On August 6, 1945, around 80 years ago, a B-29 Superfortress of the United States Air Force was flying over the skies of Japan for a secret mission. A mission that would bring an end to World War II in the Pacific region. The man who piloted the flight was Brigadier General Paul Warfield Tibbets of the US Air Force, a name that would soon be etched in history.
What was Tibbets' secret mission?
Tibbets was flying his B-29 Superfortress, which he had named Enola Gay after his mother. As part of his mission, Tibbets would go on to drop a nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
The nuclear bomb, which was named 'Little Boy', was dropped by the US on Hiroshima in a bid to end World War II in the Pacific. This attack killed 90,000 to 1.66 lakh people, including 80,000 to 1.56 lakh civilians and around 10,000 Japanese military personnel.
This mission was executed by the US under the Manhattan Project.
Tibbets' early life
Tibbets was born to Paul Warfield Tibbets Sr. and Enola Gay Tibbets on February 23, 1915, in Quincy, Illinois, the US. It is said that Tibbets was always interested in flying, and once his mother had taken him to a local carnival to get him into an airplane.
He did his graduation from Western Military Academy in 1933, and later went to the University of Florida in Gainesville. Even though Tibbets was always interested in flying, he wanted to become an abdominal surgeon in his early days. However, on February 25, 1937, he enlisted in the US Army to become a pilot in the US Army Air Corps.
Tibbets' military career
Tibbets' received his basic flying training at Randolph Field in San Antonio, Texas. He rose quickly through the ranks and went on to become the commanding officer of the 340th Bombardment Squadron of the 97th Bombardment Group.
Tibbets first crucial mission was flying over German-occupied France in August 1942, bombing Axis military bases in the region. Later, he was also selected to fly as a pilot for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa.
Tibbets becomes part of campaign against Japan
Tibbets soon earned his name in the US military for his skills. Thus, he was called to the US in February 1943 to develop the B-29 Superfortress, a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber. A year later, he was briefed about the Manhattan Project by Lieutenant Colonel John Lansdale, Captain William Parsons, and Norman Ramsey.
Soon, he was selected to lead the 509th Composite Group, which would go on to drop the first nuclear bomb on Japan.
In May 1945, Tibbets, who was a Colonel back then, moved to the Pacific region. And three months later, he would fly his B-29 Superfortress over Hiroshima, dropping a nuclear bomb on Japan.
About the bombing of Hiroshima
The bombing of Hiroshima was named 'Operation Centerboard I', and Tibbets was selected to lead the mission and fly Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress named after his mother. Along with Tibbets, the US military had chosen Robert Lewis, co-pilot; Theodore Van Kirk, navigator; Tom Ferebee, bombardier; and Robert Caron, tail gunner; for this mission.
As per reports, Tibbets and his crew dropped 'Little Boy' on Hiroshima at 8.15 am (local time) on August 6, 1945.
What did Tibbets say after bombing Hiroshima?
In an interview, Tibbets had once said that the site that greeted them after dropping the bomb "was quite beyond" what his crew had expected. "...we saw this cloud of boiling dust and debris below us with this tremendous mushroom on top. Beneath that was hidden the ruins of the city of Hiroshima," he remembered.
When asked whether he was proud of what he did, Tibbets said: "Yes, I am. Because a military man starts out his career with the idea of serving his country and preserving the integrity of that country. I feel that I did just that very thing."
For his services during World War II and dropping the nuclear bomb on Japan, Tibbets was honoured with the Distinguished Service Cross by the US government. His citation read, "By extraordinary flying skill, gallant leadership, and successful performance of the flight despite considerable danger, Colonel Tibbets thereby rendered outstanding, distinguished and valorous service to our Nation."
Retirement and later years
Tibbets retired from the US military in 1966. He later worked for the Executive Jet Aviation (EJA) in Ohio, but retired in 1966. However, he once again joined EJA and served it till 1987.
On November 1, 2007, Tibbets passed away at the age of 92 at his residence in Ohio following a heart attack.
