Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-24T12:06:56Z

Mhmm:

=='''Nuclear Weapons Accidents'''==
Since the creation of nuclear weapons in 1945, there have been numerous nuclear weapons accidents by the United States and Soviet Union. The United States categorizes such accidents using the military code word "Broken Arrow".

==Broken Arrow Definition==
'''Definition of an Accident'''
The U.S. Department of Defense categorizes a "Broken Arrow"<ref>http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/reading_room/635.pdf</ref> as

An unexpected event involving nuclear weapons or nuclear weapons components that results in any of the following-

Accidental or unauthorized launching, firing, or use, by U.S. forces or supported allied forces, of a nuclear capable weapon system which could create the risk of an outbreak of war.

Nuclear detonation.

Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon or radioactive weapon component , including a fully assembled nuclear weapon, and unassembled nuclear weapon, or a radioactive weapon component.

Radioactive contamination.

Seizure, theft, or loss of a nuclear weapon or radioactive nuclear weapon component, including jettisoning.

Public hazard, actual or implied.

==Thirty-six U.S. Accidents Declassified==
To date, the U.S. Department of Defense has declassified thirty-six nuclear weapons accidents-

1. February 13, 1950, B-36, British Columbia

2. April 11, 1950, B-29, Manzano Base, New Mexico

3. July 13, 1950, B-50, Lebanon, Ohio

4. August 5, 1950, B-29, Fairfield-Suison AFB, California

5. November 10, 1950, B-50, St. Lawrence River, Canada

6. March 10, 1956, B-47, Mediterranean Sea

7. July 27, 1956, B-47, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom

8. May 27, 1957, B-36, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico

9. July 28, 1957, C-124, Atlantic Ocean

10. October 11, 1957, B-47, Homestead AFB, Florida

11. January 31, 1958, B-47, Overseas Base

12. February 5, 1958, B-47, Savannah River, Georgia

13. March 11, 1958, B-47, Florence, South Carolina

14. November 4, 1958, B-47, Dyess AFB, Texas

15. November 26, 1958, B-47, Chennault AFB, Louisiana

16. January 18, 1959, F-100, Pacific Base

17. July 6, 1959, C-124, Barksdale AFB, Lousiana

18. September 19, 1959, P-5M, Off Oregon Coast

19. October 15, 1959, B-52/KC-135, Hardingsburg, Kentucky

20. June 7, 1960, BOMARC missile, McGuire AFB, New Jersey

21. January 24, 1961, B-52, Goldsboro, North Carolina

22. March 14, 1961, B-52, Yuba City, California

23. June 3, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island, Pacific Ocean

24. June 20, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

25. June 25, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

26. October 25, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

27. November 13, 1963, AEC Storage Igloo, Medina Base, Texas

28. January 13, 1964, B-52, Cumberland, Maryland

29. December 5, 1964, LGM-30B ICBM, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota

30. December 8, 1964, B-58, Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana

31. October 11, 1965, C-124, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

32. December 4, 1965, A-4, USS Ticonderoga, Pacific Ocean

33. January 17, 1966, B-52/KC-135, Palomares, Spain

34. January 21, 1968, B-52, Thule, Greenland

35. May 1968, USS Scorpion, Off the Azores

36. September 18, 1980, Titan II ICBM, Damascus, Arkansas

Over the years, the DOD Broken Arrow list grew from 17 accidents in 1968, to 32 in 1977. In 1983, four accidents which occured at Johnston Island in 1962 were declassified by Field Command, Defense Nuclear Agency.<ref>http://www.dtra.mil/rd/programs/nuclear_personnel/docs/T24298.PDF</ref>The accidents received public attention with the publication of Chuck Hansen's book "U.S. Nuclear Weapons, The Secret History".

==Soviet/Russian Accidents==
The following is a list of published Soviet nuclear weapons accidents-

1. April 11, 1968/Project 629 (Golf II submarine)/Pacific Ocean

2. April 8, 1970/Project 627 (November Class submarine)/Bay of Biscay

3. October 6, 1986/Project 667 (Yankee I class sub)/Off Bermuda

4. April 7, 1989/Project 685 (Mike class sub)/Sea of Okhotsk

==Errors and Disinformation==
In 1995, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) corrected an error regarding the 1959 crash of a U.S. Navy P-5M off the coast of Washington and Oregon (the original reference stated the crash was in Puget Sound). Additionally, unclassified details regarding the weapons aboard the USS Scorpion were released.

DOE released the Atomic Energy Commission custody form for the so-called Tybee bomb. Form AL-569, signed by aircraft commander Major H. Richardson, clearly shows the Mark 15 Mod 0 bomb carried a simulated 150 capsule (such training capsules are made of lead).[3]

On November 10, 2008, BBC reporter Gorden Correra claimed that there is a "missing nuclear weapon" near Thule Air Base in Greenland. Declassified documents conclusively prove that all four B28FI weapons were destroyed by B-52 impact and high explosive (non-nuclear) detonation of bomb primaries.[3]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See Also==
1. Authors unknown, "Department of Defense Narrative Summaries of Accidents Involving U.S. Nuclear Weapons, 1950-1980".

2. Authors unknown, "Operation Dominic I, 1962", Field Command Defense Nuclear Agency, Nuclear Test Personnel Review, 1 February 1983.

3. Oskins, James C., and Maggelet, Michael H. "Broken Arrow, The Declassified History of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Accidents". ISBN-10: 1435703618, or ISBN-13: 978-1435703612.

[[Category:Military]]
[[Category: Technology]]

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-21T18:32:54Z

Mhmm:

=='''Nuclear Weapons Accidents'''==
Since the creation of nuclear weapons in 1945, there have been numerous nuclear weapons accidents by the United States and Soviet Union. The United States categorizes such accidents using the military code word "Broken Arrow".

==Broken Arrow Definition==
'''Definition of an Accident'''

An unexpected event involving nuclear weapons or nuclear weapons components that results in any of the following-

Accidental or unauthorized launching, firing, or use, by U.S. forces or supported allied forces, of a nuclear capable weapon system which could create the risk of an outbreak of war.

Nuclear detonation.

Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon or radioactive weapon component , including a fully assembled nuclear weapon, and unassembled nuclear weapon, or a radioactive weapon component.

Radioactive contamination.

Seizure, theft, or loss of a nuclear weapon or radioactive nuclear weapon component, including jettisoning.

Public hazard, actual or implied.

==Thirty-six U.S. Accidents Declassified==
To date, the U.S. Department of Defense has declassified thirty-six nuclear weapons accidents-

1. February 13, 1950, B-36, British Columbia

2. April 11, 1950, B-29, Manzano Base, New Mexico

3. July 13, 1950, B-50, Lebanon, Ohio

4. August 5, 1950, B-29, Fairfield-Suison AFB, California

5. November 10, 1950, B-50, St. Lawrence River, Canada

6. March 10, 1956, B-47, Mediterranean Sea

7. July 27, 1956, B-47, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom

8. May 27, 1957, B-36, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico

9. July 28, 1957, C-124, Atlantic Ocean

10. October 11, 1957, B-47, Homestead AFB, Florida

11. January 31, 1958, B-47, Overseas Base

12. February 5, 1958, B-47, Savannah River, Georgia

13. March 11, 1958, B-47, Florence, South Carolina

14. November 4, 1958, B-47, Dyess AFB, Texas

15. November 26, 1958, B-47, Chennault AFB, Louisiana

16. January 18, 1959, F-100, Pacific Base

17. July 6, 1959, C-124, Barksdale AFB, Lousiana

18. September 19, 1959, P-5M, Off Oregon Coast

19. October 15, 1959, B-52/KC-135, Hardingsburg, Kentucky

20. June 7, 1960, BOMARC missile, McGuire AFB, New Jersey

21. January 24, 1961, B-52, Goldsboro, North Carolina

22. March 14, 1961, B-52, Yuba City, California

23. June 3, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island, Pacific Ocean

24. June 20, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

25. June 25, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

26. October 25, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

27. November 13, 1963, AEC Storage Igloo, Medina Base, Texas

28. January 13, 1964, B-52, Cumberland, Maryland

29. December 5, 1964, LGM-30B ICBM, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota

30. December 8, 1964, B-58, Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana

31. October 11, 1965, C-124, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

32. December 4, 1965, A-4, USS Ticonderoga, Pacific Ocean

33. January 17, 1966, B-52/KC-135, Palomares, Spain

34. January 21, 1968, B-52, Thule, Greenland

35. May 1968, USS Scorpion, Off the Azores

36. September 18, 1980, Titan II ICBM, Damascus, Arkansas

Over the years, the DOD Broken Arrow list grew from 17 accidents in 1968, to 32 in 1977. In 1983, four accidents which occured at Johnston Island in 1962 were declassified by Field Command, Defense Nuclear Agency. The accidents received public attention with the publication of Chuck Hansen's book "U.S. Nuclear Weapons, The Secret History".

==Soviet/Russian Accidents==
The following is a list of published Soviet nuclear weapons accidents-

1. April 11, 1968/Project 629 (Golf II submarine)/Pacific Ocean

2. April 8, 1970/Project 627 (November Class submarine)/Bay of Biscay

3. October 6, 1986/Project 667 (Yankee I class sub)/Off Bermuda

4. April 7, 1989/Project 685 (Mike class sub)/Sea of Okhotsk

==Errors and Disinformation==
In 1995, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) corrected an error regarding the 1959 crash of a U.S. Navy P-5M off the coast of Washington and Oregon (the original reference stated the crash was in Puget Sound). Additionally, unclassified details regarding the weapons aboard the USS Scorpion were released.

DOE released the Atomic Energy Commission custody form for the so-called Tybee bomb. Form AL-569, signed by aircraft commander Major H. Richardson, clearly shows the Mark 15 Mod 0 bomb carried a simulated 150 capsule (such training capsules are made of lead).[3]

On November 10, 2008, BBC reporter Gorden Correra claimed that there is a "missing nuclear weapon" near Thule Air Base in Greenland. Declassified documents conclusively prove that all four B28FI weapons were destroyed by B-52 impact and high explosive (non-nuclear) detonation of bomb primaries.[3]

==References==
1. Authors unknown, "Department of Defense Narrative Summaries of Accidents Involving U.S. Nuclear Weapons, 1950-1980".

2. Authors unknown, "Operation Dominic I, 1962", Field Command Defense Nuclear Agency, Nuclear Test Personnel Review, 1 February 1983.

3. Oskins, James C., and Maggelet, Michael H. "Broken Arrow, The Declassified History of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Accidents". ISBN-10: 1435703618, or ISBN-13: 978-1435703612.

[[Category:Military]]
[[Category: Technology]]

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-21T18:05:05Z

Mhmm: /* References */

=='''Nuclear Weapons Accidents'''==
Since the creation of nuclear weapons in 1945, there have been numerous nuclear weapons accidents by the United States and Soviet Union. The United States categorizes such accidents using the military code word "Broken Arrow".

==Broken Arrow Definition==
'''Definition of an Accident'''

An unexpected event involving nuclear weapons or nuclear weapons components that results in any of the following-

Accidental or unauthorized launching, firing, or use, by U.S. forces or supported allied forces, of a nuclear capable weapon system which could create the risk of an outbreak of war.

Nuclear detonation.

Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon or radioactive weapon component , including a fully assembled nuclear weapon, and unassembled nuclear weapon, or a radioactive weapon component.

Radioactive contamination.

Seizure, theft, or loss of a nuclear weapon or radioactive nuclear weapon component, including jettisoning.

Public hazard, actual or implied.

==Thirty-six U.S. Accidents Declassified==
To date, the U.S. Department of Defense has declassified thirty-six nuclear weapons accidents-

1. February 13, 1950, B-36, British Columbia

2. April 11, 1950, B-29, Manzano Base, New Mexico

3. July 13, 1950, B-50, Lebanon, Ohio

4. August 5, 1950, B-29, Fairfield-Suison AFB, California

5. November 10, 1950, B-50, St. Lawrence River, Canada

6. March 10, 1956, B-47, Mediterranean Sea

7. July 27, 1956, B-47, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom

8. May 27, 1957, B-36, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico

9. July 28, 1957, C-124, Atlantic Ocean

10. October 11, 1957, B-47, Homestead AFB, Florida

11. January 31, 1958, B-47, Overseas Base

12. February 5, 1958, B-47, Savannah River, Georgia

13. March 11, 1958, B-47, Florence, South Carolina

14. November 4, 1958, B-47, Dyess AFB, Texas

15. November 26, 1958, B-47, Chennault AFB, Louisiana

16. January 18, 1959, F-100, Pacific Base

17. July 6, 1959, C-124, Barksdale AFB, Lousiana

18. September 19, 1959, P-5M, Off Oregon Coast

19. October 15, 1959, B-52/KC-135, Hardingsburg, Kentucky

20. June 7, 1960, BOMARC missile, McGuire AFB, New Jersey

21. January 24, 1961, B-52, Goldsboro, North Carolina

22. March 14, 1961, B-52, Yuba City, California

23. June 3, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island, Pacific Ocean

24. June 20, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

25. June 25, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

26. October 25, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

27. November 13, 1963, AEC Storage Igloo, Medina Base, Texas

28. January 13, 1964, B-52, Cumberland, Maryland

29. December 5, 1964, LGM-30B ICBM, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota

30. December 8, 1964, B-58, Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana

31. October 11, 1965, C-124, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

32. December 4, 1965, A-4, USS Ticonderoga, Pacific Ocean

33. January 17, 1966, B-52/KC-135, Palomares, Spain

34. January 21, 1968, B-52, Thule, Greenland

35. May 1968, USS Scorpion, Off the Azores

36. September 18, 1980, Titan II ICBM, Damascus, Arkansas

Over the years, the DOD Broken Arrow list grew from 17 accidents in 1968, to 32 in 1977. In 1983, four accidents which occured at Johnston Island in 1962 were declassified by Field Command, Defense Nuclear Agency. The accidents received public attention with the publication of Chuck Hansen's book "U.S. Nuclear Weapons, The Secret History".

==Soviet/Russian Accidents==
The following is a list of published Soviet nuclear weapons accidents-

1. April 11, 1968/Project 629 (Golf II submarine)/Pacific Ocean

2. April 8, 1970/Project 627 (November Class submarine)/Bay of Biscay

3. October 6, 1986/Project 667 (Yankee I class sub)/Off Bermuda

4. April 7, 1989/Project 685 (Mike class sub)/Sea of Okhotsk

==References==
1. Authors unknown, "Department of Defense Narrative Summaries of Accidents Involving U.S. Nuclear Weapons, 1950-1980".

2. Authors unknown, "Operation Dominic I, 1962", Field Command Defense Nuclear Agency, Nuclear Test Personnel Review, 1 February 1983.

3. Oskins, James C., and Maggelet, Michael H. "Broken Arrow, The Declassified History of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Accidents". ISBN-10: 1435703618, or ISBN-13: 978-1435703612.

[[Category:Military]]
[[Category: Technology]]

User:Mhmm

2009-05-21T11:59:17Z

Mhmm:

Conservapedia- what a great concept!

U.S. Air Force retired, with experience in the nuclear weapons career field. I have several magazine published articles to my credit and one book, and am finishing up another. In response to libelous statements on Wikipedia by Steve (who hides behind the anonymity of the web), I'm posting the biography of myself and co-author Jim Oskins. James C. Oskins is a U.S. Air Force retiree and was a Nuclear Specialist, Nuclear Weapons Arming and Fuzing Technician, and Team Chief from May 1955 to June 1975. He had assignments with the 35th Munitions Maintenance Squadron (MMS), Biggs AFB, Texas, 702nd Strategic Missile Wing, Presque Isle AFB, Maine, 11th MMS, RAF Upper Heyford, United Kingdom, 28th MMS, Carswell AFB, Texas, 381st Strategic Missile Wing, McConnell AFB, Kansas, 320th MMS, RAF Upper Heyford, UK, 3096th Aviation Depot Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nevada. Jim worked on the Mk 6, Mk 15, Mk 15 mod 2, Mk 17, Mk 21, W39/SNARK, Mk 28, B53, W53/Mk6 RV (Titan II), B57, and B61. He spoke to international audiences on the Canadian Broadcasting Company Radio 1 "As It Happens" on the Tybee bomb (5 Feb 2008). He is the author of "Early Career Field Special Weapons History", "35th MMS Operations, Biggs AFB, TX, March 1956-June 1957", and "History of the Snark Missile" on the U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Specialist Home Page.Michael H. Maggelet is a U.S. Air Force retiree and was a Nuclear Weapons Team Member and Team Chief from 1980 to 1995. He had assignments with the 509th MMS, Pease AFB, New Hampshire, 380th MMS, Plattsburgh AFB, New York, in Rheinland Pfalz, Germany, and with the 28th Maintenance Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. Mike worked on the B43-1, B57-2, B61 mod 1, mod 2, mod 3, mod 4, mod 5, mod 7, the W69/AGM-69A SRAM, and B83. He was certified by Sandia National Laboratories to perform depot level maintenance on the B61. Mike is the author of "The Mark 14 Bomb" (Nuclear Weapons Technician Association newsletter, Jul-Sep 2008), "USAFE and East German Special Operations Forces" NWTA Newsletter, Apr-Jun 2008, and "The Soviet Spetsnaz", NWTA Newsletter Oct-Dec 2008. Mike is a Life Member of the Nuclear Weapons Technician Association. Mike and Jim have also spoken on WFTW-AM radio with host Ken Walsh on their book, "Broken Arrow, The Declassified History of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Accidents".[[User:Mhmm|Mhmm]] 07:59, 21 May 2009 (EDT)mhmm

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-13T02:40:04Z

Mhmm: /* Thirty-six U.S. Accidents Declassified */

=='''Nuclear Weapons Accidents'''==
Since the creation of nuclear weapons in 1945, there have been numerous nuclear weapons accidents by the United States and Soviet Union. The United States categorizes such accidents using the military code word "Broken Arrow".

==Broken Arrow Definition==
'''Definition of an Accident'''

An unexpected event involving nuclear weapons or nuclear weapons components that results in any of the following-

Accidental or unauthorized launching, firing, or use, by U.S. forces or supported allied forces, of a nuclear capable weapon system which could create the risk of an outbreak of war.

Nuclear detonation.

Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon or radioactive weapon component , including a fully assembled nuclear weapon, and unassembled nuclear weapon, or a radioactive weapon component.

Radioactive contamination.

Seizure, theft, or loss of a nuclear weapon or radioactive nuclear weapon component, including jettisoning.

Public hazard, actual or implied.

==Thirty-six U.S. Accidents Declassified==
To date, the U.S. Department of Defense has declassified thirty-six nuclear weapons accidents-

1. February 13, 1950, B-36, British Columbia

2. April 11, 1950, B-29, Manzano Base, New Mexico

3. July 13, 1950, B-50, Lebanon, Ohio

4. August 5, 1950, B-29, Fairfield-Suison AFB, California

5. November 10, 1950, B-50, St. Lawrence River, Canada

6. March 10, 1956, B-47, Mediterranean Sea

7. July 27, 1956, B-47, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom

8. May 27, 1957, B-36, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico

9. July 28, 1957, C-124, Atlantic Ocean

10. October 11, 1957, B-47, Homestead AFB, Florida

11. January 31, 1958, B-47, Overseas Base

12. February 5, 1958, B-47, Savannah River, Georgia

13. March 11, 1958, B-47, Florence, South Carolina

14. November 4, 1958, B-47, Dyess AFB, Texas

15. November 26, 1958, B-47, Chennault AFB, Louisiana

16. January 18, 1959, F-100, Pacific Base

17. July 6, 1959, C-124, Barksdale AFB, Lousiana

18. September 19, 1959, P-5M, Off Oregon Coast

19. October 15, 1959, B-52/KC-135, Hardingsburg, Kentucky

20. June 7, 1960, BOMARC missile, McGuire AFB, New Jersey

21. January 24, 1961, B-52, Goldsboro, North Carolina

22. March 14, 1961, B-52, Yuba City, California

23. June 3, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island, Pacific Ocean

24. June 20, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

25. June 25, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

26. October 25, 1962, Thor IRBM, Johnston Island

27. November 13, 1963, AEC Storage Igloo, Medina Base, Texas

28. January 13, 1964, B-52, Cumberland, Maryland

29. December 5, 1964, LGM-30B ICBM, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota

30. December 8, 1964, B-58, Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana

31. October 11, 1965, C-124, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

32. December 4, 1965, A-4, USS Ticonderoga, Pacific Ocean

33. January 17, 1966, B-52/KC-135, Palomares, Spain

34. January 21, 1968, B-52, Thule, Greenland

35. May 1968, USS Scorpion, Off the Azores

36. September 18, 1980, Titan II ICBM, Damascus, Arkansas

Over the years, the DOD Broken Arrow list grew from 17 accidents in 1968, to 32 in 1977. In 1983, four accidents which occured at Johnston Island in 1962 were declassified by Field Command, Defense Nuclear Agency. The accidents received public attention with the publication of Chuck Hansen's book "U.S. Nuclear Weapons, The Secret History".

==Soviet/Russian Accidents==
The following is a list of published Soviet nuclear weapons accidents-

1. April 11, 1968/Project 629 (Golf II submarine)/Pacific Ocean

2. April 8, 1970/Project 627 (November Class submarine)/Bay of Biscay

3. October 6, 1986/Project 667 (Yankee I class sub)/Off Bermuda

4. April 7, 1989/Project 685 (Mike class sub)/Sea of Okhotsk

==References==
1. Authors unknown, "Department of Defense Narrative Summaries of Accidents Involving U.S. Nuclear Weapons, 1950-1980".

2. Authors unknown, "Operation Dominic I, 1962", Field Command Defense Nuclear Agency, Nuclear Test Personnel Review, 1 February 1983.

[[Category:Cold War]]

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-13T02:35:46Z

Mhmm: /* Soviet/Russian Accidents */

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-09T20:57:28Z

Mhmm: /* References */

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-09T20:51:08Z

Mhmm: /* Thirty-six U.S. Accidents Declassified */

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-09T20:02:01Z

Mhmm:

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-09T19:48:46Z

Mhmm: /* Broken Arrow Definition */

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-09T19:48:04Z

Mhmm: /* Broken Arrow Definition */

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-09T19:47:21Z

Mhmm: /* Thirty six U.S. Accidents Declassified */

Talk:Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-09T19:23:46Z

Mhmm: Created page with 'Created Nuclear Weapons Accidents page, working on editing and adding references.~~~~'

Created Nuclear Weapons Accidents page, working on editing and adding references.[[User:Mhmm|Mhmm]] 15:23, 9 May 2009 (EDT)

Nuclear weapons accidents

2009-05-09T19:22:48Z

Mhmm: Created page with '=='''Nuclear Weapons Accidents'''== Since the creation of nuclear weapons in 1945, there have been numerous nuclear weapons accidents by the United States and Soviet Union. The U...'

B-29 Superfortress

2009-05-09T19:00:12Z

Mhmm: /* Broken Arrows- Nuclear Weapons Accidents */

{{Infobox warplane
|image=B-29.jpg
|image_size=350
|caption=B-29 in flight over the [[Pacific Ocean]]
|func=Heavy, long-range [[bomber]]
|dates=1943-1953
|obsplane=[[B-17 Flying Fortress]]
|newplane=[[B-36 Peacemaker]]
|contr=[[Boeing]]
|arms=10 50-calibre machine guns<br/>1 20-mm tail-mounted cannon
|load=20,000 [[pound]]s of [[bomb]]s
|engines=4 [[Wright R-3350]]s, 2,200 hp each
|maxspeed=358 mph at 25,000 [[feet]]
|cruisespeed=220 mph
|range=3,700 [[mile]]s
|servceil=23,950 [[foot (length)|feet]]
|combceil=36,150 [[foot (length)|feet]]
|length=99 feet 0 [[inch]]es
|height=29 feet 7 inches
|span=141 feet 3 inches
|emptywt=70,140 pounds
|towt=124,000 pounds
|crew=10 (12 in the B-50)
|cost=US $639,000
}}
The '''B-29 Superfortress''' was a long-range heavy [[bomber]] first placed into service in [[World War II]] in the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] theater of that war. The most famous missions that this aircraft ever performed were the dropping of the two [[atomic bomb]]s on [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]], [[Japan]]. After the war, the B-29 was the first bomber used by the [[Strategic Air Command]].

== Development ==
The Air Corps recognized the need for a very high altitude, long-range bomber late in the 1930s.<ref name=NASM>Willie, S., and Lee, R.E. "[http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/boeing_b29.htm Boeing B-29]." [http://www.nasm.si.edu/ National Air and Space Museum], Smithsonian Institution, 2004. Retrieved August 7, 2007.</ref> In February of 1940, the Army issued a specification for a bomber that could carry 2,000 [[bomb]]s at 400 mph for at least 5000 miles.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=ace>Authors unknown. "[http://www.acepilots.com/planes/b29.html Boeing B-29 Superfortress]." ''[http://www.acepilots.com/index.html#top AcePilots.com]''. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref><ref name=Baugher>Baugher, Joseph. "[http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Elevon/baugher_us/b029i.html Boeing B-29 Superfortress]." ''Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft.'' May 29, 1998. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

Four aircraft builders submitted proposals to the army. [[Boeing]], with its Model 345, won the contest.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=Boeing1>Authors unknown. "[http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/b29.html Boeing B-29 Superfortress]." [http://www.boeing.com/ Boeing Group], product history section. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

Model 345 boasted many features that Boeing had had under development since 1934, among them:

* A long, narrow, high-[[aspect ratio|aspect-ratio]] wing with Fowler flaps for increased lift. This allowed for much heavier base and take-off weights.<ref name=Boeing1/>
* Three pressurized crew areas: flight deck, gunner's compartment, and tail gunner's station.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=Boeing1/> The first two of these were connected by a long tube over the bomb bays;<ref name=ace/> the tail gunner's station remained isolated, and ingress and egress were possible only on the ground or at an altitude that did not require pressurization.<ref name=Boeing1/><ref name=ace/>
* Remote-control gun turrets, and a sighting system that allowed one gunner to control two or more turrets at once to concentrate on a single target.<ref name=NASM/>
* Advanced radar systems for aid in navigation, targeting, and air-to-air defense.<ref name=NASM/>

Two XB-29s were built, and the first of these was delivered on September 21, 1942. Fourteen YB-29 service-test planes were delivered beginning in 1943. Finally, in April of 1944, the first 130 operational B-29s began to arrive in India for the Twentieth Air Force.
===Technology===
The B-29 represented the highest achievement of traditional (pre-jet) aeronautics. Its four 2,200 horsepower Wright R-3350 supercharged engines could carry six tons of bombs 3,500 miles at 33,000 feet (high above Japanese flak or fighters). Computerized fire-control mechanisms made its 12 50-cal. machine guns (and one 20mm cannon) lethal against fighters. It carried a crew of 10, and weighed 140,000 pounds loaded.

Boeing itself built 2766 B-29s at its plants in [[Wichita]], [[Kansas]], and [[Renton]], [[Washington]]. In addition, [[Bell Aircraft]] built 668 planesand the [[Glenn L. Martin Company]] built 536.<ref name=Boeing1/> The total cost of the program was $3 billion US.<ref name=Lewis>Lewis, P. "[http://history.sandiego.edu/GEN/st/~plewis/0%7Eindex.html The B-29 Superfortress]." University of San Diego, 1995. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

== Deployment ==
===Target: Japan===
[[Image:B-29-bombs.jpg|thumb|300px|loading 500 pound bombs in B-29 in China, June 1944]]

==Bombing Japan==
Since 1941 American strategy against Japan was built around heavy raids against the flimsy, easily burned cities. Plans to base [[B-17]] bombers in the Philippines failed when Japan attacked the airbases and overran the islands. The B-29 had the range to give the Americans the weapon they needed to reach Japan. The B-29 was first deployed from bases in India and China in summer and fall 1944. The result was failure--it was extremely expensive to supply the planes (all the gasoline and bombs had to be flown in over "the Hump" (the very high Himalayan mountains), and anyway the Japanese Army overran the American bases in China. The Mariana Islands, captured in June 1944, provided a much better airbase within range of all Japanese industrial centers. However, the systematic raids that began in late 1944 were also unsatisfactory, because the AAF had learned too much in Europe; it overemphasized self-defense. AAF commander General Hap Arnold, in personal charge of the campaign (bypassing the theater commanders) brought in a new leader, brilliant, indefatigable, hard-charging General [[Curtis LeMay]].

=== Conventional Bombing of Japan ===
At first the B-29 groups tried to duplicate the results of [[daylight precision bombing]] that had been used in Europe. The results were poor.

In early 1945, General [[Curtis LeMay]] ordered a radical change in tactics: remove the heavy fire control gear and machine guns (and gunners), and fly at low altitudes at night. (Much fuel was used to get to 30,000 feet; it could now be replaced with more bombs.) It was a fearsome gamble, but it paid off in increased bombing accuracy and lower casualties in men and aircraft.<ref name=Swinhart>[http://www.aviation-history.com/swinhart.htm Swinhart, Earl]. "[http://www.aviation-history.com/boeing/b29.html Boeing B-29 Superfortress]." [http://www.aviation-history.com/index.html Aviation-history.com]. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

===Fire bombing of Japanese cities===
In March of 1945, General LeMay changed the orders again. From then on, the B-29s flew low-altitude (5,000 feet) night strikes with incendiary bombs.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=ace/> LeMay reasoned that because the Japanese economy depended largely on [[cottage industry|cottage industries]] spread out over a large number of cities (and because many of the buildings in Japanese cities were still built of wood), massive incendiary bombing would be more effective than precision high-explosive bombing. The results were devastating against Japanese industry and infrastructure.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=ace/> By April of 1945, the Japanese could no longer build engines for their aircraft. The incendiary campaign continued into August of 1945.<ref name=ace/><ref name=Baugher/><ref name=Swinhart/>

The Japanese radar, fighter, and anti-aircraft systems were so ineffective that they could not hit the bombers. The B-29s carried incendiary bombs. To counter them the Japanese built firebreaks and installed shelters, but not nearly enough. Fires raged through the 50 largest cities, and millions of civilians fled to the small towns and villages (which were not bombed).

Tokyo was hit repeatedly. LeMay sent 325 B-29s over Tokyo on March 9-10 to drop 1665 tons of incendiaries. An unstoppable fire storm burned out 16 square miles and killed over 80,000, most of whom suffocated in bomb shelters when the firestorm consumed the oxygen. One fourth of the buildings in the entire city were destroyed.<ref> Craven and Cate, ''AAF'' 5:615-16</ref> Half the city's 7.4 million people fled to the countryside (which was not bombed). The raid marked a turning point in the American strategic air war against Japan. Previously, most raids were "precision" raids that used high explosives against industrial targets; thereafter, most raids were "area" raids that used incendiary bombs to burn Japanese cities and kill civilians.

LeMay's strategic shift did not depart radically from the air war in Europe or from prewar planning. The Pentagon had always intended for LeMay to lead the air campaign against Japan and had always viewed incendiary raids against cities and American policy since the 1930s had focused on the burning of Tokyon--and the killing of civilian war workers--as a way to destroy an enemy's industrial capability.<ref> Thomas R. Searle, "'It Made a Lot of Sense to Kill Skilled Workers': the Firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945." ''Journal of Military History'' 2002 66(1): 103-133. </ref>

On June 5, 51,000 buildings in four miles of Kobe were burned out by 473 B-29s; Japanese opposition was fierce, as 11 B-29s went down and 176 were damaged. Osaka, where one-sixth of the Empire's munitions were made, was hit by 1,733 tons of incendiaries dropped by 247 B-29s. A firestorm burned out 8.1 square miles, including 135,000 houses; 4,000 died. The police reported:
:Although damage to big factories was slight, approximately one-fourth of some 4,000 lesser factories, which operated hand-in-hand with the big factories, were completely destroyed by fire.... Moreover, owing to the rising fear of air attacks, workers in general were reluctant to work in the factories, and the attendance fluctuated as much as 50%.

Japanese munitions output plummeted, and by July, 1945, Japan no longer had an industrial base. The problem was that it still had an Army, which was not based in the cities, and was largely undamaged by the raids. The Army was short of food and gasoline, but, as the battles of [[Iwo Jima]] and [[Okinawa]] proved, was capable of ferocious resistance.

=== The Atomic Bomb Missions ===
Late in 1944, the AAF ordered a special batch of fifteen modified B-29s, called "Silverplate" models. These planes had no gun turrets except for the tail turret, no armor plate, and new Curtiss electric propellers. These planes were specifically designed to carry one of the two [[atomic bomb]]s from the [[Manhattan Project]]: either [[Little Boy]] or [[Fat Man]].<ref name=NASM/>

The 509th Composite Group, [[Colonel]] [[Paul Tibbetts]] commanding, took possession of these aircraft for the atomic attacks on [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]]. Ten of these aircraft are known to have taken part in what became Special Missions 13 and 16 against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. The most famous of these, of course, was [[Enola Gay]],<ref name=Boeing1/> which dropped [[Little Boy]] on Hiroshima, and [[Bockscar]],<ref name=Boeing1/> which dropped [[Fat Man]] on Nagasaki.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=Baugher/> (The other aircraft performed weather reconnaissance, blast measurement, and strike photography duties in connection with these missions.)<ref name=wagoner>Wagoner, Sally Ann. "[http://home.att.net/~sallyann2/b29.html The B-29 Then and Now]." 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

The destruction of Hiroshima took place on August 6, 1945. The Japanese did not respond to this, perhaps because the Japanese high command did not fully appreciate the magnitude of a disaster that had virtually cut off all communications from one of Japan's largest cities. Then on August 9, 1945, came the destruction of Nagasaki. On that day the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]] formally declared war on Japan and launched an invasion of Japanese-occupied [[Manchuria]] in [[China]]. The Emperor of Japan then instructed his government to surrender unconditionally.<ref name=ace/><ref name=Swinhart/><ref name=Lewis/>

=== [[Strategic Air Command]] ===
In 1946, the [[Strategic Air Command]] acquired many of the B-29s still in service. However, these planes were largely antiquated and had seen heavy use during the war. Boeing responded to SAC's need, first with the B-29D, a much-improved model that the new [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] redesignated as the B-50. This aircraft had 59 percent more power than the original B-29, along with better aerodynamic surfaces, larger flaps, faster-retracting landing gear, and improved hydraulic control systems. It also sported a higher tail that could fold during storage, and a stronger, lighter wing. It also had twelve guns (the original B-29 had ten) and required a crew of twelve. In all, Boeing built 371 B-50s, including 79 B-50As.<ref name=boeing2>Authors unknown. "[http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/b50.html B-50 Bomber]." [http://www.boeing.com/ Boeing Group], product history section. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

B-29 and B-50 squadrons saw intensive action during the [[Korean War]], this time against jet fighter/interceptors using electronic weaponry.<ref name=Boeing1/> Losses were correspondingly much heavier (Five bombers downed in the month of October 1951 alone.<ref>''Rolling Thunder: Jet Combat from World War II to the Gulf War'', by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref>). The last B-50s (actually KB-50D tankers) were retired from active service in 1965.<ref name=boeing2/><ref name=Baugher/>

=== [[Broken Arrows- Nuclear Weapons Accidents]] ===
The B-29 has been involved in two Broken Arrows, or nuclear weapons accidents. The first occurred on April 11, 1950 when a B-29 departed Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico and hit Manzano mountain several minutes later. The crew of 13 was killed and the Mark 4 bomb was demolished on impact. On August 5, 1950, a B-29 departed Fairfield-Suison AFB, California and crashed while attempting an emergency landing. The aircraft burned, and after 15 minutes the Mark 4 bomb's high explosive detonated, killing 19 firefighters, crewmembers, and rescue personnel.[14]

=== Flight test ===
[[Image:B-29 and x-1.jpg|250px|right]]
A specially modified B-29 served as the launch aircraft for the [[X-1]], the plane in which then-Captain [[Charles Yeager]] achieved the first supersonic flight.<ref name=Baugher/>

== Post-retirement disposition ==
Very few B-29s survive today, primarily because the Air Force was late in declaring the B-29 to be war surplus.<ref name=ace/> The researchers at [http://www.acepilots.com/index.html#top AcePilots.com] have identified sixteen B-29s that they know have survived and remain on display today.

The Enola Gay has been fully restored and is on diaplay at the Paul E. Garber facility of the [[National Air and Space Museum]].<ref name=NASM/> The Bockscar, likewise, is on display at [[Wright-Patterson Air Force Base]] as part of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.<ref name=AF2>Authors unknown. "[http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2546 Fact Sheet: Boeing B-29 Bockscar]." [[United States Air Force]]. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

In July of 1948, a B-29A, on a climate research mission, crashed into [[Lake Mead]], [[California]]. All five aboard the plane got out safely. The plane sank to the bottom of the lake, where it lay for 53 years until divers were able to spot it again.<ref name=LakeMead>Authors unknown. "[http://www.indepthconsulting.com/B29/B29Lost.htm Lake Mead's B-29 Bomber]." In Depth Consulting, 2006. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

On May 21, 1995, efforts to recover a B-29 that had landed on a frozen lake in [[Greenland]] were abandoned after the aircraft caught fire and burned.<ref name=ace/>

== Soviet copy ==
Late in 1944, three B-29s made emergency landings in [[Vladivostok]], [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|USSR]]. The Soviets detained the crews, then quietly allowed them to escape--but not with their aircraft. Then in 1947, the Soviets demostrated their newest bomber: the [[Tu-4]], an exact replica of the B-29. With this aircraft, the US-Soviet [[arms race]] might be said to have begun.<ref name=ace/><ref name=Baugher/>

== The B-29 in Popular Culture ==
* The [[motion picture]] [[Test Pilot (film)|Test Pilot]] (1938) featured an aircraft similar in many respects to the B-29 (though not specifically identified as such) undergoing speed and load trials. This is a truly remarkable example of art anticipating life, especially considering that the first XB-29 was still years away from its maiden flight.

* The film [[Dive Bomber (film)|Dive Bomber]] (1941) alluded to many of the advanced features under development in the between-wars period that the film covered, including pressurized crew compartments and pressure suits for pilots. Because the B-29 had pressurized flight deck and gunnery spaces, this film can also be said to have anticipated one of the B-29's key features.

* The film [[Command Decision (film)|Command Decision]] (1949) made repeated allusions to "a B-29 command" in the Pacific theater being an assignment presenting a good opportunity for the holder of such a command either to advance professionally or to demonstrate the utility of the fortress-like bombers of that era.

* The film [[Strategic Air Command (film)|Strategic Air Command]] (1955) features as its lead character a former B-29 pilot recalled to the Air Force and learning how to fly [[B-36 Peacemaker]]s and [[B-47 Stratojet]]s. The film also makes several comparisons between the B-29 and the B-36.

==See also==
* [[B-17 Flying Fortress]]

==Bibliography==
* Craven, Wesley F., and James L. Cate, eds. ''The Army Air Forces in World War II'' (1948-1958), 7 vol; ''v. 5. The Pacific: Matterhorn to Nagasaki, June 1944 to August 1945'' [http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/aaf_wwii-v5.pdf online edition]
* Craven, Wesley F., and James L. Cate, eds. ''The Army Air Forces in World War II'' (1948-1958), 7 vol; ''v. 6. Men and planes'' [http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/aaf_wwii-v6.pdf online edition]
* Dorr, Robert. ''B-29 Units of World War II'' (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1841762857/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4827826-5463040#reader-link excerpt and text search]
* Polmar, Norman. ''The Enola Gay: The B - 29 That Dropped the First Atomic Bomb'' (2004) [http://books.google.com/books?id=8C1y_TRiFnIC&pg=PT8&dq=intitle:%22b-29%22&num=30&as_brr=0&sig=hCLjyd389ZBUHaep6RV034lZQZA excerpts and text search]
* Ralph, William W. "Improvised Destruction: Arnold, LeMay, and the Firebombing of Japan," ''War in History'', Vol. 13, No. 4, 495-522 (2006) [http://wih.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/4/495 online at Sage]
* Searle, Thomas R. "'It Made a Lot of Sense to Kill Skilled Workers': The Firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945" ''The Journal of Military History,'' Vol. 66, No. 1 (Jan., 2002), pp. 103-133 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0899-3718(200201)66%3A1%3C103%3A%22MALOS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q in JSTOR]
* Vander Meulen, Jacob. ''Building the B-29'' (1995)

== References ==
<references/>

== See Also ==
* [[Strategic Air Command]]

== External Links ==
* [http://www.nps.gov/archive/amme/wwii_museum/air_offensive/b29_operations.html B-29 Bombers Operating From Saipan And Tinian]." World War Two Virtual Museum, [[National Park Service]].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtIL_VjBUGo Watch a 7-minute video] of a radio-controlled B-29 scale model carrying aloft a model [[X-1]] and launching it. The demonstration includes aerobatics and a simulated bail-out. Both planes make safe landings. (Video courtesy of user "winchesterz" on <http://www.youtube.com/>.)
*[http://www.historynet.com/korean-war-the-boeing-b-29-superfortress-served-throughout-the-air-war.htm The Boeing B-29 Superfortress in the Korean War]

[[Category:United States Air Force]]
[[Category:World War II]]
[[Category:World War II aircraft]]

Talk:M16 rifle

2009-05-09T14:43:40Z

Mhmm: Created page with 'This page needs more facts and contributers. Cleaned it up some and removed statements that were not factual.~~~~'

This page needs more facts and contributers. Cleaned it up some and removed statements that were not factual.[[User:Mhmm|Mhmm]] 10:43, 9 May 2009 (EDT)

M16 rifle

2009-05-09T14:42:11Z

Mhmm:

[[Image:USM16.jpg|thumb|right|A US Army Soldier fires an M16 rifle.]]

The '''M16''', formally the '''United States Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16''', is an [[assault rifle]] developed by [[Eugene Stoner]]. The rifle is based on the ArmaLite [[AR-15]] series of rifles. The M16 was originally designed for US soldiers as a replacement for the [[M14 rifle]].

Unfortunately, many problems with the M16 were exposed during the Vietnam war. Due to problems associated with IMR rifle powder, M16's were prone to jamming, and had notoriously bad firing consistency. The problems were rectified after Congressional inquiries. The M-16 carbine used in Vietnam was called the "XM-177". Recent remodels of the M16 has yielded the M16A2, M16A3, and the M16A4, which have corrected the many problems that their predecessor encountered.
[[Category:Guns]]

Talk:Little Boy

2009-05-09T14:05:45Z

Mhmm: Created page with '==Added some info on Little Boy regarding nomenclature and fact of US Navy training (will add references later).Mhmm'

==Added some info on Little Boy regarding nomenclature and fact of US Navy training (will add references later).Mhmm

Little Boy

2009-05-09T14:04:27Z

Mhmm:

[[Image:564ruyjh.png|right|thumb|Schematic view of the inside of Little Boy.]]
'''Little Boy''' was one of the two original [[American]] designs for the [[atomic bomb]] developed at [[Los Alamos]] during [[World War II]]. The other design was called [[Fat man]].

Little Boy consisted of two masses of [[Uranium]]-235 as [[radioactive]] material. A "[[gun]]-assembly method" ignited the bomb as follows: one subcritical mass of [[uranium]] was fired at another, and together they reached a critical mass to set off a [[nuclear]] explosion.

Little Boy (or "LB") was dropped on [[Hiroshima]] [[Japan]] on August 6th, 1945 with an estimated yield of 12.5 kilotons. It is estimated that the bomb killed 140,000 people.

Little Boy was not deployed after World War II, however U.S. Navy assembly personnel were trained on the weapon until 1950 by the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project.

==See Also==
*[[Fat Man]]

[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:World War II]]

Talk:B-29 Superfortress

2009-05-09T13:17:57Z

Mhmm:

Added details on Broken Arrows associated with the B-29.Mhmm

Talk:B-29 Superfortress

2009-05-09T12:53:01Z

Mhmm: Created page with 'Added details on Broken Arrows associated with the B-29.mhmm'

Added details on Broken Arrows associated with the B-29.mhmm

B-29 Superfortress

2009-05-09T12:51:25Z

Mhmm: /* Strategic Air Command */

{{Infobox warplane
|image=B-29.jpg
|image_size=350
|caption=B-29 in flight over the [[Pacific Ocean]]
|func=Heavy, long-range [[bomber]]
|dates=1943-1953
|obsplane=[[B-17 Flying Fortress]]
|newplane=[[B-36 Peacemaker]]
|contr=[[Boeing]]
|arms=10 50-calibre machine guns<br/>1 20-mm tail-mounted cannon
|load=20,000 [[pound]]s of [[bomb]]s
|engines=4 [[Wright R-3350]]s, 2,200 hp each
|maxspeed=358 mph at 25,000 [[feet]]
|cruisespeed=220 mph
|range=3,700 [[mile]]s
|servceil=23,950 [[foot (length)|feet]]
|combceil=36,150 [[foot (length)|feet]]
|length=99 feet 0 [[inch]]es
|height=29 feet 7 inches
|span=141 feet 3 inches
|emptywt=70,140 pounds
|towt=124,000 pounds
|crew=10 (12 in the B-50)
|cost=US $639,000
}}
The '''B-29 Superfortress''' was a long-range heavy [[bomber]] first placed into service in [[World War II]] in the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] theater of that war. The most famous missions that this aircraft ever performed were the dropping of the two [[atomic bomb]]s on [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]], [[Japan]]. After the war, the B-29 was the first bomber used by the [[Strategic Air Command]].

== Development ==
The Air Corps recognized the need for a very high altitude, long-range bomber late in the 1930s.<ref name=NASM>Willie, S., and Lee, R.E. "[http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/boeing_b29.htm Boeing B-29]." [http://www.nasm.si.edu/ National Air and Space Museum], Smithsonian Institution, 2004. Retrieved August 7, 2007.</ref> In February of 1940, the Army issued a specification for a bomber that could carry 2,000 [[bomb]]s at 400 mph for at least 5000 miles.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=ace>Authors unknown. "[http://www.acepilots.com/planes/b29.html Boeing B-29 Superfortress]." ''[http://www.acepilots.com/index.html#top AcePilots.com]''. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref><ref name=Baugher>Baugher, Joseph. "[http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Elevon/baugher_us/b029i.html Boeing B-29 Superfortress]." ''Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft.'' May 29, 1998. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

Four aircraft builders submitted proposals to the army. [[Boeing]], with its Model 345, won the contest.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=Boeing1>Authors unknown. "[http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/b29.html Boeing B-29 Superfortress]." [http://www.boeing.com/ Boeing Group], product history section. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

Model 345 boasted many features that Boeing had had under development since 1934, among them:

* A long, narrow, high-[[aspect ratio|aspect-ratio]] wing with Fowler flaps for increased lift. This allowed for much heavier base and take-off weights.<ref name=Boeing1/>
* Three pressurized crew areas: flight deck, gunner's compartment, and tail gunner's station.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=Boeing1/> The first two of these were connected by a long tube over the bomb bays;<ref name=ace/> the tail gunner's station remained isolated, and ingress and egress were possible only on the ground or at an altitude that did not require pressurization.<ref name=Boeing1/><ref name=ace/>
* Remote-control gun turrets, and a sighting system that allowed one gunner to control two or more turrets at once to concentrate on a single target.<ref name=NASM/>
* Advanced radar systems for aid in navigation, targeting, and air-to-air defense.<ref name=NASM/>

Two XB-29s were built, and the first of these was delivered on September 21, 1942. Fourteen YB-29 service-test planes were delivered beginning in 1943. Finally, in April of 1944, the first 130 operational B-29s began to arrive in India for the Twentieth Air Force.
===Technology===
The B-29 represented the highest achievement of traditional (pre-jet) aeronautics. Its four 2,200 horsepower Wright R-3350 supercharged engines could carry six tons of bombs 3,500 miles at 33,000 feet (high above Japanese flak or fighters). Computerized fire-control mechanisms made its 12 50-cal. machine guns (and one 20mm cannon) lethal against fighters. It carried a crew of 10, and weighed 140,000 pounds loaded.

Boeing itself built 2766 B-29s at its plants in [[Wichita]], [[Kansas]], and [[Renton]], [[Washington]]. In addition, [[Bell Aircraft]] built 668 planesand the [[Glenn L. Martin Company]] built 536.<ref name=Boeing1/> The total cost of the program was $3 billion US.<ref name=Lewis>Lewis, P. "[http://history.sandiego.edu/GEN/st/~plewis/0%7Eindex.html The B-29 Superfortress]." University of San Diego, 1995. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

== Deployment ==
===Target: Japan===
[[Image:B-29-bombs.jpg|thumb|300px|loading 500 pound bombs in B-29 in China, June 1944]]

==Bombing Japan==
Since 1941 American strategy against Japan was built around heavy raids against the flimsy, easily burned cities. Plans to base [[B-17]] bombers in the Philippines failed when Japan attacked the airbases and overran the islands. The B-29 had the range to give the Americans the weapon they needed to reach Japan. The B-29 was first deployed from bases in India and China in summer and fall 1944. The result was failure--it was extremely expensive to supply the planes (all the gasoline and bombs had to be flown in over "the Hump" (the very high Himalayan mountains), and anyway the Japanese Army overran the American bases in China. The Mariana Islands, captured in June 1944, provided a much better airbase within range of all Japanese industrial centers. However, the systematic raids that began in late 1944 were also unsatisfactory, because the AAF had learned too much in Europe; it overemphasized self-defense. AAF commander General Hap Arnold, in personal charge of the campaign (bypassing the theater commanders) brought in a new leader, brilliant, indefatigable, hard-charging General [[Curtis LeMay]].

=== Conventional Bombing of Japan ===
At first the B-29 groups tried to duplicate the results of [[daylight precision bombing]] that had been used in Europe. The results were poor.

In early 1945, General [[Curtis LeMay]] ordered a radical change in tactics: remove the heavy fire control gear and machine guns (and gunners), and fly at low altitudes at night. (Much fuel was used to get to 30,000 feet; it could now be replaced with more bombs.) It was a fearsome gamble, but it paid off in increased bombing accuracy and lower casualties in men and aircraft.<ref name=Swinhart>[http://www.aviation-history.com/swinhart.htm Swinhart, Earl]. "[http://www.aviation-history.com/boeing/b29.html Boeing B-29 Superfortress]." [http://www.aviation-history.com/index.html Aviation-history.com]. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

===Fire bombing of Japanese cities===
In March of 1945, General LeMay changed the orders again. From then on, the B-29s flew low-altitude (5,000 feet) night strikes with incendiary bombs.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=ace/> LeMay reasoned that because the Japanese economy depended largely on [[cottage industry|cottage industries]] spread out over a large number of cities (and because many of the buildings in Japanese cities were still built of wood), massive incendiary bombing would be more effective than precision high-explosive bombing. The results were devastating against Japanese industry and infrastructure.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=ace/> By April of 1945, the Japanese could no longer build engines for their aircraft. The incendiary campaign continued into August of 1945.<ref name=ace/><ref name=Baugher/><ref name=Swinhart/>

The Japanese radar, fighter, and anti-aircraft systems were so ineffective that they could not hit the bombers. The B-29s carried incendiary bombs. To counter them the Japanese built firebreaks and installed shelters, but not nearly enough. Fires raged through the 50 largest cities, and millions of civilians fled to the small towns and villages (which were not bombed).

Tokyo was hit repeatedly. LeMay sent 325 B-29s over Tokyo on March 9-10 to drop 1665 tons of incendiaries. An unstoppable fire storm burned out 16 square miles and killed over 80,000, most of whom suffocated in bomb shelters when the firestorm consumed the oxygen. One fourth of the buildings in the entire city were destroyed.<ref> Craven and Cate, ''AAF'' 5:615-16</ref> Half the city's 7.4 million people fled to the countryside (which was not bombed). The raid marked a turning point in the American strategic air war against Japan. Previously, most raids were "precision" raids that used high explosives against industrial targets; thereafter, most raids were "area" raids that used incendiary bombs to burn Japanese cities and kill civilians.

LeMay's strategic shift did not depart radically from the air war in Europe or from prewar planning. The Pentagon had always intended for LeMay to lead the air campaign against Japan and had always viewed incendiary raids against cities and American policy since the 1930s had focused on the burning of Tokyon--and the killing of civilian war workers--as a way to destroy an enemy's industrial capability.<ref> Thomas R. Searle, "'It Made a Lot of Sense to Kill Skilled Workers': the Firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945." ''Journal of Military History'' 2002 66(1): 103-133. </ref>

On June 5, 51,000 buildings in four miles of Kobe were burned out by 473 B-29s; Japanese opposition was fierce, as 11 B-29s went down and 176 were damaged. Osaka, where one-sixth of the Empire's munitions were made, was hit by 1,733 tons of incendiaries dropped by 247 B-29s. A firestorm burned out 8.1 square miles, including 135,000 houses; 4,000 died. The police reported:
:Although damage to big factories was slight, approximately one-fourth of some 4,000 lesser factories, which operated hand-in-hand with the big factories, were completely destroyed by fire.... Moreover, owing to the rising fear of air attacks, workers in general were reluctant to work in the factories, and the attendance fluctuated as much as 50%.

Japanese munitions output plummeted, and by July, 1945, Japan no longer had an industrial base. The problem was that it still had an Army, which was not based in the cities, and was largely undamaged by the raids. The Army was short of food and gasoline, but, as the battles of [[Iwo Jima]] and [[Okinawa]] proved, was capable of ferocious resistance.

=== The Atomic Bomb Missions ===
Late in 1944, the AAF ordered a special batch of fifteen modified B-29s, called "Silverplate" models. These planes had no gun turrets except for the tail turret, no armor plate, and new Curtiss electric propellers. These planes were specifically designed to carry one of the two [[atomic bomb]]s from the [[Manhattan Project]]: either [[Little Boy]] or [[Fat Man]].<ref name=NASM/>

The 509th Composite Group, [[Colonel]] [[Paul Tibbetts]] commanding, took possession of these aircraft for the atomic attacks on [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]]. Ten of these aircraft are known to have taken part in what became Special Missions 13 and 16 against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. The most famous of these, of course, was [[Enola Gay]],<ref name=Boeing1/> which dropped [[Little Boy]] on Hiroshima, and [[Bockscar]],<ref name=Boeing1/> which dropped [[Fat Man]] on Nagasaki.<ref name=NASM/><ref name=Baugher/> (The other aircraft performed weather reconnaissance, blast measurement, and strike photography duties in connection with these missions.)<ref name=wagoner>Wagoner, Sally Ann. "[http://home.att.net/~sallyann2/b29.html The B-29 Then and Now]." 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

The destruction of Hiroshima took place on August 6, 1945. The Japanese did not respond to this, perhaps because the Japanese high command did not fully appreciate the magnitude of a disaster that had virtually cut off all communications from one of Japan's largest cities. Then on August 9, 1945, came the destruction of Nagasaki. On that day the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]] formally declared war on Japan and launched an invasion of Japanese-occupied [[Manchuria]] in [[China]]. The Emperor of Japan then instructed his government to surrender unconditionally.<ref name=ace/><ref name=Swinhart/><ref name=Lewis/>

=== [[Strategic Air Command]] ===
In 1946, the [[Strategic Air Command]] acquired many of the B-29s still in service. However, these planes were largely antiquated and had seen heavy use during the war. Boeing responded to SAC's need, first with the B-29D, a much-improved model that the new [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] redesignated as the B-50. This aircraft had 59 percent more power than the original B-29, along with better aerodynamic surfaces, larger flaps, faster-retracting landing gear, and improved hydraulic control systems. It also sported a higher tail that could fold during storage, and a stronger, lighter wing. It also had twelve guns (the original B-29 had ten) and required a crew of twelve. In all, Boeing built 371 B-50s, including 79 B-50As.<ref name=boeing2>Authors unknown. "[http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/b50.html B-50 Bomber]." [http://www.boeing.com/ Boeing Group], product history section. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

B-29 and B-50 squadrons saw intensive action during the [[Korean War]], this time against jet fighter/interceptors using electronic weaponry.<ref name=Boeing1/> Losses were correspondingly much heavier (Five bombers downed in the month of October 1951 alone.<ref>''Rolling Thunder: Jet Combat from World War II to the Gulf War'', by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref>). The last B-50s (actually KB-50D tankers) were retired from active service in 1965.<ref name=boeing2/><ref name=Baugher/>

=== [[Broken Arrows- Nuclear Weapons Accidents]] ===
The B-29 has been involved in two Broken Arrows, or nuclear weapons accidents. The first occurred on April 11, 1950 when a B-29 departed Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico and hit Manzano mountain several minutes later. The crew of 13 was killed and the Mark 4 bomb was demolished on impact. On August 5, 1950, a B-29 departed Fairfield-Suison AFB, California and crashed while attempting an emergency landing. The aircraft burned, and after 15 minutes the Mark 4 bomb's high explosive detonated, killing 19 firefighters, crewmembers, and rescue personnel.

=== Flight test ===
[[Image:B-29 and x-1.jpg|250px|right]]
A specially modified B-29 served as the launch aircraft for the [[X-1]], the plane in which then-Captain [[Charles Yeager]] achieved the first supersonic flight.<ref name=Baugher/>

== Post-retirement disposition ==
Very few B-29s survive today, primarily because the Air Force was late in declaring the B-29 to be war surplus.<ref name=ace/> The researchers at [http://www.acepilots.com/index.html#top AcePilots.com] have identified sixteen B-29s that they know have survived and remain on display today.

The Enola Gay has been fully restored and is on diaplay at the Paul E. Garber facility of the [[National Air and Space Museum]].<ref name=NASM/> The Bockscar, likewise, is on display at [[Wright-Patterson Air Force Base]] as part of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.<ref name=AF2>Authors unknown. "[http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2546 Fact Sheet: Boeing B-29 Bockscar]." [[United States Air Force]]. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

In July of 1948, a B-29A, on a climate research mission, crashed into [[Lake Mead]], [[California]]. All five aboard the plane got out safely. The plane sank to the bottom of the lake, where it lay for 53 years until divers were able to spot it again.<ref name=LakeMead>Authors unknown. "[http://www.indepthconsulting.com/B29/B29Lost.htm Lake Mead's B-29 Bomber]." In Depth Consulting, 2006. Retrieved August 8, 2007.</ref>

On May 21, 1995, efforts to recover a B-29 that had landed on a frozen lake in [[Greenland]] were abandoned after the aircraft caught fire and burned.<ref name=ace/>

== Soviet copy ==
Late in 1944, three B-29s made emergency landings in [[Vladivostok]], [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|USSR]]. The Soviets detained the crews, then quietly allowed them to escape--but not with their aircraft. Then in 1947, the Soviets demostrated their newest bomber: the [[Tu-4]], an exact replica of the B-29. With this aircraft, the US-Soviet [[arms race]] might be said to have begun.<ref name=ace/><ref name=Baugher/>

== The B-29 in Popular Culture ==
* The [[motion picture]] [[Test Pilot (film)|Test Pilot]] (1938) featured an aircraft similar in many respects to the B-29 (though not specifically identified as such) undergoing speed and load trials. This is a truly remarkable example of art anticipating life, especially considering that the first XB-29 was still years away from its maiden flight.

* The film [[Dive Bomber (film)|Dive Bomber]] (1941) alluded to many of the advanced features under development in the between-wars period that the film covered, including pressurized crew compartments and pressure suits for pilots. Because the B-29 had pressurized flight deck and gunnery spaces, this film can also be said to have anticipated one of the B-29's key features.

* The film [[Command Decision (film)|Command Decision]] (1949) made repeated allusions to "a B-29 command" in the Pacific theater being an assignment presenting a good opportunity for the holder of such a command either to advance professionally or to demonstrate the utility of the fortress-like bombers of that era.

* The film [[Strategic Air Command (film)|Strategic Air Command]] (1955) features as its lead character a former B-29 pilot recalled to the Air Force and learning how to fly [[B-36 Peacemaker]]s and [[B-47 Stratojet]]s. The film also makes several comparisons between the B-29 and the B-36.

==See also==
* [[B-17 Flying Fortress]]

==Bibliography==
* Craven, Wesley F., and James L. Cate, eds. ''The Army Air Forces in World War II'' (1948-1958), 7 vol; ''v. 5. The Pacific: Matterhorn to Nagasaki, June 1944 to August 1945'' [http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/aaf_wwii-v5.pdf online edition]
* Craven, Wesley F., and James L. Cate, eds. ''The Army Air Forces in World War II'' (1948-1958), 7 vol; ''v. 6. Men and planes'' [http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/aaf_wwii-v6.pdf online edition]
* Dorr, Robert. ''B-29 Units of World War II'' (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1841762857/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4827826-5463040#reader-link excerpt and text search]
* Polmar, Norman. ''The Enola Gay: The B - 29 That Dropped the First Atomic Bomb'' (2004) [http://books.google.com/books?id=8C1y_TRiFnIC&pg=PT8&dq=intitle:%22b-29%22&num=30&as_brr=0&sig=hCLjyd389ZBUHaep6RV034lZQZA excerpts and text search]
* Ralph, William W. "Improvised Destruction: Arnold, LeMay, and the Firebombing of Japan," ''War in History'', Vol. 13, No. 4, 495-522 (2006) [http://wih.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/4/495 online at Sage]
* Searle, Thomas R. "'It Made a Lot of Sense to Kill Skilled Workers': The Firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945" ''The Journal of Military History,'' Vol. 66, No. 1 (Jan., 2002), pp. 103-133 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0899-3718(200201)66%3A1%3C103%3A%22MALOS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q in JSTOR]
* Vander Meulen, Jacob. ''Building the B-29'' (1995)

== References ==
<references/>

== See Also ==
* [[Strategic Air Command]]

== External Links ==
* [http://www.nps.gov/archive/amme/wwii_museum/air_offensive/b29_operations.html B-29 Bombers Operating From Saipan And Tinian]." World War Two Virtual Museum, [[National Park Service]].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtIL_VjBUGo Watch a 7-minute video] of a radio-controlled B-29 scale model carrying aloft a model [[X-1]] and launching it. The demonstration includes aerobatics and a simulated bail-out. Both planes make safe landings. (Video courtesy of user "winchesterz" on <http://www.youtube.com/>.)
*[http://www.historynet.com/korean-war-the-boeing-b-29-superfortress-served-throughout-the-air-war.htm The Boeing B-29 Superfortress in the Korean War]

[[Category:United States Air Force]]
[[Category:World War II]]
[[Category:World War II aircraft]]

Talk:B-36 Peacemaker

2009-05-09T12:34:17Z

Mhmm: Created page with 'Made minor edit to details on Mark 4 bomb on British Columbia crash. Will provide other details in the future. mhmm'

Made minor edit to details on Mark 4 bomb on British Columbia crash. Will provide other details in the future. mhmm

B-36 Peacemaker

2009-05-09T12:32:11Z

Mhmm: /* Service */

The '''B-36 Peacemaker''' was an [[United States|American]] strategic nuclear bomber. Until the debut of the [[B-52 Stratofortress]] and [[ICBM]]s, it was the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]]'s primary deterrent.

==Development==

In the early 1940s, the Air Force was in the market for a long-range strategic bomber which would replace the [[B-17 Flying Fortress]]. The prototype bomber first flew in 1946.

The B-36 was massive. Its wingspan was 230 feet, and it was 46 feet high. It had a range of 10,000 [[mile]]s and could carry 43 tons of conventional or nuclear bombs. The maximum takeoff weight was 410,000 pounds.

The bomber was controversial. To get the funds to develop and build it, the US Navy’s new planned supercarrier, the ''United States'', was cancelled. This led to the “Revolt of the Admirals” in 1949, in which several senior naval officers publicly criticized the B-36 program, calling it a “billion-dollar blunder.”<ref>''Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy'', by Craig L. Symonds, Naval Institute Press, 1995</ref>

The aircraft went into service in 1949.

==Service==

388 B-36 bombers were built altogether, but they were never used in combat (living up to the name "Peacemaker.")

The B-36 had an excellent safety record, but there were a few crashes. On February 3, 1950, a B-36 flying a simulated combat mission crashed off western Canada. The crew bailed out, but five of the crewmen were never recovered, and presumed dead. The plane's wreckage was later recovered 200 miles away from the bailout point.<ref>http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/BC/broken_arrow.htm</ref> It was carrying a Mark 4 nuclear bomb for the mission, a training capsule of lead was inserted (no capsule of nuclear material was on the flight).

The bombers were phased out in 1958-1959 in favor of the smaller, less expensive [[B-52]] (each B-36 cost over 3 million dollars). Only a few still survive, one of which is an exhibit at the National Museum of the USAF.<ref>http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=360</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category: Aircraft]]
[[Category:Cold War]]
[[Category:United States Air Force]]
[[Category:Military]]
[[Category:Military Aircraft]]

User:Mhmm

2009-05-09T12:18:21Z

Mhmm: Created page with 'Conservapedia- what a great concept! U.S. Air Force retired, with experience in the nuclear weapons career field. I have several magazine published articles to my credit and one...'