SUPERFORTRESS
Presentation and Book Signing by Bill Yenne
Saturday January 17, 11AM

The Boeing B-29 was the ultimate manifestation of strategic airpower, the practice of striking deep into the heart of an enemy’s industrial war machine, to serve in World War II. Created by Boeing, creators of the legendary Flying Fortress, it was named “Superfortress” for reasons that were quickly seen to be obvious. In terms of size, range, and payload capacity, it was superior to any other aircraft to be put into service during this war in which airpower played a decisive role on all the battlefronts.

First flown in 1942, it was ready for combat by 1944. General Hap Arnold, the Commanding General of the USAAF made the decision to marshal all of his Superfortress fleet in the air war against Japan. As his field commander, he chose General Curtis E. LeMay, who had already built a reputation for himself in the air war against Germany as a tough, uncompromising visionary air warrior. LeMay proceeded to crush Japan’s war-making capability with the war’s ultimate bomber.

In 1988, award-winning aviation author and historian Bill Yenne co-authored a book about the B-29 with LeMay. Now, for the first time in decades, Yenne has put together a presentation which includes many of LeMay’s own comments on subjects from the Tokyo firebombing to the Atomic Bomb.