Tribute to Robert D. Cookson Sr. and B-29er's of the Marianas
  • Home- Uncle Bob
  • Uncle Bob's Letters
    • Uncle Bob's Letters 1943 >
      • Jan. 1943
      • Feb. 1943
      • March 1943
      • April 1943
      • May 1943
      • October 1943
      • June 1943
      • July 1943
      • August 1943
      • September 1943
      • November 1943
    • Uncle Bob's Letters 1944 & 1945 >
      • January 1944
      • February 1944
      • March 1944
      • April 1944
      • May 1944
      • June 1944
      • August 1944
      • September 1944
      • October 1944
      • November 1944
      • December 1944
      • January 1945
      • February 1945
      • Last letter mailed home- __06 March 1945__
      • Last letter found in his belongings after his death-not mailed
  • Uncle Bob youth images
  • Uncle Bob Training/Becoming Radar Operator
  • Uncle Bob KIA
  • KIA - The Flight and Collision
  • KIA - The Aftermath
  • Returning Uncle Bob's Remains to the U.S. 1948
  • Z Square 8 CRASH SITE PHOTOS
  • POWs in Hyogo Ken eye-witness accounts, crash of the Z Square 8
  • Visit to Crash Site/Memorial. April 2015
  • Osaka Kempeitai Execution of Nelson and Augunas
  • Aircrews/Missions
  • 500th Bomb Group
  • Z-6 "Draggin' Lady"
  • Z-6 "Booze Hound"
  • Z-7 "Hell's Belle"
  • Z-8 "Mission to Albuquerque"
  • Z-9 "Nina Ross"
  • Z-10 "Punchin' Judy"
  • 1st Incendiary Raid report, Tokyo, 9 March 1945
  • Incendiary Raid Reports, Kobe, 17 March 1945. Z-8 crew lost.
  • Unofficial History of the 73rd Wing Book
  • Algy Augunas of Z-8, "Mission to Albuquerque", Radio Operator, POW/Executed
  • Erwin A. Brousek of Z-8 "Mission to Albuquerque", Bombardier
  • Herschel W. Connor of Z-8 "Mission to Albuequerque", Flight Engineer
    • Connor War Diary
  • Robert E. Copeland of Z-8, "Mission to Albuquerque", Pilot/Co-Pilot, KIA
  • George Lucas of Z-8, Crew Chief
  • Richard A. Field of Z-6, "Draggin' Lady", Pilot
  • Richard Dodds of Z-6, of "Draggin' Lady", Pilot-Co/Pilot
  • Douglas F. Bulloch of Z-6, "Draggin' Lady", Left Gunner/Spotter
  • Charles R. Maples of Z-6, "Draggin' Lady", Radio Operator
  • Romeo "Raymond" Rendina of Z-6, "Draggin Lady", Tail Gunner-secondary crew, Engle.
  • Harry Gerson of Z-6, "Booze Hound", Radar Operator-replaced Bob Cookson
  • Francis J. Merrick of Z-6, "Draggin Lady," Navigator
  • Jack L. Heffner of Z-7,and Z-11, "Hell's Belle" and "Holy Joe", Radar Operator
  • Jack Lebid of Z-7, "Hell's Belle", Radio Operator
  • Edwin Lawson of Z-22, "Leading Lady", CFC "Ring" Gunner
  • James R. Farrell of Z-34, "Frisco Nannie", Aircraft Commander
  • Jack V. Arterburn of Z-34, "Frisco Nannie", Flt.Eng.
  • Harold Arbon of Z-36, "Lil Abner," Aircraft Commander
  • Harold Arbon Saipan photo collection
  • Ray "Hap" Halloran of V-27, "Rover Boy Express", Navigator-survived war
  • Billy J. Burgess of E Triangle 27, "Good Deal", CFC Gunner
  • John L. Wright, Circle X 39, "Indiana," CFC Gunner, KIA
  • Nicolas V. Van Ness of Block "O" 15, "Green Hornet", Bombardier
  • Gerald J. Murphy of Aircraft #42-6379, Tail Gunner
  • John R. McNamara Jr., 499th Bomb Group
  • Junichi Ogata of the 56th Sentai, Capt., Fighter pilot
  • Meeting Capt. Ogata's Daughter April 2015
  • Z-8 Scale Tribute Build
  • Tribute Show Car - "Reverence" - Dodge Challenger
  • Misc Mission Reports/Documents of Interest
  • Photo Galleries (5 galleries)
  • Color Photos on Saipan
  • B29 Nose Art - Larry Mire collection
  • Mariana Islands Aircraft Designations
  • WWII Surrender Chaplain Observation
  • The B29 Aircraft
  • WWII War Aircraft Facts
  • Comemorative Air Force's B-29 "FiFi"
  • Links
  • Contact Us
  • Change Log

The illustrated tail designation images below are courtesy of Mark Styling - Professional Avaiation Illustrator & Artist.
He has been kind enough to authorize the low resolution, copyrighted usage here.
Mark's work is awesome and unmatched. He is available for commision work of all kinds of aircraft, not just B-29's or the snippets of the tail sections seen below.
Please visit Mark's home page here: http://www.markstyling.com/index.htm
or direct link to the first of his six pages of completed B-29's here: http://www.markstyling.com/b29s_wwll_1.htm
Picture

TAIL LETTERS/FIGURES/NUMBERS
Each B-29 in the Mariana Islands had it's own distinctive  identification.  Our Uncle Bob flew on Z Square 6 and
Z Square 8. 
The Z was for the 500th Bomb Group, the Square was for the  73rd Bomb Wing, and the number 6 or number 8 was for that particular aircraft.   
                                                              ----------------------------------------------------------
73RD BOMB WING: SQUARE, arrived Saipan October 1944
497th BG (pre- April 1945)
497th BG (pre- April 1945)
498th BG (pre- April 1945)
498th BG (pre- April 1945)
497th BG (post- April 1945)
497th BG (post- April 1945)
498th BG (post- April 1945)
498th BG (post- April 1945)
499th BG (pre- April 1945)
499th BG (pre- April 1945)
499th BG (post- April 1945)
499th BG (post- April 1945)
500th BG (pre- April 1945)
500th BG (pre- April 1945)
500th BG (post- April 1945)
500th BG (post- April 1945)
                                                                            -----------------------------------------------
58TH BOMB WING: TRIANGLE, arrived Tinian from the CBI April 1945
40th BG
40th BG
444th BG
444th BG
462nd BG
462nd BG
468th BG
468th BG
                                                                    ---------------------------------------------------------
313TH BOMB WING: CIRCLE, arrived Tinian January 1945
6th BG
6th BG
9th BG
9th BG
504th BG
504th BG
505th BG
505th BG
                                                                           --------------------------------------------------
314TH BOMB WING: SOLID BLACK SQUARE, arrived Guam January 1945
19th BG
19th BG
29th BG
29th BG
39th BG
39th BG
330th BG
330th BG
                                                                            --------------------------------------------
315TH BOMB WING: DIAMOND, arrived Guam May 1945
16th BG
16th BG
331st BG
331st BG
501st BG
501st BG
502nd BG
502nd BG
                                                                              ------------------------------------------------
In April 1945, the three-insignia tail markings such as Z Square 6 or Z Square 8 were eliminated on all B-29s of the 21st Air Force.  They were replaced by one large distinctive letter, i.e. A,T, V, or Z, for ease of identification by the squadrons when they tried to form up off the Japanese coast for precision formation bomb runs. 
General LeMay preferred 16 plane formations to increase the defensive fire power against enemy fighter attacks. 
He did the same thing when he was with the 8th Air Force in England.

58_73_BW_Tail_Markings
58th and 73rd Bomb Wings tail markings
313_314_315_BW_Tail_Mark
313, 314, 315, Bomb Wings tail markings


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.