World War Photos

B-29 on assembly line at Wichita Plant 1944

On September 6, 1941, the US Army Air Corps (USAAC) approved an initial contract for the production of 250 B-29 Superfortresses, which was a significant and bold move considering the context:

Initial Production Approval and Factories

• Contract Approval: 250 B-29s were ordered before the USA was at war, and no prototype had yet flown. The aircraft’s performance was still unproven.
  • Boeing, Wichita, Kansas: 240 units
  • Bell, Atlanta, Georgia: 5 units
  • Martin, Omaha, Nebraska: 5 units

Production Context

• The order caused a stir due to:
  • The USA not being at war yet.
  • No existing B-29 had flown.
  • Doubts about the advanced bomber’s performance.

Production Expansion

• With additional orders, Boeing, Bell, and Martin prepared their respective factories in Renton, Wichita, Atlanta, and Omaha for B-29 production.

Contract Details

• Boeing-Wichita:
  • Initially received contract AC 19673 for 230 B-29s, including 14 service test YB-29s and 213 production B-29s.
  • Additional orders increased production to 1,630 B-29s by September 1944.
• Bell-Atlanta:
  • Initially contracted for five pilot ships.
  • Later received contracts for a total of 668 production B-29s and B-29Bs.
• Martin-Omaha:
  • Initially contracted for five pilot ships.
  • Produced 531 production B-29s, including 65 Silverplate versions for the atomic bomb missions.

Boeing-Seattle and Renton

• Seattle Plant: Built three XB-29 prototypes.
• Renton Plant:
  • Initially contracted to produce 300 B-29As.
  • Eventually produced 1,122 B-29As by May 1946.

Challenges and Solutions

• The Battle of Kansas: A significant challenge in getting B-29 production off the ground due to:
  • Delays in government-furnished equipment and materials.
  • Early production aircraft being used for crew training, requiring extensive modifications for combat readiness.
  • Severe winter weather affecting production speed and efficiency.
  • General Hap Arnold’s intervention led to a crash program to modify and prepare the aircraft for combat, known as the Battle of Kansas.

Operational Achievements

• Combat Readiness: The first combat-ready B-29s were accepted and began their first flights from Smoky Hill AAF in March 1944.
• Total Production: Across all manufacturers and variants, a total of 3,970 B-29s were built by the end of production, making it a critical component of the USAAF’s heavy bomber fleet during World War II.

The production of the B-29 Superfortress represented a significant industrial and logistical achievement, overcoming initial doubts and numerous challenges to become a cornerstone of the US strategic bombing campaign in World War II. The foresight of USAAC leaders in placing early orders proved crucial following the attack on Pearl Harbor, ensuring that production could ramp up rapidly to meet wartime demands.