Enola Gay Timeline

(August 6, 1945 – December 2, 2003 (permanent museum display))

The Enola Gay was a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber of the United States Army Air Forces, named after pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets' mother. On August 6, 1945, it dropped 'Little Boy,' the first atomic bomb used in warfare, on Hiroshima, Japan, playing a pivotal role in World War II and marking the beginning of the nuclear age. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Military Service

Bomber selected by Paul Tibbets Jr

May 9, 1945

On May 9, 1945, while the aircraft was still on the assembly line, Colonel Paul W. Tibbets Jr., commander of the 509th Composite Group, selected this Martin-built B-29-45-MO for special duty.

Accepted by the USAAF

May 18, 1945

The aircraft was accepted by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on May 18, 1945, and assigned to the 393d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, 509th Composite Group.

Delivery flight to Wendover Army Air Field

Jun 14, 1945

Crew commander Robert A. Lewis took delivery of the bomber and flew it from Omaha to the 509th Composite Group's base at Wendover Army Air Field, Utah, on June 14, 1945.

Image source: Enola Gay

Delivery flight to Wendover Army Air Field

Return flight to the United States

Nov 6, 1945 - Nov 8, 1945

On November 6, 1945, Robert Lewis flew the Enola Gay back to the United States, arriving at the 509th Composite Group's new base at Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico, on November 8.

Departs Roswell for Operation Crossroads

Apr 29, 1946

On April 29, 1946, the Enola Gay left Roswell as part of the Operation Crossroads nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific.

Image source: Operation Crossroads

Flown to Kwajalein for nuclear tests

May 1946

In May 1946, the aircraft was flown to Kwajalein for the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests in the Pacific, but was not chosen to make the test drop at Bikini Atoll.

Hiroshima Mission

L-11 and projectile delivered to Tinian

Jul 26, 1945

The L-11 casing and the projectile components for the atomic bomb were delivered to Tinian in the Pacific on July 26, 1945, in preparation for the first atomic mission.

Aircraft named after Enola Gay Tibbets

Aug 5, 1945

During preparation for the first atomic mission, Tibbets assumed command of the aircraft and named it after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets, who had been named for the heroine of a novel.

Mission crew consisted of 12 men

Aug 6, 1945

The Enola Gay's crew on August 6, 1945 consisted of 12 men, including pilot Paul Tibbets Jr., co-pilot Robert Lewis, weaponeer William Parsons, and bombardier Thomas Ferebee.

Atomic bombing of Hiroshima

Aug 6, 1945

On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, the Enola Gay became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in warfare when it released the weapon on Hiroshima, Japan.

Storage & Transfer

Decision made to preserve the aircraft

Jul 24, 1946

The decision was made to preserve the Enola Gay, and on July 24, 1946, the aircraft was flown to Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, in preparation for storage.

Title transferred to Smithsonian Institution

Aug 30, 1946

On August 30, 1946, the title to the aircraft was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution and the Enola Gay was removed from the USAAF inventory.

Image source: Smithsonian Institution

Temporary storage at multiple locations

Sep 1, 1946 - 1961

From 1946 to 1961, the Enola Gay was put into temporary storage at a number of locations, spending many years parked at air bases exposed to the weather and souvenir hunters.

Flown to Orchard Place Air Field

Jul 3, 1949

After nearly three years at Davis-Monthan, the aircraft was flown on July 3, 1949 to Orchard Place Air Field, Park Ridge, Illinois, by Tibbets for acceptance by the Smithsonian.

Moved to Pyote Air Force Base

Jan 12, 1952

The aircraft was moved to Pyote Air Force Base, Texas, on January 12, 1952, continuing its years in temporary storage.

Moved to Andrews Air Force Base

Dec 2, 1953

The Enola Gay was relocated to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, on December 2, 1953, because the Smithsonian had no storage space for the aircraft.

Image source: Andrews Air Force Base

Dismantling of aircraft begins

Aug 10, 1960

Paul E. Garber of the Smithsonian Institution became concerned about the Enola Gay's deteriorating condition, and on August 10, 1960, Smithsonian staff began dismantling the aircraft.

Image source: Paul E. Garber

Components transported to Suitland facility

Jul 21, 1961

The disassembled components were transported to the Smithsonian storage facility at Suitland, Maryland, on July 21, 1961, where they remained in storage for over two decades.

Restoration & Display

Restoration of the bomber begins

Dec 5, 1984

Restoration of the bomber began on December 5, 1984, at the Paul E. Garber Facility, eventually requiring some 300,000 staff hours of painstaking work.

Work continues on unrestored components

1995 - 1998

While the fuselage was on public display from 1995 to 1998, restoration work continued on the remaining unrestored components of the bomber.

Forward fuselage goes on display

Jun 28, 1995

Amid controversy, the cockpit and nose section of the aircraft went on display at the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall on June 28, 1995, for the bombing's 50th anniversary.

Image source: National Air and Space Museum

Exhibition closes

May 18, 1998

The exhibition closed on May 18, 1998, and the fuselage was returned to the Garber Facility for final restoration.

Aircraft transported to Udvar-Hazy Center

Mar 2003 - Jun 2003

Components of the restored B-29 were moved to NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia from March through June 2003 for final reassembly.

Image source: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Fuselage and wings reunited after 43 years

Apr 10, 2003

On April 10, 2003, the fuselage and wings were reunited for the first time since 1960 during reassembly at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

Assembly completed

Aug 8, 2003

Assembly of the entire restored B-29 was completed on August 8, 2003, marking the end of a restoration effort that had begun in 1984.

Permanent display opens at Udvar-Hazy Center

Dec 15, 2003

Since December 15, 2003, the day the museum annex opened, the entire restored Enola Gay has been on display at NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Legacy

Smithsonian exhibit controversy erupts

Jan 1995

The Enola Gay became the center of controversy at the Smithsonian Institution when the museum planned to put its fuselage on public display in 1995 as part of an exhibit commemorating the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Image source: Enola Gay

Planned exhibit canceled

Jan 30, 1995

After attempts to revise the exhibit to meet the satisfaction of competing interest groups, the full exhibit was canceled on January 30, 1995.

Protesters arrested for defacing fuselage

Jul 2, 1995

On July 2, 1995, three people were arrested for throwing ash and human blood on the aircraft's fuselage, following an earlier incident in which a protester had thrown red paint over the gallery's carpeting.

Death of last surviving crew member Theodore Van Kirk

Jul 28, 2014

Theodore Van Kirk, the last survivor of the Enola Gay's Hiroshima mission crew, died on July 28, 2014, at the age of 93.

Image source: Theodore Van Kirk

Key Facts

The Enola Gay was a specially modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber built for Operation Silverplate, which prepared aircraft to carry atomic bombs.
It was named after Colonel Paul W. Tibbets' mother, Enola Gay Tibbets, who was its pilot on August 6, 1945.
On August 6, 1945, it dropped 'Little Boy,' the first atomic bomb ever used in combat, on Hiroshima, Japan, killing an estimated 140,000 people by the end of that year.
Three days later, another B-29, Bockscar, dropped a second atomic bomb ('Fat Man') on Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.
After being restored over two decades, the Enola Gay went on permanent display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, on December 2, 2003.

Source

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