Col. Paul Tibbets Jr. waved from the cockpit of Enola Gay, 6 Aug 1945

Caption     Col. Paul Tibbets Jr. waved from the cockpit of Enola Gay, 6 Aug 1945 ww2dbase
Photographer    Unknown
Source    ww2dbaseUnited States National Archives
Identification Code   208-LU-13H-5
More on...   
B-29 Superfortress   Main article  Photos  
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki   Main article  Photos  Maps  
Paul Tibbets   Main article  Photos  
Photos on Same Day 6 Aug 1945
Photos at Same Place Tinian, Mariana Islands
Added By C. Peter Chen

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
24 Jan 2017 01:52:58 PM

SPECTOR OF THE BOMB:

The crews of the 509th had to under go months of training, the B-29s were modified to carry the bombs, the ground crews kept the aircraft ready 24/7.
Months of planning fell on the shoulders of one man, Col Paul Tibbets Jr.

BLUE LIGHT:

Mission was on, and ready to go this would decide the end of the war.

BOMB AWAY!

After the bomb was released, Tibbits put the Enola Gay into a 155 degree turn to the right, to escape the blast. The bomb dropped for 44.4 seconds later, "Little Boy" detonated 1800 feet above the city of Hiroshima. By this time the Enola Gay was (11) miles from the city, before it was hit by the shock wave.

SHOCK AND AWE:

How many B-29s took part on that mission.

ENOLA GAY / Weapons Aircraft
THE GREAT ARTISTE / Blast Measurement & Instrument
Necessary Evil /Strike / Observation & Photography
STRAIGHT FLUSH / Weather Reconnaissance
JABIT III / Weather Reconnaissance / Kokura
FULL HOUSE / Weather Reconnaissance / Nagasaki
TOP SECRET / Spare Aircraft, did not take part in the mission.

TRAINING DAY:

Did you know that 486 (inert training bombs) were built the weight of each bomb was 6,300lb / 2,900kg these were used to test the design, ballistic and handling in free fall.

PUMPKINS BOMBS:

Training bombs were painted olive drab or khaki, the name pumpkin was used in official documents and meetings...
They were similar to Fat Man in shape and size. Forty-nine (49) pumpkin bombs were dropped in training with drops from 30,000ft with a sharp right turn away from the target, after bomb away. One (1) was dropped in the sea and two (2) were aborted returned to base.

WHEN DARKNESS FELL: WORLD WAR II

The first shots of World War II started in the later 1930s
the worlds population at that time was 2,000,000,000 Billion.
At wars end in 1945 most of the world was in ruin, with estimates that range from 80,000,000 Million up to 100,000,000 Million people that's 4% of the population.

You have millions that just vanished without a trace with no record of what became of them during those years.
The millions that suffered and later died from wounds and injuries years later and those that lived out the rest their days remembering the event of WWII...
Today in Europe the remains of the un-counted dead are still being discovered, it has taken Western Europe over 70 years to rebuild, let alone other parts of the world to rebuild as well...

SPECTOR OF THE BOMB:

Weapons technology has improved over the decades with small and more powerful nuclear weapons.

A Third World War is unthinkable. Total nuclear war is utter destruction, it would be lingering death, disease and suffering on a vast scale. Countries wiped out billions vanished civilization as we know it is over. This is enough to frighten any sane person.

STICKS & STONES:

Such a conflict would be total however, some parts of the world would have limited technology until food, fuel, spare-parts, medicine and basic human needs end. It has taken the world decades to rebuild, since the end of WWII.
Some would believe that the end of the next war won't take mankind decades to rebuild, but centuries and most likely never reach the zenith of technology we enjoy today.

WORLD WITHOUT END:

Somewhere in the world, the spark of human engineering is always there and the first steps of rebuilding a new civilization will start...the slope will be steeper, to climb, but man himself will endure...I'm not an expert just another person who is able to leave his knowledge of WWII.

I THANK THE EDITOR/WW2DB FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE MY INTEREST IN WWII...

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Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Tinian, Mariana Islands
Lat/Long 15.0720, 145.6384
Famous WW2 Quote
"Since peace is now beyond hope, we can but fight to the end."

Chiang Kaishek, 31 Jul 1937


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