Hiroshima – please educate me

You could also postulate that hitting Tokyo and wiping out the government, Emperor and (presumably) the armed forces top brass might make it a little difficult to find anybody with the authority to sign a surrender / cease fire.

Moggy

Exactly….

From a chemistry perspective –

Atomic – related to atoms – comprise protons neutrons and electrons (quarks were not invented when I learned this stuff). Atoms comprise several layers of electrons around a central nucleus of protons and neutrons.

Nuclear – related to an atomic nucleus

So atomic and nuclear are the same (chemically).

In a normal atomic reaction – you fission (break) the larger molecule into smaller components.

In a hydrogen bomb – you surround the bomb with hydrogen- so that the heat causes nuclear fusion ( joining of the hydrogen to form helium).

SO I disagree that atomic and nuclear are related to different reactions.

I agree that fusion and fission are suitable descriptors of different reaction types.

Interested to hear that Niigata was a possible target – that is a long way in and back.

just one thing Janie & Flyingkiwi, hiroshima & nagasaki were hit with ATOMIC weapons not nuclear weapons as nuclear refers to hydrogen “bombs” and present day nuclear arsenals, however thank you Janie for asking the question in the first place as I was unaware of the original target particulars. Bex

Are you sure….?

The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs were nuclear fission devices rather than the modern nuclear fusion bombs, but both rely on a nuclear reaction so ergo are nuclear weapons…

Zeb

For a review of Gen. Carl Spaatz’s career, I have built the following memorial page:

http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWIW/focusLWFWIW.php?db2=LWF&db=ct&n=1171

This is a part of a larger effort, covering the 1919 Intercontinental Air Race. Click on some of the links to find the main page in the Lest We Forget section.

The decision was made after Enola Gay took off from Tinian Island.

Hiroshima had the clearest weather conditions according to the advance B-29s.

– – – –

Gen. Carl Spaatz had been in charge of the bombing in Europe, until the surrender of Germany.

He was Hap Arnold’s most trusted right hand man, and succeeded Arnold as the Commanding Officer of the U.S. Air Force.

After the surrender of Germany, Spaatz was transferred to the Pacific, to be in charge of the air offensive against Japan.

The Manhattan Project was one of the most successful efforts at secrecy.

All of the B-29s to deliver atomic bombs were at Tinian, with ~1,700 people assigned to support the project. Many of them were unaware of the A-Bomb – “need to know” was the rule.

In my next post I will show an internet site that has a historic photo of the “debriefing” of the Enola Gay crew after their return from Hiroshima.

Bex: Your correction is much appreciated.
[… and good luck with the Canberra. As I am extremely lucky to have been a passenger in one, plus my father was in 101 sqn, my good wishes are sent with feeling.]

Janie, ya welcome. TY for ya comments about 773, however I have just had to strike u off my Xmas card list as u have had a ride in one :p Yes Im jealous!!!! Ive seen many fly but never had a flight in one LoL Keep ya eye on GAM’s website as Ive given our webmaster a load of photos marking the start of my restoration program.

Bex
www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk

All very interesting and very moving. Thanks.

Bex: Your correction is much appreciated.
[… and good luck with the Canberra. As I am extremely lucky to have been a passenger in one, plus my father was in 101 sqn, my good wishes are sent with feeling.]

Correcting myself…

Hiroshima was a major Naval city (basing/industry) if I recall correctly, and again IIRC, Osaka was to be the target on the 9th but target visibility forced the alternate of Nagasaki.

JJ

Kokura Arsenal – in Kitakyushu – was the primary taget for ‘Fat Man’ on August 9.
http://www.mbe.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/nagasaki.htm

just one thing Janie & Flyingkiwi, hiroshima & nagasaki were hit with ATOMIC weapons not nuclear weapons as nuclear refers to hydrogen “bombs” and present day nuclear arsenals, however thank you Janie for asking the question in the first place as I was unaware of the original target particulars. Bex

I recall reading that Hiroshima was chosen because it was relatively unscathed from the firebombing that had decimated other cities e.g. Tokyo.

Regards,

Dan

My understanding is that Hiroshima was deliberately left unbombed in order to be able to gauge the effect of a nuclear bomb strike on a city.

Here’s some informational displays from the museum in the Hiroshima Peace Park, complete with pontificating on my part:

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Japan/Hiroshima/AtomicBombMuseum/HistoricalExplanations/index.html

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Japan/Hiroshima/AtomicBombMuseum/IndividualArtifacts/index.html

Richard.

You could also postulate that hitting Tokyo and wiping out the government, Emperor and (presumably) the armed forces top brass might make it a little difficult to find anybody with the authority to sign a surrender / cease fire.

Moggy

If I might add to that.

It was US and Allied policy to avoid bombing the Imperial Palace and its grounds. This was done because it was felt that killing the Emperor and the Royal Family who were considered to be gods by the Japanese people would only increase the fanaticism displayed by Japanese troops.

This also was why in the post-war period the Emperor was protected from war crimes charges even though the evidence is quite clear that he was not opposed to the war. MacArthur handled the task of placating the defeated Japanese with exemplary skill. Any perceived attack directly on the Emperor would only have made things worse.

A weapon like the atom bomb was far too indiscrimatory in its effects to risk on Tokyo where the Imperial Palace was located, even though there was nothing much left to bomb anyway.

Hiroshima was picked simply because until then it had not been targeted – a little like the way Dresden was selected.

The strategic bombing policy was operated on a check list system – scratch one city, move to next and so on.

Thanks guys.

You could also postulate that hitting Tokyo and wiping out the government, Emperor and (presumably) the armed forces top brass might make it a little difficult to find anybody with the authority to sign a surrender / cease fire.

Moggy

I recall reading that Hiroshima was chosen because it was relatively unscathed from the firebombing that had decimated other cities e.g. Tokyo.

Regards,

Dan

Just remembered the Tokyo firebombing as well while I was washing the dishes… that damage would of course have eliminated Tokyo’s ‘usefulness’ as a target. Another thought would be that to preserve Tokyo as (I think) the largest population centre and seat of power as well as the Emperor would aid greatly in ensuring a reasonable and efficient ceasfire and transition of power.

I recall reading that Hiroshima was chosen because it was relatively unscathed from the firebombing that had decimated other cities e.g. Tokyo.

Regards,

Dan

This from Wiki. Make your own mind up as to how much credence you place on it.

Choice of targets

The Target Committee at Los Alamos on May 10–11, 1945, recommended Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama, and the arsenal at Kokura as possible targets. The committee rejected the use of the weapon against a strictly military objective because of the chance of missing a small target not surrounded by a larger urban area. The psychological effects on Japan were of great importance to the committee members. They also agreed that the initial use of the weapon should be sufficiently spectacular for its importance to be internationally recognized. The committee felt Kyoto, as an intellectual center of Japan, had a population “better able to appreciate the significance of the weapon.” Hiroshima was chosen because of its large size, its being “an important army depot” and the potential that the bomb would cause greater destruction because the city was surrounded by hills which would have a “focusing effect”.[7]

Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson struck Kyoto from the list because of its cultural significance, over the objections of General Leslie Groves, head of the Manhattan Project. According to Professor Edwin O. Reischauer, Stimson “had known and admired Kyoto ever since his honeymoon there several decades earlier.” On July 25 General Carl Spaatz was ordered to bomb one of the targets: Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata, or Nagasaki as soon after August 3 as weather permitted and the remaining cities as additional weapons became available

Moggy

Wow! That was quick. Thank you JJ.

By the way, what is “basing”?

Hiroshima was a major Naval city (basing/industry) if I recall correctly, and again IIRC, Osaka was to be the target on the 9th but target visibility forced the alternate of Nagasaki.

JJ