Atomic_Bomb

Atomic Bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki On August 6, 1945, with no forewarning, the United States used its massive, secret weapon against Hiroshima, Japan. On August 6, 1945, the United States used its massive, secret weapon against Hiroshima, Japan. This atomic bomb, the equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT, flattened the city, killing tens of thousands of civilians. While Japan was still trying to comprehend this devastation three days later, the United States struck again, this time, on Nagasaki. Hiroshima Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., pilot of the ENOLA GAY, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, waves from his cockpit before the takeoff, 6 August 1945. At 2:45 a.m. on Monday, August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, took off from Tinian, a North Pacific island in the Marianas, 1,500 miles south of Japan. The twelve-man crew (picture) were on board to make sure this secret mission went smoothly. Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot, nicknamed the B-29 the "Enola Gay" after his mother. Just before take-off, the plane's nickname was painted on its side. The Enola Gay was a B-29 Superfortress (aircraft 44-86292), part of the 509th Composite Group. In order to carry such a heavy load as an bomb, hiroshima, atomic, nagasaki, been, enola, dropped, target, over, japan, feet, city, august, quoted, people, new, little, gay, bombing, 1945, while, smoke, parsons, first, boy, b-29, approximately, am, york, united, time, three, states, second, plane