One of the most impressive aircraft ever created, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a colossal
piece of engineering.
It’s awe inspiring, and was a four engine propeller driven heavy bomber which was used
during the Second World War and the Korean War.
It was known as a devastating and deadly bomber which would drop a huge payload of bombs onto
a target.
It’s predecessor the B17 Flying Fortress was a very good aircraft in it’s own right,
but the Superfrotress was a beast.
It was very effective wjem to was used for high altitude strategic bombing, but also
was very good for night time bombing raids when incendiary bombs would be dropped.
In the pacific during the Second World War it was also used to drop naval mines to blockade
the Japanese.
It’s best known though for being the type of aircraft that dropped the atom bomb on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ultimately bringing the Second World War to an end.
But in a beautiful part of the English countryside in the Peak District, an area known for hills
and also sadly plane crashes, there are the remains of one B-29 superfortress that crashed
shockingly on the hills, killing all of the crew.
The specific aircraft known as Over exposed itself was a historic plane, but today scattered
wreckage can be found all over the hillside from the deadly crash.
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The final mission of Overexposed the B29 super fortress would take place on the 3rd November
1948.
As an aircraft it had a very interesting story, and despite being used as a bombing aircraft
it was also equipped as a photographic reconnaissance aircraft.
Overexposed was fitted with extra fuel tanks and state of the art cameras which would photograph
large areas of land.
It was built at Renton Washington and was equipped with these cameras in the 5 gun turrets,
and the aircraft came into service just before the Second World War would come to an end.
But one of it’s most important roles in History was accompanying another super fortress
named Daves Dream.
The aircraft took off from it’s base in the Marshall Islands and was involved in Operation
Crossroads.
This was where the US conducted a couple of nuclear weapons tests at Bikini Atoll, and
these were the first nuke detonations since the end of the Second World War.
The test were the first in a series, and were also the first to be viewed by an audience
who were invited to see the proceedings.
The first bomb was dropped by Daves Dream, and Overexposed was then tasked with taking
photographs of the explosion using the 25 cameras that were on board.
They took pictures of the bomb leaving the aircraft and also the aftermath of the explosion.
But following that, on the 25th July 1946 it also was used to take images of an underwater
bomb tests.
But Overexposed’s role in history did not stop at just photographing explosions.
In 1948 the Russians isolated and cut off the Allied sector of Berlin by severing the
road links, and there was a worry as to how to resupply allied forces and also the people
of Berlin.
Because of this, the Berlin Airlift took place, and the only way to supply the people of West
Berlin was through aircraft dropping supplies into the city.
The B29 Overexposed during this mission flew alongside a variety of other aircraft and
they dropped supplies such as food and other necessities.
Following the drops, it then used the cameras again to photograph Russian territory, and
to carry out recon whilst being disguised with supply planes.
So for an aircraft, Overexposed had a good history after the Second World War and was
considered one of the most trusted American aircraft.
But on the 3rd November 1948 following a seemingly routine trip tragedy would hit the aircraft
and all of the men on board.
Close to the town of Warrington in the North of England in Lancashire, there was a large
American airbase named Burtonwood which transferred into US Air Force hands in 1942.
It was used during the Second World War heavily, and was a busy base where there was activity
also after the conflict.
Another airbase in England is RAF Scampton based in Lincolnshire.
It is known for being home to the Red Arrows, but in 1948 it was where B-29 super fortresses
were as part of a network of Emergency War Plan Airfields.
Scampton was the best place for these bombers, and it was where Overexposed was based.
Scampton was a tiny base compared to the size of Burtonwood, and often all mail or post
and also wages for aircrew were sent through to Burtonwood.
So because of this, there were often a number of resupply flights made to the air base from
airfields around the UK to bring supplies back from Burtonwood.
These missions were no risk and were straightforward flights.
It was on the 3rd November 1948 that OverExposed went on one of these routine and straightforward
missions.
There was no need for a full crew, but for an day out and a little of excitement and
pleasure, onboard were a total personnel of 13 men, many of these were not needed on board.
At the time RAF Scampton was poorly supplied and post war rationing was also still in place
in the UK.
But at Burtonwood, it was seen as the land of milk and honey as it had everything that
an American airman could want, including good food and supplies.
So the men went onboard Overexposed for some time away probably from their duties and also
from Scampton which was rather isolated and quiet.
The 13 on board Overexposed would try to make the quick 25 minute flight to Burtonwood without
any issue.
But on the day of the flight, the weather was poor.
The cloud base was lower than 2000 feet which was not as straightforward as it could be
for a flight.
The Superfortress took off from RAF Scampton at 10:15 am, and onboard were the 13 members
of the Air Force, and also American Air Force wages and other objects which needed to be
taken to the American base.
The crew on board were also supposed to return home to America in a better of days, so probably
were excited by this and were probably in a great mood.
Due to the low cloud level, the Superfortress flew low at ground level over the Moors, and
the pilot relied on his altitude meter to guide the aircraft safety.
However in England, the Peak District is mountainous and made up of peaks and high areas of land.
It has a number of high peaks around 600 metres high, and often the terrain is very boggy
at the top of these areas.
Onboard Overexposed it’s likely the people on board were very happy, and were thinking
of the lovely hot meal that they would get at Burtonwood, but they never made it to the
American Airbase as tragedy would strike.
Around 30 minutes after setting off, B-29 Superfortress Overexposed would crash into
the ground on one of the peaks in the Peak District, specifically Bleaklow and every
person on board was killed by the crash.
There is still an element of mystery as to what happened onboard the reliable aircraft,
and it’s not known why the captain on board flew the aircraft into the ground where he
did.
Captain Landon Tanner had no need to be flying below 2000 feet where he was in the Peak District,
and he was around 7 minutes from beginning his descent into Burtonwood, so with this
Overexposed was flying too low when it wasn’t needed too.
Tanner had also been briefed on the conditions of the flight before takeoff and also over
the radio from officials at Burtonwood, so he knew of the risks and also of the problems.
The wreckage of Overexposed was found at a height on Bleaklow at 2007 feet.
Another possible cause of the deadly crash was that there could have been a problem with
the altitude meter onboard the aircraft, and also that the plane got lost and suffered
problems with navigation.
Also over the Peak District and specifically on that day the win was very strong and was
on the nose of the plane.
This could have caused a headwind that would have left the navigator confused by his calculations
and it’s possible that the navigator informed the captain that he was approaching Burtonwood
sooner than he needed to, and this is possibly why the captain began his descend and then
crashed into the peak.
As it failed to arrive at the American airbase, quickly in the afternoon a search for the
aircraft was launched and in the afternoon the burning wreck and smoke from Overexposed
was spotted high on the peak of Bleaklow.
A local RAF Mountain Rescue Unit had been carrying out a training exercise 2 miles away,
and as they saw the smoke they went to investigate.
They were greeted by the sight of the huge aircraft wreck on fire, and there were parts
all over the peak.
The wreckage was spread over a large distance, where today many of the parts still remain.
Smoke and fire was everywhere, but there was nothing that could be done to save the crew
on board.
Those 13 men who boarded the aircraft dreaming of their hot meal and relaxing afternoon at
Burtonwood never made it, and were killed instantly when the plane flew into the peak.
Found around the wreckage was also around £7000 of wages for many of the airmen, and
also other items meant to go to the American airbase.
Those men who were killed onboard of B-29 Superfortress Overexposed were, Pilot Landon
P Tanner, Co pilot captain Harry Stroud, Engineer Technical Sergeant Ralph Fields, Navigator
Sergeant Charles Wilbanks, Radio Operator Sergeant General A Gartner, and Radar Operator
David T Moore.
Also on the aircraft were Technical Sergeant Saul R Banks, Sergeant Donald R Abrogast,
Sergeant Robert I Doyle and Private First Class William M Burrows.
Additional crew onboard were Corporal M Franssen, Corporal George Ingram and Captain Howard
Keel.
When the search team got to the wreckage, it was clear rather quickly that no one had
survived, and all of the bodies of the men were recovered from the wreckage.
The wreckage today of B-29 Overexposed can be seen and visited.
By walking around the peak of Bleaklow you can take in the sheer size of the catastrophe,
and you’ll see that the aircraft parts are scattered over a huge area.
Sadly in the 1970s, a walker on the peak found a wedding ring at the crash site, and this
was Captain Tanner’s wedding band which was then returned to his daughter.
A memorial marks the site of the wreckage and is in the middle near to where some engines
are found, and it is also close tot he landing gear where shockingly a part of the tyre can
be seen.
But the story of Overexposed an aircraft with a very interesting history following the Second
World War is a very sad one.
The final mission that it undertook should have been an easy one, and one which was straightforward,
but a number of catastrophic errors led to the deaths of 13 crew members.
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