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| USAAF 20th AF 509th CG 393rd BS |
Aircraft History Built by Boeing as a B-29-35-MO Superfortress at the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Plant at Bellevue, Nebraska. One of fifteen B-29s modified as a silverplate and re-designated "Block 36" as a model B-29A-40-MO Superfortress. On March 19, 1945 Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-29-35-MO Superfortress serial number 44-27297. Assigned to crew C-13 including: Aircraft Commander Captain Frederick C. Bock, Greenville, MI Co-Pilot 1st Lieutenant Hugh Cardwell Ferguson, Sr., Highland Park, MI Navigator 1st Lieutenant Leonard A. Godfrey, Jr., Greenfield, MA Bombardier 1st Lieutenant Charles Levy, Philadelphia, PA Engineer Master Sergeant Roderick F. Arnold, Rochester, MI Assistant Engineer Sergeant Ralph D. Belanger, Thendara, NY Radio Sergeant Ralph D. Curry, Hoopeston, IL Radar Sergeant William C. Barney, Columbia City, IN Tail Gunner Sergeant Robert J. Stock, Fort Wayne, IN Wartime History During April 1945, flown to Wendover Army Air Field, Utah. Afterwards, nicknamed "Bockscar" a play on Bock's surname with the nose art of a flying box car over rail road tracks. On June 11, 1945 departed Wendover Army Air Field on a ferry flight to North Field on Tinian Island arriving five days later. Assigned to the 20th Air Force (20th AF), 509th Composite Group (509th CG), 393rd Bombardment Squadron (393rd BS) with victor number 7. During June 1945 and July 1945, this B-29 flew thirteen training missions plus three bombing mission over Japan each mission armed with a single pumpkin bomb (non-nuclear replication of the "Fat Man" bomb). On July 24, 1945 took off armed with a "pumpkin bomb" on a bombing mission against Sumitomo Aluminum Plant at Niihama and bombed visually with excellent results. On July 29, 1945 took off armed with a "pumpkin bomb" on a bombing mission against Tokyo and visually bombs the secondary target, the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory at Musashino with poor results. On August 1, 1945 the victor number was changed to 77 and painted in black on the sides of the nose. The tail was given the triangle N markings of the 444th Bombardment Group (444th BG) as a security measure to give the appearance of a conventional bomber. On August 9, 1945 this B-29 loaded from Atomic Bomb Pit No. 2 with the plutonium bomb nicknamed "Fat Man". For the mission, this B-29 was flown by aircraft commander Major Charles W. Sweeney with crew C-15 usually assigned to B-29 "The Great Artiste" 44-27353: Aircraft Commander Major Charles W. Sweeney, Lowell, MA Co-Pilot Captain Charles Donald "Don" Albury, Miami, FL Regular Co-pilot Second Lieutenant Frederick "Fred" J. Olivi, Chicago, IL Navigator Captain James F. Van Pelt, Jr., Oak Hill, WV Bombardier Captain Kermit K. Beahan, Houston, TX Weaponeer Commander Frederick W. Ashworth, USN Beverly, MA Engineer MSgt John D. Kuharek, Sharpsburg, PA Assistant Engineer SSgt Raymond C. Gallagher, Chicago, IL Radar SSgt Edward K. Buckley, Lisbon, OH Radar Sgt Abe M. Spitzer, Bronx, NY Tail Gunner Sgt Albert T. "Pappy" DeHart, Plainview, TX Took off at 3:49am from North Field on Tinian Island. After take off it flew to a rendezvous point to meet two other B-29 "The Great Artiste" 44-27353 piloted by Captain Frederick C Bock (who has exchanged planes with Sweeney for the mission) and B-29 44-27354 piloted by Major James I Hopkins. At the rendezvous point, Hopkins bomber did not arrive in time. The pair waited for an extra thirty before proceeding together. Meanwhile, B-29 "Enola Gay" 44-86292 flew a weather reconnaissance mission over the primary target Kokura and reported it as clear. By the time the B-29s arrived, the target was obscured by smoke from the bombing of Yawata. Ordered to drop the bomb visually and not by radar, "Bockscar" made three unsuccessful bombing runs then diverted to the secondary target Nagasaki. Over Nagasaki 10:58 local time flying at an altitude of at 28,900', the "Fat Man" atomic bomb was released at 11:01am and exploded 47 seconds later. The Japanese estimated 24,000 were killed, while U.S. estimated about 35,000. Afterwards, all three B-29s landed at Yontan Airfield on Okinawa, refuel then took off again and return to North Field Airstrip at 23:39. Postwar Afterwards, flown back to the United States. On September 11, 1946 placed into storage at the Davis-Monthan Museum with fuselage code “89” with tail circle R. Display On September 26, 1961 delivered to the USAF Museum and displayed at the World War II aviation hangar with a replica "Fat Man" atomic bomb. One of the two safety pins from the "Fat Man" atomic bomb is displayed at the West Point Museum. Memorials Sweeney joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and retired with the rank of Major General. He died July 16, 2004 at age 84. He is buried in Massachusetts National Cemetery at Section 38 Site 404. Albury postwar was a pilot for Eastern Airlines until he retired in 1980. He died May 23, 2009 at age 88. He is buried at Miami Memorial Park Cemetery in Miami, FL in Trinity Garden, Row L, Lot 152, Space 1. Olivi joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He died April 8, 2004 at age 82. He is buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Alsip, IL at Section 28, Block 4, Lot 11, Grave 2. Van Pelt joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and served in the Korean War and Vietnam War then retired with the rank of Colonel. He died December 10, 1994 at age 76. He is buried at Riverside National Cemetery at section 43 site 1113. Beahan joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and served in the Korean War and Vietnam War then retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He died March 10, 1989 at age 70. Beahan is buried at Houston National Cemetery at Section K, Site 389. Ashworth died December 3, 2005. He is buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery in section 5 grave 331E. He also has a memorial marker at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in section 9-1 lot 1879. Kuharek joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and served in the Korean War then retired with the rank of Senior Master Sergeant. He died April 24, 2001 in Tampa, FL. On June 5, 2001 buried at Arlington National Cemetery in section 70, site 1752. Gallagher died May 2, 1999 at age 77. He is buried at Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum at grave 7, Lot 16, block 98, section W in Evergreen Park, IL. Buckley died June 26, 1981 at age 67. He is buried at Andersonville National Cemetery at section I, row 2132. Spitzer died May 24, 1984 at age 72 in White Plains, NY. He has an unknown burial. DeHart died December 31, 1976 at age 61 in Shreveport, LA. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Woodlawn, TX. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-29-35-MO Superfortress 44-27297 "27297 to the Martin Modification Center, Omaha, NB, for Code Silverplate conversion for the carriage of atomic weapons. Field number 77. Assigned to 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Composite Group. Was "Bockscar"--the Nagasaki bomber Aug 9, 1945. Attached to 509th Composite Group, 393rd Composite Squadron, Roswell,NM: Davis-Monthan to CL-32 (Museum) 11 Sep 1946. Delivered to Wright Patterson AFB Sep 26, 1961. Now on display at WPAFB Museum." The Silverplate Bombers: A History and Registry of the Enola Gay and Other B-29s Configured to Carry Atomic Bombs (2012) by Richard H. Campbell pages 172 (B-29 44-27297), 139 (July 24, 1945 Niihama, July 29, 1945 Musashino), 234 (index Tokyo-Musashino) FindAGrave - MG Charles William Sweeney (photo, grave photo) FindAGrave - Charles Donald Albury (photo, grave photo) FindAGrave - LTC Fred John Olivi (photos, grave photo) FindAGrave - Dr James Frederick Van Pelt Jr. (photos, obituary, grave) FindAGrave - Kermit King Beahan (photo, grave photo) Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Frederick L. Ashworth The New York Times "Frederick L. Ashworth, 93, Atomic Bomb Handler, Dies" December 8, 2005 FindAGrave - Frederick Lincoln Ashworth (photo, grave photo) FindAGrave - VADM Frederick Lincoln “Dick” Ashworth (photos, memorial marker) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - John Donald Kuharek (grave photos) FindAGrave - John Donald Kuharek (photos, grave photo) FindAGrave - SGT Raymond Clarence Gallagher (photos) FindAGrave - Dr Edward Kenneth Buckley (photos, grave photos) FindAGrave - Sgt Abe M Spitzer (photos) FindAGrave - Albert Travis Dehart (photos, grave photo) Contribute
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