Enola Gay facts for kids

The Enola Gay was a famous B-29 Superfortress bomber plane. It became well-known for a very important event during World War II. This plane dropped the first atomic bomb, called Little Boy, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The plane was named after the pilot's mother, Enola Gay Tibbets.

Tibbets waving from the Enola Gay to photographers before taking off on the mission to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

What was the Enola Gay?

The Enola Gay was a special type of airplane called a B-29 Superfortress. These planes were very large and powerful bombers. They could fly long distances and carry heavy loads. The B-29s were used by the United States during World War II. The Enola Gay was built in 1944. It was part of a secret group of planes called the 509th Composite Group. This group was formed to carry out special missions.

The Mission to Hiroshima

The Enola Gay's most famous mission happened on August 6, 1945. The plane was flown by Colonel Paul Tibbets. His crew included co-pilot Captain Robert Lewis and bombardier Major Thomas Ferebee. Their mission was to drop the first atomic bomb used in warfare. The bomb was named "Little Boy."

The Enola Gay took off from Tinian island in the Pacific Ocean. It flew for several hours before reaching its target. At 8:15 AM local time, the "Little Boy" bomb was released over Hiroshima, Japan. The explosion caused massive damage and changed the course of history. This event helped bring World War II to an end.

After the War

After its historic mission, the Enola Gay continued to serve. It was used for a short time after the war ended. The plane flew from May 18, 1945, to July 24, 1946. After that, it was stored at Suitland, Maryland.

Over the years, the Enola Gay was taken apart and put back together. It was carefully restored by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Today, you can see the Enola Gay on display. It is at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. It stands as a reminder of a very important moment in history.

Images for kids

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  Enola Gay after Hiroshima mission, entering hardstand. It is in its 6th Bombardment Group livery, with victor number 82 visible on fuselage just forward of the tail fin.

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  Little Boy unit on trailer cradle in pit on Tinian, before being loaded into Enola Gay's bomb bay

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  Hiroshima explosion

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  Enola Gay landing at its base

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  Bombardier Thomas Ferebee with the Norden Bombsight on Tinian after the dropping of Little Boy

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  Cockpit section of Enola Gay in the Smithsonian storage facility at Suitland, 1987

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  Enola Gay nose, port side, at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

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  The Enola Gay on display at the National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

See also

In Spanish: Enola Gay para niños