Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Nearly Lost in Transit From U.S.

On December 17, 1944, the 509th Composite Group was officially activated at Wendover, Utah. Crew A-2 was one of the fifteen crews assigned to the 509th and trained to deliver the atomic bomb.  Capt. Edward M. Costello was the Aircraft Commander, 1Lt. Harry B. Davis, Pilot, 1Lt. Robert J. Petrolli, Navigator, 1Lt. Tomas H. Brumagin, Flight Engineer, and Bombardier 1Lt. John L. Downey manned the Norden bomb sight in the nose.

Bombardier Downey recalled, “As time went by, the 509th started receiving factory new, specially modified “Silverplate” B-29’s, each crew in turn picking up their airplane at the factory and returning to Wendover

CREW A-2 WAS SENT TO THE FACTORY TO TAKE DELIVERY OF WHAT WAS TO BE THE LAST OF THE SILVERPLATE BOMBERS COMPLETED

Crew A-2 was sent to the factory to take delivery of what was to be the last of the Silverplate bombers [V-95] completed at the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Company in Omaha, Nebraska, designated for the 509th Composite Group. With only 2 hours of flight time on the airframe, the gleaming new B-29 was flown from adjoining Offutt Army Airfield in July 1945 enroute to Wendover Army Airfield [Utah].

There was only time for several short shake down flights, calibrating the air speed, altimeter, swinging the compass and checking out all the systems before the ship left Wendover, final destination Tinian [Mariana Islands, Pacific Theatre]. At this time, the airframe had only 11 hours on its flight log. The Laggin’ Dragon name and nose art were the work of the bombardier, who sketched the weary looking dragon shortly before departing Wendover. In light of being the last crew to leave for Tinian, it seemed that a parody of the 393rd Bomb Squadron insignia of a vicious, raging, fire breathing, bomb carrying dragon would be appropriate. The aircraft commander and crew gave their approval, and the Laggin’ Dragon was born. The actual nose art, a somewhat censored version of the original drawing, was painted on the aircraft on Tinian following the atomic bomb missions.

THE MORNING WE WERE TO LEAVE WENDOVER WE WERE ORDERED BY MILITARY INTELLIGENCE TO REMOVE ANY PAPERS OR FORMS OF IDENTIFICATION THAT WOULD INDICATE WE WERE AT WENDOVER AIR BASE

Ground crew member Bob Garn recalled, “The morning we were to leave Wendover we were assembled in an area and ordered by Military Intelligence to remove any papers or forms of identification that would indicate we were at Wendover Air Base. They were either destroyed or placed in a lock box from which we could retrieve them after arrival at Tinian. We were told we could not telephone, write or make contact with anyone until after we arrived on Tinian.”

UPON REACHING ALTITUDE, THE ORDERS WERE OPENED DIRECTING THE CREW TO KIRTLAND FIELD IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, NOT TO TINIAN AS EXPECTED

The Laggin’ Dragon departed Wendover on July 24th under sealed classified orders, fully loaded and ready for overseas duty. Packed with the cargo in the rear bomb bay, but probably not on the weight and balance form, were a 12’ tall concrete statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary as requested by the 509th Chaplin, two slot machines salvaged by Pete following the Wendover Officer’s Club fire and several cases of Southern Comfort, which proved to be more valuable than currency on Tinian. Upon reaching altitude, the orders were opened directing the crew to Kirtland Field in Albuquerque, New Mexico, not to Tinian as expected.

Although security and secrecy were paramount, the aviators and their families weren’t clueless. They saw things and heard things, speculated, worried and had a normal curiosity about their lot in life, but it ended there. The wives and families of the men of the 509th, billeted at remote bases lacking the usual comforts, became a very tight knit group of friends that continued throughout their lives.

When their husbands donned their flight suits and walked out the door, the wives never had an idea of where they were going or when they would return. Sometimes it was local training missions, and they came home at the end of the day. Other times they were deployed to distant places for training and testing and might be gone for days or weeks. The ladies relied upon one another until their return.

When the orders for deployment overseas came, it was probably obvious that the guys were packing for an extended assignment and the savvy women put two and two together……

The wives had gone together to watch the planes take off before and knew where they normally rotated from the runway into flight. As a group of them assembled to watch their husbands depart for overseas, they stood at their spot and watched the grossly overloaded Laggin’ Dragon roll past the rotation point, at which time, one of the ladies began shouting, “Throw out the Virgin, throw out the Virgin!”  Eventually the bomber lifted off the ground and lumbered into flight.

UPON ARRIVAL AT KIRTLAND, SPECIAL PERSONNEL TOOK THE AIRCRAFT TO A REMOTE SITE TO LOAD FAT MAN SPECIAL STORE #F-31 (MINUS THE PLUTONIUM CORE) INTO THE FRONT BOMB BAY. THIS WAS THE BOMB THAT ULTIMATELY WAS DROPPED ON NAGASAKI ON AUGUST 9, 1945

Upon arrival at Kirtland, special personnel took the aircraft to a remote site to load Fat Man Special Store #F-31 (minus the Plutonium core) into the front bomb bay. (Special Store was a military euphemism for an atomic bomb. The term was used in an effort to reference a nuclear weapon in a less formidable manner.) This was the bomb that ultimately was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, hastening the surrender of Japan on August 15th. The Laggin’ Dragon participated in that mission as a weather recon plane, but it was flown on that mission by Crew B-8. The delayed arrival on Tinian and lack of time to complete the required orientation precluded Crew A-2 from flying any missions in support of either the Hiroshima or Nagasaki missions.

FROM KIRTLAND, THE CREW FLEW THEIR CARGO TO MATHER FIELD IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

From Kirtland, the crew flew their cargo to Mather Field in Sacramento, California, the home of the Air Transport Command, which had jurisdiction over all military aircraft departing for or arriving from the Pacific Theatre.

Tom and Les recall that, “Upon arrival of V-95 at Mather Field, the aircraft was subjected to an inspection of all emergency gear per Air Transport Command requirements for all aircraft departing for overseas bases.”  This seemed redundant since the aircraft was fresh out of the factory. After some debate between base personnel and on board intelligence officers, however, the procedure was followed.

ABOUT NOON ON JULY 29TH, THE LAGGIN’ DRAGON DEPARTED MATHER FIELD ENROUTE TO JOHN ROGERS FIELD ON HAWAII

About noon on July 29th, the Laggin’ Dragon departed Mather Field enroute to John Rogers Field on Hawaii, Kwajalein, and ultimately, Tinian. On board were 19 souls including the flight crew, ground crew and two security agents.

All crew members except for the pilots and flight engineer were in the rear crew area of the aircraft to help offset the nose heavy condition of the airplane. On that day, Crew A-2 would face an unanticipated emergency that would test their mettle to the max.

THE PLANE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND STARTED TO NOSE DOWN

With a gross weight of 136,000 pounds, spuriously recorded on the flight log to conceal the secret and clandestine cargo, clearance from the tower was obtained and the taxi-out and takeoff were normal. At about 50 feet off the ground, the gear was just being retracted when a loud “Whap!” noise was heard in the aircraft and felt by the pilot through the controls. Immediately the plane began to shake violently and started to nose down.

HE LOOKED TO THE REAR OF THE PLANE AND SAW THE LARGE SEVEN-MAN LIFE RAFT FLOPPING ON THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER

Cpl. Shorty Bryant, the right scanner, was observing the gear and flaps to report “full up” position to the pilot, when suddenly he saw a bright orange flash pass by his portal. As the plane began to shake violently, he looked to the rear of the plane and saw the large seven-man life raft flopping on the horizontal stabilizer.

As pulling on the yoke and rolling trim didn’t help, the aircraft commander called to his co-pilot, who was described in the official report as “6’3, weighing 220 lbs., in good physical shape, and strong,” saying, “Help me, Harry!”

HE SUMMONED LES FORWARD TO HIS BOMBARDIER’S POSITION TO PREPARE TO SALVO THE BOMB. HE CUT THE SAFETY WIRE ON THE SALVO SWITCH AND AWAITED FURTHER ORDERS

He also summoned Les forward to his Bombardier’s position to prepare to salvo the bomb, an emergency contingency the pilots would reserve as a last resort. The continuing secrecy of the 509^th left the flight crew, as aware as they were that they had some special cargo on board, really just guessing what was in the front bomb bay. Les was more than happy to make the quick trip forward through the tunnel in as much as he had left his parachute in the bombardier’s position. Upon assuming his station, he cut the safety wire on the salvo switch and awaited further orders.

Both pilots, with feet braced on the rudder pedals and pulling with all their strength on the control yokes, were physically being bounced up and down in their seats by the intensity of the shaking.

THEY SAW A CLEARER CRASH SITE TO THE RIGHT AND MADE A 10º TURN. AS THE WING LOWERED ON THAT SIDE, THE RAFT AND OTHER PIECES OF DITCHING GEAR WERE DISLODGED

They saw a clearer crash site to the right and made a 10º turn. As the wing lowered on that side, the raft and other pieces of ditching gear were dislodged from the horizontal stabilizer and the vibration of the airplane diminished to a more controllable level. The pilots were able to bring up the nose of the crippled aircraft and climb to a higher altitude and proper air speed.

Les recalls the Captain calling Mather tower declaring an emergency and requesting immediate landing clearance, at which time the tower asked the weight of the overloaded aircraft.

The tower then advised the aircraft commander to fly around until the ship reached 125,000 pounds so as not to damage the Mather runway. He responded, “Fly around Hell, I don’t know if we are going to get around this time!”  Les said that this was the only time he’d ever heard Ed swear.

There has been discussion as to possible radio interference at this time affecting communications between the tower and the damaged airplane as the Aircraft Commander told the crew and passengers to prepare for a crash landing.

Upon approach to Mather, Shorty watched a convoy of fire trucks and ambulances heading onto the field. He recalls, “The touchdown was very fast, but smooth as silk. The Curtis Electric reversible pitch props helped bring the aircraft to a stop with the nose gear just off the end of the runway but the main gear still on the hard surface.”

Although crashing, or a crash landing, were both strong possibilities, at no time did the pilots ever lose control of the aircraft. What could have been a disaster ended with a safe, smooth, albeit hot landing, with no injuries or further damage to the aircraft. Upon entering the cockpit after rolling to a stop, however, Pete noted that the two pilots remained in their seats, physically and emotionally drained, their flight suits soaked in perspiration.

APPROXIMATELY TWELVE HOURS LATER, THE LAGGIN’ DRAGON DEPARTED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL THREE LEG FLIGHT TO TINIAN, DELIVERING THE F-31 BOMB CASING, THE NAGASAKI BOMB, TO NORTH FIELD ON AUGUST 1ST

Maintenance personnel at Mather appropriated the necessary parts from another B-29 on the ramp to repair the tail structure and approximately twelve hours later, the Laggin’ Dragon departed for an uneventful three leg flight to Tinian, delivering the F-31 bomb casing, the Nagasaki bomb, to North Field on August 1st.

Through subsequent examination of records and crew interviews, it appears that the oversight which could have spelled disaster was the result of security measures dictated by a Military Intelligence officer attached to the aircraft for the mission. Additionally, the opening of the hatches and repacking were done while the crew chief and ground crew were absent, thus they had no knowledge of the potentially catastrophic lack of communication.

So, on a good note, ends the Tale of the Laggin’ Dragon and Crew A-2, whose most important mission could have been their last.