LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 October Rare Books & Manuscripts #675  / 

30572

Dutch Van Kirk's Enola Gay Navigation Log

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:300,000.00 USD Estimated At:350,000.00 - 450,000.00 USD
Dutch Van Kirk's Enola Gay Navigation Log
<B>Navigator Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk's</B></I> <B><I>Enola Gay</B></I></B></I> <B>Log, in pencil, 2 large folios, 26" x 20.25" and 26" x 10". Tinian Island to Hiroshima, Japan, and back, August 6, 1945.</B></I> <BR><BR>Capt. Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk was the navigator of the <I>Enola Gay,</B></I> the B-29 bomber which dropped the world's first atomic bomb used in war. The historic flight lifted off from Tinian Island at 2:45 A.M. on August 6, 1945. At 15 seconds past 8:15 a.m., "Little Boy," a 9,000-pound uranium-235 core-fissionable atomic bomb was released over Hiroshima, Japan. Forty-three seconds later, after the bomb detonated at 1,890 feet, the city was decimated; 71,000 were killed or assumed dead, 68,000 were injured and 60,000 buildings were destroyed. A second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, three days later. Japan surrendered a week later. The war in the Pacific was over. World War II had ended. <BR><BR>All times noted in the log are local Tinian time, one hour ahead of Hiroshima time. All speed and distance figures are in nautical miles (knots). "Our takeoff time was 2:45 A.M…The <I>Enola Gay</B></I> was stripped down - a big metal tube with a lot of instruments and people in it…anything we did not absolutely need, we discarded," recalled Van Kirk years later. "It was about 6,000 lbs. lighter. The purpose of the log, was to record flight data used by the navigator to keep the airplane on course and on time, and, also, to allow the navigator to determine aircraft location in a short time in the event of problems with the plane or bomb." Concerning the method of navigation, Van Kirk explained, "the line of small uninhabited volcanic islands between Tinian and Iwo Jima permitted good course control via radar. During darkness, until about 4:45 A.M., celestial sightings on the star Polaris gave latitude readings and therefore good speed lines on the course we were flying. During daylight, between Iwo Jima and Japan, good weather permitted accurate drift readings and from them accurate wind calculations. Also," added Van Kirk, "visibility was outstanding allowing visual sightings of the Japanese coast line about 75 miles away at our high altitude." <BR><BR>The log is exactly as Capt. Van Kirk prepared it during the flight 62 years ago, and includes pencil markings made to sharpen the lead point. There have been no additions, corrections, or alterations of any kind. The plane's position at various times during the flight is noted in the first column, mostly by latitude and longitude. Three times during the flight, Van Kirk notes "<I>Reset Compass.</B></I>" The first entry is "<I>N Tip Siapan 0255 1/2</B></I>" indicating that 10 1/2 minutes after takeoff, the <I>Enola Gay</B></I> was at the northern tip of Saipan (spelled incorrectly by Van Kirk), about 15 miles north of Tinian. It was at "<I>IWO</B></I>" at "<I>0555 Circleing left.</B></I>" Iwo Jima is located at 24º 47' N 141° 19' E. By "<I>0815</B></I>," the <I>Enola Gay</B></I> was flying over "<I>31º 15' N 136º 12' E</B></I>". At "<I>09:12</B></I>"Van Kirk notes "<I>Large T ships in harbor at Mishima</B></I>". Three minutes later, he records: "<I>Bomb Away 0915 15</B></I> ." That was Tinian time; it was one hour earlier in Hiroshima. Van Kirk adds additional comments at the right, under "<I>Remarks</B></I>,": "<I>Circle E of Target</B></I>." At "<I>0931</B></I>," the <I>Enola Gay</B></I> was flying over "<I>Mishima</B></I>," about 70 miles southeast of Hiroshima. Van Kirk kept his eyes on the aftermath of the explosion and significantly notes: "<I>10:52 - Cloud Gone</B></I>". It was not until an hour and 37 minutes and much distance later, that the mushroom cloud explosion would finally disappear from Van Kirk's line of vision. The <I>Enola Gay</B></I> would continue its return journey: "<I>IWO</B></I>" at "<I>1219</B></I>," and back to "<I>BASE</B></I>," at Tinian, at "<I>1458</B></I>," after 12 hours 13 minutes that changed the nature of warfare forever. <BR><BR>The log has been stored folded, and has a few additional creases and mis-folds. The pencil markings are clear and very legible. The paper has a couple of small tears at margins and a few tiny chips. All wear is in keeping with age and expected use. <BR><BR>The log is accompanied by two photographs of the crew. The first is a 10" x 8.5" color reprint labeled, "<I>Dutch VanKirk / getting out of plane / Return from Hiroshima</B></I>" in Van Kirk's holograph. The second is a 10" x 8" print of the debriefing after the mission. On the verso, Van Kirk has identified the scene and names everyone present: "<I>Debriefing after Hiroshima mission / Back to camera - Hazen Payett - Intelligence officer / On the left around table / Dutch Van Kirk - reading from log / Paul Tibbett / Adm Parnell / General Giles / General Tony Spaatz - at head of table / Captain Deak Parsons / J</B></I> ? <I> Stiborik / Bob Lewis / Tom Ferebee / Bob Caron</B></I>". On December 7, 1990, 17 years ago, Christie's offered for sale what it described as "the original manuscript navigator's log of the B-29 bomber the Enola Gay." It was written on three folded sheets of lined paper and was said to be in the hand of Capt. Theodore Van Kirk. The co-pilot, Capt. Robert A. Lewis, wrote on it "attested as true." Capt. Lewis died in 1983. His widow, Eileen Lewis, consigned it to Christie's and it was estimated to sell for $100,000 to $150,000. Capt. Van Kirk contacted Christie's, stating, "I am quite confident that the log which I have in my possession is the one I kept on the airplane." At the sale, Christie's auctioneer Stephen Lash announced that the log was in an unidentified hand and "Christie's cannot determine authoritatively that this log was maintained during the mission." The log did not sell. On March 27, 2002, Christie's sold for $350,000 what was described as Capt. Lewis's logbook. What it was, in fact, was his diary with his comments before and after the bombing, such as "There will be a short intermission while we bomb our target," "My God what have we done," and "If I live a hundred years I'll never quite get those few minutes out of my mind." It was not the log of the <I>Enola Gay.</B></I> The log of the <I>Enola Gay</B></I> that Capt. Theodore Van Kirk stated he had in his possession in 1990, "the one I kept on the airplane," is the one Heritage is proud to be offering for sale. <BR><BR>This historic, truly unique document, ideal for framing and display, would be the cornerstone of any collection of military history. This lot is accompanied by a recording of "Dutch" Van Kirk narrating the mission and explaining the technical language of the log.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Requires 3rd Party Shipping (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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