Details:

Fred Bock autographed 8.5 x 11” atomic bomb mission navigation chart depicting the flight paths of Special Bombing Missions 13, 15, and 16, including the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing operations. Signed and dated by Bock, “Fred Bock 14 Feb 90,” the chart also features his extensive red-ink annotations correcting the printed flight routes, identifying locations including Kokura, Nagasaki, Yakushima, and Yontan, and marking the proper course of the mission. Affixed to the lower left corner is an original handwritten note on a sticky note, dated “2 Mar ’90,” in which Bock explains his refusal to sign similar copies due to inaccuracies in the reproduced chart:

“There are so many errors in regard to SBM 16 that I chose not to put my name to it. What is the source of these documents? FB”

An exceptional and highly personal artifact, the piece documents Bock’s firsthand effort to correct the historical record while providing a candid commentary on the inaccuracies found in later reproductions of the mission charts.

Fine condition.

Frederick C. “Fred” Bock (1918–2000) commanded the B-29 Bockscar on the Nagasaki atomic bombing mission of August 9, 1945. Although Major Charles W. Sweeney piloted Bockscar during the combat mission, the aircraft itself was named for its usual commander, Fred Bock, who instead flew the observation aircraft The Great Artiste to collect scientific data during the attack.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11644 1416663-1