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Which aircraft and crews carried out the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
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nuclear weapon
A test of a U.S. thermonuclear weapon (hydrogen bomb) at Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands, November 1, 1952.
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were carried out by the United States using modified B-29 Superfortress bombers and their respective crews.12
- Hiroshima: On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay was piloted by Colonel Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr., leading a crew of 11. They successfully dropped the uranium bomb known as "Little Boy" over the city.23
- Nagasaki: On August 9, 1945, the B-29 Bockscar was piloted by Major Charles W. Sweeney. The crew included bombardier Captain Kermit Beahan and Manhattan Project veteran Commander Frederick Ashworth, who served as the weaponeer. They dropped the plutonium-fueled device known as "Fat Man".43
Both aircraft operated out of the U.S. military base on Tinian in the Mariana Islands. While the use of these weapons caused unprecedented destruction and loss of life, it is essential to recognize the profound ethical gravity of deploying such technology against civilian populations.24