Boeing B-29 Superfortress in the WWII Gallery

This video from Defense Media Activity has an interview with Museum Curator Jeff Duford and highlights the mission and impact of the B-29 bombing mission over Nagasaki Japan.
The B-29 on display, Bockscar, dropped the Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, three days after the atomic attack against Hiroshima. Bockscar was one of 15 specially modified "Silverplate" B-29s assigned to the 509th Composite Group. Most B-29s carried eight .50-cal. machine guns in remote controlled turrets, two .50-cal. machine guns and one 20mm cannon in a tail turret, and up to 20,000 pounds of bombs. Silverplate B-29s, however, retained only the tail turret and had their armor removed to save weight so that the heavy atomic bombs of the time could be carried over a longer distance.
Designed in 1940 as an eventual replacement for the B-17 and B-24, the first B-29 made its maiden flight on Sept. 21, 1942. In December 1943 U.S. Army Air Forces leadership committed the Superfortress to Asia, where its great range made it particularly suited for the long over-water flights against the Japanese homeland from bases in China. During the last two months of 1944, B-29s began operating against Japan from the islands of Saipan, Guam and Tinian. With the advent of the conflict in Korea in June 1950, the B-29 returned to combat. Although vulnerable to MiG-15 jet fighter attacks, the Superfortress remained effective against several types of targets throughout the Korean War.

[@generalripper1964]

Excellent video. If anyone is going through Colorado, visit the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum in Pueblo, Colorado. They have a B-29 Superfortress on static display in Hangar #1. Yeah this mission could have ended very badly for the crew.

[@Chefmueller]

Miami - FL / U.S.A
August 6th, 2015
Happy 70th Anniversary to the U.S Air Force B-29 Superfortress.

[@johnwatson3948]

The cool “Bockscar” logo (with target and mushroom cloud) was of course not painted on the plane until after the mission - it’s said the original was a small pair of dice showing sixes (boxcars). Bomb replica also cool but appears to be painted insignia yellow instead of the mustard color zinc chromate on the real one.

[@scottmarquiss7941]

Just twenty (20) in he blew a fact. . .Bockscar didn't end the war! The Japanese government was debating on what to do. Truman had pulled back the Theatre command to drop a third, it never left the states. It was to leave the on August 14.
Interesting note that on 14 August, a massive (non-atomic) raid went to Japan. On the way TO we were at war, on the FROM, radio operaters on the B-29s heard that they had surrendered.

[@crooked-halo]

Bockscar not ending the war is a hugely controversial statement.

[@scottmarquiss7941]

Look it up. . .what I say IS true!