Movie (1951)
Italian title : Nagasaki
French title : Tonnerre sur le Pacifique
Full English title : The Wild Blue Yonder, The Story of the B-29 Superfortress

Starring:
Wendell Corey (Captain Harold "Cal" Calvert)
Forrest Tucker (Major Tom West)
Vera Ralston (Lieutenant Helen Landers)
Phil Harris (Sergeant Hank Stack)

Drama of the Story of the B-29 Superfortress melt with a love triangle opposing two cousins serving in the same air unit.
Note : the aviation scenes appear in three phases (interspersed with life on base and the romantic rivalry between Cal and Tom); we have analyzed them separately to make it easier for you to follow the chronology of the scenes in relation to the numerous shots featuring the B-29s. However, the film is not divided into chapters in such an ostentatious manner. These subdivisions (which we have created ourselves) are based solely on timing.

First Part : Discovering and Testing the B-29

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Boeing B-29 Superfortress s/n 42(?)-54038 ?

Another one unidentified :

s/n 44-69770 Boeing B-29-60-BW Superfortress modified to WB-29, named "Typhoon Goon II". Accident 7 May 1949 when landing at Mitchel AFB, NY.
Based at Guam in January 1951. Crashed on 26 October 1952 while flying into Typhoon Wilma. The aircraft went down 300 miles east of Leyte in the Philippines during a 14-hour over-water flight. 10 crew killed, no trace found.

Douglas C-47A-30-DK Skytrain

Douglas C-47A-30-DK s/n 43-48096 (c/n 13912/25357) delivered to USAAF on July 1944. WFU in 1966.

Part Two : First Missions

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Exiting the pressure bulkhead. Note the portable oxygen tank attached to the aviator's thigh.

'T Square 5' Boeing B-29 Superfortress s/n 42-24614 wearing markings (those pre-April 1945) of the 498th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, 73rd Bombardment Wing. She's the first B-29 of this unit landing at Saipan on 12 October 1944 (after departing the States on 7 October). Later adorn with Joltin’ Josie – The Pacific Pioneer pin up, she was accidentaly lost on 1st April 1945.

'V Square 1' (unnamed) Boeing B-29 Superfortress s/n 42-24659 of 73BW/499BG/877BS. Destroyed on ground in Japanese raid on Saipan, 27 November 1944.

Acting as Boeing B-29-25-MO Superfortress s/n 42-65302 City of Los Angeles. See the Discussion tab for details about this real incident.

Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Consolidated B-24M Liberator

Some Consolidated B-24M Liberator were fitted with this 'open' turret with this close pairing of two M2 machine guns.

Unidentified Japanese Aircraft

Unidentified Japanese Aircraft (American would fly in three ships of four fighters instead this four ones of three (a leader flanked by two wingmen).

This is the prelude of several gun camera footage showing various (unidentified) Japanese single-engine aircraft, most ending in flames. Several are common footage already seen in other movies at Frequently Seen Aircraft (Military Fixed-Wing).

North American P-51D Mustang

Not the upgraded P-51s later used to fly from Iwo Jima (note the single spine antenna).

Fictional Aircraft

A flying model engulfed in flames (gasoline fumes) acting as a Japanese aircraft.

Final Part : Raiding from the Mariana Islands

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

A standard Boeing B-29 wearing the circle arrowhead tail marking to act one of 15 Silverplate B-29s used by the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, 509th Composite Group, Twentieth Air Force.
Silverplate B-29s were dedicated to carry the atomic bomb which required a specfic bomb bay. Due to these bombs' size, the bomb bay was highly modified and a weight reduction was accomplished by removal of all gun turrets (but the tail's machine guns) and armor plating.

'Square O Tail Code' for the 29th Bombardment Group (BG), 314th Bombardment Wing of XXI Bomber Command.

Such Z tail marking to identify the 500th BG (post- April 1945), 73rd Bombardment Wing.

Another Isley Field, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands based unit : the 497th BG with its A Square Tail Code (pre- April 1945).

T Tail Code, 498th BG, 73rd BW (post- April 1945).

'Circle X Tail Code' for the 9th BG, 313TH BW.
Same aircraft in other movies at Frequently Seen Aircraft (Military Fixed-Wing).

Iwo Jima

Surrounding an early 313th Bombardment Wing Boeing B-29 “mothership” (dedicated to long distance navigation over the Ocean to guide the P-51s) ...
1 : North American P-51D Mustang;
2 : North American B-25 Mitchell;
3 : Northrop P-61 Black Widow.

North American P-51D Mustang of 458 Fighter Squadron, 506FG, 20AF.
Note the extra lower fuselage antenna just at the wing's leading edge.
Those Mustangs based at Iwo Jima have too dual spine antenna (instead one on standard P-51D).

Nakajima Ki-27

Bell P-39 Airacobra

Continuity error : footage used to illustrate the P-51s dropping their external fuel tank. The P-39 was configured for one centerline fuel tank, while the P-51 carried two tanks under its wings.

Grumman F6F Hellcat

Firing on an unidentified Japanese aircraft, this American pilot suddenly view this Grumman F6F Hellcat coming in his fire line !
Same aircraft in other movies at Frequently Seen Aircraft (Military Fixed-Wing).

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

Unidentified Aircraft

The bomber in distress eventually crashed ... (continuity error) but it's single-engine aircraft that we see on the screen.

Boeing B-29-20-BA Superfortress

The B-29 seen ditching here (*) on 9 March 1945 has returned from a mission to Tokyo. This is the Boeing B-29-20-BA s/n 42-63482 christened "Hope - full Devil" under the command of Captain Bernard "Barney" McCaskill Jr., 484th Squadron, 505th Bombardment Group, 313th Bombardment Wing.
(*) Ocean swells at the time were about 6 feet (2 meters). All crew was picked up by the seaplane tender USS Bering Strait (AVP-34) on lifeguard duty approximately 20 miles north of Pagan Island. Only two injured : pilot and Corporal Binger (who had a severely gashed jaw).