Editing Enola Gay (section)

==World War II==

===Early history===
The ''Enola Gay'' (Model number B-29-45-MO,{{refn|The ''block number'' was a one- to three-digit number, followed by a two-letter code that represented the aircraft built to the same engineering specification. The two-letter code represented the plant at which the aircraft was built, in this case, Martin in Omaha. This was combined with the aircraft model designation (B-29) to form the ''model number''{{sfn|Mann|2004|p=100}}|group=N}} Serial number 44-86292, [[USAAF unit identification aircraft markings#XXI Bomber Command|Victor number]] 82) was built by the [[Glenn L. Martin Company]] (later part of [[Lockheed Martin]]) at its [[Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant|bomber plant]] in [[Bellevue, Nebraska]], located at Offutt Field, now [[Offutt Air Force Base]]. The bomber was one of the first fifteen [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress|B-29]]s built to the "[[Silverplate]]" specification— of 65 eventually completed during and after World War II—giving them the primary ability to function as nuclear "weapon delivery" aircraft. These modifications included an extensively modified bomb bay with pneumatic doors and British bomb attachment and release systems, reversible pitch propellers that gave more braking power on landing, improved engines with fuel injection and better cooling,{{sfn|Campbell|2005|pp=14–15}}<ref name="AirIll">March, Peter R. "Enola Gay Restored". ''Aircraft Illustrated'', October 2003.</ref> and the removal of protective armor and gun turrets.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aviationexplorer.com/B-29_Enola_Gay_Superfortress_Bomber.html |title=Boeing B-29 Enola Gay Superfortress bomber, Aircraft history, facts and pictures |publisher=aviationexplorer.com |access-date=4 August 2010 |archive-date=22 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422073225/http://www.aviationexplorer.com/B-29_Enola_Gay_Superfortress_Bomber.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Enola Gay (plane).jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|''Enola Gay'' after the Hiroshima mission, entering [[hardstand]]. It is in its 6th Bombardment Group livery, with [[USAAF unit identification aircraft markings|victor number]] 82 visible on fuselage just forward of the tail fin.]]

''Enola Gay'' was personally selected by [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] [[Paul Tibbets|Paul W. Tibbets Jr.]], the commander of the [[509th Composite Group]], on 9 May 1945, while still on the [[assembly line]]. The aircraft was accepted by the [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) on 18 May 1945 and assigned to the [[393d Bomb Squadron|393d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy]], 509th Composite Group. Crew B-9, commanded by [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]] [[Robert A. Lewis]], took delivery of the bomber and flew it from Omaha to the 509th base at [[Wendover Army Air Field]], [[Utah]], on 14 June 1945.{{sfn|Campbell|2005|pp=191–192}}

Thirteen days later, the aircraft left Wendover for [[Guam]], where it received a bomb-bay modification, and flew to [[North Field (Tinian)|North Field]], [[Tinian]], on 6 July. It was initially given the Victor (squadron-assigned identification) number 12, but on 1 August, was given the [[USAAF unit identification aircraft markings#XXI Bomber Command|circle R tail markings]] of the [[6th Operations Group|6th Bombardment Group]] as a security measure and had its Victor number changed to 82 to avoid misidentification with actual 6th Bombardment Group aircraft.{{sfn|Campbell|2005|pp=191–192}} During July, the bomber made eight practice or training flights and flew two missions, on 24 and 26 July, to drop [[pumpkin bomb]]s on industrial targets at [[Kobe]] and [[Nagoya]]. ''Enola Gay'' was used on 31 July on a rehearsal flight for the actual mission.{{sfn|Campbell|2005|p=117}}

The partially assembled [[Little Boy]] [[gun-type fission weapon]] L-11, weighing {{convert|10000|lb}}, was contained inside a {{convert|41 x 47 x 138|in|cm|adj=on}} wooden crate that was secured to the deck of the {{USS|Indianapolis|CA-35|6}}. Unlike the six [[uranium-235]] target discs, which were later flown to Tinian on three separate aircraft arriving 28 and 29 July, the assembled projectile with the nine uranium-235 rings installed was shipped in a single lead-lined steel container weighing {{convert|300|lb}} that was locked to brackets welded to the deck of [[Captain (United States O-6)|Captain]] [[Charles B. McVay III]]'s quarters.{{refn|The atomic bombs were euphemistically known as the "gadgets", a tag given to them by scientists at the [[Los Alamos National Laboratory|Los Alamos]] test facility.{{sfn|Hoddeson|Henriksen|Meade|Westfall|1993|p=2}}|group=N}} Both the L-11 and projectile were dropped off at Tinian on 26 July 1945.{{sfn|Hoddeson|Henriksen|Meade|Westfall|1993|p=258}}

===Hiroshima mission===
{{Main|Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki }}
[[File:Atombombe Little Boy 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|''[[Little Boy]]'' unit on a trailer cradle in a bomb pit on [[Tinian]], before loading into ''Enola Gay''{{'}}s bomb bay]]
On 5 August 1945, during preparation for the first atomic mission, Tibbets assumed command of the aircraft and named it after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets, who, in turn, had been named for the heroine of a novel.{{refn|''Enola; or Her Fatal Mistake'' (1886), by [[Mary Young Ridenbaugh]] is the only novel of the period to use "Enola".<ref name="Ridenbaugh/1886/Enola">{{cite book |last1=Ridenbaugh |first1=Mary Young |title=Enola; Or, Her Fatal Mistake |date=1886 |publisher=For the author |location=Kentucky |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4GUtAAAAYAAJ |access-date=8 August 2023 |language=en |quote=Volume 3 of Wright American fiction}}{{free access}}</ref>|group=N}} When it came to selecting a name for the plane, Tibbets later recalled that: {{blockquote|...&nbsp;my thoughts turned at this point to my courageous red-haired mother, whose quiet confidence had been a source of strength to me since boyhood, and particularly during the soul-searching period when I decided to give up a medical career to become a military pilot. At a time when Dad had thought I had lost my marbles, she had taken my side and said, "I know you will be all right, son."{{sfn|Tibbets|1998|p=203}} }}

In the early morning hours, just prior to the 6 August mission, Tibbets had a young Army Air Forces maintenance man, Private Nelson Miller, paint the name just under the pilot's window.<ref>{{cite web  |title=Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay"  |publisher=Smithsonian Institution  |url=https://www.si.edu/object/nasm_A19500100000?width=85%25&height=85%25&iframe=true&back_link=1&destination=spotlight/awards-and-insignia  |access-date=17 August 2020  |archive-date=31 October 2020  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031020336/https://www.si.edu/object/nasm_A19500100000?width=85%25&height=85%25&iframe=true&back_link=1&destination=spotlight%2Fawards-and-insignia  |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Nathan|first=Richard|date=6 August 2021|title=Literary Fallout: The legacies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|url=https://www.redcircleauthors.com/news-and-views/literary-fallout-the-legacies-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/|url-status=live|newspaper=Red Circle|access-date=9 August 2021|archive-date=26 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226192717/https://www.redcircleauthors.com/news-and-views/literary-fallout-the-legacies-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/}}</ref>{{sfn|Campbell|2005|pp=191–192}} Regularly assigned aircraft commander [[Robert A. Lewis]] was unhappy to be displaced by Tibbets for this important mission and became furious when he arrived at the aircraft on the morning of 6 August to see it painted with the now-famous nose art.{{sfn|Thomas|Morgan-Witts|1977|pp=382–383}}

[[Hiroshima]] was the primary target of the first nuclear bombing mission on 6 August, with Kokura and Nagasaki as alternative targets. ''Enola Gay'', piloted by Tibbets, took off from [[North Field (Tinian)|North Field]], in the [[Northern Mariana Islands]], about six hours' flight time from Japan, accompanied by two other B-29s, ''[[The Great Artiste]]'', carrying instrumentation, and a then-nameless aircraft later called ''[[Necessary Evil (aircraft)|Necessary Evil]]'', commanded by Captain George Marquardt, to take photographs. The director of the [[Manhattan Project]], [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Leslie R. Groves Jr.]], wanted the event recorded for posterity, so the takeoff was illuminated by floodlights. When he wanted to taxi, Tibbets leaned out the window to direct the bystanders out of the way. On request, he gave a friendly wave for the cameras.{{sfn|Polmar|2004|pp=31–32}}
[[File:Atomic cloud over Hiroshima.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Hiroshima explosion]]

After leaving Tinian, the three aircraft made their way separately to [[Iwo Jima]], where they rendezvoused at {{convert|2440|m|ft|sp=us}} and set course for Japan. The aircraft arrived over the target in clear visibility at {{convert|9855|m|ft|sp=us}}. Navy Captain [[William Sterling Parsons|William S. "Deak" Parsons]] of [[Project Alberta]], who was in command of the mission, armed the bomb during the flight to minimize the risks during takeoff. His assistant, [[Second Lieutenant]] [[Morris R. Jeppson]], removed the safety devices 30 minutes before reaching the target area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mphpa.org/classic/HISTORY/H-07L1.htm|title=Timeline #2 – the 509th; The Hiroshima Mission|publisher=The Atomic Heritage Foundation|access-date=5 May 2007|archive-date=1 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501233757/http://mphpa.org/classic/HISTORY/H-07L1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The release at 08:15 (Hiroshima time) went as planned, and the Little Boy took 53 seconds<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CknAtJFGgos| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211104/CknAtJFGgos| archive-date=2021-11-04 | url-status=live|title=World at War &#124; Hiroshima &#124; Atomic Bomb &#124; Interviews &#124; 1974|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> to fall from the aircraft flying at {{convert|31060|ft|m|sp=us}} to the predetermined detonation height about {{convert|1968|ft|m|sp=us}} above the city. ''Enola Gay'' traveled {{convert|11.5|mi|abbr=on}} before it felt the shock waves from the blast.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/hiroshima.htm| title=The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima, Aug&nbsp;6, 1945| publisher=[[United States Department of Energy]]| access-date=25 June 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624065430/http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/hiroshima.htm| archive-date=24 June 2010| url-status=dead}}</ref> Although buffeted by the shock, neither ''Enola Gay'' nor ''The Great Artiste'' was damaged.{{sfn|Polmar|2004|p=33}}

The detonation created a blast equivalent to {{convert|15|ktonTNT|lk=in}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Nwfaq/Nfaq8.html#nfaq8.1.3 |title=Section 8.0 The First Nuclear Weapons |publisher=Nuclear Weapons Archive |access-date=13 April 2013}}</ref> The U-235 weapon was [[Nuclear weapon design#Gun-type assembly|considered very inefficient]], with only 1.7% of its [[fissile material]] reacting.<ref name="cotmplitboy">{{cite web|url=http://www.mphpa.org/classic/HISTORY/little_boy.htm|title=The Bomb-"Little Boy"|publisher=The Atomic Heritage Foundation|access-date=5 May 2007|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417070729/https://www.atomicheritage.org/history|url-status=live}}</ref> The radius of total destruction was about {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}}, with resulting fires across {{convert|4.4|sqmi|km2}}.<ref>{{cite web| title=Radiation Dose Reconstruction U.S. Occupation Forces in Hiroshima And Nagasaki, Japan, 1945–1946 (DNA 5512F)| url=http://www.dtra.mil/toolbox/directorates/td/programs/nuclear_personnel/docs/DNATR805512F.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060624185903/http://www.dtra.mil/toolbox/directorates/td/programs/nuclear_personnel/docs/DNATR805512F.pdf | archive-date=24 June 2006 | access-date=9 June 2006}}</ref> Americans estimated that {{convert|4.7|sqmi|km2}} of the city were destroyed. Japanese officials determined that 69% of Hiroshima's buildings were destroyed and another 6–7% damaged.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|publisher=Harry S. Truman Library & Museum. |title=U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey: The Effects of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, June 19, 1946. President's Secretary's File, Truman Papers. |url=http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/index.php?pagenumber=14&documentid=65&documentdate=1946-06-19&studycollectionid=abomb |page=9 |access-date=15 March 2009 |archive-date=8 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608210328/http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/index.php?pagenumber=14&documentdate=1946-06-19&documentid=65&studycollectionid=abomb |url-status=live}}</ref> Some 70,000–80,000 people, 30% of the city's population, were killed by the blast and resultant firestorm,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Harry S. Truman Library & Museum. |title=U. S. Strategic Bombing Survey: The Effects of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, June 19, 1946. President's Secretary's File, Truman Papers. |url=http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/index.php?pagenumber=11&documentid=65&documentdate=1946-06-19&studycollectionid=abomb |page=6 |access-date=15 March 2009 |archive-date=8 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608035058/http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/index.php?pagenumber=11&documentdate=1946-06-19&documentid=65&studycollectionid=abomb |url-status=live }}</ref> and another 70,000 injured.<ref>{{cite web |title=Harry S. Truman Library & Museum. U. S. Strategic Bombing Survey: The Effects of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, June 19, 1946. President's Secretary's File, Truman Papers. |url=http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/index.php?pagenumber=42&documentid=65&documentdate=1946-06-19&studycollectionid=abomb |page=37 |access-date=15 March 2009 |archive-date=8 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608191453/http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/index.php?pagenumber=42&documentdate=1946-06-19&documentid=65&studycollectionid=abomb |url-status=live }}</ref> Out of those killed, 20,000 were soldiers and 20,000 were Korean slave laborers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hiroshimacommittee.org/Facts_NagasakiAndHiroshimaBombing.htm |title=Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombing: Facts about the Atomic Bomb |publisher=Hiroshima Day Committee |access-date=13 April 2013 |archive-date=2 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602010751/http://www.hiroshimacommittee.org/Facts_NagasakiAndHiroshimaBombing.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Enola Gay2-PS.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|''Enola Gay'' landing at its base]]
''Enola Gay'' returned safely to its base on Tinian to great fanfare, touching down at 2:58 pm, after 12 hours 13 minutes. ''The Great Artiste'' and ''Necessary Evil'' followed at short intervals. Several hundred people, including journalists and photographers, had gathered to watch the planes return. Tibbets was the first to disembark and was presented with the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] on the spot.{{sfn|Polmar|2004|p=33}}

===Nagasaki mission===
The Hiroshima mission was followed by another atomic strike. Originally scheduled for 11 August, it was brought forward by two days to 9 August owing to a forecast of bad weather. This time, a nuclear bomb code-named "[[Fat Man]]" was carried by B-29 ''[[Bockscar]]'', piloted by Major [[Charles W. Sweeney]].{{sfn|Polmar|2004|pp=35–38}} ''Enola Gay'', flown by Captain George Marquardt's Crew B-10, was the weather reconnaissance aircraft for [[Kokura]], the primary target.{{sfn|Campbell|2005|p=32}} ''Enola Gay'' reported clear skies over Kokura,{{sfn|Sweeney|Antonucci|Antonucci|1997|pp=210–211}} but by the time ''Bockscar'' arrived, the city was obscured by smoke from fires from the conventional bombing of [[Yahata]] by 224 B-29s the day before. After three unsuccessful passes, ''Bockscar'' diverted to its secondary target, Nagasaki,{{sfn|Sweeney|Antonucci|Antonucci|1997|pp=213–215}} where it dropped its bomb. In contrast to the Hiroshima mission, the Nagasaki mission has been described as tactically botched, although the mission did meet its objectives. The crew encountered a number of problems in execution and had very little fuel by the time they landed at the emergency backup landing site [[Yontan Airfield]] on [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=527 |title=Boeing B-29 Superfortress |publisher=National Museum of the United States Air Force |access-date=3 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124072508/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=527 |archive-date=24 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Hiroshima">{{cite web |last=Rossenfeld |first=Carrie |url=http://hiroshima-remembered.com/history/nagasaki/page3.html |title=The Story of Nagasaki: The Missions |publisher=hiroshima-remembered.com |year=2005 |access-date=3 August 2010 |archive-date=29 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029151532/http://hiroshima-remembered.com/history/nagasaki/page3.html |url-status=live }}</ref>