Few planes in history weigh as heavily, both literally and by its action supremacy, as the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Its mission didn’t merely assist in ending World War II; it also launched the nuclear age, one that has left a lasting legacy to continue to generate controversy among historians, veterans, and the general public.
The Enola Gay was initially an ordinary B-29. It was one of the highly exclusive “Silverplate” group, which can fit a small number of bombs and can may not made to deliver the huge atomic bomb. In order to make the plane suitable for the mission, engineers removed armor plating, eliminated most of the remotely operated gun turrets, and reserved only a tail gun for protection. These modifications were done to carry the first Little Boy, the 10,000-pound uranium bomb that would change the course of history forever.
Originally identified only as No. 82, the plane acquired its lasting designation the evening before the historic flight. Colonel Paul Tibbets, commanding officer of the 509th Composite Group, personally chose the aircraft and had the name “Enola Gay” painted on its belly in honor of his mother.
President Harry S. Truman had a bleak set of options as the Pacific conflict dragged on. persist in the deadly routine of conventional bombing, invade at a high cost, demonstrate the atomic bomb, or target a city directly at mass level. Conventional bombing had already made a great destruction, and an invasion risked horrific losses on both sides. Demonstrating the bomb risked failure, leaving Japan continue on the war. Finally, Truman and his advisors decided that a direct attack provided the most immediate way to bring the war to a close point.
Early on the morning of August 6, 1945, Tibbets and his eleven-man crew took off from Tinian Island, then the world’s largest airbase, constructed solely to facilitate the merciless bombing of Japan. The crew had spent heavily in practice with “pumpkin bombs” to help match the Little Boy’s dimensions and its heaviness. At 8:15 a.m. At Hiroshima time, Major Thomas Ferebee dropped the atomic bomb. It exploded about 1,800 feet over the city, releasing its extreme energy of around 15,000 tons of TNT. Ground-zero temperatures rose above 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, killing tens of thousands instantly and destroying nearly everything which is in its range.
In the ensuing days and weeks, many more died from radiation exposure. The Enola Gay had already flown tirelessly for a thousand of miles, and its crew watched the mushroom cloud rise, well knowing they had deployed a weapon unlike any other weapon tested ever in the history of mankind.
Three days later, a second bomb devastated Nagasaki. On August 15, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender, ending the deadliest conflict in human history. Yet the bombings ignited immediate moral debate. Some, including members of the crew, argued that the attacks prevented further an even bloodier invasion and it helps to stop the war. Others maintained that targeting cities with such high destructive force make Japan indefensible.
Following the war, the Enola Gay was disassembled and put into storage for decades before being restored and showcased at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Even then, the showcasing proved controversial during the 1990s.
Curator Gregg Herken originally aimed to show a complete historical record, Japanese points of view, and civilian losses, but political backlash and protest from veterans resulted in an emphasis more on the plane itself than on the higher ethical and human consequences of its mission.
Today, the Enola Gay still provokes strong emotion and war memory. Some critics believe that the human loss of Hiroshima is high, while others view it as a celebration of technological superiority and strategic success. Approaching the airplane encourages remembering the memory, ethics, and the cost of human innovation in warfare.
Something greater than a symbol of the history, the Enola Gay aircraft represents how technology can transform war, reminding us of the serious burden that growing power and the timeless struggle between political power struggle and human life cost.