Case Study – Near Failture at Nasigant
Facts
The primary target was Kokura, but the bomb, “Fat Man” was dropped at the secondary target, Nagasaki.
The mission was planned for Aug. 11 but a forecast for bad weather moved it up to Aug. 9.
Col. Paul W. Tibbets Jr. who successfully completed Hiroshima mission promoted Maj. Charles W. Sweeney, who had no previous combat experience as commander for the mission.
Navy commander Frederick L Ashworth was one of the three mission specialists whose job was to make “no drop” call if something went wrong with the detonating system.
The rear bomb bay bladder was not pumping.
600 out of the 7,250 gallons of fuel were in the reserve tank.
The actual rendezvous was 22,000 feet higher than Sweeney expected, consuming additional fuel.
Big Stink missed rendezvous and Hopkins broke radio silence and radioed back to Tinian which it terminated the emergency air-sea rescue preparations.
The mission was off to a late start and the three aircrafts must proceed right after them made rendezvous.
Ashworth wasn’t informed the instrument aircraft met the rendezvous. Sweeney circled the rendezvous for additional 45 minutes to wait for observation/photo airplane, Big Stink.
The target for this mission needed to be bombed visually. The bad weather condition let Sweeney and Ashworth decided to drop the bomb by radar.
The “Fact Man” wasn’t dropped on the original aiming point, which resulted in lower number of death toll.
Issues
Weak Leadership
Decision Making
Crisis Management
Weak Leadership
Solution A:
Delegate more effectively (Replace and Take over)
More effective leadership
Save time and resources
More creative, practical rational, analytic and empathetic.
High ability to complete the task
Chances that the commander may even worse
Short of human resource
Solution B:
Focus on task and interpersonal relationship
mission will carry more smoothly within the