How large was the crew on the enola gay

Others contend that such devastation was necessary to force Japan's surrender and avoid a deadly military campaign through the Japanese mainland. But how did the explosion weigh with the 12 men aboard the Enola Gay who dropped the bomb that day? Tibbets and other crew members maintained to the end of their lives that the bombing was necessary, saying it ultimately saved lives.

Who Was the Crew of the Enola Gay?

Their remote sighting positions were also removed. With these changes, the Silverplate Bs could fly higher and faster than a standard B, and the new engines were more reliable. Enola Gay had a cruising speed of miles per hour kilometers per hour and a maximum speed of miles per hour kilometers per hour.

This Day in Aviation

Shumard, who served as assistant engineer. On mission day August 6, , twelve crew members boarded the Enola Gay for their historic flight to Hiroshima. Colonel Paul Tibbets served as the aircraft commander, while Captain Robert Lewis took the role of co-pilot. Staff Sergeant George Caron manned the tail gun position, and Lieutenant Jacob Beser operated the radar countermeasures.

They had been specially modified to accomodate the size and weight of the atomic bombs. Crews were often rotated around during the missions. There are many incorrect lists online of the planes and crews that flew on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing missions. This list has been thoroughly checked for accuracy by several th Composite Group experts and historians.