A monument erected in 1990 stands in front of the visitors center, identifying this city as the site of the 509th Composite Group, the "first atomic bombardment."
Those casting their gaze upon this handsome monolith are likely attracted by the bronze sculpture that adorns its apex - a miniature replica of the Enola Gay, the B-29 superfortress that dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945.Yet this visual reminder of Wendover's role during World War II war hardly begins to tell what took place in the western desert 50 years ago.
Not many knew what was taking place in Wendover in 1945 either. And those who did probably did not realize or understand the impact their efforts would have on the future of civilization.
When the 29-year-old Col. Paul W. Tibbets, an Air Force pilot, arrived at the Wendover Army Air Force Base in September 1944, he knew it was the ideal place for the work that needed to be done.
"It was perfect," Tibbets said. "There was nothing but salt flats and Wendover. I didn't need to see anything else."
Tibbets' first task had been to find an air base that would facilitate secret training for the yet to be formed 509th Composite Group. His orders were to find a place isolated enough so that the men would have no access to the public and so that there would be no prying eyes.
With a population of less than 400, Wendover prior to World War II was best identified as a spot on Highway 40 (now I-80) at the Utah-Nevada border where one could replenish with fresh water, a tank of gasoline and directions to the nearest town at least 100 miles away. Construction of the air base began in 1941, prior to the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor, and was completed at the end of 1942.
At its height, the base had a population of 23,000, including civilian employees. It was a city unto itself, complete with a movie, theater, a bowling alley, a hospital complex, schools, a power plant facility and two fire stations. But what made the base desirable to Tibbets were the military amenities that would facilitate the group's training.
The base featured one of the largest runways and one of the best bombing and gunnery ranges in the nation. More importantly, restricted air space spanned 60 miles west of Wendover. And despite its isolation, a 6-foot barb-wire fence lined the base's northern perimeter. Salt flats bordered the base to the east, west and south.
The organization of the 509th Composite Group was to have 1,800 men, 15 B-29s and all the support functions inherent to an air force. Tibbets began with a core of war veterans familiar to him. Each excelled in their area of expertise and understood the concept of loyalty.
The first man Tibbets recruited was Don Albury, a pilot he described as "the most capable 25-year-old I'd ever known." Both had worked on the "B-29 project," a sequence of modifications on the Boeing Superfortress that would allow it to perform its future missions.
Next came Ted "Dutch" Van Kirk, 23, and Tom Ferebee, 26. Tibbets had led some of the first raids against German-occupied France and North Africa with Van Kirk as navigator and Ferebee as bombardier. Their association had begun in 1942.
The next best navigator and bombardier known to Tibbets were James F. Van Pelt Jr. and Kermit Beahan, respectively. Others in particular included flight engineer Wyatt Duzenbury, his assistant Bob Shumard, tail gunner George Robert Caron and radar operator Richard "Junior" Nelson, who at 20 was the youngest crew member.
Except for Albury, Van Pelt and Beahan, who flew the B-29 "Bocks Car," which delivered the second atomic payday over Nagasaki, these were the men who would become the crew to fly the Enola Gay. The rest of the group included B-29 crews, support and cargo crews, and ordinance (bomb and ammunition) specialists.
The 509th men began to arrive at Wendover in December 1944. Almost immediately, they began the rigorous work of perfecting what each did best. At first, the men hated Wendover, not knowing why they had been assigned to work there or when they would leave.
Tibbets' plan was to work his men so hard that they would not have time to dwell on their discomforts or curiosities. Tibbets himself was not sure of the group's destination.
At their first meeting, Tibbets briefed the men: "You have been brought here to work on a very special mission. Those who stay will be going overseas. You are here to take part in an effort which could end the war. Don't ask what the job is. That's a surefire way to get transferred out. Do exactly what you are told, when you are told, and you will get along fine."
One more thing, "Never mention this base to anybody. This means your wives, sisters, family."
The seriousness and secretiveness of the training had been obvious to the men since their arrival. All phone lines were tapped and groups of security personnel had been assigned to check new arrivals to the 509th. Screenings were performed by some of the best security people in the country.
But despite the strict conditions, nobody transferred out. The men believed in Tibbets. They accepted the fact that they had a job to do in Wendover and that they could do it. Tibbets challenged everybody to "beat the old man," meaning himself.
Everyone - from cockpit to tail gunner to ground crew member - was involved in the refinement of their aircraft, the tactics of delivery and the business of staying alive in hostile skies.
For the pilots, that meant learning how to maneuver B-29s through high winds, periodic typhoons, reduced or no visibility and long flights over unforgiving seas, all typical of the Pacific Theater of the war. They also learned how to perform takeoffs from short island runways and to climb to altitude in heavy winds.
Navigators faced another challenge. Most were used to long flights over land, but lacked experience flying over water or at night. Radars in 1945 could at best detect most land masses. At Wendover, Van Kirk and Van Pelt devised navigational problems, worked them out together and practiced until perfect. The men flew as far as the California coast and an airfield in Batista, Cuba, practicing their over-water navigation training.
But the focus of the group's effort lay in performing ballistics testing. Every concern revolved around whether two differently shaped bombs could be delivered on target.
The men, however, did not use the term "bomb" for the weapons. Not knowing exactly what they were, they dubbed the cylindrical-shaped one "Little Boy" and the pumpkin shaped one "Fat Man." Otherwise they referred to them as "the weapon" or "the gimmick."
What the men did know is that they had to figure out a way to make the nearly five-ton bombs "fly" from their moving aircrafts to a desired target under possibly different situations.
Little Boy was not a problem. Once appropriate tail fins were added to its aerodynamic shape, it would fly in a downward curve with pinpoint accuracy. Fat Man, however, required numerous tests with different tail fins so it would not "porpoise," or dive in and out of air currents.
Sometimes, dummies filled with cement were used. At other times, explosive materials were added to perform different measurements. Often, the tests were filmed and later studied.
Loading the bombs onto the aircrafts proved a different challenge. Loading pits were dug. At first, B-29s were modified with cables to facilitate loading the bombs onto the bay. However, it was impossible to synchronize all the movements to prevent the bomb from tilting. Later, hydraulic loading ramps solved that problem.
The bombs were assembled on site within 20-by-40-foot cabins where only bomb assemblymen were admitted. The bombs came in pieces, but nobody knew where the pieces came from. Except, perhaps, Capt. Les Rowe, who taught the men how to assemble the bombs and deal with problems.
The training and bomb assembly continued for five months. By June 1945, the routines had been perfected. The same month, the 509th was transferred to the Island of Tinian in the Marianas Islands group. However, bomb assembly continued in Wendover.
Until mid-July, the group continued to refine its skills flying repetitive practice missions with mock-ups of the pumpkin-shaped bomb. Their configurations continued to improve. The last practice mission took place on the morning of Aug. 4, 1945.
At 3 p.m., the men gathered for a briefing.
"The moment has arrived," Tibbets told them. "The weapon we are about to deliver has been successfully tested in the states. It is our job to deliver it to the enemy. Target: The primary is Hiroshima with Kokura and Nagasaki as alternates."
For the first time the men were learning what the "gimmick" was all about.
Only the men on the assembly line at Wendover had received this information. The two final Fat Man bombs had been assembled with the real thing. However, Little Boy, ultimately used on Hiroshima, was shipped to Tinian without its core material.
Navy Capt. William S. Parsons continued the briefing.
"The bomb you are about to drop is the most destructive weapon in the history of warfare. No one knows exactly what will happen. We think it will knock out almost anything within a three-mile area."
The following day, as final preparations for the mission were made, Tibbets found that a ground crew member had painted the name Enola Gay on his plane, in honor of his mother. At midnight, Tibbets held one final briefing: "Do your jobs. Follow your orders. Don't cut corners and don't take chances."
The Enola Gay, loaded with a completed Little Boy, lifted off at 2:45 a.m. Two other B-29s followed with scientific instruments and photographic equipment.
At 4:30 a.m., Tibbets toured his aircraft to check on each crew member. When he reached the end, he asked the tail gunner, "Bob, have you figured out what we're going to do today?"
Caron's reply was also a question: "Colonel, are we carrying out a physicist's nightmare?" Tibbets did not respond.
At 8:15 a.m., Ferebee announced, "Bombs Away!" But despite what was happening below, even the escape maneuver went on uneventfully. The world's first atomic bomb had been dropped and everything had gone like clockwork. Tibbets later described this as "one of his most boring missions." Like the other crew members, however, he knew the war was over.
The training at Wendover had paid off.
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Gun-type fission bomb
LITTLE BOY - dropped on Hiroshima
When the bomb reaches 1,850 feet a radar echo sets off internal explosive. This explosion drives a wedge of U-235 down the gun barrel into a larger piece of U-235, causing a nuclear blast.
B-29 ENOLA GAY
Wingspan: 141 feet
Weight: 74,500 pounds (unloaded)
Engines: Four 2,200-hp engines (largest in aviation)
Propellers: 16.5 feet in diameter (world's largest)
Payload: Up to 10 tons of bombs
Top speed: 357 mph
Top altitude: 25,000 feet
Range: 3,800 miles
Crew: 11
First pressurized crew compartments in combat aircraft.