Straight Flush (B-29)

Straight Flush (B-29). A Boeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bomber, serial number 44-27353, assigned to the 509th Composite Group during the final stages of World War II. It served as the weather reconnaissance aircraft for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, flying ahead of the strike planes to assess target conditions. The aircraft and its crew played a critical, though often overlooked, role in the Manhattan Project's final combat operations.

History and service

Assigned to the United States Army Air Forces, this B-29 was manufactured by Boeing at its plant in Renton, Washington. In early 1945, it was transferred to the newly formed 509th Composite Group, a special unit created under the command of Colonel Paul Tibbets and based at Wendover Air Force Base in Utah. The group's sole purpose was to deliver atomic bombs, and all its aircraft, including this one, underwent extensive modifications for this unique mission profile. Prior to deployment to the Pacific Theater, the unit conducted intensive training over the Great Salt Lake Desert and the Salton Sea.

Atomic bomb modifications

Like all B-29s in the 509th Composite Group, this aircraft was specially modified to handle the unique demands of atomic warfare. These modifications, performed at the Birmingham Modification Center and other facilities, included the installation of reversible-pitch propellers and improved Wright R-3350 engines for better high-altitude performance. Most crucially, the bomber was equipped with advanced Pumpkin bomb shackles and wiring to carry the shape and weight of both the Little Boy and Fat Man nuclear weapons during test drops. Its bomb bay was also configured to accommodate the large, bulbous shape of the Fat Man implosion-type device, a design finalized by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Crew and missions

The aircraft was commanded by Captain Claude Eatherly during its historic missions. On August 6, 1945, it took off from North Field, Tinian as part of the Hiroshima mission, flying ahead of the Enola Gay to report on weather over the primary target of Hiroshima, and the secondary targets of Kokura and Nagasaki. The crew's confirmation of clear skies over Hiroshima was the final authorization for the Enola Gay to proceed. Three days later, on August 9, the aircraft repeated its role for the Nagasaki mission, scouting weather for the Bockscar, which ultimately bombed Nagasaki after finding Kokura obscured. These flights were among the most tense of the war, flown in radio silence near the coast of Japan.

Post-war fate

Following the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II, the 509th Composite Group was relocated to Roswell Army Air Field in New Mexico. The aircraft continued in service for several years, participating in Operation Crossroads, the postwar nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll. As the United States Air Force transitioned to newer strategic bombers like the Convair B-36 Peacemaker and the Boeing B-50 Superfortress, older B-29s were phased out. In 1954, the aircraft was declared obsolete and was scrapped at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, a fate shared by many wartime Superfortresses.

Legacy and recognition

While the Enola Gay and Bockscar are preserved in the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the United States Air Force respectively, this aircraft's direct role is commemorated within the history of the 509th Bomb Wing. The actions of Captain Claude Eatherly and his crew are documented in histories of the Manhattan Project and studies of the Pacific War. The aircraft's serial number, 44-27353, is listed among the assets of the 509th Composite Group in official records held by the National Archives and Records Administration. Its mission exemplifies the complex support network required for the dawn of the Atomic Age.

Category:Boeing aircraft Category:World War II American bombers Category:509th Composite Group