Surrender?
On the 8th of May 1945, Nazi German signed its instrument of surrender ending the war in the European theatre. However, the Pacific front remained hostile. After many years of bombing attacks on Japanese cities, the Allies were preparing for a invasion of the Japanese mainland. With the help of the United Kingdom and the Republic of China, the US called for the Japanese to surrender under the Potsdam Declaration on the 26th of July. The US threatened that if not signed that there would be 'prompt and utter destruction' and further, 'the inevitable and complete destruction of the Japanese armed forces and just as inevitably the utter devastation of the Japanese homeland.'1 Two days afterwards, Japanese newspapers published that the declaration had been rejected, both the Japanese Prime Minister and Emperor later that afternoon declared that the declaration would be ignored.2
Targets
A few months before the Potsdam Declaration, in May 1945, many top military personnel and a few scientists met on three different dates in three different locations to nominate the targets upon which the bombs would be dropped. By the end of the meetings, four locations were chosen, Kokura which was the site of one of Japan's largest munitions plants; Hiroshima, a port and industrial centre that was the site of a major military headquarters; Niigata, a port with industrial facilities including steel and aluminium plants and an oil refinery; and Kyoto, a major industrial centre. There were also considerations made to bomb the Emperor's palace in Tokyo but this idea was decided not to be a strategy. From the list of the four cities, the most notable omission was Nagasaki, later in July, the Secretary of War had asked for the preservation of Kyoto since he had had his honeymoon there several decades earlier and had a great admiration of it 3, in its place, Nagasaki was allocated into the list of possible targets4.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima was a very strategic and important city during the war. It was the location of multiple military camps. It was also a minor supply and logistics base for the Japanese military. The city was used as a communications centre, a storage location and an assembly area for soldiers. Hiroshima was deliberately left alone by prior American bombings so the damage from the nuclear weapon could be measured. The city was somewhat vulnerable to fire damage because of the wooden construction of the houses but because of Hiroshima's industrialization any building were also constructed with concrete. Hiroshima had a population of around 345,000 people just prior to the dropping of the bomb.5
It was designated that the first bomb would be dropped on the 6th of August with Hiroshima being its primary target and Kokura and then Nagasaki as alternatives.
It was designated that the first bomb would be dropped on the 6th of August with Hiroshima being its primary target and Kokura and then Nagasaki as alternatives.
Three B29s took off from Tinian with the Enola Gay carrying the weapon and The Great Artiste carrying instrumentation for blast measurement and post-explosion investigation, and Necessary Evil carrying photography equipment.
The three aircraft left Tinian separately and each made their way to the island of Iwo Jima where they rendezvoused during flight and then set course for Japan. At 8:00am, Japanese radar gave warning of approaching American aircraft. An alert was given but because of the small size of the party, the air raid warning was lifted. Due to dwindling supplies and in an attempt to conserve fuel and aircraft, the Japanese decided not to intercept small formations. Also, it was believed that the three planes were performing reconnaissance because earlier at 7:31am, another American B29 had flown over, the aircraft Straight Flush was a weather observation aircraft that then sent a morse code message to Enola Gay announcing that the weather was good at Hiroshima for the bombing.
At around 7:45am, the safeties were removed from the bomb. At 8:09am, The pilot, Colonel Tibbets started his bombing run and six minutes later, the Little Boy uranium bomb was dropped upon Hiroshima.
At around 7:45am, the safeties were removed from the bomb. At 8:09am, The pilot, Colonel Tibbets started his bombing run and six minutes later, the Little Boy uranium bomb was dropped upon Hiroshima.
The bomb utilized about 64kg of uranium 235 and exploded 600m above the city. The bomb was aimed at Aioi Bridge but due to crosswinds, missed and instead hit the Shima Surgical Clinic. The blast was equivalent to 16 kilotons of TNT. It was actually a highly inefficient design, only around 2% of the uranium fissioned.6 The destruction spanned a radius of around 1.6km and caused fires accross 11 square kilometres. Japanese officials determined that 69% of Hiroshima's buildings were destroyed and a further 6% damaged. Around 30% of the population was killed. The immediate effects of the bomb killed around 70,000 people and another 70,000 were injured. Due to the positioning of the bomb, around 90% of the city's doctors were killed or injured. It is said that the total effects from the bombing ranges from 90,000 to 166,000 people by the end of 1945 caused by burns and radiation aftereffects. Also, it is known that at least 11 prisoners of war died in the bombing.7
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After-Effects
After the bombing of Hiroshima, President Truman issued a statement announcing the use of the nuclear weapon.
"We thank God that it [the atomic bomb] has come to us, instead of to our enemies; and we pray that He may guide us to use it in His ways and for His purposes."8
Even after the mass devastation caused by the first nuclear weapon, the Emperor and government stayed defiant towards the Potsdam Declaration, instead, they started outlining their own conditions for a surrender.9
Two minutes past midnight on the 9th of August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and had started mobilizing forces and had launched their own offensive against the Japanese in Manchuria.
Two minutes past midnight on the 9th of August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and had started mobilizing forces and had launched their own offensive against the Japanese in Manchuria.
Nagasaki
The city of Nagasaki was one of the largest ports in southern Japan and was a hub for industrial activity such as production of equipment, ammunition, ships and other materials. Nagasaki was very susceptible to the danger to the fire, an even greater amount of buildings were build using wood.
The timing of the bombing was allocated to the pilot of the first bombing, Colonel Tibbets. Originally, the bomb was scheduled to be dropped on Kokura on the 11th of August, however, to avoid a long streak of bad weather that was forecast to start on the 10th, the bombing was moved two days earlier to the ninth. Unlike the first mission, rehearsals were conducted off Tinian using Bockscar as the drop plane.
The second bombing had striking similarities to the first. Two planes, one which was the Enola Gay was sent out as weather reconnaissance planes. The original outlooks looked good at both Kokura and Nagasaki. Identical to the first bombing, three planes were involved with the bombing, Bockscar was to deliver the bomb, The Great Artiste would again carry measurement instruments, and Big Stink carrying photography equipment.
The second bombing also followed the same route to Japan as the first mission. However, this time, Big Stink failed to show up at the rendezvous at Iwo Jima on time so the two other planes, which were left 30 minutes behind schedule, flew towards Japan without Big Stink.10
Another half an hour later once they had reached Kokura, a thick cloud covered the city, inhibiting the visual attack, which was required by orders. The planes made three fly overs, the whole time, the cloud cover remained. Fuel started running low to return to Iwo Jima, the crew flew towards the alternate location; Nagasaki.
Another similarity to the first bombing was that at 7:50am an air raid alert sounded in Nagasaki, but again it was later lifted at 8:30. Then, at 10:53am, two B29s were sighted, the Japanese again assumed the planes were on reconnaissance missions. Then at 11:01am, a small break in the clouds allowed Bockscar's bombardier to drop the Fat Man bomb. The Fat Man bombed contained a core of 6.4kg of plutonium and exploded 469m above the city.11
The timing of the bombing was allocated to the pilot of the first bombing, Colonel Tibbets. Originally, the bomb was scheduled to be dropped on Kokura on the 11th of August, however, to avoid a long streak of bad weather that was forecast to start on the 10th, the bombing was moved two days earlier to the ninth. Unlike the first mission, rehearsals were conducted off Tinian using Bockscar as the drop plane.
The second bombing had striking similarities to the first. Two planes, one which was the Enola Gay was sent out as weather reconnaissance planes. The original outlooks looked good at both Kokura and Nagasaki. Identical to the first bombing, three planes were involved with the bombing, Bockscar was to deliver the bomb, The Great Artiste would again carry measurement instruments, and Big Stink carrying photography equipment.
The second bombing also followed the same route to Japan as the first mission. However, this time, Big Stink failed to show up at the rendezvous at Iwo Jima on time so the two other planes, which were left 30 minutes behind schedule, flew towards Japan without Big Stink.10
Another half an hour later once they had reached Kokura, a thick cloud covered the city, inhibiting the visual attack, which was required by orders. The planes made three fly overs, the whole time, the cloud cover remained. Fuel started running low to return to Iwo Jima, the crew flew towards the alternate location; Nagasaki.
Another similarity to the first bombing was that at 7:50am an air raid alert sounded in Nagasaki, but again it was later lifted at 8:30. Then, at 10:53am, two B29s were sighted, the Japanese again assumed the planes were on reconnaissance missions. Then at 11:01am, a small break in the clouds allowed Bockscar's bombardier to drop the Fat Man bomb. The Fat Man bombed contained a core of 6.4kg of plutonium and exploded 469m above the city.11
The bomb had a yield equivalent to 21kilotons of TNT.12 The explosion generated heat estimated to be around 3900C and winds up to 1,005km/h and produced a radius of 1.6km of absolute destruction. The estimated immediate deaths ranged from 40,000 to 75,000. The total deaths at the end of 1945 reached around 80,000 people. Up to 13 POWs may have also died from the bombing.13
Further Bombings
Groves had more bombs that were ready for use on the 17th or 18th of August and with a further three more in September and October.14
Japanese Surrender
Until the 9th of August, the Japanese were still keen on having its own conditions for surrender satisfied, but with the invasion of Manchuria by the Soviets and then the bombing of Nagasaki. Emperor Hirohito told foreign minister Togo that Japan would surrender if they did not kill or imprison the Emperor. The Allies agreed to this condition and on the 14th of August 1945, Hirohito announced the surrender of the Japanese. The second world war had now concluded.
"... the enemy now possesses a new and terrible weapon with the power to destroy many innocent lives and do incalculable damage. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers."15
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1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam_Declaration
2. Bix, Herbert (1996). "Japan's Delayed Surrender: A Reinterpretation". In Hogan, Michael J.. Hiroshima in History and Memory. Pg 290
3. Reischauer, Edwin O. My Life Between Japan And America.
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
5. http://www.rerf.or.jp/general/qa_e/qa1.html
6. http://www.mphpa.org/classic/HISTORY/little_boy.htm
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
8. http://www.trumanlibrary.org/publicpapers/index.php?pid=104&st=&st1
9. Bix, Herbert (1996). "Japan's Delayed Surrender: A Reinterpretation". In Hogan, Michael J.. Hiroshima in History and Memory. Pg 512
10. http://www.mphpa.org/classic/HISTORY/H-07m1.htm
11. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Man
12. ibid
13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
14. http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/72.pdf
15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyokuon-h%C5%8Ds%C5%8D
2. Bix, Herbert (1996). "Japan's Delayed Surrender: A Reinterpretation". In Hogan, Michael J.. Hiroshima in History and Memory. Pg 290
3. Reischauer, Edwin O. My Life Between Japan And America.
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
5. http://www.rerf.or.jp/general/qa_e/qa1.html
6. http://www.mphpa.org/classic/HISTORY/little_boy.htm
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
8. http://www.trumanlibrary.org/publicpapers/index.php?pid=104&st=&st1
9. Bix, Herbert (1996). "Japan's Delayed Surrender: A Reinterpretation". In Hogan, Michael J.. Hiroshima in History and Memory. Pg 512
10. http://www.mphpa.org/classic/HISTORY/H-07m1.htm
11. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Man
12. ibid
13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
14. http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/72.pdf
15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyokuon-h%C5%8Ds%C5%8D
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