Frederick C. Bock
Encyclopedia
Frederick C. Bock was a World War II
pilot who took part in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945, flying the B-29
bomber The Great Artiste
, which was used for scientific measurements of the effects caused by the nuclear weapon. The bomber which actually dropped Fat Man
was called Bockscar
as it was usually flown by Frederick Bock. The staff was swapped just before the raid and Major Charles Sweeney
piloted Bockscar, which flew with The Great Artiste and another aircraft.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
pilot who took part in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945, flying the B-29
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bomber The Great Artiste
The Great Artiste
The Great Artiste was a U.S. Army Air Forces Silverplate B-29 bomber , assigned to the 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Composite Group, that participated in the atomic bomb attacks on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Flown by 393rd commander Major Charles W...
, which was used for scientific measurements of the effects caused by the nuclear weapon. The bomber which actually dropped Fat Man
Fat Man
"Fat Man" is the codename for the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9, 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons to be used in warfare to date , and its detonation caused the third man-made nuclear explosion. The name also refers more...
was called Bockscar
Bockscar
Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the "Fat Man" nuclear weapon over Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, the second atomic weapon used against Japan....
as it was usually flown by Frederick Bock. The staff was swapped just before the raid and Major Charles Sweeney
Charles Sweeney
Major General Charles W. Sweeney was an officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and the pilot who flew the "Fat Man" atomic bomb to Nagasaki on August 9, 1945...
piloted Bockscar, which flew with The Great Artiste and another aircraft.