Cold War shoot-downs

Air Classics, Jun 2001 by Warren, Roger

I enjoyed the Cold War article in the April issue. On page 18 there is a photo of an RB-50D but it's actually a WB-50D from Air Weather Service.

I served with the 56th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, from 1954-56. We had WB-29s but converted to the WB,50D in 1956. There were two other units that-flew the 50 from Yokota. The 421 st Air Refueling Squadron flew KB-50s while the 91st Recon Squadron flew a mix of RB-29s, RB-50Ds, and a couple RB-45Cs (one painted gloss black).

The 512th/56th WRS flew weather region missions up to the Yalu during the Korean War but were pulled down south when the MiG activity picked up. I can remember when the 91st lost an RB-29 on 27 November 1954. We had one of WB-29s in the general area and for a while did not know if it was our bird or the one from the 91st. The WB-29s not only flew weather reconnaissance missions but sniffer missions detecting Soviet nuclear tests.

There are two surviving WB-SODs. One is at the US Air Force Museum and the other is at the Castle AFB Museum. The Travis AFB Museum has a WB-29 but are trying to convert it back to a World War Two B-29.

Roger Warren 804 Richardson Dr. Middletown, OH 45042-3346