We have several pictures of b-29's from WWII?

Question

What do the letters, symbols in either a circle, square or triangle on the tail of the planes mean? Also, we have pictures of the enola gay with an arrow in a circle on the tail, and now it has an R in a circle, why??

Answer 1

They are squadron Markings. The Enola Gay had two sets of markings.

The circle R is the 6th Bomb Group, The Enola Gay was in the 509th (Circle Arrowhead). The 509th "borrowed" the circle-R because thier planes were targetted specifically by Japanese fighters due to less armaments.

The Enola Gay flew the A-Bomb mission with Circle R markings but was usually seen with the circle arrowhead.

She is painted with the circle R at the smithsonian because the 6th Bomb Group donated the paint and specified the use.

Answer 2

B-29s were never painted silver. What you saw was bare metal aluminum (mostly) Olive drab only used on about 100 planes then dropped. Don't know if there was ever "red surround" Insignia. If so, not many.

Answer 3

To facilitate control among thousands of bombers, the USAAF devised a system of aircraft tail markings to identify groups and wings. Both the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces used a system of large, readily-identifiable geometric symbols combined with alphanumerics to designate groups when all USAAF bombers were painted olive drab in color, but as unpainted ("natural metal finish") aircraft became policy afer April 1944, the system in use became difficult to read because of glare and lack of contrast.

The system then evolved gradually to one using large bands of color in conjunction with symbols, the symbols identifying the wing and the color the group.

The 509th Composite Group, sent to Tinian to drop the atomic bomb, was assigned to the 313th Bomb Wing. Consisting of a single squadron, its tail marking was a circle outline around an arrowhead pointing forward, but while flying combat missions its fifteen B-29's used the tail markings of other groups and wings as a security measure. Its victor numbers 82, 89, 90, and 91 (including the Enola Gay) carried the markings of the 6th Bomb Group (Circle R); victors 71, 72, 73, and 84 those of the 497th Bomb Group (large "A"); victors 77, 85, 86, and 88 those of the 444th Bomb Group (triangle N); and victors 83, 94, and 95 those of the 39th Bomb Group (square P).

Answer 4

The tail markings were used to designate the wing/group/squadron that the aircraft was assigned to. Each unit had its own distinct marking. This practice was done throughout the USAAF in WWII.