Ditching Procedure, B-29s with Four-Gun Turret

In June 1945 the Army Air Forces issued a concise yet detailed guide on how to bring a B‑29 Superfortress down safely into water. The manual walks crew members through every step of a ditching, from positioning in the cockpit to coordinating rescue signals, emphasizing that the aircraft’s buoyancy can keep it afloat for minutes or even hours. It blends practical advice—like padding heads with helmets and using parachutes as makeshift rain catches—with strict discipline, insisting that no officer alter the procedures on a whim.

The tone is unmistakably wartime, reflecting the urgency of training crews for emergency landings while still in combat. Readers discover how the Air‑Sea Rescue network relied on precise communication between engineers, navigators and radio operators to pinpoint a crash site. Even today, the document offers a window into the meticulous teamwork and technical ingenuity that kept airmen alive over the Pacific.