Near Failure at Nagasaki
Near Failure at Nagasaki
MGT 3300
Case study 1
Prof. James Walsh
09/29/2014
facts
Mission was planned for August 11th but was changed to the 9th due to bad weather
Primary target was Kokura and Nagasaki was secondary
Bomb to be dropped was called Fat Man, a plutonium bomb more complex than the one dropped on Hiroshima
509th commander, Col. Paul W. Tibbets Jr. choose Maj. Charles W. Sweeney, commander of the 393rd Bomb Squadron to command the mission
Six B-29s was sent to the mission
Sweeney and Bock switched airplanes, with Sweeney flying Bockscar and Bock flying The Great Artiste
Bockscar had problems with fuel; there was 7,250 gallons of fuel aboard and only 600 gallons in reserve tank
The rendezvous point for the mission was Yakushima
The airplanes were supposed to meet at 30,000ft instead of 8,000 due to bad weather conditions.
The B29, observation airplane, named Big Stink, piloted by opkinsHHopHopkins, was circling at 39,000ft instead 30,000
Sweeney was at the rendezvous point at Kokura for 45 min instead 15 min and made multiple bombing runs
Hopkins broke radio silence, to avoid detection, and radioed back to base after not being able to rendezvous with Sweeney
The target was changed to Nagasaki due to complications at Kokura
Beahan took the first clear sighting and confirmed the drop was possible
The bomb was detonated at 1,890ft at 11:02am over Urakami Valley, which was not the original target in Nagasaki
About 40,000 people were killed, compared to 80, 000 at Hiroshima
Issues
1. Leadership And Discipline
2. Time Management
3. Respect And Cooperation
Issue 1
Leadership And Discipline
In order to run a successful mission the team must have a strong leader. Discipline and well-defined leadership can make or break a project, mission or business. In such endeavors there is the requirement that all members follow the plan as it was discussed and to not make any changes on their own
MGT 3300
Case study 1
Prof. James Walsh
09/29/2014
facts
Mission was planned for August 11th but was changed to the 9th due to bad weather
Primary target was Kokura and Nagasaki was secondary
Bomb to be dropped was called Fat Man, a plutonium bomb more complex than the one dropped on Hiroshima
509th commander, Col. Paul W. Tibbets Jr. choose Maj. Charles W. Sweeney, commander of the 393rd Bomb Squadron to command the mission
Six B-29s was sent to the mission
Sweeney and Bock switched airplanes, with Sweeney flying Bockscar and Bock flying The Great Artiste
Bockscar had problems with fuel; there was 7,250 gallons of fuel aboard and only 600 gallons in reserve tank
The rendezvous point for the mission was Yakushima
The airplanes were supposed to meet at 30,000ft instead of 8,000 due to bad weather conditions.
The B29, observation airplane, named Big Stink, piloted by opkinsHHopHopkins, was circling at 39,000ft instead 30,000
Sweeney was at the rendezvous point at Kokura for 45 min instead 15 min and made multiple bombing runs
Hopkins broke radio silence, to avoid detection, and radioed back to base after not being able to rendezvous with Sweeney
The target was changed to Nagasaki due to complications at Kokura
Beahan took the first clear sighting and confirmed the drop was possible
The bomb was detonated at 1,890ft at 11:02am over Urakami Valley, which was not the original target in Nagasaki
About 40,000 people were killed, compared to 80, 000 at Hiroshima
Issues
1. Leadership And Discipline
2. Time Management
3. Respect And Cooperation
Issue 1
Leadership And Discipline
In order to run a successful mission the team must have a strong leader. Discipline and well-defined leadership can make or break a project, mission or business. In such endeavors there is the requirement that all members follow the plan as it was discussed and to not make any changes on their own