontaneous bonfire going someplace inconvenient to catch fire, but into an engine reliable enough to power post war/pre jet commercial airliners. They also cut the per unit cost of the engine from over $25,000.00 ea. to under $12,000.00 per unit. (and might have learned a few things about hemispherical combustion head design too).

[VaBeachEd]

Excellent pics! I'm certainly no expert, (as anyone who has read anything I've ever written on here will say!!) but I believe picture #3 (caption "unknown") is also Enola Gay. I believe she had "82" on her STBD side aft, and her call sign for the Hiroshima mission was "Dimples 82".

[wendovertom]

Cool! I have been to where the first photo was taken - you would not recognize it from any other piece of jungle on the island! That 5th picture I would almost say is Wendover, UT; but I am almost positive that they never came back after the war even for a stop over. Plus the ramp layout is not quite right.

Tom P.

[CAPFlyer]

I'm pretty sure the 3rd picture is post-war. Several sources show "Circle-R" as being 9th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) based out of Mountain Home AFB with B-29's and RB-29's from 1949 to 1954 before converting to the B-47 Stratojet. Additonal clues this is a post-war photo are the B-36 left wing on the far right of the picture (1 full engine pod and one blade of the #2), and the C-74 Globemaster I immediately behind the B-29 featured. Also visible is another B-29, a C-46, a C-47, an F-86, F-84, and a P-80/T-33. With all that, I suspect the picture was taken in 1951 or 1952. I'm pretty sure that Enola Gay was already preserved at this point, so this is another airframe.

[Taigh Ramey]

Great shots. Thanks for posting them.

Sure is a lot going on on this airframe:

[Mark Allen M]

Part 3 of 4








Can't feather a run-away prop. It will eventually overheat the shaft,causing it to break?


Can't feather a run-away prop. It will eventually overheat the shaft,causing it to break?


Boeing B-29-55-BW Superfortress (serial #44-69703) after crash-landing on Motoyama Airfield,Iwo Jima. It had encountered trouble on a mission over Tokyo on March 10,1945. The plane is from the 497th Bomb Group.




"Gravel Gertie" (Z-Square 29)
Martin-Omaha B-29-15-MO Superfortress
s/n 42-65221
882nd BS, 500th BG, 20th AF
Show after suffering a landing gear collapse on August 6,1945.


Collision of two battle damaged planes on Iwo Jima.


"Uncle Sam's Milk Run"
B-29A-10-BN Superfortress
s/n 42-93906
24th BS, 6th BG, 20th AF
Aircraft was originally named "Ernie Pyle's Milk Run" in reference to the reporters statement that bombing missions in the Pacific were 'milk runs' compared to missions in Europe. After Pyle's death on April 17,1945 the crew decided to change the name and painted over the original. you can just see part of it still.
Shown is the aftermath of the crash-landing at Iwo Jima on May 23,1945 after a mission to Tokyo by the LT Parks crew (2401). The crash killed the CoPilot and wounded the pilot and one gunner.

Updated info: The Co-Pilot had been seriously wounded in Japanese fighter attacks and died in the hospital.

Crew #2401:
1st Lt. Sam A. Parks - Aircraft Commander/Pilot (WIA)
2nd Lt. Joseph Novak - CoPilot (KIA)
1st Lt. Clifford W. Huhn - Flight Engineer
1st Lt. Burlin E. Downing - Navigator
1st Lt. W.T. Hutson - Bombardier
S/Sgt. Walter L. Maryanski - Radio Operator
S/Sgt. Clinton P. Bond - Radar Operator
Sgt. Joseph E. Farrell - CFC
S/Sgt. Willis N. Gross - Right Gunner
Sgt. Herman L. Anderson - Left Gunner (WIA)
Sgt. Albert H. Biernert - Tail Gunner


"Duchess"
Bell-Atlanta B-29-15-BA Superfortress
s/n 42-63411
677th Bomb Squadron, 444th Bomb Group, 20th Air Force
Diamond #61 / Triangle N 61
Flown by Maj. Frank C. Stineman. Engine failure during take-off caused them to run off the end of the runway and the nosewheel collapsed, causing the damage shown. She was repaired and returned to service but was sent back to the U.S. as 'War-Weary' on June 13,1945.
Dudhkundi,India

[VaBeachEd]

Capflyer...

You could be right, and I don't disagree that it's post war. While I was absent the day they taught imagery interpretation in school, I don't see the jet pod on the outboard wingtip of the aircraft on the far right of the pic that does indeed look like a B-36 - at least from the engine nacelles, which is about all you can see. That may of course, make it a very early model before they added the jets to that underpowered beast.

I also notice the absence of an upper gun turret on the B-29 in question, which I believe was removed from the EG to save weight (?)

That said, according to a USAF magazine,

"On July 3, 1949, the Smithsonian took possession of the Enola Gay at the AFA convention in Chicago. It was moved to a base in Texas, then to Andrews AFB, Md. In 1960, it was disassembled and put into storage."

Either way, very cool pics and interesting discussions!

[Mark Allen M]

Part 4 of 4


KB-29 44-69710 at Oakland in October 1952 A Hose Tanker named "Homogonized Ethel"


Boeing B-29A 44-62234 at SFO in May 1947




Bell X-1 XS-1 Skyrocket with Boeing EB-50 B-50A-5-BO at Edwards AFB








Boeing B-50D-95-BO Superfortress


Boeing SB-29 Superfortress preparing for a life boat test drop in 1952
















B-29 Bomb Bay 1949

[wendovertom]

Taigh,

Joe Baugher shows that this B-29B was converted to be an artic reconn plane :

45-21846 to B-29F electronic reconnaissance aircraft used in Arctic conditions

Tom P.

[Craig59]

I'm pretty sure the 3rd picture is post-war. Several sources show "Circle-R" as being 9th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) based out of Mountain Home AFB with B-29's and RB-29's from 1949 to 1954 before converting to the B-47 Stratojet. Additonal clues this is a post-war photo are the B-36 left wing on the far right of the picture (1 full engine pod and one blade of the #2), and the C-74 Globemaster I immediately behind the B-29 featured. Also visible is another B-29, a C-46, a C-47, an F-86, F-84, and a P-80/T-33. With all that, I suspect the picture was taken in 1951 or 1952. I'm pretty sure that Enola Gay was already preserved at this point, so this is another airframe.

Perhaps a B-29 used in the circa 1951 Tibbets biopic, "Above and Beyond?"

[Flat 12x2]

B-29 Bomb Bay 1949

Grand Slam bomb, showing why it would not fit fully inside the B-29 bomb bay.

[The Inspector]

Great shots. Thanks for posting them.

Sure is a lot going on on this airframe:

4521846, B-29-100-BW, l/n 13740, converted to B-29F for arctic region Elint snooping which explains all the windows and sticky outy thingies, 'be vewwy quiet, we're hunting wabbits'

[Taigh Ramey]

Taigh,

Joe Baugher shows that this B-29B was converted to be an artic reconn plane :

45-21846 to B-29F electronic reconnaissance aircraft used in Arctic conditions

Tom P.

I was thinking of the Kee Bird and its recon ops doing the same mission of keeping an eye on the Russians. Good stuff Tom.