The two planes circled the explosion, snapping photos and rolling cameras. As the mushroom cap spread, it appeared that Bockscar might be too close, and would be engulfed by the cloud. A member of the crew shouted: “The mushroom cloud is coming toward us!”54 Sweeney executed a second sharp right turn, away from the explosion. For a few breathless minutes the aircrewmen watched the expanding cloud in dread. The Bockscar cleared the hazard, but the maneuver burned additional fuel that could hardly be spared.
