On August 6, 1945, the United States of America used the most powerful weapon of mass destruction to date. It was an atomic bomb equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT. The city of Hiroshima was completely destroyed, tens of thousands of civilians were killed. While Japan was moving away from this devastation, three days later the United States again launched a second nuclear strike on Nagasaki, hiding behind the desire to achieve the surrender of Japan.

Bombing of Hiroshima

On Monday at 2:45 am, the Boeing B-29 Enola Gay took off from Tinian, one of the islands in the North Pacific Ocean, 1500 km from Japan. A team of 12 specialists was on board to make sure the mission went smoothly. The crew was commanded by Colonel Paul Tibbets, who named the aircraft Enola Gay. That was the name of his own mother. Right on the eve of takeoff, the name of the aircraft was written on board.

The Enola Gay was a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber (aircraft 44-86292), part of a special air group. In order to carry out the delivery of such a heavy load as a nuclear bomb, Enola Gay was modernized: the latest propellers, engines, and quickly opening bomb bay doors were installed. Such modernization was carried out only on a few B-29s. Despite the modernization of the Boeing, he had to drive the entire runway in order to gain the speed necessary for takeoff.

A couple more bombers were flying alongside the Enola Gay. Three more planes took off earlier to determine the weather conditions over possible targets. Hanging from the ceiling of the aircraft was a nuclear bomb "Kid" ten feet (more than 3 meters) long. In the "Manhattan Project" (to develop US nuclear weapons), Navy Captain William Parsons played an important role in the appearance of the atomic bomb. On the Enola Gay plane, he joined the team as the specialist in charge of the bomb. To avoid a possible explosion of a bomb during takeoff, it was decided to put a live charge on it right in flight. Already in the air, Parsons changed bomb plugs for live charges in 15 minutes. As he later recalled: "At the moment when I put the charge, I knew what the" Kid "will bring to the Japanese, but I did not feel much emotion about it."

The "Kid" bomb was created on the basis of uranium-235. It was the result of $2 billion worth of research, but never tested. Not a single nuclear bomb has yet been dropped from an aircraft. The United States chose 4 Japanese cities for the bombing:

• Hiroshima;
• Kokura;
• Nagasaki;
• Niigata.

At first there was also Kyoto, but later it was crossed off the list. These cities were the centers of the military industry, arsenals, military ports. The first bomb was intended to be dropped to publicize the full power and more impressive importance of the weapon, in order to attract international attention and hasten Japan's surrender.

First bombing target

On August 6, 1945, clouds broke over Hiroshima. At 8:15 am (local time), the hatch of the Enola Gay aircraft flew open and the Kid flew into the city. The fuse was set at a height of 600 meters from the ground, at an altitude of 1900 feet the device detonated. Gunner George Caron described the sight he saw through the rear porthole: “The cloud was in the form of a mushroom from a bubbling mass of purple-ash smoke, with a fiery core inside. It looked like lava flows covering the entire city."

Experts estimate that the cloud has risen to 40,000 feet. Robert Lewis recalled: "Where we had a clear view of the city a couple of minutes ago, we could already see only smoke and fire creeping up the sides of the mountain." Almost all of Hiroshima was razed to the ground. Even within three miles of the explosion, out of 90,000 buildings, 60,000 were destroyed. Metal and stone simply melted, clay tiles melted. Unlike many previous bombings, the target of this raid was not a single military facility, but an entire city. The atomic bomb, apart from the military, mostly killed civilians. The population of Hiroshima was 350,000, of which 70,000 died instantly directly from the explosion and another 70,000 died from radioactive contamination over the next five years.

A witness who survived the atomic explosion described: “The skin of the people turned black from burns, they were completely bald, as their hair was burned, it was not clear whether it was the face or the back of the head. The skin on the hands, on the faces and bodies hung down. If there were one or two such people, it would not be such a strong shock. But wherever I went, I saw just such people around, many died right along the way - I still remember them as walking ghosts.

Atomic bombing of Nagasaki

When the people of Japan were trying to make sense of the destruction of Hiroshima, the United States was planning a second nuclear strike. It was not delayed so that Japan could surrender, but was inflicted immediately three days after the bombing of Hiroshima. On August 9, 1945, another B-29 "Bokskar" ("Bok's car") took off from Tinian at 3:49 in the morning. The city of Kokura was supposed to be the initial target for the second bombardment, but it was covered with dense clouds. The alternate target was Nagasaki. At 11:02 am, a second atomic bomb was detonated 1,650 feet above the city.

Fujii Urata Matsumoto, a miraculous survivor, recounted the horrific scene: “A field of pumpkins was blown clean by an explosion. Nothing remained of the entire mass of the crop. Instead of a pumpkin, a woman's head lay in the garden. I tried to consider her, maybe I knew her. The head was a woman in her forties, I never saw her here, maybe she was brought from another part of the city. A gold tooth gleamed in his mouth, singed hair hung down, eyeballs burned out and black holes remained.

The first use of atomic bombs in human history occurred in Japan in 1945.

Causes and history of the creation of the atomic bomb

Main reasons for creation:

• the presence of a powerful weapon;
• having an advantage over the enemy;
• reduction of human losses on their part.

During the Second World War, the presence of powerful weapons gave a huge advantage. This war became the driving force in the development of nuclear weapons. Many countries were involved in this process.

The action of an atomic charge is based on the research work of Albert Einstein on the theory of relativity.

For development and testing, it is necessary to have uranium ore.

Many countries could not carry out the design due to the lack of ore.

The United States also worked on a project to create nuclear weapons. Various scientists from all over the world worked on the project.

Chronology of events for the creation of a nuclear bomb

Political prerequisites for the bombings and the choice of targets for them

The US government justified the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the following reasons:

• for the speedy surrender of the Japanese state;
• to save the lives of their soldiers;
• to win a war without invading enemy territory.

The political interests of the Americans were aimed at establishing their interests in Japan. Historical facts show that from a military point of view, the use of such drastic measures was not necessary. Politics took precedence over reason.

The US wanted to show the whole world the presence of super-dangerous weapons.

The order to use atomic weapons was given personally by US President Harry Truman, who until now remains the only politician who has made such a decision.

Choice of goals

To resolve this issue, in 1945, on May 10, the Americans created a special commission. At the initial stage, a preliminary list of cities was developed - Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Kokura, Niigata. The preliminary list of four cities was due to the presence of a fallback option.

Certain requirements were imposed on the selected cities:

• the absence of air attacks by American aircraft;
• high economic component for Japan.

Such requirements were drawn up to apply the strongest psychological pressure on the enemy and undermine the combat capability of his army.

Bombing of Hiroshima

• weight: 4000 kg;
• diameter: 700 mm;
• length: 3000 mm;
• explosion power (trinitrotoluene): 13-18 kilotons.

American planes flying in the sky of Hiroshima did not cause concern among the population, since this has already become a common occurrence.

On board the aircraft "Enola Gay" was the atomic bomb "Kid", which was dropped during a dive. The detonation of the charge occurred at a height of six hundred meters from the ground. Explosion time 8 hours 15 minutes. This time was recorded on many clocks in the city, which stopped working at the time of the explosion.

The mass of the dropped "Baby" was equal to four tons with a three-meter length and a diameter of seventy-one centimeters. This cannon-type bomb had a number of advantages: simplicity of design and manufacture, reliability.

Of the negative qualities, a low efficiency was noted. All the subtleties of development and drawings are classified to date.

Effects

The nuclear explosion in Hiroshima led to horrifying consequences. People who were directly in the focus of the blast wave died instantly. The rest of the victims experienced a painful death.

The temperature of the explosion reached four thousand degrees, people disappeared without a trace or turned into ashes. Dark silhouettes of people remained on the ground from exposure to light radiation.

approximate number of bombing casualties

It was not possible to establish the total number of victims exactly - this figure is about 140-200 thousand. This difference in the number of victims is due to the impact of various destructive factors on people after the explosion.

Effects:

• light radiation, a fiery tornado and a shock wave led to the death of eighty thousand people;
• in the future, people died from radiation sickness, radiation, psychological disorders. Including these deaths, the number of victims was two hundred thousand;
• within a radius of two kilometers from the explosion, all buildings were destroyed and burned by a fiery tornado.

Japan could not understand what happened in Hiroshima. Communication with the city was completely absent. Using their aircraft, the Japanese saw the city in the wreckage. Everything became clear after the official confirmation of the United States.

Bombing of Nagasaki

"Fat Man"

Tactical and technical characteristics:

• weight: 4600 kg;
• diameter: 1520 mm;
• length: 3250 mm;
• explosion power (trinitrotoluene): 21 kilotons.

After the events in Hiroshima, the Japanese were in a state of terrifying panic and fear. When American planes appeared, a danger from the air was announced and people hid in bomb shelters. This contributed to the salvation of some part of the population.

The projectile was called "Fat Man". The detonation of the charge occurred at a height of five hundred meters from the ground. The time of the explosion is eleven hours two minutes. The main target was the industrial area of ​​the city.

The mass of the dropped "Fat Man" was equal to four tons, six hundred kilograms, with a length of three meters and twenty-five centimeters and a diameter of one hundred and fifty-two centimeters. This bomb is an implosive type of detonation.

The striking effect is many times greater than that of the "Baby". In fact, less damage was done. This was facilitated by the mountainous area and the choice to drop the target on the radar, due to poor visibility.

Effects

Although the harm caused was lower than when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, this event horrified the whole world.

Effects:

• about eighty thousand people died from light radiation, a fiery tornado and a shock wave;
• taking into account deaths from radiation sickness, radiation, psychological disorders, the death toll was one hundred and forty thousand;
• destroyed or damaged - about 90% of all types of structures;
• territorial destruction covered about twelve thousand square kilometers.

According to many experts, these events served as an impetus for the start of the nuclear arms race. Due to the existing nuclear potential, the United States of America planned to impose its political views on the whole world.

There are many publications about what happened in August 1945 during the end of World War II. A global tragedy on a global scale not only claimed hundreds of thousands of lives of the inhabitants of the Japanese islands, but also left radiation contamination that affects the health of several generations of people.

In history textbooks, the tragedy of the Japanese people in World War II will always be associated with the world's first "tests" of nuclear weapons of mass destruction on the civilian population of large industrial cities. Of course, apart from the fact that Japan was one of the initiators of the global armed conflict, supported Nazi Germany and sought to capture the Asian half of the continent.

Yet who dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and, most importantly, why was this done? There are several views on this problem. Let's consider them in more detail.

Official version

Despite the fact that the policy of Emperor Hirohito was extremely aggressive, the mentality of the Japanese citizen did not allow to doubt the correctness of his decisions. Every Japanese was ready to give his life and the lives of his loved ones by decree of the head of the Empire. It was this feature of the imperial troops that made them especially dangerous for the enemy. They were ready to die, but not to surrender.

The United States of America, having suffered serious damage during the Battle of Pearl Harbor, could not leave the enemy in a winning position. The war was supposed to come to an end, because all the participating countries without exception by that time suffered huge losses, both physical and financial.

American President Harry Truman, who at that time held his official post for only four months, decides to take a responsible and risky step - to use the latest type of weapon developed by scientists almost "the other day". He gives the order to drop a uranium bomb on Hiroshima, and a little later to use a plutonium charge to bomb the Japanese city of Nagasaki.

From a dry statement of a well-known fact, we come to the cause of the event. Why did the Americans drop the bomb on Hiroshima? The official version, sounding everywhere, both immediately after the bombing and 70 years after it, says that the American government took such a forced step only because Japan ignored the Potsdam Declaration and refused to capitulate. Huge losses in the ranks of the American army were no longer acceptable, and it was impossible to avoid them during the future land operation to seize the islands.

Therefore, choosing the path of "the least evil", Truman decided to destroy a couple of large Japanese cities in order to weaken and demoralize the enemy, cut off the possibility of replenishing weapons and transport stocks, destroy headquarters and military bases with one blow, thereby hastening the surrender of the last stronghold of Nazism. But, we recall that this is only the official version, recognized among the general public.

Why did the Americans drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, really?

Of course, one can agree that it was precisely this result that was achieved by destroying several tens of thousands of Japanese civilians at the same time, among whom there were many women, children, and the elderly. Did they really pose such a serious danger to American soldiers? Unfortunately, no one thinks about ethical issues during the war. But was it really necessary to use atomic weapons, the effect of which on living organisms and nature was practically not studied?

There is a version that shows the worthlessness of human lives in the games of rulers. The eternal competition for world domination must certainly be present in international relations. The Second World War greatly weakened European positions in the world arena. The Soviet Union, in turn, showed power and resilience, despite heavy losses.

The United States, having a good material and scientific base, claimed the leading role in the world political arena. Active developments in the field of nuclear energy and large cash injections allowed the Americans to design and test the first samples of nuclear bombs. Similar developments took place in the USSR at the end of the war. Intelligence of both one and the other powers worked to the maximum of its capabilities. Maintaining secrecy was extremely difficult. Working ahead of the curve, the United States was able to overtake the Union by only a few steps, being the first to complete the test phase of development.

Historical studies show that at the time of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan was already ready to surrender. In fact, the use of the second bomb dropped on Nagasaki did not make sense at all. The military leaders of that time spoke about this. For example, William Leahy.

Thus, we can conclude that the United States "flexed its muscles" in front of the USSR, showing that they have a new powerful weapon capable of destroying entire cities with one blow. In addition to everything, they received a test site with natural conditions for testing various types of bombs, they saw what destruction and human casualties can be achieved by detonating an atomic charge over a densely populated city.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW:

"Neither to me nor to you"

If, in principle, everything is clear with the question of who dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then the motive of the Americans can be considered in a completely different plane. The entry of the Soviet Union into the war against the Empire of Japan would entail a series of political consequences.

Such as, for example, the introduction of the communist system on the territory of the conquered state. After all, the American government had no doubt that the Soviet troops were capable of defeating the weakened and thinning ranks of the army of Emperor Hirohito. This is exactly what happened to the Kwantung Army in Manchuria when, on the eve of the bombing of Nagasaki, the USSR declared war on Japan and launched an offensive.

Adhering to the position of neutrality, which the USSR stipulated in an agreement with Japan in 1941 for a period of five years, the Union did not take part in military operations against Japan, although it was a member of the Anti-Fascist Coalition. However, at the Yalta Conference in February 1945, Stalin was tempted by the proposal of the allies, after the end of the war to get under the jurisdiction of the Union of the Kuril Islands and South Sakhalin, lost in the Russo-Japanese War, the lease of Port Arthur and the Chinese Eastern Railway. He agrees to declare war on Japan within two to three months after the end of hostilities in Europe.

In the case of the entry of Soviet troops into the territory of Japan, it was possible to guarantee with one hundred percent certainty that the USSR would establish its influence in the Land of the Rising Sun. Accordingly, all material and territorial benefits will come under his full control. The US could not allow this.
Looking at what forces the USSR still has at its disposal, and how shamefully lost Pearl Harbor, the American president decides to play it safe.

By the end of World War II, the United States had already developed the first samples of the latest weapons with great destructive power. Truman decides to use it on a non-surrendering Japan, simultaneously with the attack of the USSR in order to nullify the efforts of the Soviet troops in defeating Japan, and to prevent the Union, as a winner, from dominating the defeated territories.

Harry Truman's political advisers considered that by ending the war in such a barbaric way, the United States would "kill two birds with one stone": they would not only take credit for the subsequent surrender of Japan, but also prevent the USSR from increasing its influence.

Who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima? The situation through the eyes of the Japanese

Among the Japanese, the problem of the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is still acute. Young people perceive it a little differently than the generation affected by the explosions. The fact is that the textbooks on the history of Japan say that it was the betrayal of the Soviet Union and the declaration of war on Japan by it that led to a massive attack by the Americans.

If the USSR had continued to adhere to sovereignty and acted as an intermediary in the negotiations, perhaps Japan would have capitulated anyway, and the huge victims of the bombing of the country with atomic bombs and all other consequences could have been avoided.

Thus, the fact of who dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki does not need to be confirmed. But the question "why did the Americans drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?" is still open? As General Henry Arnold admitted, the position of Japan was already completely hopeless, she would have surrendered very soon without bombing. His words are confirmed by many other high military officials who were involved in that operation. But whatever the motives of the American leadership in reality, the fact remains.

Hundreds of thousands of dead civilians, mutilated bodies and destinies, destroyed cities. Are these the general consequences of the war or the consequences of someone's decisions? You be the judge.

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively) are the only two examples of the combat use of nuclear weapons in human history. Carried out by the US Armed Forces at the final stage of World War II in order to hasten the surrender of Japan in the Pacific theater of World War II.

On the morning of August 6, 1945, the American bomber B-29 "Enola Gay", named after the mother (Enola Gay Haggard) of the crew commander, Colonel Paul Tibbets, dropped the atomic bomb "Little Boy" ("Baby") on the Japanese city of Hiroshima with the equivalent of 13 to 18 kilotons of TNT. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, the atomic bomb "Fat Man" ("Fat Man") was dropped on the city of Nagasaki by pilot Charles Sweeney, commander of the B-29 "Bockscar" bomber. The total death toll ranged from 90 to 166 thousand people in Hiroshima and from 60 to 80 thousand people in Nagasaki.

The shock of the US atomic bombings had a profound effect on Japanese Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki and Japanese Foreign Minister Togo Shigenori, who were inclined to believe that the Japanese government should end the war.

On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its surrender. The act of surrender, formally ending World War II, was signed on September 2, 1945.

The role of the atomic bombings in Japan's surrender and the ethical justification of the bombings themselves are still hotly debated.

Prerequisites

In September 1944, at a meeting between US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Hyde Park, an agreement was concluded, according to which the possibility of using atomic weapons against Japan was envisaged.

By the summer of 1945, the United States of America, with the support of Great Britain and Canada, within the framework of the Manhattan Project, completed preparatory work to create the first working models of nuclear weapons.

After three and a half years of direct US involvement in World War II, about 200,000 Americans were killed, about half of them in the war against Japan. In April-June 1945, during the operation to capture the Japanese island of Okinawa, more than 12 thousand American soldiers were killed, 39 thousand were injured (Japanese losses ranged from 93 to 110 thousand soldiers and over 100 thousand civilians). It was expected that the invasion of Japan itself would lead to losses many times greater than those of Okinawan.

Model of the bomb "Kid" (eng. Little boy), dropped on Hiroshima

May 1945: Target selection

During its second meeting at Los Alamos (May 10-11, 1945), the Targeting Committee recommended as targets for the use of atomic weapons Kyoto (the largest industrial center), Hiroshima (the center of army warehouses and a military port), Yokohama (the center of military industry), Kokuru (the largest military arsenal) and Niigata (military port and engineering center). The committee rejected the idea of ​​using these weapons against a purely military target, as there was a chance of overshooting a small area not surrounded by a vast urban area.

When choosing a goal, great importance was attached to psychological factors, such as:

achieving maximum psychological effect against Japan,

the first use of the weapon must be significant enough for international recognition of its importance. The committee pointed out that the choice of Kyoto was supported by the fact that its population had a higher level of education and thus were better able to appreciate the value of weapons. Hiroshima, on the other hand, was of such a size and location that, given the focusing effect of the surrounding hills, the force of the explosion could be increased.

US Secretary of War Henry Stimson struck Kyoto off the list due to the city's cultural significance. According to Professor Edwin O. Reischauer, Stimson "knew and appreciated Kyoto from his honeymoon there decades ago."

Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the map of Japan

On July 16, the world's first successful test of an atomic weapon was carried out at a test site in New Mexico. The power of the explosion was about 21 kilotons of TNT.

On July 24, during the Potsdam Conference, US President Harry Truman informed Stalin that the United States had a new weapon of unprecedented destructive power. Truman did not specify that he was referring specifically to atomic weapons. According to Truman's memoirs, Stalin showed little interest, remarking only that he was glad and hoped that the US could use him effectively against the Japanese. Churchill, who carefully observed Stalin's reaction, remained of the opinion that Stalin did not understand the true meaning of Truman's words and did not pay attention to him. At the same time, according to Zhukov's memoirs, Stalin perfectly understood everything, but did not show it and, in a conversation with Molotov after the meeting, noted that "It will be necessary to talk with Kurchatov about speeding up our work." After the declassification of the operation of the American intelligence services "Venona", it became known that Soviet agents had long been reporting on the development of nuclear weapons. According to some reports, agent Theodor Hall, a few days before the Potsdam conference, even announced the planned date for the first nuclear test. This may explain why Stalin took Truman's message calmly. Hall had been working for Soviet intelligence since 1944.

On July 25, Truman approved the order, beginning August 3, to bomb one of the following targets: Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata, or Nagasaki, as soon as the weather allowed, and in the future, the following cities, as bombs arrived.

On July 26, the governments of the United States, Britain, and China signed the Potsdam Declaration, which set out the demand for Japan's unconditional surrender. The atomic bomb was not mentioned in the declaration.

The next day, Japanese newspapers reported that the declaration, which had been broadcast over the radio and scattered in leaflets from airplanes, had been rejected. The Japanese government has not expressed a desire to accept the ultimatum. On July 28, Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki stated at a press conference that the Potsdam Declaration was nothing more than the old arguments of the Cairo Declaration in a new wrapper, and demanded that the government ignore it.

Emperor Hirohito, who was waiting for a Soviet response to the evasive diplomatic moves of the Japanese, did not change the decision of the government. On July 31, in a conversation with Koichi Kido, he made it clear that the imperial power must be protected at all costs.

Preparing for the bombing

During May-June 1945, the American 509th Combined Aviation Group arrived on Tinian Island. The group's base area on the island was a few miles from the rest of the units and was carefully guarded.

On July 28, the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, George Marshall, signed the order for the combat use of nuclear weapons. This order, drafted by Major General Leslie Groves, head of the Manhattan Project, called for a nuclear attack "on any day after August 3rd, as soon as the weather permits." On July 29, US Strategic Air Command General Karl Spaats arrived on Tinian, delivering Marshall's order to the island.

On July 28 and August 2, components of the Fat Man atomic bomb were brought to Tinian by aircraft.

Bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 Hiroshima during World War II

Hiroshima was located on a flat area, slightly above sea level at the mouth of the Ota River, on 6 islands connected by 81 bridges. The population of the city before the war was over 340 thousand people, which made Hiroshima the seventh largest city in Japan. The city was the headquarters of the Fifth Division and the Second Main Army of Field Marshal Shunroku Hata, who commanded the defense of all of Southern Japan. Hiroshima was an important supply base for the Japanese army.

In Hiroshima (as well as in Nagasaki), most buildings were one- and two-story wooden buildings with tiled roofs. Factories were located on the outskirts of the city. Outdated fire equipment and insufficient training of personnel created a high fire hazard even in peacetime.

The population of Hiroshima peaked at 380,000 during the course of the war, but before the bombing, the population gradually decreased due to systematic evacuations ordered by the Japanese government. At the time of the attack, the population was about 245 thousand people.

Bombardment

The main target of the first American nuclear bombing was Hiroshima (Kokura and Nagasaki were spares). Although Truman's order called for the atomic bombing to begin on August 3, cloud cover over the target prevented this until August 6.

On August 6, at 1:45 a.m., an American B-29 bomber under the command of the commander of the 509th Composite Aviation Regiment, Colonel Paul Tibbets, carrying the atomic bomb "Kid", took off from Tinian Island, which was about 6 hours from Hiroshima. Tibbets' aircraft ("Enola Gay") flew as part of a formation that included six other aircraft: a spare aircraft ("Top Secret"), two controllers and three reconnaissance aircraft ("Jebit III", "Full House" and "Street Flash"). Reconnaissance aircraft commanders sent to Nagasaki and Kokura reported significant cloud cover over these cities. The pilot of the third reconnaissance aircraft, Major Iserli, found out that the sky over Hiroshima was clear and sent a signal "Bomb the first target."

Around 7 a.m., a network of Japanese early warning radars detected the approach of several American aircraft heading towards southern Japan. An air raid alert was issued and radio broadcasts stopped in many cities, including Hiroshima. At about 08:00, a radar operator in Hiroshima determined that the number of incoming aircraft was very small - perhaps no more than three - and the air raid alert was called off. In order to save fuel and aircraft, the Japanese did not intercept small groups of American bombers. The standard message was broadcast over the radio that it would be wise to go to the bomb shelters if the B-29s were actually seen, and that it was not a raid that was expected, but just some kind of reconnaissance.

At 08:15 local time, the B-29, being at an altitude of over 9 km, dropped an atomic bomb on the center of Hiroshima.

The first public announcement of the event came from Washington, sixteen hours after the atomic attack on the Japanese city.

The shadow of a man who was sitting on the steps of the stairs in front of the bank entrance at the time of the explosion, 250 meters from the epicenter

explosion effect

Those closest to the epicenter of the explosion died instantly, their bodies turned to coal. Birds flying past burned up in the air, and dry, flammable materials such as paper ignited up to 2 km from the epicenter. Light radiation burned the dark pattern of clothes into the skin and left the silhouettes of human bodies on the walls. People outside the houses described a blinding flash of light, which simultaneously came with a wave of suffocating heat. The blast wave, for all who were near the epicenter, followed almost immediately, often knocking down. Those in the buildings tended to avoid the light from the explosion, but not the blast—glass shards hit most rooms, and all but the strongest buildings collapsed. One teenager was blasted out of his house across the street as the house collapsed behind him. Within a few minutes, 90% of people who were at a distance of 800 meters or less from the epicenter died.

The blast wave shattered glass at a distance of up to 19 km. For those in the buildings, the typical first reaction was the thought of a direct hit from an aerial bomb.

Numerous small fires that simultaneously broke out in the city soon merged into one large fire tornado, which created a strong wind (speed of 50-60 km/h) directed towards the epicenter. The fiery tornado captured over 11 km² of the city, killing everyone who did not have time to get out within the first few minutes after the explosion.

According to the memoirs of Akiko Takakura, one of the few survivors who were at the time of the explosion at a distance of 300 m from the epicenter,

Three colors characterize for me the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima: black, red and brown. Black because the explosion cut off the sunlight and plunged the world into darkness. Red was the color of blood flowing from wounded and broken people. It was also the color of the fires that burned everything in the city. Brown was the color of burnt, peeling skin exposed to light from the explosion.

A few days after the explosion, among the survivors, doctors began to notice the first symptoms of exposure. Soon, the number of deaths among survivors began to rise again as patients who appeared to be recovering began to suffer from this strange new disease. Deaths from radiation sickness peaked 3-4 weeks after the explosion and began to decline only after 7-8 weeks. Japanese doctors considered vomiting and diarrhea characteristic of radiation sickness to be symptoms of dysentery. The long-term health effects associated with exposure, such as an increased risk of cancer, haunted the survivors for the rest of their lives, as did the psychological shock of the explosion.

The first person in the world whose cause of death was officially indicated as a disease caused by the consequences of a nuclear explosion (radiation poisoning) was the actress Midori Naka, who survived the Hiroshima explosion, but died on August 24, 1945. Journalist Robert Jung believes that it was Midori's disease and its popularity among ordinary people allowed people to know the truth about the emerging "new disease". Until the death of Midori, no one attached importance to the mysterious deaths of people who survived the moment of the explosion and died under circumstances unknown to science at the time. Jung believes that Midori's death was the impetus for accelerated research in nuclear physics and medicine, which soon managed to save the lives of many people from radiation exposure.

Japanese awareness of the consequences of the attack

The Tokyo operator of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation noticed that the Hiroshima station stopped broadcasting the signal. He tried to re-establish the broadcast using a different phone line, but that also failed. About twenty minutes later, the Tokyo Rail Telegraph Control Center realized that the main telegraph line had stopped working just north of Hiroshima. From a halt 16 km from Hiroshima, unofficial and confusing reports of a terrible explosion came. All these messages were forwarded to the headquarters of the Japanese General Staff.

Military bases repeatedly tried to call the Hiroshima Command and Control Center. The complete silence from there baffled the General Staff, since they knew that there was no major enemy raid in Hiroshima and there was no significant explosives depot. The young staff officer was instructed to immediately fly to Hiroshima, land, assess the damage, and return to Tokyo with reliable information. The headquarters basically believed that nothing serious happened there, and the reports were explained by rumors.

The officer from the headquarters went to the airport, from where he flew to the southwest. After a three-hour flight, while still 160 km from Hiroshima, he and his pilot noticed a large cloud of smoke from the bomb. It was a bright day and the ruins of Hiroshima were burning. Their plane soon reached the city around which they circled in disbelief. From the city there was only a zone of continuous destruction, still burning and covered with a thick cloud of smoke. They landed south of the city, and the officer reported the incident to Tokyo and immediately began organizing rescue efforts.

The first real understanding by the Japanese of what really caused the disaster came from a public announcement from Washington, sixteen hours after the atomic attack on Hiroshima.

Hiroshima after the atomic explosion

Loss and destruction

The number of deaths from the direct impact of the explosion ranged from 70 to 80 thousand people. By the end of 1945, due to the action of radioactive contamination and other post-effects of the explosion, the total number of deaths was from 90 to 166 thousand people. After 5 years, the total death toll, taking into account deaths from cancer and other long-term effects of the explosion, could reach or even exceed 200 thousand people.

According to official Japanese data as of March 31, 2013, there were 201,779 "hibakusha" alive - people affected by the effects of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This number includes children born to women exposed to radiation from the explosions (predominantly living in Japan at the time of count). Of these, 1%, according to the Japanese government, had serious cancers caused by radiation exposure after the bombings. The number of deaths as of August 31, 2013 is about 450 thousand: 286,818 in Hiroshima and 162,083 in Nagasaki.

Nuclear pollution

The concept of "radioactive contamination" did not yet exist in those years, and therefore this issue was not even raised then. People continued to live and rebuild the destroyed buildings in the same place where they were before. Even the high mortality of the population in subsequent years, as well as diseases and genetic abnormalities in children born after the bombings, were not initially associated with exposure to radiation. The evacuation of the population from the contaminated areas was not carried out, since no one knew about the very presence of radioactive contamination.

It is rather difficult to give an accurate assessment of the degree of this contamination due to lack of information, however, since technically the first atomic bombs were relatively low-yield and imperfect (the "Kid" bomb, for example, contained 64 kg of uranium, of which only approximately 700 g reacted division), the level of pollution of the area could not be significant, although it posed a serious danger to the population. For comparison: at the time of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, several tons of fission products and transuranium elements, various radioactive isotopes accumulated during the operation of the reactor, were in the reactor core.

Comparative preservation of some buildings

Some of the reinforced concrete buildings in Hiroshima were very stable (due to the risk of earthquakes) and their framework did not collapse despite being quite close to the center of destruction in the city (the epicenter of the explosion). Thus stood the brick building of the Hiroshima Chamber of Industry (now commonly known as the "Genbaku Dome", or "Atomic Dome"), designed and built by Czech architect Jan Letzel, which was only 160 meters from the epicenter of the explosion (at the height of the bomb detonation 600 m above the surface). The ruins became the most famous exhibit of the Hiroshima atomic explosion and were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, over objections raised by the US and Chinese governments.

On August 6, after receiving news of the successful atomic bombing of Hiroshima, US President Truman announced that

We are now ready to destroy, even faster and more completely than before, all Japanese land-based production facilities in any city. We will destroy their docks, their factories and their communications. Let there be no misunderstanding - we will completely destroy Japan's ability to wage war.

It was to prevent the destruction of Japan that an ultimatum was issued on July 26 in Potsdam. Their leadership immediately rejected his terms. If they do not accept our terms now, let them expect a rain of destruction from the air, the likes of which have not yet been seen on this planet.

Upon receiving news of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the Japanese government met to discuss their response. Beginning in June, the emperor advocated peace negotiations, but the Minister of Defense, as well as the leadership of the army and navy, believed that Japan should wait to see if attempts at peace negotiations through the Soviet Union would yield better results than unconditional surrender. The military leadership also believed that if they could hold out until the invasion of the Japanese islands began, it would be possible to inflict such losses on the Allied forces that Japan could win peace terms other than unconditional surrender.

On August 9, the USSR declared war on Japan and Soviet troops launched an invasion of Manchuria. Hopes for the mediation of the USSR in the negotiations collapsed. The top leadership of the Japanese army began preparations for declaring martial law in order to prevent any attempts at peace negotiations.

The second atomic bombing (Kokura) was scheduled for August 11, but was pushed back 2 days to avoid a five-day period of bad weather that was forecast to begin on August 10.

Bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 Nagasaki during World War II

Nagasaki in 1945 was located in two valleys, through which two rivers flowed. The mountain range divided the districts of the city.

The development was chaotic: out of the total city area of ​​90 km², 12 were built up with residential quarters.

During the Second World War, the city, which was a major seaport, also acquired special significance as an industrial center, in which steel production and the Mitsubishi shipyard, Mitsubishi-Urakami torpedo production were concentrated. Guns, ships and other military equipment were made in the city.

Nagasaki was not subjected to large-scale bombing until the explosion of the atomic bomb, but as early as August 1, 1945, several high-explosive bombs were dropped on the city, damaging shipyards and docks in the southwestern part of the city. Bombs also hit the Mitsubishi steel and gun factories. The August 1 raid resulted in a partial evacuation of the population, especially schoolchildren. However, at the time of the bombing, the city's population was still around 200,000.

Nagasaki before and after the atomic explosion

Bombardment

The main target of the second American nuclear bombing was Kokura, the spare was Nagasaki.

At 2:47 a.m. on August 9, an American B-29 bomber under the command of Major Charles Sweeney, carrying the Fat Man atomic bomb, took off from Tinian Island.

Unlike the first bombardment, the second was fraught with numerous technical problems. Even before takeoff, a fuel pump malfunction was discovered in one of the spare fuel tanks. Despite this, the crew decided to conduct the flight as planned.

At about 7:50 am, an air raid alert was issued in Nagasaki, which was canceled at 8:30 am.

At 08:10, after reaching a rendezvous point with other B-29s participating in the sortie, one of them was found missing. For 40 minutes, Sweeney's B-29 circled around the rendezvous point, but did not wait for the missing aircraft to appear. At the same time, reconnaissance aircraft reported that the cloud cover over Kokura and Nagasaki, although present, still allowed bombing under visual control.

At 08:50, B-29, carrying the atomic bomb, headed for Kokura, where it arrived at 09:20. By this time, however, 70% cloud cover was already observed over the city, which did not allow visual bombing. After three unsuccessful visits to the target, at 10:32 B-29 headed for Nagasaki. By this point, due to a fuel pump failure, there was only enough fuel for one pass over Nagasaki.

At 10:53, two B-29s came into the air defense field of view, the Japanese mistook them for reconnaissance and did not announce a new alarm.

At 10:56 B-29 arrived at Nagasaki, which, as it turned out, was also obscured by clouds. Sweeney reluctantly approved a much less accurate radar approach. At the last moment, however, bombardier-gunner Captain Kermit Behan (eng.) in the gap between the clouds noticed the silhouette of the city stadium, focusing on which, he dropped the atomic bomb.

The explosion occurred at 11:02 local time at an altitude of about 500 meters. The power of the explosion was about 21 kilotons.

explosion effect

Japanese boy whose upper body was not covered during the explosion

A hastily aimed bomb exploded almost midway between the two main targets in Nagasaki, the Mitsubishi steel and gun factories to the south and the Mitsubishi-Urakami torpedo factory to the north. If the bomb had been dropped further south, between the business and residential areas, the damage would have been much greater.

In general, although the power of the atomic explosion in Nagasaki was greater than in Hiroshima, the destructive effect of the explosion was less. This was facilitated by a combination of factors - the presence of hills in Nagasaki, as well as the fact that the epicenter of the explosion was located above the industrial zone - all this helped to protect some areas of the city from the consequences of the explosion.

From the memoirs of Sumiteru Taniguchi, who was 16 years old at the time of the explosion:

I was knocked to the ground (from my bike) and the ground shook for a while. I clung to her so as not to be carried away by the blast wave. When I looked up, the house I had just passed was destroyed... I also saw the child being blown away by the blast. Large rocks were flying in the air, one hit me and then flew up into the sky again...

When everything seemed to calm down, I tried to get up and found that on my left arm the skin, from the shoulder to the fingertips, was hanging like tattered tatters.

Loss and destruction

The atomic explosion over Nagasaki affected an area of ​​​​approximately 110 km², of which 22 were on the water surface and 84 were only partially inhabited.

According to a Nagasaki Prefecture report, "humans and animals died almost instantly" up to 1 km from the epicenter. Nearly all houses within a 2 km radius were destroyed, and dry, combustible materials such as paper ignited up to 3 km away from the epicenter. Of the 52,000 buildings in Nagasaki, 14,000 were destroyed and another 5,400 were severely damaged. Only 12% of the buildings remained intact. Although there was no fire tornado in the city, numerous localized fires were observed.

The death toll by the end of 1945 ranged from 60 to 80 thousand people. After 5 years, the total death toll, taking into account those who died from cancer and other long-term effects of the explosion, could reach or even exceed 140 thousand people.

Plans for subsequent atomic bombings of Japan

The US government expected another atomic bomb to be ready for use in mid-August, and three more each in September and October. On August 10, Leslie Groves, military director of the Manhattan Project, sent a memorandum to George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the US Army, in which he wrote that "the next bomb ... should be ready for use after August 17-18." On the same day, Marshall signed a memorandum with the comment that "it should not be used against Japan until the express approval of the President is obtained." At the same time, discussions have already begun in the US Department of Defense on the advisability of postponing the use of bombs until the start of Operation Downfall, the expected invasion of the Japanese islands.

The problem we are now facing is whether, assuming the Japanese do not capitulate, we should continue to drop bombs as they are produced, or accumulate them in order to then drop everything in a short period of time. Not all in one day, but within a fairly short time. This is also related to the question of what goals we are pursuing. In other words, shouldn't we focus on the targets that will help the invasion the most, and not on industry, troop morale, psychology, and so on? Mostly tactical goals, and not some others.

Japanese surrender and subsequent occupation

Up until August 9, the war cabinet continued to insist on 4 terms of surrender. On August 9, news came of the declaration of war by the Soviet Union late in the evening of August 8, and of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki at 11 o'clock in the afternoon. At the meeting of the "big six", held on the night of August 10, the votes on the issue of surrender were divided equally (3 "for", 3 "against"), after which the emperor intervened in the discussion, speaking in favor of surrender. On August 10, 1945, Japan handed over to the Allies an offer of surrender, the only condition of which was that the Emperor be retained as a nominal head of state.

Because the terms of the surrender allowed for the continuation of imperial power in Japan, on August 14, Hirohito recorded his surrender statement, which was circulated by the Japanese media the next day, despite an attempted military coup by opponents of the surrender.

In his announcement, Hirohito mentioned the atomic bombings:

... in addition, the enemy has a terrible new weapon that can take many innocent lives and cause immeasurable material damage. If we continue to fight, it will not only lead to the collapse and annihilation of the Japanese nation, but also to the complete disappearance of human civilization.

In such a situation, how can we save millions of our subjects or justify ourselves before the sacred spirit of our ancestors? For this reason, we have ordered the acceptance of the terms of the joint declaration of our adversaries.

Within a year of the end of the bombing, 40,000 American troops were stationed in Hiroshima and 27,000 in Nagasaki.

Commission for the Study of the Consequences of Atomic Explosions

In the spring of 1948, the National Academy of Sciences Commission on the Effects of Atomic Explosions was formed at Truman's direction to study the long-term effects of radiation exposure on survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Among the victims of the bombing, many uninvolved people were found, including prisoners of war, forced mobilization of Koreans and Chinese, students from British Malaya, and about 3,200 Japanese Americans.

In 1975, the Commission was dissolved, its functions were transferred to the newly created Institute for the Study of the Effects of Radiation Exposure (English Radiation Effects Research Foundation).

Debate on the expediency of atomic bombings

The role of the atomic bombings in the surrender of Japan and their ethical validity are still the subject of scientific and public discussion. In a 2005 review of historiography on the subject, the American historian Samuel Walker wrote that "the debate about the appropriateness of the bombing will definitely continue." Walker also noted that "the fundamental question, which has been debated for more than 40 years, is whether these atomic bombings were necessary to achieve victory in the Pacific War on terms acceptable to the United States."

Supporters of the bombings usually claim that they were the cause of Japan's surrender, and therefore prevented significant losses on both sides (both the US and Japan) in the planned invasion of Japan; that the quick end of the war saved many lives elsewhere in Asia (primarily in China); that Japan was waging an all-out war in which the distinctions between the military and the civilian population are blurred; and that the Japanese leadership refused to capitulate, and the bombing helped to shift the balance of opinion within the government towards peace. Opponents of the bombings contend that they were simply an addition to an already ongoing conventional bombing campaign and thus had no military necessity, that they were fundamentally immoral, a war crime, or a manifestation of state terrorism (despite the fact that in 1945 there was no there were international agreements or treaties directly or indirectly prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons as a means of warfare).

A number of researchers express the opinion that the main purpose of the atomic bombings was to influence the USSR before it entered the war with Japan in the Far East and to demonstrate the atomic power of the United States.

Impact on culture

In the 1950s, the story of a Japanese girl from Hiroshima, Sadako Sasaki, who died in 1955 from the effects of radiation (leukemia), became widely known. Already in the hospital, Sadako learned about the legend, according to which a person who folded a thousand paper cranes can make a wish that will surely come true. Wishing to recover, Sadako began to fold cranes from any pieces of paper that fell into her hands. According to the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Canadian children's writer Eleanor Coer, Sadako only managed to fold 644 cranes before she died in October 1955. Her friends finished the rest of the figurines. According to Sadako's 4,675 Days of Life, Sadako folded a thousand cranes and continued to fold, but later died. Several books have been written based on her story.

According to the official point of view, the bombing of Japanese cities was the only weighty argument to convince the Japanese government to capitulate. According to historians, the proud Japanese were ready to fight to the last soldier, and seriously prepared for the American intervention.

The proud Japanese were ready to fight to the last soldier, and seriously prepared for the intervention of the Americans // Photo: whotrades.com

Japanese intelligence knew that the US had no choice but to land on the island of Kyushu. Here, fortifications were already waiting for them. Tokyo planned to force a fight on Washington that would cost them dearly, both materially and in terms of human lives. The Japanese were not very interested in their losses. American intelligence learned about these plans. Washington did not like this alignment of forces. The American government wanted the complete and unconditional surrender of the enemy on their terms. And this meant occupation and the creation of institutions in the state that Washington would consider necessary. The Japanese, according to some sources, were ready to capitulate. But they categorically did not accept the conditions of America. Tokyo was determined to keep the current government and avoid occupation.

It is noteworthy that at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, Roosevelt insisted that the USSR should undertake to enter the war with Japan. At the end of the summer of 1945, the Soviet leadership informed the Allies that its troops were ready to cross the border of Manchuria and enter the war with Japan. In the White House, Stalin was given to understand that he was not against such a scenario. But if this does not happen, then there will be no claims either. Thus, America already had a trump card ready in the war with Japan. But the spread of the influence of the USSR also to the East was extremely undesirable for her.

hit list

Initially, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not the main contenders for a meeting with the American nuclear bomb. Moreover, Nagasaki was not even on the list of cities that the American generals considered as targets. The United States admitted the possibility of dropping a nuclear bomb on Kyoto, as the cultural and industrial center of Japan. Yokohama was next on the list because of its military factories, as well as Hiroshima, because there was a huge concentration of ammunition depots here. Niigata had a major military port, so the city was on the "hit list", and the city of Kokura was considered as a target as it was considered the country's largest military arsenal.

The death of Kyoto could really break the Japanese // Photo: sculpture.artyx.ru

From the very beginning, Kyoto was considered as the main target. The death of this city could really break the Japanese. Kyoto has long been the capital of the state, and is now considered the largest cultural center. He was saved by sheer luck. The fact is that one of the American generals spent his honeymoon in the cultural capital of Japan. He felt very sorry for the beautiful city, and he used all his eloquence in order to convince the authorities to spare him.

After Kyoto disappeared from the list, Nagasaki appeared on it. Later, the choice of the American command was stopped at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Judgment Day

On August 6, 1945, the Americans dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. The city was surrounded by hills, and the United States expected that the terrain would further enhance the consequences of the attack. The city was destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people died. Survivors of the explosion tried to escape the heat in the river, but the water literally boiled, and some were boiled alive. Three days later, on August 9, hell repeated in Nagasaki. It is noteworthy that the pilot with a nuclear bomb on board had two targets - Kokura and Nagasaki. Kokura was saved by the fact that on this day there was a thick fog over him. Ironically, Nagasaki hospitals treated victims of the Hiroshima bombing.

According to experts, the explosions cost almost half a million human lives. And almost all of them belonged to civilians. Many of the survivors then died due to radiation sickness.

Hidden motives

The nuclear bomb finally convinced the Japanese government of the need for surrender. Emperor Hirohito accepted all the conditions of the Americans. And the whole world saw how devastating the consequences of using new weapons of mass destruction can be. Already at that moment, the understanding began to come to world leaders that the next global conflict would be the last for humanity.

After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered on the terms of the Americans // Photo: istpravda.ru

Although at that time the United States and the USSR were considered allies in the war against the Nazis, the first signs of a cold between the superpowers were already visible. According to many experts, the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were largely indicative. They were supposed to demonstrate the power of America. But as a result, this led to the fact that Moscow urgently created its own nuclear bomb, and then other states. Thus began the arms race, which kept the whole world in suspense throughout the second half of the 20th century.