1945

The USA detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (August 6th, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9th, 1945). The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.

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In the final year of World War II, the Allies prepared for a costly invasion of the Japanese mainland. This undertaking was preceded by a conventional and fire bombing campaign that devastated 67 Japanese cities. When Germany surrendered on May 8th, 1945, the Allies gave their full attention to the Pacific War.

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By July 1945, the Allies' 'Manhattan Project' had produced two types of atomic bombs: 'Fat Man' and 'Little Boy'. The United States Army Air Force was trained and equipped with specialized versions of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, deployed at Tinian in the Mariana Islands.

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The Allies called for the unconditional surrender of the Imperial Japanese armed forces in the Berlin, Potsdam Declaration on July 26th, 1945, the alternative being "prompt and utter destruction". Japan ignored the ultimatum.

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The consent of the United Kingdom was obtained for the bombing, as was required by the Quebec Agreement, and orders were issued on July 25th for atomic bombs to be used.

 

Hiroshima

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Hiroshima was a supply and logistics base for the Japanese military. The city was a communications hub, a key port for shipping, and an assembly area for troops. It was a centre for war industry, manufacturing parts for planes and boats, for bombs, rifles, and handguns. The city centre contained several reinforced concrete buildings and lighter structures. Outside the area was congested by a dense collection of small timber workshops set among Japanese houses. A few larger industrial plants lay near the outskirts of the city. The houses were constructed of timber with tile roofs, and many of the industrial buildings were also built around timber frames. The city as a whole was highly susceptible to fire damage. It was the second largest city in Japan after Kyoto that was still undamaged by air raids.

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Hiroshima was the primary target of the first atomic bombing raid on August 6th, with Kokura and Nagasaki as alternative targets. The 393d Bombardment Squadron B-29 'Enola Gay', (named after pilot Paul Tibbets's mother) took off from Tinian, about six hours' flight time from Japan. Enola Gay was accompanied by two other B-29s, which carried instrumentation, and another aircraft which served as the photography aircraft.

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Captain William S. "Deak" Parsons of Project Alberta, who was in command of the mission, armed the bomb during the flight to minimize the risks during take off. At 08:09, Tibbets started his bomb run and handed control over to his bombardier, Major Thomas Ferebee. The release at 08:15 went as planned, and the 'Little Boy' bomb took 44.4 seconds to fall from the aircraft flying at about 31,000 feet to a detonation height of about 1,900 feet above the city. 'Enola Gay' travelled 11.5 mi before it felt the shock waves from the blast.

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'Enola Gay' stayed over the target area for two minutes and was ten miles away when the bomb detonated. Only Tibbets, Parsons, and Ferebee knew of the nature of the weapon; the others on the aircraft were only told to expect a blinding flash and given black goggles. "It was hard to believe what we saw", Tibbets told reporters, while Parsons said "the whole thing was tremendous and awe-inspiring ... the men aboard with me gasped 'My God'"

Nagasaki

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The city of Nagasaki had been one of the largest seaports in southern Japan, and was of great wartime importance because of its wide-ranging industrial activity, including the production of ordnance, ships, military equipment, and other war materials. Although an important industrial city, Nagasaki had been spared from firebombing because its geography made it difficult to locate at night with radar.

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In contrast to Hiroshima, almost all of the buildings were of old fashioned Japanese construction, consisting of timber or timber framed buildings with timber walls and tile roofs. Many of the smaller industries and business establishments were also situated in buildings of timber or other materials not designed to withstand explosions.

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On the morning of August 9th the B-29 'Bockscar', piloted by Major Charles W. Sweeney, lifted off from Tinian island loaded with a 'Fat Man' bomb. The mission plan for the second attack was nearly identical to that of Hiroshima, with two B-29s flying an hour ahead as weather scouts and two additional B-29s in Sweeney's flight for instrumentation and photographic support . Sweeney took off with his weapon already armed but with the electrical safety plugs still engaged.

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The primary target was the city of Kokura but drifting smoke from fires started by a major fire bombing raid by on nearby Yahata the previous day and the Yahata Steel Works intentionally burned coal tar, to produce black smoke. The smoke resulted in 70 percent of the area over Kokura being covered, obscuring the aiming point.

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With fuel running low because of a failed fuel pump, 'Bockscar' headed for their secondary target, Nagasaki. consumption calculations made en route indicated that the aircraft had insufficient fuel after the raid to reach Iwo Jima and would be forced to divert to Okinawa, which had become entirely Allied occupied territory six weeks earlier.

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At 11:01 a last-minute break in the clouds over Nagasaki allowed 'Bockscar's' bombardier, Captain Kermit Beahan, to visually sight the target and The Fat Man bomb was dropped over the city's industrial valley. It exploded 47 seconds later above a tennis court, halfway between the Mitsubishi Steel and Arms Works in the south and the Nagasaki Arsenal in the north.

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'Bockscar' flew on to Okinawa, arriving with only sufficient fuel for a single approach. Sweeney tried repeatedly to contact the control tower for landing clearance, but received no answer. Firing off every flare on board to alert the field to his emergency landing, the 'Bockscar' came in too fast. The number two engine died from fuel starvation as he began the final approach. Touching down on only three engines midway down the landing strip, 'Bockscar' bounced up into the air again for about 25 feet before slamming back down hard. The heavy B-29 slewed left and towards a row of parked B-24 bombers before the pilots managed to regain control. Its reversible propellers were insufficient to slow the aircraft adequately, and with both pilots standing on the brakes, 'Bockscar' made a swerving 90 degree turn at the end of the runway to avoid running off it. A second engine died from fuel exhaustion before the plane came to a stop.

 

Over the next two to four months, the effects of the atomic bombings killed between 90,000 and 146,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000 and 80,000 people in Nagasaki; roughly half occurred on the first day. For months afterward, large numbers of people continued to die from the effects of burns, radiation sickness, and injuries, compounded by illness and malnutrition. Most of the dead were civilians, although Hiroshima had a sizable military garrison.

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Japan surrendered to the Allies on August 15, six days after the Soviet Union's declaration of war and the bombing of Nagasaki. The Japanese government signed the instrument of surrender on September 2, effectively ending the World War 2.

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Scholars have extensively studied the effects of the bombings on the social and political character of subsequent world history and popular culture, and there is still much debate concerning the ethical and legal justification for the bombings. Supporters believe that the atomic bombings were necessary to bring a swift end to the war with minimal casualties, while critics argue that the Japanese government could have been brought to surrender through other means, while highlighting the moral and ethical implications of nuclear weapons and the deaths caused to civilians.

 

Source: Wikipedia

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