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RE: Arming Mechanisms Auctioned for $167,500
John,
These plugs were fairly simple safety devices that were inserted into the
body of the weapon from outside the casing. I don't know how they
functioned exactly, but they apparently interrupted the firing circuits
while they were in place. One of the last responsibilities of the Enola Gay
crew before dropping the bomb was to pull these plugs. As I understand it,
a crew member had to crawl into the bomb bay to get to them.
Seems to me that these were described in Rhoades book, "The Making of the
Atomic Bomb", as well as in other descriptions of the event.
Doug Minnema
-----Original Message-----
From: john grant [mailto:grantjoh@pacbell.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 7:24 PM
To: Radsafe BBS
Subject: Re: Arming Mechanisms Auctioned for $167,500
"Richard F. Orthen" wrote:
> >From today's IEM newslaunch. It's hard to believe that the arming
> mechanisms wouldn't have been curated in a museum.
>
> June 12, 2002 - Associated Press - U.S. Tries to Stop Atomic Bomb Sale -
> Parts from the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima were auctioned for
> $167,500 Tuesday - but the government says the sale is a breach of
national
> security and wants to block it. Pending the outcome of litigation by the
> Justice Department, Butterfields Auctioneers Inc. agreed to hold onto the
> arming mechanisms from the bomb dropped from the Enola Gay. The B-29
bomber
> dropped the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945, killing
> roughly 140,000 people.
Can someone tell us more about this arming device and why it did not go down
with the bomb?
John Grant
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