The Great Artiste
Encyclopedia
The Great Artiste was a U.S. Army Air Forces
Silverplate
B-29 bomber
(B-29-40-MO 44-27353, victor number 89), assigned to the 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Composite Group
, that participated in the atomic bomb attacks on both Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. Flown by 393rd commander Major
Charles W. Sweeney, it was assigned to the Hiroshima
mission on August 6, 1945, as the blast measurement instrumentation aircraft.
On the mission to bomb Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, it was to have been the aircraft carrying the bomb, but the mission schedule had been moved forward two days because of weather considerations and the instrumentation had not yet been removed from the aircraft. To avoid delaying the mission, Sweeney traded airplanes with the crew of Bockscar
to carry the Fat Man
atomic bomb to Nagasaki. The crew of Captain Frederick C. Bock
flew The Great Artiste to Nagasaki on its instrument support mission, and landed with it on Okinawa at the conclusion of the mission.
at Omaha, Nebraska
, The Great Artiste was accepted by the Army Air Forces on April 20, 1945, and flown to Wendover Army Air Field, Utah
, by its assigned crew C-15 (1st Lt. Charles D. Albury, Aircraft Commander) in May. It departed Wendover for Tinian
on June 22 and arrived on June 28.
It was originally assigned the victor number 9 but on August 1 was given the circle R tail markings of the 6th Bomb Group as a security measure and had its victor changed to 89 to avoid misidentification with actual 6th BG aircraft. It had its nose art painted after the Nagasaki mission, and the name purportedly referred to undisclosed talents of the bombardier, Capt. Beahan.
In addition to its use on the nuclear bomb missions, The Great Artiste was flown by five different crews on 12 training and practice missions, and by Albury and crew C-15 on two combat missions, one of which was aborted and the other in which it used a Pumpkin bomb
to attack the railroad yards at Kobe
. Capt. Bob Lewis and crew B-9 flew it to drop a pumpkin bomb on an industrial target in Tokushima.
In November 1945 it returned with the 509th to Roswell Army Air Field
, New Mexico
. On September 3, 1948, on a polar navigation training mission, it developed an engine problem after takeoff from Goose Bay Air Base
, Labrador
, and ran off the end of the runway when attempting to land. Heavily damaged, it never flew again and was eventually scrapped at Goose Bay in September 1949, despite its historical significance.
as an observation plane for the Hiroshima mission. At this point in time, however, it did not have the nose art visible in the movie.
Crew C-15 (normally assigned to The Great Artiste)
Project Alberta
members on Hiroshima mission:
)
Project Alberta members aboard:
(The British observers, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire
, and
Professor William G. Penney
a member of Project Alberta
, were on Big Stink (B-29).
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Silverplate
Silverplate
Silverplate was the code reference for the United States Army Air Forces participation in the Manhattan Project during World War II. Originally the name for the aircraft modification project for the B-29 Superfortress to enable it to drop an atomic weapon, Silverplate eventually came to identify...
B-29 bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
(B-29-40-MO 44-27353, victor number 89), assigned to the 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Composite Group
509th Composite Group
The 509th Composite Group was a United States Army Air Forces unit created during World War II, and tasked with operational deployment of nuclear weapons...
, that participated in the atomic bomb attacks on both Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
and Nagasaki. Flown by 393rd commander Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Charles W. Sweeney, it was assigned to the Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
mission on August 6, 1945, as the blast measurement instrumentation aircraft.
On the mission to bomb Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, it was to have been the aircraft carrying the bomb, but the mission schedule had been moved forward two days because of weather considerations and the instrumentation had not yet been removed from the aircraft. To avoid delaying the mission, Sweeney traded airplanes with the crew of Bockscar
Bockscar
Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the "Fat Man" nuclear weapon over Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, the second atomic weapon used against Japan....
to carry the Fat Man
Fat Man
"Fat Man" is the codename for the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9, 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons to be used in warfare to date , and its detonation caused the third man-made nuclear explosion. The name also refers more...
atomic bomb to Nagasaki. The crew of Captain Frederick C. Bock
Frederick C. Bock
Frederick C. Bock was a World War II pilot who took part in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945, flying the B-29 bomber The Great Artiste, which was used for scientific measurements of the effects caused by the nuclear weapon. The bomber which actually dropped Fat Man was called Bockscar as it...
flew The Great Artiste to Nagasaki on its instrument support mission, and landed with it on Okinawa at the conclusion of the mission.
Aircraft history
Built at the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft PlantGlenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
at Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, The Great Artiste was accepted by the Army Air Forces on April 20, 1945, and flown to Wendover Army Air Field, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, by its assigned crew C-15 (1st Lt. Charles D. Albury, Aircraft Commander) in May. It departed Wendover for Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
on June 22 and arrived on June 28.
It was originally assigned the victor number 9 but on August 1 was given the circle R tail markings of the 6th Bomb Group as a security measure and had its victor changed to 89 to avoid misidentification with actual 6th BG aircraft. It had its nose art painted after the Nagasaki mission, and the name purportedly referred to undisclosed talents of the bombardier, Capt. Beahan.
In addition to its use on the nuclear bomb missions, The Great Artiste was flown by five different crews on 12 training and practice missions, and by Albury and crew C-15 on two combat missions, one of which was aborted and the other in which it used a Pumpkin bomb
Pumpkin bomb
Pumpkin bombs were conventional high explosive aerial bombs developed by the Manhattan Project and used by the United States Army Air Forces against Japan during World War II...
to attack the railroad yards at Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
. Capt. Bob Lewis and crew B-9 flew it to drop a pumpkin bomb on an industrial target in Tokushima.
In November 1945 it returned with the 509th to Roswell Army Air Field
Walker Air Force Base
Walker Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force base located three miles south of the central business district of Roswell, a city in Chaves County, New Mexico, US...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. On September 3, 1948, on a polar navigation training mission, it developed an engine problem after takeoff from Goose Bay Air Base
CFB Goose Bay
Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay , is a Canadian Forces Base located in the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador....
, Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, and ran off the end of the runway when attempting to land. Heavily damaged, it never flew again and was eventually scrapped at Goose Bay in September 1949, despite its historical significance.
Movie Appearance
The Great Artiste makes a very brief appearance in the take off scene from Tinian in the movie Above and BeyondAbove and Beyond (film)
Above and Beyond is a 1952 film about Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb. It starred Robert Taylor as Tibbets and Eleanor Parker as his wife. James Whitmore played security officer Major Bill Uanna.-Cast:...
as an observation plane for the Hiroshima mission. At this point in time, however, it did not have the nose art visible in the movie.
Hiroshima mission crew
- Maj. Charles W. Sweeney, aircraft commander
- 1st. Lt. (Charles Donald) Don AlburyCharles Donald AlburyCharles Donald Albury was an American aviator who co-piloted the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber known as the Bockscar during the mission which dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945...
, pilot - 2nd Lt. Fred Olivi, co-pilot
- Capt. James Van Pelt, navigator
- Capt. Raymond "Kermit" Beahan, bombardier
- Cpl Abe Spitzer, radio operator
- Master Sgt. John D. Kuharek, flight engineer
- Staff Sgt Ray Gallagher, gunner, assistant flight engineer
- Staff Sgt Edward Buckley, radar operator
- Sgt. Albert Dehart, tail gunner
Project Alberta
Project Alberta
Project Alberta was a section of the Manhattan Project which developed the means of delivering the first atomic bombs, used by the United States Army Air Forces against the Empire of Japan during World War II...
members on Hiroshima mission:
- Luis AlvarezLuis AlvarezLuis W. Alvarez was an American experimental physicist and inventor, who spent nearly all of his long professional career on the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley...
- Harold Agnew
- Lawrence H. Johnston
Nagasaki mission crew
Crew C-13 (normally assigned to BockscarBockscar
Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the "Fat Man" nuclear weapon over Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, the second atomic weapon used against Japan....
)
- Capt. Frederick C. BockFrederick C. BockFrederick C. Bock was a World War II pilot who took part in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945, flying the B-29 bomber The Great Artiste, which was used for scientific measurements of the effects caused by the nuclear weapon. The bomber which actually dropped Fat Man was called Bockscar as it...
, aircraft commander - Lt. Hugh C. Ferguson, co-pilot
- Lt. Leonard A. Godfrey, navigator
- Lt. Charles Levy, bombardier
- Master Sgt. Roderick F. Arnold, flight engineer
- Sgt. Ralph D. Belanger, assistant flight engineer
- Sgt. Ralph D. Curry, radio operator
- Sgt. William C. Barney, radar operator
- Sgt. Robert J. Stock, tail gunner
Project Alberta members aboard:
- S/Sgt. Walter Goodman
- Lawrence H. Johnston
(The British observers, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire
Leonard Cheshire
Group Captain Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire, Baron Cheshire, VC, OM, DSO and Two Bars, DFC was a highly decorated British RAF pilot during the Second World War....
, and
Professor William G. Penney
William Penney, Baron Penney
William George Penney, Baron Penney OM, KBE PhD, DSc, , FRS, FRSE, FIC, Hon FCGI was a British mathematician who was responsible for the development of British nuclear technology, following World War II...
a member of Project Alberta
Project Alberta
Project Alberta was a section of the Manhattan Project which developed the means of delivering the first atomic bombs, used by the United States Army Air Forces against the Empire of Japan during World War II...
, were on Big Stink (B-29).
Sources
- Campbell, Richard H., The Silverplate Bombers: A History and Registry of the Enola Gay and Other B-29s Configured to Carry Atomic Bombs (2005), ISBN 0-7864-2139-8
- 509th CG Aircraft Page, MPHPA
External links
- National Museum of the USAF (formerly US Air Force Museum) : Boeing B-29 "Bockscar" fact sheet
- Reflections from above: an American pilot's perspective on the mission which dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki
- Eyewitness account of atomic bombing over Nagasaki, by William Laurence, New York Times
- Sgt. Abe Spitzer collection Sgt. Spitzer was radio operator for crew C-15 and maintained a detailed diary of his recollections of missions flown from Tinian, including both atomic missions. This collection is of photostats of the original pages.