B-29 Superfortress against Japan | The Story Of The WWII Bomber, And The Atomic Bomb | Documentary

The United States was against the Japanese empire in WWII. The story of the B-29 Superfortress and the Atomic Bomb. The second part is narrated by Gary Sinise.
SORRY FOR THE AUDIO! Here is a proper version: Here is a better version: • BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTR...
This is a documentary on the history of the B-29 Superfortress and its crucial role in the devastating attacks on Japan during World War II. Join us as we delve into the stories, technical details, and strategic significance of this iconic aircraft and the events that unfolded during that tumultuous period in history.
We explore the operational history of the B-29, shedding light on its immense impact on the outcome of the war. Discover the awe-inspiring engineering feats that propelled this heavy bomber into the skies, along with the remarkable innovations that set it apart from its contemporaries.
Witness the challenges faced by the Allies as they sought to design and produce an aircraft capable of reaching deep into enemy territory with an unprecedented bomb load. Through detailed accounts and gripping archival footage, we will explore the B-29's long-range capabilities, including the revolutionary pressurized cabin, remote-controlled gun turrets, and the iconic bombing system that transformed the face of aerial warfare.
Prepare to be transported back in time as we recount the intense strategic bombing campaign against Japan. Experience the heart-pounding moments as B-29 squadrons embarked on perilous missions over the Pacific, facing fierce opposition from Japanese fighters and flak defenses. Learn about the courageous crews who risked their lives, enduring harsh conditions and demonstrating an unwavering determination to achieve their objectives.
Whether you are a history enthusiast, a military aviation aficionado, or simply curious about the events that shaped our world, our channel offers an immersive experience that combines educational content with compelling storytelling. Dive into the gripping narratives, stunning visuals, and expert analysis that will transport you to a pivotal time in human history.
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Flying Fortress, the Superfortress was designed for high-altitude strategic bombing, but also excelled in low-altitude night incendiary bombing, and in dropping naval mines to blockade Japan. B-29s dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only aircraft ever to drop nuclear weapons in combat.
One of the largest aircraft of World War II, the B-29 was designed with state-of-the-art technology, which included a pressurized cabin, dual-wheeled tricycle landing gear, and an analog computer-controlled fire-control system that allowed one gunner and a fire-control officer to direct four remote machine gun turrets. The $3 billion cost of design and production (equivalent to $45 billion today), far exceeding the $1.9 billion cost of the Manhattan Project, made the B-29 program the most expensive of the war. The B-29 remained in service in various roles throughout the 1950s, being retired in the early 1960s after 3,970 had been built. A few were also used as flying television transmitters by the Stratovision company. The Royal Air Force flew the B-29 as Washington until 1954.
General characteristics
Crew: 11 (Pilot, Co-pilot, Bombardier, Flight Engineer, Navigator, Radio Operator, Radar Observer, Right Gunner, Left Gunner, Central Fire Control, Tail Gunner)
Length: 99 ft 0 in (30.18 m)
Wingspan: 141 ft 3 in (43.05 m)
Height: 27 ft 9 in (8.46 m)
Wing area: 1,736 sq ft (161.3 m2)
Aspect ratio: 11.5
Airfoil: root: Boeing 117 (22%); tip: Boeing 117 (9%)[97]
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0241
Frontal area: 41.16 sq ft (3.824 m2)
Empty weight: 74,500 lb (33,793 kg)
Gross weight: 120,000 lb (54,431 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 133,500 lb (60,555 kg)
135,000 lb (61,000 kg) combat overload
Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-3350-23 Duplex-Cyclone 18-cylinder air-cooled turbosupercharged radial piston engines, 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) each
Propellers: 4-bladed constant-speed fully-feathering propellers, 16 ft 7 in (5.05 m) diameter
Performance
Maximum speed: 357 mph (575 km/h, 310 kn)
Cruise speed: 220 mph (350 km/h, 190 kn)
Stall speed: 105 mph (169 km/h, 91 kn)
Range: 3,250 mi (5,230 km, 2,820 nmi)
Ferry range: 5,600 mi (9,000 km, 4,900 nmi)
Service ceiling: 31,850 ft (9,710 m) [28]
Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)
Lift-to-drag: 16.8
Wing loading: 69.12 lb/sq ft (337.5 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.073 hp/lb (0.120 kW/kg)
#aviationhistory #aviation #b29

[@petemasterplan]

My uncle Ron was the co-pilot of a B-29 in the Korean War. They flew out of Japan and were supposed to bomb industrial sites in North Korea. They were the first American planes to encounter MIG-15s. He told me that was a very rude awakening, they weren't prepared for anything like that. Mustangs were useless against them and they took heavy losses. They had to switch to night bombing because going against the jets during the day was suicidal. He survived the war and is still healthy and alert at 96.

[@abaddon4823]

Thank you uncle Ron!

[@handicapgardfederation438]

Bonjour. Il y avait aussi des B50, peut être Pourriez-vous nous en dire un mot... Merci par avance. Jac

[@dalefortner2179]

Uncle Ron!!!! 🫡👏🫶

[@handicapgardfederation438]

Bonjour. C'est un plaisir de lire vos nombreux écrits à propos des mémoires de guerres de vos parents. Respect et honneur à eux tous... Peut-être votre oncle Ron a-t-il volé sur Boing B50, vous seriez aimable de nous en dire un mot si ce fut le cas. Merci par avance. Cordialement Jac

[@mriantope1121]

Pp0p0ppp pp😅

[@jharris0341]

Respect to our grandfathers.

[@christonefeltzs5149]

YOU MEAN DADS AND MOMS, MY DAD WAS BORN 1910,

[@richardsteele6776]

What a amazing journey this has been. I was fortunate enough to meet Duch Van Kirk. I shook his hand and thanked him for his sacrifice. It was a very humbling experience for me. Afterwards I found a chair and sat down. I was very emotional and I fought back tears. He was a gentleman who gave so much for our country. The whole crew did.

[@dwmzmm]

My late uncle (on dad's side) was a tail gunner of a B-29 during the war in the Pacific Theater. I was too young (at the time) to know or understand the significance of his participation in this operation. I had a B-29 model airplane (either from Revell or Monogram) and recall in one of his visit to our house (my dad was serving one of several tours at Vietnam at the time) my uncle saw the model and pointed to the back of the model and said "here was where my station was."

[@hertzair1186]

It would have been the Revell kit from the late 1950’s…. The monogram kit was large 1/48 scale and came out in late 1970’s.

[@dwmzmm]

@@hertzair1186 I see I forgot to put on the timeframe when my uncle saw my model, it was in the mid to late 1960's when I was just starting to learn how to assemble these plastic kits. My parents bought the model when we lived on Williams AFB near Chandler, AZ where my dad was stationed at the time. I was about 9 years old at the time. Later when my dad was assigned to Saigon during the Vietnam war, we moved to north central Louisiana (where we had many in our family nearby, including my uncle mentioned above). Lived there in Louisiana for nearly a year before my dad returned home from overseas and then was assigned to Eglin AFB in Florida, where we moved to (in nearby Niceville, FL) until he retired from the USAF in November 1969 with rank as Chief Master Sargent.

[@todd3285]

After doing 78 missions over occupied France and Belgium as a Bombardier/ Navigator in a B-26 specializing in low level bombing tactics my father was rotated back to the States as an instructor in low level bombing for the B-29 Bombardiers. If not for the Atomic Bombs he would have been reassigned to head back into combat firebombing Japan . My dad is 100 years old now and is and will always be my HERO !!

[@jsmith3798]

The crews that flew those missions might get a lot of credit from aviation enthusiasts or people who are especially interested in military aviation history, but they’ll never get as much as they deserve in general. Those crews were extraordinarily brave and the missions they flew were as dangerous as they were invaluable. Your dad, his crew and the other crews like them deserve immeasurable gratitude. I don’t know him, but he’s one of my heroes too.

[@kwantoon]

That's something to very proud of. Your father did something extraordinary in his lifetime and it was something that truly mattered. I don't even know the man and I consider him a hero.

[@sergiogomez1389]

Good morning Todd. Do not be jealousy but your DAD is my hero too. Thank you for your service TODD's DAD. Marauder rules.

[@robertboomhower8683]

May this great generation of fighting men never be forgotten.

[@jimfinlaw4537]

Very nice videos. Thankyou for sharing. Thanks to all the B-29 Superfortress crews in the Pacific. Because of them, my father missed the war in the Pacific by only two weeks. My father was a B-29 Superfortress pilot in command in June 1945 when he was stationed at MacDill Field in Tampa, Florida and by July he had his own assigned B-29 crew with orders to report for combat duty at North Field in Guam. My father loved flying the B-29 Superfortress even though he often referred to the engines as "Wrong Engines and Flame Throwers," because of their tendency to catch on fire. The early Wright R-3350 Cyclone engines were redlined at 289 degres Celsius and on takeoff, it was not uncommon for the cylinder head temperatures to be reading well over 320 degrees Celsius. After the war, my father continued flying WB-29's for the USAF's Air Weather Service until 1956 when he transitioned to flying the Boeing B-52B Stratofortress as a co-pilot for SAC when he was stationed at Castle AFB in California. He retired from the service in 1957. My father strongly felt that Boeing had the Cadillacs of aircraft back then. Everytime we traveled by air, Dad would say "If its not a Boeing, you are not a going." He insisted we only fly with an air carrier that operated Boeing planes.

[@demonicusa.k.a.theblindguy3929]

Now there's A-blast from the past. My Uncle was a 52 Navigator up until about 10 years before I was born. That was at castle. He took me there many times As a kid and as a young adult I went there a number of times on my own. No or at least knew the base pretty well when it was still open especially the air museum.

[@Marvinwalker-ud3yo]

I see that the Enola Gay gets and its crew get a lot of accolades, which it should, but, the B29 with the name " FIFI", was the one that finally bought the Japanese Impire to its knees. I wish people would give FIFI its just do.

[@riconui5227]

Like ……” if it’s not a Boeing, you’re not a going”. That was back in the days when Boeing was an engineering culture, and despite its teething problems, the B-29 proved to be a successful design. But sad to see Boeing now guided by a market culture which produced the 737 Max. I guess everything must change.

[@jameshoffman552]

@@riconui5227- Boeing lost its soul decades ago. But there are new stars to replace it. I think SpaceX and Tesla.

[@riconui5227]

@jameshoffman552 ​I hope those orgs have success, but I have less faith in Elon than you perhaps do. (?)

[@johngaither9263]

Dad was a B-29 crewman. Unlike the B-17 and B-24 few B-29 crewman had an affection for their airplane. It was rushed into action with serious operational deficiencies. Dad said the B-29 came much closer to killing him then the Japanese ever did. The cost of the plane prompted using it ASAP. The crews knew their safety was a secondary consideration.

[@royalwins2030]

One of those "Just shut up and fly the damn plane. Make it work!" situations lol

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him!

[@jharris0341]

Respect to your father.

[@dukecraig2402]

After the war an accountant did a study on the B29 for the Army, he determined that for every ton of bombs dropped on Japan from B29's required 3.4 years of work done by one man or woman who worked on the B29 project, to undo the damage of one of those tons a man or woman in Japan would have to work for 50 years, the B29 was a resounding success. People who talk about the dangers involved with flying the B29 fail to realize something, of all the deaths of B17 crewmen in the 8th Air Force in Europe a full ⅓rd of them were due to accidents and mishaps, it's not like flying them was safe and flying B29's was dangerous compared to them, B17's had their share of engine failures that killed their crews to, it's just that for whatever reason people only want to talk about it happening with B29's.

[@roberthultz9023]

@@dukecraig2402 I think people dump on the B29 because of the glaring cynicism of it ."Oh, the engine is only good for 100 hours and likes to catch fire? Order 10 spares for each aircraft."

[@kn9ioutom]

A GREAT STORY ABOUT A GREAT AIRCRAFT

[@Rooskovich]

My dad was in the Army Air Corp. and stationed on Tinian. He witnessed the Enola Gay take off and return from its historic mission.

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him and thank you for his service

[@judgejimbobrowntown3214]

That’s really cool cuz that historic mission may be the reason I’m even hear my pap was on Iwo Jima after that they where training to hit main land Japan before the mission

[@lawrencemay8671]

My Dad was a Turret Gunner. Was on notice to go to Saipan, but the orders were belayed on Japan’s Surrender.

[@huibertlandzaat1889]

Thank you for uploading.

[@scottjoseph9578]

Thank you for this.

[@hollyhock100]

My Dad was a 2nd lieutenant Navigator. Got them hone without running out of gas...

[@joeguzman3558]

My stepfather,s brother was a b29 crew member at the very end of the war . He used to mention that one of the biggest problems was electrical fires

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@eastockerable]

I have known a B-29 pilot & he hated those engines with a passion! What he loved was flying C-54s in the Berlin airlift, RIP Doc.

[@pukaseek]

I am in awe of the ability to find all this video.

[@johnshields6852]

Incredible airplane and the crews who piloted them were a huge part of the victory of WW2. Thank you to all who served and who serve today.🙏🇺🇸

[@meros535]

9.11😂

[@jjandrews2190]

My Science Teacher who taught me at both Jr. High then came to teach me and others when our class went to High School was a B29 Navigator in WWII. Best damn teacher I ever had.

[@VTDMilitaryHistory]

A really good movie. Many rare documents have been shared, thank you

[@kzoo4053]

How many American airmen and soldiers’ lives were saved by the work of the B-29’s? Everything have two sides, depends on how you see it.

[@danasmith3288]

The presentation narrated by Gary Sinise is by far away the most accurate account of this tragic episode of history. Most people don't realize that the consecutive droppings of the atom bombs were not the ultimate cause of Japan surrendering though it hastened it. In the end, a culture was saved as well of many thousands upon thousands of Americans.

[@62beachbum]

My father is a WWII veteran. He fought with the 1st Infantry Division in Aachen Germany, the Hurtgen Forrest, and the Battle of the Bulge. He was even awarded a Silver Star in the Bulge. He is still going strong at 105 years old. When the war was over in Europe he came home to Philadelphia on leave. After his leave was over, he was supposed to report back for training for the invasion of Japan. Of course that never happened. He told me that if they had to invade Japan, he would never would have made it home. Much respect to all the B-29 crews.

[@parttysetzer6247]

These men who few these planes. Did amazing jobs just like the soldiers who fought on land

[@Greg_call]

Very interesting documentary.

[@Ranger830]

My grandfather Charles Doc. Dougherty was a flight engineer on Flak Ally Sally! Good pic of him and the rest of the 0:29 crew on Tinian circa 1944/45 if you google! Great man I miss him!

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@lvt1862]

Nice

[@thaddeusnagas4253]

Great work lest we forget

[@jonbutton3259]

This iconic airplane and it's B36 Peacemaker descendant absolutely embody American military power in ww2 and afterwards. Legitimately awesome.

[@andreassobisch1912]

I had always thought that the B29 missions had been milk runs. Then I read Robert Morgan's biography. Ugh! Was I wrong. Hats off to all the young men involved in the air war against Japan. Many of them were needlessly lost due to a plane, while brilliantly designed, had been rushed into service.

[@amelierenoncule]

It is said, that sometime after the first B-29 aeroplatform did a low level recon-mission o'er Tokyo, mes amis, the Empress Nagako (the wife of Emperor Hirohito), wrote in a letter: “Every day from morning to night, B-29's fly freely over the palace making an enormous noise. As I sit at my desk writing and look up at the sky, countless numbers are passing over. Unfortunately... the B-29 is a splendid plane.”

[@douglasmiller8607]

Dragging the ammo belts across the skin damage the finish? Failure to find an alternative engine to the wright 3350 was criminal.

[@johnfleury5430]

Great respects to all those young men

[@ronalddesiderio7625]

I had no idea there was so much trouble with that aircraft

[@ronmartin3755]

I was born on December 2 of 1945. I don't remember my father coming home or anything about the war until I was around 7 years old. My father wouldn't talk about it at all! What I do remember vividly is the hatred of this country towards Japan! My father flew the P47 from England to fight over France. He would on a rare occasion admit this but would change the subject as soon as he could. These were conversations between my father and a few friends who did not fight in WWII. Now the US buys Japanese cars more than US made cars! My parents are long gone now. I am 78 and was in the US Navy as a pilot of the A-4 Skyhawk during the Vietnam war. I don't talk about my experience either as my father didn't talk about WWII. After I spent 20 years in the Navy I gave my commission up and returned to private life. I had hoped the US would not be in another war! Sadly, I think we will!

[@Dronescapes]

Thank you for your service, and for sharing your memories, and bless your dad Ron.

[@mynamedoesntmatter8652]

A good read: Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb by James M. Scott.

[@MrStanwyck]

Another great video from DroneScapes aka the New History Channel….

[@Dronescapes]

🙏

[@fraserthomson5766]

Tony Curtis was in Tokyo harbor at that signing. He was in a sub. Of course his name then was Bernie Swartz but Tony Curtis nonetheless.

[@michaelrtreat]

Never knew the B-29 had such a rough start. Or that the Japanese still had to think about it for a while seven after the 2nd atomic bomb.

[@user-bd8je6cb9z]

Something about hand crafted air craft .. very sturdy construction . They just looked good and performed very well for the state of the art at the time ❤❤❤

[@BrassLock]

*_"I was introduced as a Veteran of World War Eleven"_* at one US High School. Blimey, I thought those kids were caught up in watching their favourite TV cartoons, but that was embarrassing 😳

[@kzoo4053]

Unimaginable. Sign of danger of unknown magnitude

[@marksamuelsen2750]

My God…..Hap Arnold made LIFE WOULD BE AN AMAZING! WE NEEDED THEM TO BE READY TO BE TAKEN CARE OF FOREVER!

[@gordonfrickers5592]

An excellent programme well balanced, thank you for posting this. As for the 'Bomb' debate, good or bad ? It's easy to condemn the 2 attacks from the safety and comfort of 2023. Before you do condemn, I'd like you to read the following story. One of my uncles reluctantly became a Japanese 'guest', a POW. The result of his years with his Japanese captors was threefold. One, he never criticised the nuking of Japan which saved his life and all Allied POW's ( The Japs had sworn to execute all POW's if their mainland was invaded). Two, he never fully recovered his former health. Three, he never, ever bought a Japanese product after the war. He was a strapping, healthy 6 foot three 16 stone (101,60 kg) when he left England. When he returned he weighed 7 stone (44,45 kg), and looked like one of the few survivors of a concentration camp. In reality that's what he was. That is how the Japanese at that period treated all their captives while most of the Japs harboured a particularly strong dislike of the British and Americans whom they considered inferior people. If that's hard to understand, you can find and experience the same attitude today among jihadists. He returned with a huge appetite but could eat very little without vomiting. He described the nuking as a great mercy, a regrettable necessity. Today there are countries threatening to use nukes on western societies, Iran, North Korea, Russia. Maybe you think they are bluffing, not serious? Pray you never find yourself in my uncle's situation, and "speak softly but carry a big stick".

[@pcka12]

My Uncle fought in that war along the Burma Road, he was a British Engineer seconded to the Indian Army - not a fan of the Japs thereafter. One of my College Lecturers had been a 'guest' of Japan, a lovely man, but permanently marked by his experiences, he had a facial 'tick'. The thing was that in the cult of Bushido a surrendered man was 'without honour' allowing the Japanese to mistreat him, hence the massive casualties on the Japanese side even when they were in hopeless undefensible positions. I learned much of this from my Judo/Karate teacher - also a veteran of that war & the occupation of Japan.

[@michaelpielorz9283]

of course this justifies a mass murder just to test a new weapon.

[@edwardng1496]

Don’t forget the BLACK SUN! The Japanese were experimenting on the POW in All kind of “ Medical research and Weapon research and Chemical Research. That program was called the ‘ Black Sun ‘. If these took 2 atomic bombs to stop them! So be it! The Japanese military was as brutal to the Chinese and people of their occupied lands as the Nazi to the Jews. Let these be known that all evils will eventually be defeated! God bless America! God bless the smart Jewish scientists including Dr. Oppenheimer who invented the atomic bombs. God bless Dr. Einstein who discovered GOD’s secret E=MCC. God bless President Harry S. Truman who had the courage and wisdom to order using the 2 atomic bombs. These 2 bombs saved more lives than they destroyed.

[@jjs3863]

I want to hear more about the GE fire control system

[@74wrighty]

He was putting his career on the line. His men were putting their lives on the line.

[@penduloustesticularis1202]

From the first flight to this technological marvel in 40 years. Mind blown!

[@sayjimbo]

Dad was a waist gunner on B-24’s over Europe at 19 YO. 30 missions. Pilot, at 23 YO was referred to as the “old man”. Apparently has the option to go to Pacific. He passed.

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@rocktech7144]

I love Van Dyke at the end. Before you say something stupid about moral implications of the device. Understand WHY we did it. .... We were heros man we were heros

[@petersweeney5777]

“You can buck the blass in the military” still a great video thanks

[@skipdreadman8765]

Fckn robovoice narration.

[@skipdreadman8765]

Hey, we're talking about the "airclaft" industry here.

[@jamesmcdonald5026]

I got to see the Enola Gay at Smithsonian exhibit near Dulles in Washington DC. So awesome.

[@billkilbourne6409]

there was another A-bomb available, but it was not widely known

[@dukecraig2402]

When the war ended they had one more bomb and enough enriched material to build 3 more.

[@jeanmeslier9491]

My Dad came home. He came home because President Truman had the courage to drop the Aomic bombs. My Dad came home. Many of my friends Dads didn't come home. Lost at sea in the vast Pacific or smeared in the mud of tropical hells.

[@Dronescapes]

Glad you Dad came home alive. People also often forget that Japan killed and tortured millions and millions of innocent people, including in camps that resembled Nazi ones. The end of the war spared millions innocent people that Japan would have kept killing. they considered them "non human", but rather wood logs. That's how bad it was

[@jgstargazer]

1:17:25 My dad told me he saw 4 engine bombers flying overhead during the early months of the war. Who knows, maybe Paul Tibbets was in one of those planes.

[@SkyAIChannel]

Incredible airplane and the crews who piloted them were a huge part of the victory of WW2. Thank you to all who served and who serve today.

[@oceanhome2023]

That is why they call them the Greatest generation ! I can’t imagine how High the IQ of the crews on the B29s !!! They don’t make them like that anymore !!

[@Merlinemryys]

My Father was in the first group on Saipan, He was A/C of A[]3.

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@DavidDavidunderthebridgeChampi]

THe strange factoid is that the B-29 cost more to develop and deploy than the A-Bomb.

[@tkskagen]

Such a great video, I get to watch it for the 5th time... Seriously "This Video" confirmed my reliance of the B-29 Bomber. The US "Air Force/Army" of the time was "short of their abilities, as the "Marine Corp" would take care of the "Pacific Theatre Problem", as the US Marine Corps is the group that made the Pacific Theatre possible with the B-52 and the B-24 as a "Bomber"...

[@dukecraig2402]

It's a myth that the Marine Corps did all the fighting in the Pacific, the fact is ⅔rds of all the US servicemen killed or injured in the Pacific were Army and that includes factoring in the Navy as well, even including them it was still 2rds of all the combat casualties in the Pacific were Army, not only that but some of the battles that people only associate with the Marine Corps like Saipan actually had Army units fighting there also, there was an entire Army division that fought on Saipan, and at Pelilu the truth is after about a month the Marine's failed to take the island so an Army division was called in to finish the fighting and secure it. Okinawa, Guadalcanal, Saipan, the Philippines, Pelilu and just about every other battle of the Pacific with the exception of Iwo Jima not only involved the Army but if you do the research you'll see their numbers of their dead and wounded were usually higher than the Marine's at those places, that's because the Marine Corps was so much smaller than the Army back then and even today, they're only a fraction of the size of the Army. I guess that since the Army was getting all the press in Europe even before D-Day because of the 8th Air Force's Air campaign they figured they'd give the Marine's and the Navy the bulk of the media coverage in the Pacific so it wouldn't look like they were trying to give the Army credit for everything about the war, and that's only fair, the families back home of everyone that was in the Marine Corps and Navy in the Pacific deserved to feel like their loved one there was doing their share of fighting in the war to.

[@ianmunro1427]

Is it a fact that engine fires and training accidents claimed more B 29s than enemy action?

[@TheMilwaukieDan]

A thought to remember…. The Germans had flown tge first jet engine fighters The West understood the recip engines limitations were knocking on the door of reality. We needed an airplane tgat coukd gly st much higher altitudes…. That meant pressurization. The Bomb…. Was under development and needed a high flying platform to deliver it. All of that said, it was never thought of as a long time use platform. It was a ‘stop gap’ measure

[@brianw612]

Those B29s were so lumbering. A pilot always wants altitude after taking off, these things struggled for every bit of air speed they could get before ascent. You always see them staying relatively close to the ground for a long time until they pick up air speed.

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

They didn't want the engines to burst into flames.

[@wrathofatlantis2316]

@@hadial-saadoon2114 Likely that this was precisely the reason...

[@Ron52G]

Could be they weighed up to 124,000 lbs at take off. Not going to climb like a fighter.

[@brianw612]

@@Ron52G No, but pilots were quoted as saying it was a very slow climber compared to other bombers of the day. They had to sacrifice altitude for airspeed at takeoff and climb out.

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

@@brianw612 not to mention being equipped with engines that required the cowl flaps to remain open during takeoff and climb out. The rear row of cylinders ran extremely hot, especially in the heat of the Marianas.

[@dpagain2167]

Didn't the increase in losses to fighters and flak come about because Lemay brought them down out of the jetstream to 10000ft. in order to increase bombing accuracy?

[@g-manracer1997]

Amazing to think that huge plane could fly through the sky at 445mph!...... Could you imagine being a Japanese zero pilot and NOT being able to even keep pace with such a huge beast?!!! Most fighter planes of the eras top speed was between 300 to 400 mph, besides MAYBE the P-51D Mustang.

[@wrathofatlantis2316]

That speed is wrong: B-29 WWII design speed was 350 mph empty, about 300 loaded and 250 cruising, and in reality it could barely cruise at 200-220 mph because the engines failed so spectacularly they had to keep the flaps open, and still it lost 500 out of 1600 built by VJ Day, and most of those inside 6 months of real use...

[@g-manracer1997]

@@wrathofatlantis2316 that's sound much more accurate thanks

[@kidmack3556]

​​@@g-manracer1997 I'll go with the top speed that you've mentioned, because I served and the disclosed speed of several craft were purposely listed much slower than the actual speed.

[@malaekahana1]

HOPEFULLY THIS TYPE OF WARFARE WILL NEVER BE USED AGAIN !

[@Dronescapes]

Hopefully crazy psychopaths followed by an entire population will not start world wars again.

[@bleachhandler]

Not going to lie i just found out one of the 2 b-29 super fortress still flying is named FiFi which in the name of my dog 😭

[@goldenreaperjtx]

During WW2, a B-29 crew faced four main threats, and they were all named "Curtis-Wright!"

[@Robert-ff9wf]

The greatest thing I think the United States did at the end of ww2 was to help the countries that were our arch enemies a couple weeks ago. I would have, and I am sure many people thought revenge was in order, that would have turned into an incredible mistake! Because it would have led to war again. By helping our once enemies, it took the bidderness out of losing and we are very close to these country's now, probably some of the few that are in our inner circle. If we hadn't done this and instead punished and took war repreations these great country's probably would be suffering today! It was the right decision, and so was the Berlin airlift . Otherwise it would have never been settled!

[@xxGravyBabyxx]

This is what should have happened after WW1 as well. The winning nations blamed Germany for the majority of the causes for WW1, which caused pissed off Germans to agree with Adolf Hitler. Germany wasn't the only one to aggressively start the Great War. Also, U.S congress not allowing the U.S. to be part of the League of Nations was the nail in the coffin

[@menelaoskontos2553]

helped? thats what you think? it was a plan for total control.. im not a friend of the Russians but if there werent for them , the NWO wd be here 50 years ago...

[@martinnermut2582]

Yes, France and Britain made mistake after WWI and created Hitler and the second war.

[@markbonner1139]

Very true! Should've listened 2 Patton 'bout USSR though & who knew where China would be now.

[@darrelneidiffer6777]

I think we help the Japanese to have an backdoor into Russia and the Germans to have a real presence in Europe. Not out of the goodness in our hearts .

[@johnhanson4795]

My dad was a b-29 tailgunner in korea and was based out of okinawa.he also did the training for refueling fighters and did that for awhile to.and got in trouble chasing women in town late for takeoff and stuff

[@steamon2]

There was a problem in that they might not get an atomic bomb in the B29 plane so the British Lancaster was made ready and a secret squadron set up to fly test missions but was never used

[@charlesfiske8976]

'LeMay and Patton...we do have some bad ass fighters to counter 1the pro level Deutchland warriors

[@markmullins1967]

Apparently the B29 development programme cost more than the Manhattan project

[@markmullins1967]

Which they said about three seconds after I posted the comment ! 😂😂

[@rambultruesdell3412]

wild thinking that anybody in the orbit velocity craft would feel the exact same falling / weightless ness

[@darrylkennedy2125]

Enola Gay...The only mother of a wartime combatant that the world knows. ❤

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

Great song by OMD....Dancing on the apocalypse

[@hurtalotful]

I just checked after I liked and for the first time youtube unsuscribed me.

[@Dronescapes]

?

[@robertstack2144]

"Such weapons will never again be used in anger."......so only in "love" LOL

[@Ebooger]

Rates 11 on a 10-scale....referring to the film, the aircraft, and the use of the bomb.

[@philipculver2719]

Introduced at one school as a veteran of world war eleven!. Give me a break. These are the people educating your children.. No wonder they don't know anything.

[@jakelee2861]

Great video, please talk faster with fewer paused

[@douglasmiller8607]

Why two bomb bays? Move the radar bombings system forwarded of the bomb bays, make it one continuous bay strengthen the backbone/wing fusilodge box and use the Allison V-3420 having more horsepower to aircraft (10000 vs 8000) plus reducing engine drag

[@homesforallrealty3828]

Because of the main wing spar. In the end they had to cut it to accommodate the nuclear weapon. You know the Lancaster was considered, why? Continuous bomb bay from nose to tail.

[@paulshaw5119]

World War eleven --- OMG!!! More EDUCATION NEEDED!

[@user-wc1ns3ji8b]

B-29を身近に見たのはしようわ33年千歳に行く途中MISAWAにおりた時でしたnoseギヤタイプでスラッとした素敵なA/Cダナーと思いました四国の田舎に疎開さて阿多頃数えきれないほどキラキラ光る点でしか見えずスーパーチャージヤ～の白線を引いていましたが

[@4catsnow]

They started it. Bad move.

[@_nocolon1046]

Dude makes great videos but I just can’t every time I hear “airclaft”

[@robspierre3446]

This is why we can't have nice things!

[@windborne8795]

@1:46:40 What 4 engined aircraft is that? DC4? It doesn't look like any bomber that I know of; tail is way too small. 🤪 Can anyone identify this aircraft for me? Cheers!

[@wollepetri78]

Douglas C-54 Skymaster, military version of the DC4

[@kellecetraro4807]

Pronunciation of words is off? Is it using voice synthesis or a text to speech generator?

[@Dronescapes]

There is a link to a different version in the description…

[@kellecetraro4807]

@@Dronescapes Thanks 🙏🏼

[@ryanhuff456]

Where are you sourcing all this video from?

[@LHJC10]

Well made video, wondering what narrators first language is?

[@kaiw1182]

It’s a AI voice

[@LHJC10]

@@kaiw1182 I don’t think it is, there’s inflection, varying pacing and has mispronunciation like “airclaft” . I don’t have a problem with it, just an observation.

[@doogsterd5311]

It’s Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise)

[@benjaminrapp7418]

​@@doogsterd5311 No, it's not...

[@gtptube]

​@@doogsterd5311 we're talking about the first 45 minutes with all the mispronounced words. It's an AI Voice. AIRCLAFT🤣

[@anpmech]

Did he say Hack Arnold ? 😂

[@thundercat277]

The Japanese soldiers knows no surrender , hadn't it not for the bomb and its destruction, the emperor wouldn't have called off the war !

[@Dronescapes]

And they would have kept killing millions of innocent people, as they did before surrendering. Most people ignore the heinous crimes that Japan committed, including their concentration camps, which had a lot in common with Nazi Germany camps. Estimates of innocent people killed by Japan range from 6 to over 20 millions.

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

He was more afraid of the Russians then he was of the bomb (they declared war on Japan on August 8, 1945).

[@SpitzTK]

はじめに日本を追いつめたのはどこの国々か知るべきだ

[@502Chevy]

The photographic plane on the Hiroshima run was named the Necessary Evil. Russel Gackenbach was the navigator.

[@foxtrot_delta3042]

The population of Japan at the start of the war was not 100M, it was under 73M.

[@Dronescapes]

SORRY FOR THE AUDIO! Here is a proper version: Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKKkkpqApbt9Zpo

[@scottjoseph9578]

The engines were the critical failure area. "More bugs than the Entomology department of the Smithsonian," was how LeMay put it.

[@pierreboucher4488]

😊merci Mme Denis

[@Richard-ge1wb]

​@@scottjoseph9578😅😅

[@apolinarlora]

Knsa ingon

[@mynamedoesntmatter8652]

What’s wrong with the audio? I don’t have a problem with it, but maybe it’s just me. Excellent upload, thank you so much!

[@RobertPaskulovich-fz1th]

My father was a US Army MP in postwar Tokyo. His biggest problem were drunken USN sailors on liberty!

[@blueduck9409]

This was a very tragic chapter in human history.

[@Dronescapes]

You are right, if only a number of psychopaths and serial criminals in Germany, Japan, and to a lesser extend in Italy had not made a series of unforgivable decisions, and if they did not have entire populations following them like sheep, none of this would have happened. It is amazing how sometimes people forget who started the war, or what kind of unspeakable crimes against millions of innocent people, especially Germany and Japan, perpetrated for years, and years, before the allies managed to stop genocides. Anyone with a conscience can only be grateful that millions more were spared before some countries managed to stop them.

[@alexlupsor5484]

@@Dronescapes Good evening, May I first apologize to you for getting caught up in nonsense, it really didn’t matter what was the best and all, I mean the lanc cam for a losing proposition called the Manchester. Now that was an evil failure but from the mistakes came a legion. The lanc took many a young teen who came from a over the nations. They faught and died, but the aircraft that they flew never killed them, it was the generations that did that. Sin is what brought them to the grave. Sins of their fathers, bothers sisters and nation. Being a Christian, when ever I talk about the war and what it did to us as a people. Sin = death and this sin is still in the hearts of the damed and we are the lessors for it. I wish to conclude with my thoughts as per the aircraft that was the equalizer. Many a father, brother, boyfriend , uncle and the list is long. We must think of this time we all are in and where we are being lead. There is no winning a war. The war is with us whether it’s in the history books, on utube or on any platform we chose, the only question that matters is,” are you ready to meet our Lord”, or will the sin of others who start, or who must fight to keep our land free. Please remember that war is the tool of the devil and the battlefield is his play ground. We build our models, talk about what is important to us and remember our honoured dead. What comes after is the most important. Forever in His service

[@user-pd6ye4fw7t]

What lunatic thought magnesium crankcases on the R3350 engine was a good idea. Just think how much more successful the B29 would have been if the crankcase was constructed with normal metals. The weight savings wasn't worth it.

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

Interestingly, the Wright R-2600 had a forged steel crankcase. I guess Wright's engineers thought that they were opening a new chapter in engine technology, which they were. Funny, as a five year old I remember flying across the Atlantic in a DC-7 in 1958 and seeing the exhaust flames bellowing out from what I now know as the exhaust from the R-3350 Turbo Compound engines. Fortunately for me they had worked the bugs out by then.

[@gordonjohnston684]

Pop down to Decathlon, and get yourself a pop up shower/changing tent, then buy 2 x 10 ten litre solar showers. One for you the other for the dog. I would top up the shower with hot water from the kettle. Or you can get a pressured spray container for spraying weed killer at a garden centre. (Except you don’t ever put weed killer it) you should be able to but warm water in it, it made from hard plastic. It’s costs about €30 I think but it will work, better for you.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

Respect to my dad, Japanese shot at him with Toyota-made machine guns, WW2. But what finally killed him was USA nuclear bomb test viewing, gave him blood cancer in his 70s. DOJ.GOV was SO generous! “Onsite Participants” at atmospheric nuclear weapons tests may be eligible for one-time, lump sum compensation of up to $75,000.

[@SteepSix]

*Only the B-29 could carry the Atonic Don*

[@manfromks]

Engage your brain you might be dangerous.

[@gtptube]

​@@manfromks he's making fun of the narration, Einstein. The B29 was a great AIRCLAFT

[@pcka12]

They considered the Avro Lancaster when the B29 seemed unlikely to be ready in time, but that would have been a major blow to US prestige.

[@r.g.o3879]

Gary Sinese is of course just a paid narrator but every time he reads the part where the Imperial General Staff advises the Emperor not to surrender to the allies it bugs the heck out of me. First off I am a Historian BA degree and have studied the period of the Second World War for many decades now. First Hirohito was perfectly and totally aware of every aspect of the start and prosecution of the war from beginning to end. He benefitted from the cultural policy of everyone else taking the blame for him. He was a major part of the samurai madness that gripped Japan through the 1930s onward. After the Potadam declaration was delivered he and his generals and admirals simply could not agree how to end t that would not expose him to guilt for war crimes. None of them from Hirohito on down really wanted to end the war as losers. You often hear how we in the US had cranked out huge numbers of fighters and bombers but in fact there were more than seven thousand aircraft stored and hidden in caves all across the home islands along with their newest best medium and heavy tanks just about the equal of some of our best vehicles. This was part of their plan for causing us as much damage as possible using every man woman and child available hopefully killing some 100,000 or more US servicemen in the process!! Part of this plan was to show the rest of the world just how tough they were. After the first two atomic bombs were dropped in fact very few Japanese were even aware what had happened. Many conventional firebombing raids had done far more initial damage that's why almost three weeks passed before Hirohito's advisors had been able to travel to inspect both locations and return with their findings. Finally Hirohito was willing to negotiate as long as his position was guaranteed. This is why so many Japanese still have the belief they really could not accept defeat, much the same way the Germans in 1918 felt they had been betrayed by the communists. So many modern Japanese business men and politicians remained extremely arrogant as they felt they had never been beaten by allied armies but been forced to obey Hirohito's order. If Macarthur had been forced to land on the home islands and fight his way to Tokyo it would have made a far different impression on the Japanese army and navy. The same would have happened in 1919 if Pershing had the million men he needed and led them over the Rhein to Berlin. Both nations would have had a much harder time recruiting men for their fascist parties. Yes the bombs saved many lives of both allied soldiers and Japanese civilians but instead the Japanese got to keep their emperor and keep their false belief he was innocent of all crimes.

[@carywest9256]

Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump narrates, l hope they gave him ice cream.