| | The 10th continued its move from India to China during August. On the 1st Major General Albert F Hegenberger became Commanding General Tenth AF and HQ Tenth AF moved from Piardoba, India to Kunming, China (HQ at Kunming was officially opened on 23 Jul). The scheduled role of the Tenth AF in China is almost identical with its completed Burma mission: to act as the tactical AF giving direct support and providing air supply to Chinese ground forces operating south of the 27th parallel north. The 127th, 155th and 156th Liaison Squadrons (Commando), began a movement from Kalaikunda, India to Okinawa on the 4th. On the 6th the world's first atomic attack took place. At 0245 hours (local time), Colonel Paul W Tibbets lifted the B-29 "Enola Gay" off the runway at North Field, Tinian Island; at 2-minute intervals, 2 observation B-29s followed (Major Charles W Sweeney's "Great Artiste" and Captain George W Marquardt's Number 91). At 0915 hours (0815 hours Japan time) the atomic bomb was released over Hiroshima from 31,600 feet (9,632 meters); and exploded 50 seconds later. 80+% of the city's buildings were destroyed and over 71,000 people (Japanese figures (US figures say from 70,000 to 80,000) are killed. The "Enola Gay" landed on Tinian at 1458 hours, followed within the hour by the 2 observation B-29s. The second and last atomic bomb of World War II was dropped on Japan on the 9th. Major Charles W Sweeney piloted a B-29, "Bock's Car", from the runway at North Field, Tinian Island, Mariana Islands, at 0230 hours; he was followed by 2 observation B-29s-the "Great Artiste" piloted by Captain Frederick C Bock (who had exchanged planes with Sweeney for the mission) and another B-29 piloted by Major James I Hopkins (who lost contact with the other 2 B-29s); the primary target, Kokura, was obscured by bad weather; the attack was made against the secondary target, Nagasaki. The bomb, dropped from 28,900 feet (8,809 meters) at 1158 hours (1058 hours Nagasaki time), exploded about a minute after release. Japanese reports claimed nearly 24,000 killed; US figures estimated about 35,000. The attacking B-29s refueled on Okinawa, and return to Tinian by 2339 hours. HQ Tenth AF moved from Kunming to Liuchow, China; when the war ended, the deployment of Tenth AF units to China was still in progress; so, for the Tenth, war ended amidst a major reorganization. On the 13th the 27th Troop Carrier Squadron, 443d Troop Carrier Group, moved from Chengkung to Liangshan with C-47s; the 427th Night Fighter Squadron, moved from Dinjan, India to Liuchow with P-61s (detachments at Chengkung and Nanning, China). All offensive action against Japan came to an end on the 15th. The detachments of the 427th Night Fighter Squadron, operating from Chengkung and Nanning with P-61s returned to base at Liuchow on the 16th. The 19th Liaison Squadron, moved from Chengkung to Nanning, China with L-1s and L-5s on the 17th. The 21st saw the 71st Liaison Squadron, move from Kunming to Liuchow, China with UC-64s, L-1s and L-5s. The 2d Troop Carrier Squadron, 443d Troop Carrier Group, moved from Dinjan, India to Chihkiang, China, and the 322d Troop Carrier Squadron, from Liangshan to Chihkiang, China on the 24th. The 3d and 4th Combat Cargo Squadrons, 1st Combat Cargo Group (under operational control of HQ 69th Composite Wing), moved to Luliang, China, from Myitkyina, Burma and Hathazari, India respectively on the 25th. On the 28h the 443d Troop Carrier Group and 1st Troop Carrier Squadron moved from Dinjan, India to Chihkiang, China with C-47s. The 10th ended their movements for the month on the 30th with HQ 1st Combat Cargo Group moving from Myitkyina, Burma to Liuchow, China.
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