Bockscar

Bockscar, (occasionally Bock's Car or Bocks Car) was the name of the U.S. Army Air Forces B-29 bomber (Serial Number 44-27297) which dropped the second nuclear weapon ever used in warfare, on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. The weapon was known as "Fat Man". On the day of the attack Bockscar was manned by the crew of "The Great Artiste" and was commanded by Major Charles Sweeney.

Related Topics:
U.S. Army Air Forces - B-29 - Bomber - Nuclear weapon - Nagasaki - Japan - August 9 - 1945 - Fat Man - The Great Artiste - Charles Sweeney

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Kokura was the intended target, but had been obscured by clouds. Major Sweeney had orders to drop the bomb visually and so moved on to Nagasaki, the secondary target. Since their fuel was getting low and Sweeney didn't want to dump the bomb in the East China Sea, he decided to make a radar bombing run. However, enough of an opening came in the cloud cover to allow the bombardier to confirm Nagasaki, and the bomb was dropped with ground zero being about 3/4 mile from the planned target. This resulted in lower overall casualties than would have been otherwise, as most of the blast was confined in the Urakami Valley.

Related Topics:
Kokura - Nagasaki

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The more-often recognized B-29 Enola Gay preceded Bockscar in dropping a nuclear weapon on Japan. In the language of warfare, the leveling of Nagasaki after the Hiroshima bombing demonstrated the US Armed Forces' willingness and ability to repeat this type of crippling aerial attack.

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Many consider that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki provided the greatest impetus behind the subsequent Japanese surrender, thus bringing the fighting of World War II to an end.

Related Topics:
Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - World War II

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This historic aircraft is sometimes referred to as "Bocks Car" or "Bock's Car". The name painted on the aircraft after the mission (above) has no apostrophe and appears to have a thin space after the S. It was named after the pilot of its regular crew, Frederick C. Bock.

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Bockscar is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

Related Topics:
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Dayton - Ohio

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