Nose art

Hilts has not been back since the malware hit us.
I have sent him a PM asking him to reload his image collection somewhere like here http://www.ww2f.com/album.php?do=addalbum or Googles free Picsaweb Album https://picasaweb.google.com/home

Some good B-17 ones at the bottom of the page here: http://www.facebook.com/mitchell.mcaleer.9/photos_stream

 

Just noticed that post #2 in this thread has a photo of Bockscar, the B-29 that dropped tha A-bomb on Nagasaki. Under the pilot's window there are five "pumkin bomb" symbols, the fourth of which is red - that's from the Nagasaki mission. The pumkin was a 5-ton conventional bomb of the same size and shape as the "Fat Man" atomic bomb. Planes from the 509th Composite Group used them to practice for the A-bomb missions.

The plane is on display at the Air Force Museum, a few miles from where I grew up in Dayton, Ohio.

 

Here's a picture I took of Bockscar a few years ago:



I have a question on this: why does Bockscar show 1 pumpkin after the Nagasaki mission figure? I thought this bomber never flew another combat mission after Nagasaki. I'm inclined to assume that it was some sort of training mission.

 

Alan, good question. It got me into research mode but I haven't been able to find the answer. I did find out that at the time of the Nagasaki raid none of the planes in the squadron had nose art (photo #1). It was added sometime later (photo #2), but without the pumkins. Then it gets a bit confusing.

Bockscar was named after its pilot, Capt. Frederick Bock, but Bock was not the pilot for the Nagasaki raid. He and his crew switched planes with the crew of The Great Artiste, whose pilot was Maj. Charles Sweeny. The switch caused some confusion in the reporting of the raid, with the initial press report stating that the bomb was dropped from The Great Artiste. When Bockscar was taken to Davis Monthan AFB for storage, it was mistakenly painted with the nose art of The Great Artiste, and was displayed as that plane. Photo #3 is from Davis Monthan, but you can't really see the nose art in that shot.

In 1961, the plane was given to the Air Force Museum where the correct art was restored and the pumpkins were added. Why the red one is not the last in line is nowhere explained.

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"Bock's Car" dropped the 'Fat Man' device on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.

Tibbbets actually picked his aircraft straight off the production line, (they didn't want a 'Monday morning bomber').

Was "Bocks Car also aquired by Sweeney's crew in a similar fashion?

 

I suspect that they flew another practice mission after Nagasaki. It wouldn't have necessarily been over that city or even over Japan. Even a mission flown after the surrender was announced probably would have counted right up until the documents were signed.

 

VB - The story of why Bock and Sweeny switched planes for the Nagasaki raid is told in this article:

BOCKSCAR … THE FORGOTTEN PLANE THAT DROPPED THE ATOMIC BOMB « A Little Touch of History

The fifteen B-29's flown by the 509th Composite Group were of a modified design developed by Col. Tibbets, called "Silverplate", and were produced without armor and without turrets on the top or bottom of the planes. The only guns were in the tail gunners position. The reduction in weight allowed the planes to have a longer effective range. As group commander, Col. Tibbets got to select his own plane.

 

I'd sheepishly admit just realizing the bent tracks on Bockscar emblem prolly signifies the aftermath of heavy bombing on industry, and the actual bending of tracks after successful raids?..just askin'

 

I'm looking forward to an answer. I first thought it was fishy when I saw the plane at the USAF Museum many years ago -- but I just remembered to bring it up after seeing this thread.

As for why Salt Lake, Wendover was a small town (population of just over 200) in the middle of nowhere. Salt Lake was likely the nearest "big city" that people would have heard of. With this in mind, I assume that "Salt Lake" was chosen for the publicity photos of the plane.

 

Yes Ceraphix they did have nose art, but almost always the squadran's emblem...Most famous would probably be the Wasp/Vasp nose art on Me110s...But i have seen small personal art on ace's aircraft. Cant post picture but in my top five would also be Dick Cresswell's P-40 artwork...It featured the American, British and Australian flags (plus i think the RAAF flag)...on the other side was an angry boxing Kangaroo...Think he copied the artwork onto his next stead, P-51 Mustang...(His next ride was a T-80 given to him by the US as a personal jet!)

 

Wonderful bit of info. I did not know about the Pumpkin stuff...Still learnin', thanks to WW2F. Pumpkin bomb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Dakota-Kid.jpg

I saw this plane at an airshow when I was a kid. My friend Billy and I thought it was the coolest thing ever that they would name our favorite plane after our home county in Minnesota! xD Dakota County lives on!

 

356th Fighter Group, 361st Fighter Squadron Commander from 28 Nov 1943 until he was taken POW on 1944-04-23
Einer A Malmstrom's Republic, P-47, D 42-25513 8.,

Nickname Kay √ (barb) J

Nickname for the aircraft:
Kay is wife Katherine. barb (√ picture) is daughter Barbara & J is son James

Shot down Hagenau Germany 1944-04-23 http://www.lostaircraft.com/database.php?mode=viewentry&e=16123

 

Mustang Iron Ass.

 

Major "Dick" Richard Ira Bong P-38J-15-LO SN: 42-103993 "Marge"
Nose Art - his wife Marg.

Top American Ace: 40 Air Destroyed 7 Air Probable 11 Damaged Air GROUND: N/A
- Flew with many organizations including the 35th FG and the 8th FG, however, 21 air victories were scored with 7th and 9th FS of the 49th FG/5th AF/SWPA.
See: http://warbirdsresourcegroup.org/URG/bong.html

 

The uncleansed image you did NOT see in the 12 O'Clock High movie or TV Series.

 

Of course, sometimes a strict CO could take all the fun out nose art.

 

Probably the most famous nose art image (and most popular subject) in WW2. Betty Grable.