I didn’t know about the B32 Dominator either. Our new Superbomber
Actual “news” in the NYT. Who’da thunkit?
B-32 info here:
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b32.html
In August of 1944, the popular name of the B-32 was changed to Dominator. However, in August of 1945, this name was officially dropped because of objections made by the State Department at a United Nations conference. I am not sure of the reasons for the objection, but the name “Dominator” must have been deemed to be “politically incorrect” for the postwar environment. After that, the aircraft was officially referred to as simply B-32.
The last Dominator mission of the war was flown by four B-32s on August 28 in a reconnaissance mission to Tokyo. The mission was a disaster, although not because of any enemy action. 42-108544 lost an engine on takeoff and skidded off the runway. All 13 men aboard perished when the aircraft exploded and burned. On the way back from the target, 42-108528 lost power on two of its four engines. The plane’s pilot ordered the crew to bail out, but two men were killed.
Although its brief combat career was unspectacular, it did have the distinction of flying the last aerial combat mission against Japan.