Paul W. Tibbets by Ernie Boyette

Captain Paul W. Tibbets

"RED GREMLIN"

By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

Aviation Art Store

Print size 12 x 18"

Limited Edition $125.00

Open Edition $18.00

Limited Edition prints are signed by the Artist and Paul Tibbets.

Paul only signed 100 limited edition prints.

How to Order, Add to Cart

Captain Paul W. Tibbets

B-17 “RED GREMLIN”

By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

Paul W. Tibbets joined the Army Air Corp in 1937, leaving his studies to become a doctor to pursue his dreams of becoming an aviator.

With the United States still weathering the depression, jobs were scarce. Especially the few aviation openings that were available in the Air Corp. Paul out performed his fellow classmates to earn his wings and to receive the “highest flying rating of his class”.

Paul at first wanted to fly the new pursuit fighters, but switched to observation aircraft. Here Paul gained experience in multi engine aircraft, logging over 1,500 hours flying the B-10 and other multi engine aircraft.

Paul was assigned to the third attack group in Savannah, Georgia. Here he practiced low level bombing tactics flying the new Douglas A-20, less than 100 feet off the ground at full throttle.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Paul was sent to the 29^th Bomb Group to train in the new Boeing B-17.

Paul was then transferred to Mac Dill Air Base as the first officer of the new 97^th Bomb Group. Paul soon developed as an officer whose military discipline and natural diplomacy worked well with his fellow pilots and crews. Paul trained them to be highly effective as a team, drilling them over and over in the duties they would need to survive in the skies over Europe.

Paul gained the respect of his superiors and his men. His squadron was sent to England and Paul helped plan the first day light raids over German occupied Europe.

On August 17, 1942 Paul Tibbets led the first day light raid, which would be the beginning of the end for Hitler. The target was the Sotteville marshaling yards at Roven, located in northern France.

In early October, Paul was promoted to major at the time he was leading the raids over Le Trait and Lille. One hundred plus bombers over the target, carpet bombing industrial and transportation districts. Even though loses were high for the bomber squadrons, their effectiveness proved enough to pursue future missions.

Paul and the “RED GREMLIN” flew many missions into Europe till the end of October 1942, when Paul was chosen to help transport the allied military leaders and planners of “Operation Torch”. Paul flew General Mark Clark, and other diplomats to Gibraltar to set the stage for the up coming invasion on North Africa by the Americans. Paul also flew General Dwight Eisenhower, who sat on a wooden two by four in the cockpit in-between Paul and the co-pilot.

Once in Africa, Paul used his experience in Europe to set up systematic bombing of the German facilities starting with their harbor, docks, and airfields. On their first mission they bombed the German airfield at Bizerte catching the enemy squadron on the ground killing most of the pilots and crews while they were in the mess hall.

Paul led many of these bombing missions until he was ordered back to the states to over see the development of the new Boeing B-29.

Paul’s B-17, was named the “RED GREMLIN”. Even though Paul did not fly this aircraft on his first mission into Europe, he flew the “Red Gremlin” on the majority of his missions. The tough B-17 flew faithfully for him and his crew, even when fighter or flak damaged the Superfortress. The “Red Gremlin” also took Paul on his diplomatic trips to Gibraltar and on into Algiers.

Paul finished the war as commanding officer of the 509^th Composite Group. This secret squadron was to be the first Nuclear Strike Force. Paul led the first attack on German occupied Europe that eventually led to the demise of Hitler’s war machine. Paul was then to fly the mission that would end the war with Japan.

Major Paul W. Tibbets

B-29 “Enola Gay" Story

By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

During the end of the depression, Paul W. Tibbets was going to school studying to be doctor. His real dreams lay in aviation, which led him to enlist with the Army Air Corp.

Paul graduated from flight school receiving the highest-flying rating in his class. He requested assignment in observation aircraft. Here he became familiar with multi engine aircraft logging 1,500 hours in the B-10 and other multi engine planes.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Paul was then sent to the 29^th Bomb Group, to train in the new Boeing B-17. Following his training Paul was sent to Mac Dill Air Base as the first officer of the new 97^th Bomb Group. It was here that Paul and his crews adapted them selves to work together as a team in the large bomber.

On August 17,1942, Captain Paul Tibbets led the first raid of four engine bombers into northern France. Their target was the Sotteville marshaling yards at Roven. The raid caught the Luftwaffe off guard and their mission was a success.

Paul and his group were then transferred to Algiers in North Africa. Here he helped plan the systematic bombing of the primary German military and transportation targets and led the first bombing raid in North Africa.

Paul then returned to the United States to help over see the development of the new Boeing B-29. Problems with the bomber were slowing its delivery to the Air Force. Paul test flew the aircraft helping the company work out the problems with its development.

Paul was then approached by his commanding officers about a secret project. They told Paul that they needed him to train a secret squadron for the delivery of the first nuclear device with the B-29.

The development of the atomic bomb had started just a few months before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Now the bomb was becoming a reality and was within one year from deployment.

Paul selected a remote air base to train his men for this special mission. Col. Paul Tibbets was solely responsible for the organization, training, and command of the first Nuclear Strike Force. The 509^th Composite Group.

The defensive maneuvers that Paul would put his B-29 through to escape the blast of the bomb, pushed the B-29 to its limits. After his squadron finished their training they were sent to Tinian Island in the Pacific. Once on Tinian, they keep their mission on the base top secret.

Naming their aircraft was a ritual that pilots and crews did. Paul chooses his mothers name “Enola Gay”.

The targets were chose carefully and the weather over these targets was studied daily. Finally the first atomic bomb arrived and a date was set for its delivery.

On the morning of August 6, 1945 with his crew in place, Paul released the brakes on the “Enola Gay”. Even with the engines at full throttle, the extra weight of the huge bomb had Paul use the entire runway. Finally the lumbering B-29 rose for their twelve-hour flight.

The weather reports came in that the primary target, Hiroshima was clear. With the bomb armed, Paul and his crew viewed Hiroshima as it shimmered in the morning sun. The Bombardier, Thomas Ferebee had now taken over the controls of the Enola Gay.

Paul had hand picked Thomas because he had served with him over Europe. With the B-29 level and Major Ferebee viewing the city through his Norton bombsite, he pressed the button that released the 2,000lb bomb.

Paul banked his B-29 over hard to escape the blast of the bomb. As they banked the Enola Gay around, Paul and everyone viewed the city after the blast. There was a 45,000-foot mushroom cloud over the city.

Paul Tibbets finished the war and continued with the Air Force, retiring in 1966 as a Brigadier General.