Links

Several web sites dedicated to the B-29 have sprung up recently, ranging from comprehensive sites on all bombers to more focused sites on a specific point in B-29 history.

MAIN LINKS:

B-29 Superfortress Then and Now Sallyann Wagoner runs a great site with selected histories as well as guest commentaries.

The last main paragraph of the front page has a link and directions for logging onto her B-29 e-mail list. This is THE grapevine for info on reunions, the latest restorations, or finding someone you know or knew an uncle who flew B-29s.

Check out her 73rd Bomb Wing info with aircraft serial numbers and nicknames.

Heavy Bombers This site has great info on all B-29 aircraft, units, logos, and current locations. Also extensive links to many other B-29 sites on each unit page.

Existing B-29s, restored or in-work.

To see the latest on T Square 54, click here to see it.

Some B-29 pictures.

Heavy Bomber Message Boards for all theaters, including ...

... the message board for Pacific B-29 units (Including CBI units)

USAF Museum Photo Archive Pictures and info on all B-29 versions. (Also all other aircraft on other pages.)

Air Force Association A great supporter of all Air Force affairs.

Some articles on heroic B-29 flights, including Beating a Stacked Deck , A Wing and a Prayer , Red Erwin's Personal Purgatory , Missions Accomplished . Men Against the Sea , and The Greater Mark of Glory.

The Enola Gay Debate Materials documenting the controversial Smithsonian exhibit of the Enola Gay. A great reference.

Air Force Magazine Read the past issues of one of the best aerospace magazines around.

UNITS:

6th Bomb Group Some very good photos and info from Tinian.
9th Bomb Group History Download the the entire 363 page history!!

9th Bomb Group (Part of Web Birds) -- Lots of nose art from Tinian as well as area pix, including a Japanese piloted rocket propelled suicide Ohka (locally called "Baka") plane.

19th Bombardment Association The official organization.
19th Bomb Wing A brief history.
20th Air Force New site in progress, info, diaries, pics and links. More to come soon.
NEW! Official 20th Air Force Association Unit lists and markings, newsletters.
29th Bomb Group Part of the 314th Bomb Wing.
39th Bomb Group Association More great stuff, including unit history, biographies, photos, and reunions.
40th Bomb Group Association Great new site! Pictures, documents, and info on a/c serial numbers and missions, spanning CBI as well as Tinian periods. Photos of Casablanca, Egypt, India, The Hump, Chengtu runway construction, and other places where only National Geographic would go!
58th Bomb Wing ~~This site covers all China-Burma-India operations, with info on the 58th BW operations. (This link also shown under "Locations" on this page)~~ Site expired, now hijacked.
73rd Wing (V Square) Great pics of all 4 Bomb Groups. Fine aircraft pics over Japan and on the ground, great archive of nose art, construction of the air base, as well as battle damage to B-29's and enemy air attacks on Saipan.
91st Strat Recon Squadron A great new site with tons of pics from Yokota. Pictures of RB-29 operations as well as tons of pictures from the countryside. Great layout, lots of great material. MUST SEE!! (Also under locations, Yokota)
Korean War Project, USAF units Korean War era message boards.

92nd BG Message Board

98nd BG Message Board

98th BG Veterans' Association Flew B-29s in the Korean War.

M. Nelson's 98th Bomb Wing Pix Some shots of B-29's in Korean War.

330th Bomb Group, Part of the 314th Bomb Groups on Guam.

315th Bomb Wing Northwest Field, Guam. More pictures to be loaded soon.

420th Air Refueling Squadron RAF Sculthorpe, England

440th Bomb Group (58th Bomb Wing) Pics of crews as well as great local shots of India and China.

Official site of 444th Bomb Group (58th Bomb Wing) Archives, list of all missions, photos, stories, etc.

444th Bomb Group (58th Bomb Wing) More great pics of India, China and Tinian.

462th Bomb Group (58th Bomb Wing) New site. Photos of crews, tail insignia, & nose art of 462 BG, 58 BW.

468th Bomb Group (58th Bomb Wing) Photos and info on 58th Bomb Wing, 468th Bomb Group, 792nd Bomb Squadron in India and Tinian.

497th Bomb Group pictures Pictures attributed to Staff Sgt. Coleman, a B-29 radar operator with the 497th BG. Link from e-mail from David Maxwell, about eBay auction. (Note: go to the link's home page for some more interesting stuff.)

497th in "Flak Alley" The difficult 27 Jan 45 strike on Tokyo. A focus on Irish Lassie, A Sq 52, which returned to Saipan after a double ramming.

NEW! 498th Bomb Group, 374th Squadron. Mission logs and diary of Wm. C. Atkinson, Radar Navigator. Great reading!

500th Bomb Group Anniversary Album The entire 500th BG album, scanned courtesy of Bill Copeland.

The latest pics before they're archived above.

500th Bomb Group, Saipan Some pictures from the ground

501st Bomb Group, 315th BW, Guam The last mission to destroy oil production in Japan, hours before surrender.
More on this here.

504th Bomb Group, Tinian Great pics of Tinian, 504th planes and people, supply ships, Japanese planes, targets. Also, McArthur's HQ after the war.

505th Bomb Group, Tinian Chronology, pictures, crew roster, nose art (not for the kids!)
(site mirrored here.)

More on 505th Bomb Group, Tinian List of 505th BG, 73rd BW, and 6th BG aircraft, as well as MACR lists.
Also, how to get Individual Deceased Personal File (IDPF) here.

------ Other Units:

Tanker Squadrons of the USAF Extensive info on all tanker units, including serial numbers of converted aircraft.

(Check out the partner site of Tanker Aircraft of the USAF, also under Engineering.

LOCATIONS:

China-Burma-India ~~This site covers all China-Burma-India operations, with info on the 58th BW operations. (This link also shown under "Units" on this page)~~ Site expired, now hijacked.
Charles Hacking in China One man's role in the CBI theater; destroying the bases on departure for the Marianas, some good pics and maps of China.

More Tinian pictures Ronnie Martin's pictures from Tinian, including Enola Gay and the wreck of "White Mistress," R Circle 57.

Guam, 1945. From Al Wood. A well balanced selection from all aspects of life on Guam.

B-29's in Korean War ; article from Military.com

Korean War, from Okinawa 19 BG at Kadena AB. Pictures on ground and in-flight, crash site, nose art.

Maps of Korea, Political, relief, and historical. Also links to other areas.

Korean War Maps, showing battle fronts and general area.

Korean War B-29's E. J. McGill's (19 BG co-pilot) site with lots of pictures, great stories and links.

NEW! Soviet Air Aces Including testimony of their attacks on B-29's.

Friendly fire incident: US & Britain A British Seafire downed by a B-29 on 28 July 1950 in the Korean War.

Kansas Aviation Museum Kansas' role in B-29 production.

Saipan air offensive A history of Saipan's involvement in the war, especially with the B-29 program

Visit Mariana Islands!! Main tourism page for Saipan and Tinian. A great first stop for planning a visit to the Islands!

B-29 Memorial Dedicated to building a B-29 memorial at the site of the Great Bend Army Air Field in Great Bend, Kansas. Also some pictures and tales.

"Bombers on the Prairie" The B-29 in Kansas, a local PBS special about the B-29 development, production, and the "Battle of Kansas." Transcript with good personal info, video interviews, maps, pictures. Good stuff here!

Historic Wendover Airfield Home of the 509th BG at the Utah/Nevada border while training for their mission. Now under restoration
Wendover Today Some pictures of the 509th area at Wendover. Also, a "different viewpoint."

Yokota, Early 50's A great new site with tons of pics from 91st Strat Recon Squadron at Yokota. Pictures of RB-29 operations as well as tons of pictures from the countryside. Great layout, lots of great material. MUST SEE!! (Also under units, 91st SRS)

------ Other Events:

Aircraft downed in Cold War Includes B-29's.

PERSONAL SITES:

Glenn C. Ball Pictures from Tinian: nose art, area.
George Robert "Bob" Caron Tail gunner on Enola Gay. More stuff soon.
Robert Casseday With 313th WG, 504 BG. Plenty of nose art and tales. Also testimonial from Fiske Hanley, POW and author of "History of the 504th Bomb Group" and "Accused American War Crimial."

Biedenbach's pictures from Tinian Some good pictures of Tinian, including the Enola Gay running up her engines

Backwards Into Battle Andy Doty's book about his experiences as a tail gunner.
Benjamin Franklin Edwards, lost on Robert Goldsworthy's flight.

Leroy Florence 499th Bomb Group, 878th Squadron at Saipan. Pics of Saipan, aircraft, in flight, and 73rd Bomb Wing 2000 reunion. Don't miss his diary!

Sgt Chester E. Godfrey's entry in genealogy site, with partial in-depth info on APQ-7 radar & July/August raids on refineries. Also Godfrey's reaction about Japan's surrender.

Robert Goldsworthy Tale of Robert Goldsworthy and his POW experiences in Japan.

Hap Halloran Online Hap Halloran's home page. Pix & info on Saipan, his last mission and POW experiences.

Charles Harper Great stuff from the 58th in India, China and Saipan, with lots of stories and pictures. Tales include ditching in the Indian Ocean, first landing in Japan, building runways in China by hand, and Goldsworthy's POW experiences. Check it out!
Harvey Hauserman, 6 BG, Tinian. Site done by his son Jeff.
Nate Hicks' B-29 pages Mostly pictures from Tinian.

Military Life on Saipan Pictures taken by Walter H. Lobinske Sr. on Saipan.

Post War Wreck Bill Myers, assigned to EOD duty in post-war Japan, found a B-29 wreck; anyone recognize it? Also picture of Japanese B-29 decoy.

Cooper Patrick's pictures A Seabee with the 38th Naval Construction Battalion at Tinian. B-29 nose art pictures, and the Seabee sponsored plane "Coral Queen."

Frank Lauderdale Saffarrans, Jr. Adventures of Signal Intel troop on the ground at Guam, Saipan, and Iwo Jima.

Robert I. Serotki Assigned to 1st Photo Sq.; also a nose artist. Nose art, pics of Egypt and Okinawa. Posted by his grandson.

Myron F. "Smokey" Sestak, WWII bombardier, lost in the Korean War.

The Last Mission Jim B. Smith's book (Flew "Boomerang," 315th BW, Guam) about the last attack, 6 days after Nagasaki.
The General Paul W. Tibbets Web Page The official site of the man who led the effort to drop the first atomic bomb.

Paul W. Wilson B-29 Gallery More nose art from Paul Wilson, including "Super Wabbit." Hit the link for the main page to see other aircraft nose art.

Bernard R. Yglesias Memorial to a gunner with 314th BW, 19th BG, 28th Sq.

Zimany's Pictures Pictures taken by Gustave E. Zimany in '45 - '46, and posted by his son.

SPECIFIC AIRCRAFT:

Commemorative Air Force This collection of WWII aircraft includes the last B-29 that still flies: 44-62070, "Fifi."

Fifi's Home Page Includes the tale of Fifi's resurrection from China Lake as well as recollections from her tours through the states.

Enola Gay:

Enola Gay Restoration : Current pictures and status of the restoration of Enola Gay for her 2003 unveiling at Dulles Center Museum

1995 Enola Gay Exhibit: A comparison of first draft and final draft of this controversial Smithsonian exhibit.

The Enola Gay Debate Air Force Association materials documenting the controversial Smithsonian exhibit of the Enola Gay. A great reference.

Doc:

Doc's Rescue Bringing Doc from China Lake to Inyokern, before her shipment to Wichita, Kansas, for further restoration.

Check Sallyann's site for the current work on Doc in Wichita.

Doc: The Boeing Perspective Boeing's web site on Doc's restoration to flying condition! Great site with live cam on the restoration progress.

Doc: Saved from a Desert Death and Return to Glory Two more articles on the work on Doc's resurrection.

Kee Bird:

Kee Bird Extensive info on her 1947 emergency landing in Greenland in 1947 and rescue of all crew members.

Kee Bird: Return Transcript of the PBS Nova special on the attempt to fly her from Greenland.

Kee Bird Again, This time an Outside Magazine piece about the recovery effort, written before her final demise.

44-61975, New England Air Museum:

58 BW Association , restorers of 44-61975.

Photos , from another website

NEW! 45-21847 "Beetle Bomber"
crashed in Lake Mead on 21 July 1948:

An "in depth" look , Story, videos and pictures.

Las Vegas Sun , news article

View News , another article.

The City of Grundy Center Site about "their plane" by Grundy Center

B-29 Superfortress: Those That Survive Some info and pics about remaining B-29's. Cool pics of Kee Bird and Fifi.

History of Force Z: a B-29 Wreck in Malaysia Researchers looking into a 1941 British naval battle in Malaysia found a B-29 in the water. We should see more good info here soon. Could be 42-65226, lost 11 Jan 45.

42-24704 Postville Express crash site in Malaysia. Good info on crew members both lost and survived.

RB-29A 44-61999, 16 Photo Recon Sq., Crashed at Higher Shelf Stones nr Glossop on 3 Nov 1948

R&D AND ENGINEERING:

Navis Magazine B-29 Section Great site with a history of B-29 development, list of organizations, markings, and missions, as well as a photo "walk-around" and a "virtual tour."

Don't miss the manufacturing plants page; great pix of B-29's under construction.

Zeno's Warbirds Videos On-line clips for crew procedures.

Also pictures from tech data of positions and system diagrams.

B-29 Development History Joe Baugher's extensive history, by version from start to final flights. Also hyperlinked to his pages on other aircraft (XP-85 parasite fighter, etc.) Lots of in-depth info on many other aircraft as well through the Elevon front page ... Also check out his extensive list of serial numbers

Dryden Flight Research Center B-29 as a mothership for experimental aircraft.

Aircraft of the Glenn L. Martin Company Info on one of the manufacturers of the B-29. This plant built the Enola Gay and Bockscar. (thanks to Wayne Martin for the link)

Engineering the B-29 Bring out your slide rules and engineering books: here are the old research documents from NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Many reports are specifically about the B-29!!

Quick specs for the B-29... and more specs on the R-3350 engine.

Tanker Aircraft of the USAF. Great stuff on tankers, including all B-29 tanker modifications and serial numbers.

(Check out the partner site of Tanker Squadrons of the USAF, also under Units.)

Aircraft Sounds on CD Order a CD with real sounds from real airplanes, including the B-29.

Exhaust Port Heat , Comparing R-3350 engine exhaust heat problems with motorcycle engines. More here, here, and here.

------ Soviet TU-4 "Bull" copy of B-29:

TU-4 History and additional comments.
More TU-4 History and pictures of Soviet and Chinese versions.
Engine testbed with experimental engines installed.
More TU-4 Pics including engine test & drone carrier, but Russian text.
China Aviation Museum north of Beijing. Includes two versions of TU-4
Smithsonian's Air & Space Magazine article on TU-4 development