00489778 3-3096-12A UNCLASSIFIED 2434379 01-01-1953 2434743 12-31-1953

SQUADRON/2753/AIRCRAFT STORAGE

HISTORY K287.83-33 15900 M2348 1287 1443 143 48 2449980 09-19-1995 CONTAINS FINAL HISTORY OF PYOTE AFB TX WITH SUPPLEMENTARY DATA COVERING STANDBY OPERATIONS FOR 1 JAN 1954 THROUGH 30 JUN 1955. CONTAINS PHOTOGRAPH OF LT COL MAX A. PIPER, COMMANDER OF PYOTE AFB. ON 26 AUG 1953, COL PIPER NOTIFIED OF DEACTIVATION PLANS FOR PYOTE AFB SCHEDULED FOR 31 DEC 1953. PHOTOGRAPHS OF MAINTENANCE PRODUCTION LINES DURING DISMANTLEING OF B-29 AIRCRAFT. MAINTENANCE SECTION FOCUSED ON RECLAMATION AND SALVAGE OF B-29 AIRCRAFT BEFORE DEACTIVATION OF BASE. RESPRAYED 245 STORED AIRCRAFT. RECLAMATION OF B-29 AIRCRAFT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE PHASE-OUT OF PYOTE AFB. RECLAMATION OF B-29S CONSISTED OF REMOVING ALL SERVICABLE AND REPARABLE ITEMS CONTAINED ON A SAVE LIST. DISCUSSES DIFFICULTY OF INSTALLING SMELTER INTO OPERATIONS. THREE AIRCRAFT IN STORAGE (THE SMOOSE, ENOLA GAY, AND MIX-MASTER) TRANSFERRED TO STORAGE FACILITIES AT NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM BUREAU OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE. THE SMOOSE (AN EARLY BOEING B-17 WAS THE LAST MODEL BUILT WITHOUT A TAIL GUN TURRETS) BECAME FAMOUS DURING WWII AS THE LONE SURVIVOR OF THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON CLARK FIELD IN MANILA, PHILIPPINES. THE ENOLA GAY WAS THE B-29 WHICH DROPPED THE ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA, JAPAN. THE XB-42 MIX-MASTER WAS AN EARLY AMERICAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE AIR POWER (PROPELLERS IN THE REAR AND TWO SMALL JET ENGINES UNDER THE FUSELAGE). PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ENOLA GAY, MIX-MASTER, AND SMOOSE AIRCRAFT. PHOTOGRAPHS OF STRIPPED B-29 AIRCRAFT IN THE BONEYARD AWAITING SMELTING. PYOTE AFB TX SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS INCLUDE LETTERS CONCERNING PHASE-OUT OF PYOTE AFB TX; RECLAMATION OF B-29 AIRCRAFT; COST DATA ON SMELTING OPERATIONS; NEWSCLIPPINGS FROM THE MONAHANS NEWS; GENERAL ORDERS 2 THAT DISCONTINUED THE 2753 AIRCRAFT STORAGE SQUADRON AT PYOTE AFB ON 8 JAN 1954; NAMES OF EMPLOYEES RETAINED AT PYOTE AFB AS STANDBY CREW.