 The National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated stations present the Pacific Story. This is the story of the Pacific and the millions of people who live around this greatest sea. The drama of the people whose destiny is at stake in the Pacific War. This is the background to the war in the Pacific and its meaning to us and to the generations to come. Tonight's Pacific Story, the B-29, the Japan Express, comes to you from Hollywood and Cincinnati, Ohio as another public service. With drama the past and present and commentary by Brigadier General Laura C. Craigy of the Air Technical Service Command, who took an active part in the development of the B-29 as a combat worthy bomber. The B-29, the Japan Express. The guys over Japan today are filled with B-29 Superforces. But next week there will be more and the week after that, still more. And this is perhaps the greatest single achievement in military history. I can't tell you how many Superforces were with us today, but it was a lot different from that first raid a year ago. A lot different from a year ago and even more different from only two years ago when the first B-29 bombardment wing was organized. The Boeing B-29 was conceived while the shadow of war was falling across the United States. It was developed since the outbreak of the war. It has become the most powerful American offensive weapon and now bids well to be the greatest single factor in winning the war in the Pacific. That's what the top generals say, but more than anything else the B-29 is a symbol of America in action. The creation of a people with all their creative genius, their technical skill, their dogged determination to meet a great emergency. We had an appointment over Japan and there was no time to pick daisies. That's the commander of the B-29, Oppenatom, one of that first group of B-29s to hit Japan. Gentlemen, we have been activated as a 58th bombardment wing. We have no planes, no personnel and no precedents. That's what the general said in June 1943. Our job is to work out new tactical methods of operation for a bomber that is faster, heavier and flies higher than any airplane in our experience. We've been working on the B-29 for several years now. It's far from perfect. It's still got bugs in it. But we're at war. We need the B-29 against Japan. Our task is three-fold. We must get B-29s rolling off the assembly lines. We must organize and train crews. We must establish an overseas force. And we must do all of these at the same time. Along about September 1943, personnel began flowing into the Smoky Hill Army airfield at Salina, Kansas. My name's Olson, Ellsworth Olson. I work in the Boeing plant in Wichita, making these B-29s. Corporal Olson to you, left blister gunner. Weegee Olson to the crew of the Oppenatom. Chuck Lowry's my name, Racine Wisconsin. Sergeant Lowry to you, central fire control. Moose Lowry to the crew. John L. Cunningham, Baltimore. Tech Sergeant Cunningham, radio man, ham to the crew. Ambrose Van Dyke, Visalia, California. Corporal Van Dyke, tail gunner, large tail to the crew. Oscar Rasmussen, Red Wing, Minnesota. Corporal Rasmussen, right blister gunner, bucket head to the crew. Dubois, Edward Dubois, Provo, Utah. Second Lieutenant Dubois, flight engineer. Charles Walton, Bloomington, Illinois. Second Lieutenant Walton, special equipment man. Joseph Poplowski, Detroit. First Lieutenant Poplowski, navigator. Ben Carter, Charles in South Carolina. First Lieutenant Carter, bombardier. Holland Brooks, co-pilot. Captain Brooks of Marion, Ohio. James Hawes, Phillips, Wisconsin. Major James Hawes, pilot. Men, we're going to work together. Each of us has a special job to do as a member of the crew. Our lives are going to depend upon each other. We don't yet have a B-29. The ship we'll fly over Japan is not yet built. We'll get it when the time comes. Meantime, we'll train on other airplanes. Dismissed. Hey, Ouija, is this country in the United States? What do you mean? This is Kansas. We ought to get campaign ribbons for foreign service for being out here. Alice and Lottel, just because you're from California. Smoky Hill was the B-29 field. But only once in a while did the men see a B-29. The B-29s will not get off the assembly line. For substitutes, the crews flew tricycle B-26s. The object of this training is to familiarize us with tricycle landing gear and glide characteristics of a high wing load airplane. That's Captain Harlan Brooks, the co-pilot. Later, they got B-17s. Regular flying fortresses. Well, at least this is a four engine job. It is a matter of training crews for super forts with no super forts. We're going to be flying at high altitudes. Very high altitudes. Starting tomorrow, we're going to Wright Field to train in high altitude pressure changes. Hey, Moose. Yeah? What if they pump so much pressure into this box that blows all the pieces? With us in it. Quiet, large tail. To familiarize the gunners with the highly complex fire control system, the gunners were trained on special firing range. Okay, that'll do. Now gather around me, men. Now, the B-29 fire control system is different from the ordinary control. You, Corporal Olson, will have two 50-caliber machine guns in the left blister. Yes, sir. You, Corporal Rasmussen, will have two in the right blister. Oh, boy. You, Sergeant Lowry, will have two in the top turret. Right, sir. And all of these can be brought to bear on one target by remote control. Uh, you didn't mention me, sir. You'll have two 50-caliber machine guns in the tail, Corporal Van Dyke. And you'll also have a 20-millimeter cannon. A cannon? Lucky, large hand. We found out in tests that three times as many hits can be scored with this type of fire control that, with an ordinary control, we'll be able to throw many guns on one target instantly. All right? Continue firing. Hey, Lodge, they'll be careful with the cannon. That's the way they got their training before they had B-29s. And in order to train the ground crews to service the planes when they got them, ground crews were assigned to round-the-clock operations, three eight-hour shifts. At last, the B-29s began to arrive at the field. By taking these planes just as they come off the Boeing assembly line, and putting them through the strains equivalent to combat, we'll be ready to bomb Japan six months earlier. At last, Major Hawes and his crew got their B-29. Gosh, ain't she a beaut? They named her the Uppon Atom. This is the finest piece of mechanism of its kind that has ever been built. Developing the first B-29 costs about $3 million. This one of ours here costs about $400,000. Go home about their experience. My place is way up-forward on the long nose. I sit between the feet of the pilot and the co-pilot. I've just been up for the first time and it feels like I'm riding at the tip of a spear-hutling through space. I've got a lot to learn about dropping bombs from this baby. This was Lieutenant Carter, the bombardier. The pilot, Major Hawes, is the commander of the ship and Captain Brooks, the co-pilot. Both were a little cold toward me, having a little trouble getting used to the idea of having a flight engineer in the crew. Both Major Hawes and Captain Brooks have had combat experience as B-17 pilots in which they themselves handle the power. But I think they're slowly seeing the value of keeping one man's attention on power and the fuel system. I fly back to back with the co-pilot. Turning out to the greatest problem are the engines of the B-29, so I'm having my hands full. This was Lieutenant Du Bois, the flight engineer. They're certainly giving us the work. The commander told us today that to get the most out of the up-and-atom, we'd have to learn all about everything about the plane. Not only that, we're also learning about flying in electrically heated clothing about pressurized cabins. What to do if the pressure suddenly escapes. You see, we're going to apply very high altitude. Another thing, we'll all be getting first aid so that we can take care of anybody that needs it. Somebody might get hurt six or eight hours from the patient. This was Sergeant Lowry, who handles the Central Fire Control. It went on like that around the Kansas fields for months. They theoretically bombed out the industrial center of almost every big city in the Midwest. By the end of 1943, the rumors were flying thick and fast. Well, where do you think we're going there, fuck it? For my dough, we're going up to Vladivostok. That place up in Siberia there. Siberia? Russia ain't fighting Japan. If you ask me, we're going to China. China? Ah, you're nuts, Lottale. Okay, Weegee, where do you think we're going? England. The war in Europe ain't over yet. No, it's not. Attention, men, attention. Major Horace has something to tell you. Man, you've been going through some intensive training here in Kansas. This phase of your training is now about over. Now we're going to move. We will operate from rear bases in India and forward bases in China. Our targets will be Japan and Manchuria. Dismissed. What did I tell you, Weegee? I don't get it. The war in Europe ain't over yet. Major General Kenneth B. Wolfe, commander of this first unit, the 58th bombardment wing, flew ahead to India. The ground crews left by ship in January 1944. With them went supplies enough to cover 150 acres piled 100 feet high. Meantime, the air personnel in Kansas were preparing to fly their B-29s to India. All right, all right. Easy on those parts, boys. Maybe needing them. We've got the extra engine secured inside, Lieutenant Du Bois. That's good, Sergeant. Got to get all these parts here aboard and secured too. Yes, sir. Time's getting short, Sergeant. All right, Lottale. Let's get with it. Hey, why are we taking all these engines and parts with us? We ain't going to drop engines onto them. All right, all right. Come on. Give me a lift on this thing. One by one as the B-29s were ready, they took off and headed out across the Atlantic. I wonder what kind of a place India is. What I'm wondering about is their first mission. The sky giant roared through the night over the Atlantic. Brooks, we've got to be making the land fall in about 10 minutes. Roger. I'll be looking for it. Hey, Moose. See land yet? Not yet. See anything down there? Bucket head? Nothing but a lot of darkness and water. Hey, Poplowski. There it is. Landfall. Yes, sir. I find them, don't I? When we get to India, I'll buy you a cobra. The navigator learned to trust his instrument, gained confidence in himself. The co-pilot, given more chance to fly, became more familiar with the airplane. Although some of the ground crews had left two months before by surface vessel, some of the B-29s beat them to India. Their air crews immediately went to work with the ground crews to condition the B-29s for combat. They also resumed their training. Right, sir. I came over here to find a better school. There was an answer to that. You've just begun to learn about the B-29. You've got a background, but you need experience. You need to learn from the experience of others. We'll go on training straight through combat operations. We've got to be so proficient that combat procedures are automatic. We've got to learn to be at home over the target. We've got to know the way to and from the target, as well as we know the way to and from the mess hall. Not only our lives depend on it, our success depends on it. They went on from there. The up-and-atom and the other B-29s of the 58th Bombardment Wing flew over the hump from India at 22,000 feet altitude to Chinese forward bases. They carried maximum loads of gasoline and bombs. In order to make one bombing raid on Japan, three to four round-flips to China had to be made over the hump. Our greatest problem is with the engines. They operated perfectly in the United States, and now they're blocking. This is the flight engineer. We think we found the reason. The B-29 was built to operate at the altitude at which we're now flying, alright? But it had been figured that the airplane had fly relatively low for the first hours, gradually rising to altitude as the fuel was consumed and the plane became lighter. But in flying the hump, we've had to climb to 20,000 feet and more immediately. Now this plus the heavy loads of fuel and bombs that we've been carrying is overburden the engines. Engineers and scientists at the bases in India and at home in the United States went to work. The planes were in India and China. Supplies were arriving in the millions of tons. The personnel was ready. The need for hitting Japan was growing. Exhaustive tests were undertaken. Changes were made. The B-29s were ready for their shakedown raids. The target, Bangkok. We got off, Brooks. Yes, sir. It's going to be tough flying in formation through this rain. Yeah. On soon, season. Thank you. Yes, Paplowski. We're going to fly through all kinds of weather. I've got to be sure to get a fast reading when there's a break in the overcast. Roger. The navigator, the pilot and the flight engineers, sweated out the hours of flying through rain and clouds. This was the real thing. This was for keeps. Keep your eyes open, Buckethead. You too, Weegee. Can hardly see the other B-29s. Those Japs ought to send out an escort, the leaders to the target. Almost. Where is Bangkok? You'll find out, Lartail. Keep your eyes open, back in that tail. Over the target, the crew of the Uppon Atom found seven-tenths cloud cover. Blackburst about them as they made their run. Japanese fighters, nine of them coming in at two o'clock. Ah, Tony's the next. Mirror. We got one. Look at him. Yeah, he's going down to the smoke. He comes away. Good enough. Let's go home. We're hit, Major. We're hit. Yes, he must have gotten one of our engines. You knocked out number three. That Blackburst got us, sir. Number three engine stop. Yes, Corporal. Attention, entire crew. Number three engine is out. It's 1,100 miles back to base. We can make it. Over. The work of four engines was thrown on the three remaining engines. How are we doing, Du Bois? Number one is heating up pretty badly, sir. Number one engine is sparking, sir. Yes, Corporal. Think it'll hold up, Du Bois? I don't know, sir. The power is falling off. She's... she's following. There she goes. She's stopped. Attention, entire crew. Number one engine is quit. Throw out everything that can be moved. Every item that can be moved was jettisoned. The ship continued to lose altitude. Attention, sir, every piece of equipment that can be unscrewed or unboated. You know this airplane from north to tail. Sir, let's throw overboard. Did you hear that, you guys? We're going to throw everything overboard. The machine guns and even the cannons. Now let's get them off and get them overboard. Equipment showered down as the plane limped through the sky. We're going to make it, sir. There's the field. I knew we'd make it. Bob Klauski? I knew it. That was the dress rehearsal. The real show was coming. The minute the upper-natum was in its parking circle, the crews were working on her. In a matter of days, the engines were back in running conditions. The turrets and guns and everything else that had been jettisoned were replaced. Every one of the crew that had made the raid on Bangkok now had had combat experience. Now they were ready for the big show. Japan itself. The target? The Imperial Ironwall. The steel center at your water. Attention. In less than a minute now, we'll get the signal. The most crucial moment will be taking off. We're loaded. Not only with bombs, but with gasoline enough for our 3200-mile round trip. And then some. All of it. Watch it. Takeoff signal coming up. Twenty. Fifteen. Ten. Five. Let's go. Flaps up, Captain. Roger. This was it. This is what they'd been working towards. Mid-afternoon from the fields of China, the B-29s roared into the skies, headed for Japan. Hey, Jahars, to clear the mountains, we'll have to climb immediately to 15,000 feet. Roger. Five hours of furtling through the super-overcast at more than 300 miles an hour. Five hours loaded with the substance of destruction. Target? 11 p.m. Japan time. All gunners alert. We'll be over the Japanese Carter and China in ten minutes. All right, you guys. Warm up your guns. We've only been flying an hour. Yeah. What are they doing? Coming out to meet us? Give your guns a practice first. Mine's okay. Same here. Those mine. Clark, tell about your guns back there. Okay. Now keep your eyes open all you've got. The B-29s headed into the oncoming darkness. They're flying at 15,000 feet now. It's pitch dark. Major Hawes, can you hold a ship steady so I can get a celestial shot? Roger. Thanks, Major. Less than one hour from the target now. Japan is in complete blackout. Major Hawes, that light below at 10 o'clock, that's our IP. IP. Initial point. From this bearing, the B-29s climb up to 18,000 feet and head straight for the target. Target area directly ahead. Bomb bay doors open. Okay, Carter, your airplane. The Bombardier, Crouch Strawberry's bomb site, now has control of the airplanes with the automatic pilot. Hey, searchlights. Searchlights weeping for us. Here, too. There must be dozens of them down there. On the alert, your gunners. Hey, they even land at us. What'd you expect, Buckethead bootcays? They got us bracketed in searchlights, three of them. That's clear. I can't see a thing. It's blind to me. Cut it off, those lads! Been to the sky by the three powerful searchlights. The anti-aircraft explosions burst closer and closer. The up-and-atom does not waver annihilator from its course. Heads straight for the target. We're going to take a look at the B-29s. The up-and-atom does not waver annihilator from its course. Heads straight for the target. Japanese fighters coming at 4 o'clock. Get them. Time's away. Okay, let's go home. That was the start. This was the end of the beginning in the Pacific War. The first assault by B-29s had been made against the Japanese homeland. The steel mills at Yawata had been laid in ruins. This was the pattern. 68 B-29s hit Yawata that night on June 15, 1944. Since then, we have gained bases on Guam, Saipan, and Tinian on Okinawa. The 58th bombardment wing, which made the first raid from China, is now the 20th Air Force and now flies from the Marianas. The 629s are hitting Japan in each raid. The number is growing with each passing day. Hit Japan with bombs at the rate of 2 million tons each year. This is the promise of General of the Army H.H. Arnold. We have worked out a program of complete destruction of Japan. We will hit all of Japan. We are just starting. The B-29, today recognized as the outstanding airplane of the world, has changed the entire aspect of aerial warfare. To tell the role of the B-29 in the war in the Pacific, the national broadcasting company presents Brigadier General Lawrence C. Craigie of the Aerotechnical Service Command, one of the top experts in the development of the super fortress. The next voice you hear will be that of General Craigie. We take you now to Cincinnati. Tonight the Pacific story has created for you a report of our B-29 raids against the JAP homeland. Each new strike packs added punch as the size of our Army Air Forces over Japan grows larger. We are now leveling Niponese industry with flights of more than 600 super fortresses. General Arnold has promised the JAPs aerial armadas of more than a thousand B-29s. A modern miracle of air power which started right here in the United States is slowly devastating the industrial cities of Japan. It seems impossible that this bold plan was begun only six years ago, but in 1939 the Air Force declared its need for a long-range super bomber. No airplane like it existed in the world, starting with a set of military requirements which were virtually beyond the reach of man, material or machines, the Boeing aircraft company, and the organization we now call the Air Technical Service Command cooperated to create this tremendous airplane. Those of us who were the Army Air Force members of that team can testify to the endless research, testing and changes that went into the B-29. More than 1,100 modifications were made before it was accepted for service. Our joint efforts were finally rewarded when the B-29 emerged as a completely new and mighty bombardment airplane with tremendous range and bomb capacity. By virtue of its high operating altitude, the super fort gains considerable protection from flak, and by virtue of its great speed and heavy defensive armament, it is an extremely tough target for enemy fighters. The B-29 stands today as one of the great milestones of progress in the 38-year history of the Army Air Forces. You may ask, why spend the money? Why not wait until they can bring over from Europe the airplanes we use to destroy German industry? Your answer is in the headlines. No other bomber in the world can do the job the B-29 is doing today. Distances are great in the Pacific. If we had only fleets of smaller airplanes, it would be impossible for them to fly from our bases in the Marianas, bomb Japan and return safely. If we were forced to use only B-17s and B-24s, we would have to capture many additional bases close to our objectives. Take them against a strong enemy that is tough and full of fight. Such an operation would be very expensive. Our B-29 super fortress decreases the cost the United States must pay for a road leading to the heart of Japan. It saves time. It saves lives. Even if all our bases were close enough to the Jap mainland to enable B-17s and B-24s to be used, we find that it would take 1,800 of the smaller flying forts and liberators to carry the bomb load that can be carried by 600 of our B-29s. You can estimate for yourself what will happen to Japan when we start hitting our targets with 1,000 or more B-29s. But to increase the strength of these attacks, we must maintain our B-29 production schedule. Every man and woman engaged in aircraft production, subcontracts included, must stay on the job. I've flown with B-29 crews in India and China and I can tell you they are proud of their association with the super force. They are putting their faith in this bomber and they are trusting the American people to keep them coming over in a steady stream. This close cooperation of the production and battle fronts will hasten the arrival of VJ Day and speed the time when that historic flag, which flew over the capital in Washington on December 7th, 1941, was later raised over North Africa, Rome and Berlin, will fly victoriously over Tokyo. This story is presented by the National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated independent stations as a public service to clarify events in the Pacific and to make understandable across currents of life in the Pacific Basin. For a reprint of this specific story program, send 10 cents in stamps or coins to University of California Press, Berkeley, California. May I repeat, for a reprint of this specific story program, send 10 cents in stamps or coins to University of California Press, Berkeley, California. The Pacific story is written and directed by Arnold Marcus. The original musical score was composed and conducted by Thomas Paluso. Your narrator, Gaine Whitman. This program came to you from Cincinnati, Ohio and Hollywood, California. This is the National Broadcasting Company.