English: Seen here at Kharagpur, India, is B-29-45-BW 42-24703 American Beauty of the 792nd Bomb Squadron, 468th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing. It was one of 11 468th BG B-29s on the 5 June raid to Kobe and a flak hit over the target that knocked out the No. 1 engine forced pilot Robert Mills to fly to Iwo Jima. The B-29 remained in formation and would only break off when near Iwo Jima. One of the gunners claimed to see a B-29 (it was the ill-fated 44-69665) trailing white smoke before exploding. Upon reaching Iwo Jima, and low on fuel, Mills got permission to land. They knew it was going to be a crash landing, and Mill apparently told bombardier Ernest Statler in the nose, “Get the hell out of there, Statler!” Statler stepped over the seat and headed back as the plane crashed, but he fell backwards and injured his back when he hit the plane’s nose. Co-pilot Robert Barnes was also injured. Tail gunner James “Jimmy” Ashworth would write later, ‘The “Beauty” will never fly again. we almost cried when we saw her laying there. all smashed up.’ (World War II) Source: United States Air FOrce, United States Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama (468th Bomb Group USAAF Historical Records)