This listing is for a Postal Cover signed by the person indicated above. This item has been authenticated and slabbed by PSA/DNA. Please Note: PSA/DNA is the leading 3rd party autograph authenticator. PLEASE NOTE: You will receive the EXACT autograph that is pictured in the scan. Satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. AAH Enterprises does NOT sell pre-prints, photocopies or facsimiles of any kind. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions using the ask seller tab above.
Top Secret was the name of a B-29 Superfortress (B-29-36-MO 44-27302, Victor number 72) modified to carry the atomic bomb in World War II.
Assigned to the 393d Bomb Squadron, 509th Composite Group, it was one of 15 Silverplate B-29s used by the 509th. Top Secret was built at the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Plant at Omaha, Nebraska, as a Block 35 aircraft. It was one of 10 modified as a Silverplate and re-designated "Block 36". Delivered on April 2, 1945, to the USAAF, it was assigned to crew B-8 (1st Lt. Charles F. McKnight), aircraft commander) and flown to Wendover Army Air Field, Utah. It left Wendover on June 5, 1945, for North Field, Tinian and arrived June 11.
It was originally assigned the Victor (unit-assigned identification) number 2 but on August 1 was given the large 'A' tail markings of the 497th Bomb Group as a security measure and had its Victor changed to 72 to avoid misidentification with actual 497th BG aircraft. It was named Top Secret and its nose art applied after the atomic bomb missions.
While at Tinian, McKnight and crew B-8 flew Top Secret on 13 practice bombing missions and four combat pumpkin bomb missions against Japanese industrial targets at Otsu, Yokkaichi, Ube, and Toyoda. The plane flew two other pumpkin bomb missions, to Taira (1st Lt. Joseph E. Westover and crew A-4) and Yokkaichi (Capt. Claude Eatherly and crew C-11).
On August 6, 1945, it was assigned as the strike spare for the first atomic bomb mission but did not complete the mission, landing at Iwo Jima as previously planned when the B-29 Enola Gay was able to complete its assignment.
In November 1945 it returned with the 509th to Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico. From March to August 1946 it was assigned to the Operation Crossroads task force, then rejoined the 509th BG at Roswell. In June 1949 Top Secret was transferred to the 97th Bombardment Group at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas, then sent to Tinker Air Force Base in April 1950 for modification to TB-29 specifications at the Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area.
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