Near Failure at Nagasaki - Case Study

Facts

• Bad weather changed the second bomb mission from August 11th to August 9th

• Maj. Charles W. Sweeney of the 393rd Bomb Squadron was the pilot in command who flew the

leading aircraft, Bockscar, for the 2nd mission

• Primary target for the 2nd mission was Kokuro, and the secondary target was Nagasaki

• Six B-29s were assigned for the 2nd mission

• Capt. Fredrick C. Bock flew the instrumental aircraft, The Great Ariste

• Lt. Col. James I. Hopkins Jr. flew the observation/photo aiplane, Big stink

• The 2 weather airplanes, Enola Gay and Laggin’ Dragon, were flown by Capt. George Marquardt

and Charles F. McKnight

• Enola Gay monitored Kokuro and Laggin’ Dragon monitored Nagasaki

• Navy Com, Fredrick L. Ashworth was the senior weaponeer on board of Bockscar

• “Fat Man” was loaded aboard Bockscar at 10p.m on August 8th

• Crew drove out at 1a.m, and Bockscar flew off late at 3:49a.m on August 9th

• Bockscar’s rear bomb bladder did not pump Of 7,250 gallons of fuel, but held 600 gallons in the

reserve tank to balance the weight of the bomb

• The typhoon changed the orginal rendezvous altitude from 8,000ft to 30,000ft

• Lt. Hopkin in Big Stink mistakenly flew at the altitude if 39,000ft instead

• Maj. Sweeney circled the rendezvous for 45min rather than the planned 15min

• Dropped the bomb at Nagasaki and detonated at 1,890ft at 11:02a.m

• Japan’s emperor surrendered on August 15th

• All problems on the 2nd mission were not made completely public until the 1990s

ISSUES

• Leadership

• Crisis Management

• Decision-Making

Issue 1

In order to run a successful mission there must exist a strong team, and in order to have a strong team there must exist a strong leader. In the 2nd bombing mission, Major Charles W. Sweeney was chosen to be the pilot in command of the mission by Colonel Paul W. Tibbets Jr. who had flown the Hiroshima mission. The first and immediate concern