![]() ![]() Many things remain to be clarified regarding the flight path taken by Bockscar (the B-29 carrying the atomic bomb) and The Great Artiste, the observation aircraft accompanying it, before they dropped the atomic bomb and parachute-fitted radiosondes over the city. (2) Records from Other Cities and Prefectures Situation at the Time of the Atomic Bombing Our next post marks the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima with an account of the bombing and its immediate devastating effects.2. Kokura, the intended target for the second bombing, was spared only because the city was suddenly covered by a cloud on August 9. Hiroshima’s weather report for August 6 showed a clear day and plans moved forward. Air Force would deliver the first bomb “after around Augon one of the targets” as the weather permitted. Targeting was finalized on July 25, 1945: Hiroshima, Kokura, Nilgata, Nagasaki. Nagasaki, another important port, was chosen as its replacement. ![]() Secretary of War Henry Stimson persuaded Truman to take Kyoto out of consideration as it was Japan’s cultural center and a cherished city. Kyoto was another ideal target: it had a population that amounted to 1,000,000 people, it was a major industrial center, and it was Japan’s intellectual center and former capital. The city’s landscape added to its appeal as a place to showcase the bombs destructive power – the nearby hills could increase damage from the atomic blast and the rivers running through it kept Hiroshima off the list of targets for firebombing. It was an important center of storage, communications, and assembly of soldiers. Hiroshima was also very important from a military perspective since it was home to the 2nd Army Headquarters, which were responsible for the defense of southern Japan. The Target Committee identified the top four Japanese target cities, including Hiroshima shown here before the bombing. Yokohama was an urban area that had escaped attack so far and hosted important industrial activities, including aircraft manufacturing, docks and oil refineries. Kokura was a city of great military importance because it had the largest factory in western Japan for the production of aircraft, missiles and other weapons. Nilgata, an increasingly important port city, was also offered as an option. Based on three qualifications – “a large urban area of more than three miles in diameter…capable of being damaged effectively by the blast and…likely to be unattacked by ” – the committee identified their top four potential targets for the bombings: Kokura, Yokohama, Hiroshima, and Kyoto. In May 1945, the committee issued their recommendations. to use a nuclear weapon on Hiroshima and, later, Nagasaki.īefore the Trinity Test, the Manhattan Project’s Target Committee had been discussing which Japanese cities would be the most effective targets for the atomic bomb. ![]() Internal deliberations and weather conditions ultimately led the U.S. In mid-July 1945, President Harry Truman was informed that the first test of the atomic bomb on had been successful. This is the fifth post in our series “‘My God What Have We Done:’ The Legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Over the next few weeks, Global Zero will explore what led to the bomb’s development, the consequences of its use, and where we’ve come since those fateful days in August. released another on Nagasaki, devastating the city and ushering in the nuclear age. On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped a nuclear weapon on Hiroshima, Japan – the first time such a catastrophic weapon was ever used in conflict. ![]()
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