During the final stages of World War II, on August 6 and 9, 1945, the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed with nuclear bombs dropped by the US military to hasten Japan's surrender. Since then, there have been many nuclear threats posed by various countries around the world, but nevertheless, only these two cities remain the only victims of a nuclear attack. Here are some interesting facts about Hiroshima and Nagasaki that you may have never heard.
10 PHOTOS
1. Oleander is the official flower of the city of Hiroshima because it was the first plant to bloom after the nuclear attack. 
2. Six ginkgo trees growing about 1.6 km from the bomb site in Nagasaki were severely damaged by the explosion. Surprisingly, they all survived, and soon new buds appeared from the burned trunks. Now the ginkgo tree is a symbol of hope in Japan. 
3. In Japanese there is a word, hibakusha, which translates to “people exposed to explosions.” This is the name given to those who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 
4. Every year on August 6th, a remembrance ceremony is held at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and at exactly 8:15 (the time of the explosion) a minute of silence occurs. 
5. Hiroshima continues to advocate for the abolition of all nuclear weapons, and the city's mayor is the president of a movement for peace and the elimination of the nuclear arsenal by 2020. 
6. It was not until 1958 that the population of Hiroshima reached 410,000 and finally exceeded the pre-war population. Today the city is home to 1.2 million people. 
7. According to some estimates, about 10% of the victims of the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were Koreans. Most of them were forced laborers producing weapons and ammunition for the Japanese military. Today, both cities still have large Korean communities. 
8. Among the children born to those who were in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the time of the explosion, no mutations or serious health abnormalities were identified. 
9. Despite this, survivors of the bombing and their children were subject to serious discrimination, mainly due to the prevailing ignorant public beliefs about the consequences of radiation sickness. Many of them found it difficult to find work or get married because most people believed that radiation sickness was contagious and inherited. 
10. The famous Japanese monster Godzilla was originally invented as a metaphor for the explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
HOW IT WAS
On August 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m. local time, an American B-29 Enola Gay bomber, piloted by Paul Tibbetts and bombardier Tom Ferebee, dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. A significant part of the city was destroyed, and 140 thousand people died in the first six months after the bombing.
Nuclear mushroom rises into the air
A nuclear mushroom is a product of a nuclear bomb explosion, formed immediately after the detonation of the charge. It is one of the characteristic features of an atomic explosion.
The Hiroshima Meteorological Observatory reported that immediately after the explosion, a black cloud of smoke from the ground grew and rose to a height of several thousand meters, covering the city. When the light radiation disappeared, these clouds, like gray smoke, rose up to a height of 8 thousand meters, just 5 minutes after the explosion.
One of the Enola Gay crew members 20070806/hnapprox. translation. - most likely, we are talking about Robert Lewis) wrote in the flight log:
"9:00 A.M. Clouds have been examined. Height is 12 thousand meters or more." From a distance, the cloud looks like a mushroom growing from the ground, with a white cap and yellowish clouds with a brown outline around the edges. All these colors, when mixed, formed a color that cannot be defined as black, white, red or yellow.
In Nagasaki, from an air defense post on Koyagi Island, 8 miles south of the city, immediately after the blinding flash from the explosion, they observed that a huge fireball covered the city from above. A ring of blast wave diverged around the center of the explosion, from where black smoke rose. This ring of fire did not immediately reach the ground. When the light radiation dissipated, darkness fell over the city. Smoke rose from the center of this ring of fire and reached a height of 8 thousand meters in 3-4 seconds.
After the smoke reached a height of 8 thousand meters, it began to rise more slowly and reached a height of 12 thousand meters in 30 seconds. Then the mass of smoke gradually became discolored and merged with the clouds.
Hiroshima burned to the ground 
The Hiroshima Heavy Industry Prefecture building, where goods produced in Hiroshima were displayed and displayed, stood before the bomb exploded. The epicenter was vertically above this building, and the shock wave hit the building from above. Only the base of the dome and the load-bearing walls survived the bombardment. Subsequently, this building symbolized the atomic bombing and spoke with its appearance, warning people around the world: “No more Hiroshima!” As the years passed, the condition of the ruins deteriorated due to rain and wind. A social movement advocated for the preservation of this monument, and money began to be collected from all over Japan, not to mention Hiroshima. In August 1967, strengthening work was completed.
The bridge behind the building in the photo is the Motoyasu Bridge. Now he is part of the Peace Park ensemble.
Victims who were near the epicenter of the explosion 
August 6, 1945. This is one of 6 photographs depicting the tragedy of Hiroshima. These precious photos were taken 3 hours after the bombing.
A raging fire was advancing in the center of the city. Both ends of one of the longest bridges in Hiroshima were littered with the bodies of the dead and wounded. Many of them were students from Daiichi High School and Hiroshima Women's Commerce School, and when the explosion occurred, they were engaged in clearing the rubble, unprotected.
A 300-year-old camphor tree torn from the ground by a blast wave 
A large camphor tree grew on the territory of the Kokutaiji Nature Reserve. It was rumored to be over 300 years old and was revered as a monument. Its crown and leaves provided shade for tired passersby on hot days, and its roots grew almost 300 meters in different directions.
However, a shock wave that hit the tree with a force of 19 tons per square meter tore it out of the ground. The same thing happened with hundreds of gravestones, demolished by the blast wave and scattered throughout the cemetery.
The white building in the photo in the right corner is the Branch of the Bank of Japan. It survived because it was built of reinforced concrete and masonry, but only the walls remained standing. Everything inside was destroyed by flames.
A building collapsed by a blast wave 
It was a watch shop located on the main business street of Hiroshima, nicknamed "Hondori", which is still quite busy to this day. The upper part of the store was made in the form of a clock tower so that all passersby could check their time. That was until the explosion occurred.
The first floor shown in this photo is the second floor. This two-story building in its structure resembles a matchbox - there were no load-bearing columns on the first floor - which simply slammed shut due to the explosion. Thus, the second floor became the first floor, and the entire building tilted towards the passage of the shock wave.
There were many reinforced concrete buildings in Hiroshima, mostly right next to the epicenter. According to research, these strong structures should have collapsed only if they were less than 500 meters from the epicenter. Earthquake-resistant buildings also burn out from the inside, but do not collapse. However, be that as it may, many houses located beyond a radius of 500 meters were also destroyed, in particular, as happened with the watch store.
Destruction near the epicenter 
Around the Matsuyama intersection, and this is very close to the epicenter, people were burned alive in their last movement, in their desire to escape from the explosion. Everything that could burn did. Roof tiles were cracked by the fire and scattered everywhere, and air-raid shelters were blocked and also partially burned or buried under rubble. Everything spoke without words about a terrible tragedy.
The Nagasaki records described the situation at the Matsuyama Bridge as follows:
"A huge fireball appeared in the sky directly above the Matsuyama region. Along with a blinding flash, came thermal radiation and a shock wave, which immediately went to work and destroyed everything in its path, burning and destroying. The fire burned alive those buried under the rubble, calling for help , moaning or crying.
When the fire ate itself, the colorful world was replaced by a colorless, huge world, looking at which one could come to the conclusion that this was the end of life on Earth. Piles of ash, debris, charred trees - all this presented a terrifying picture. The city seemed extinct. All the townspeople who were on the bridge, that is, right at the epicenter, were killed instantly, with the exception of children who were in bomb shelters."
Urakami Cathedral destroyed by explosion 
The cathedral collapsed after the explosion of an atomic bomb and buried many parishioners, who, by the will of fate, were praying there. They say that the ruins of the cathedral were destroyed with an eerie roar and howling even after dark. Also, according to some reports, there were almost 1,400 believers in the cathedral during the bombing, and 850 of them were killed.
The cathedral was decorated with a large number of statues of saints, turned into piles of stones. The photo shows the southern part of the outer wall, where there are 2 statues burned by heat rays: the Blessed Lady and John the Evangelist.
Factory destroyed by shock wave. 
The steel structures of this factory were broken or tilted in disarray, as if they were made of soft material. And the concrete structures, which had sufficient strength, were simply demolished. This is evidence of how strong the shock wave was. This factory was allegedly hit by winds of 200 meters per second, with a pressure of 10 tons per square meter.
Shiroyama Primary School destroyed by explosion 
Shiroyama Primary School is the primary school located closest to the epicenter. Built on a hill and surrounded by beautiful forest, it was the most advanced reinforced concrete school in Nagasaki. Shiroyama County was a nice, quiet area, but with one explosion, this beautiful place was turned into rubble, debris and ruins.
According to records from April 1945, the school had 32 classes, 1,500 students and 37 teachers and staff. On the day of the bombing, the students were at home. There were only 32 people in the school (20070806/hn, including 1 more child of one of the teachers), 44 students from Gakuto Hokokutai (20070806/hnGakuto Hokokutai) and 75 workers from Mitsubishi Heiki Seisakusho (20070806/hnMitsubishi Heiki Seisakusho). A total of 151 people.
Of these 151 people, 52 were killed by heat rays and the tremendous shock wave in the first seconds of the explosion, and another 79 died later from their injuries. There are 131 victims in total, and this is 89% of the total number in the building. Of the 1,500 students at home, 1,400 are believed to have died.
Life and death 
The day after the bombing of Nagasaki, there was nothing left in the area of the epicenter that could still burn. A report from Nagasaki Prefecture on "Air Defense and Destruction Caused by Air Raids" stated: "The buildings were mostly burned. Almost all districts were reduced to ashes, and a huge number of casualties."
What is this girl looking for, standing indifferently on a pile of garbage, where coals still smolder during the day? Judging by her clothes, she is most likely a schoolgirl. Among all this monstrous destruction, she cannot find the place where her home was. Her eyes look into the distance. Detached, exhausted and tired.
This girl, who miraculously escaped death, did she live to old age in good health or did she endure the torment caused by exposure to residual radioactivity?
This photograph shows the line between life and death very clearly and precisely. The same pictures could be seen at every step in Nagasaki.
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima 
Hiroshima before the nuclear attack. Mosaic image made for the US Strategic Bombing Review. Date - April 13, 1945
Clock stopped at 8:15 - the moment of the explosion in Hiroshima
View of Hiroshima from the west
Aerial view
Bankovsky district east of the epicenter
Ruins, "Atomic House"
Top view from the Red Cross Hospital
The second floor of the building, which became the first
Hiroshima Station, Oct. 1945
Dead trees
Shadows left by flash
Shadows from the parapet imprinted on the surface of the bridge
Wooden sandal with the shadow of the victim's foot
The shadow of a Hiroshima man on the steps of a bank
Atomic bombing of Nagasaki
Nagasaki two days before the atomic bombing:
Nagasaki three days after the nuclear explosion:
Atomic mushroom over Nagasaki; photo by Hiromichi Matsuda
Urakami Cathedral
Nagasaki Medical College Hospital
Mitsubishi Torpedo Factory
Survivor among the ruins
Nagasaki and Hiroshima are two long-suffering cities of Japan that went down in world history as the first testing site for testing a nuclear bomb on living people. During World War II, the American army used a new type of weapon of mass destruction on innocent citizens, not knowing that this act would have echoes for many decades to come. and the deadly rays of radiation will take and maim thousands of lives, deprive hundreds of thousands of people of health, and kill an unknown number of children in the wombs of their sick mothers. How could such a brutal event happen? Why did the once thriving, developing cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki turn into scorched ruins strewn with charred corpses?
Disputes on these issues continue to this day. Politicians, historians and people simply interested in the search for truth are trying to get to the bottom of the truth classified in secret military archives. Different opinions and versions have one thing in common: ordinary Japanese, workers, women, children, and old people did not deserve such torment.
The phrase “Hiroshima and Nagasaki” is known to people all over the world. But behind the well-known fact that there was a nuclear attack on Hiroshima, most ordinary people no longer have any information. But behind these words lies the centuries-old history of the formation and development of cities, hundreds of thousands of human lives.
In the southwestern part of the island of Honshu is the Chugoku region, which translated from Japanese means “region of the middle lands.” Its central part is the prefecture with the same name as the capital - Hiroshima. It is located on the “sunny side” of the mountain range that divides the region in two. This picturesque area, covered with dense forests, alternates hills and valleys. Among the beautiful island vegetation on the banks of the Ota River delta lies the city of Hiroshima. Literally translated, its name is interpreted as “wide island.” Today, Hiroshima can rightfully be called the largest city in the region, with a developed infrastructure, revived, like the Phoenix bird, after the incinerating explosion of the atomic bomb. It was because of its location that Hiroshima was included in the list of Japanese cities on which a new bomb would be dropped. In 1945, the day will come when a disaster will occur in a beautiful and prosperous city. Hiroshima will turn into burnt ruins.
The second target of the American bomber carrying an atomic bomb on board was located 302 km southwest of the city of Hiroshima. Nagasaki, which literally means “long cape,” is the central city of Japan, located around the Nagasaki Bay of the East China Sea. Modern areas of the metropolis rise in terraces onto the mountain slopes, covering the port city from cold winds on three sides. Today, as in those distant years of World War II, the city on the island of Kyushu was one of the largest shipbuilding and industrial centers in Japan. Its location, strategic importance and dense population will be the deciding factors that put Nagasaki on the list of potential victims of a nuclear attack. 
A little about the past
The history of Hiroshima dates back to ancient times. Even in the period of more than 2 thousand years BC. On the territory of this modern city there were sites of primitive tribes. But only in the middle of the 16th century, the Japanese samurai Mori Motonari, under his leadership uniting the entire population of the Chugoku region, founded the settlement of Hiroshima on the shores of the bay, built a castle and made this place the center of his possessions. Over the next two centuries, one ruling family was replaced by another.
During the 19th century, settlements near the castle grew rapidly, and the area received city status. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Hiroshima has become the center of the General Staff of the Japanese Armed Forces, the base of the Imperial Navy and even the seat of the Parliament. Gradually, Hiroshima turned into one of the largest political and administrative centers of Japan. 
The city of Nagasaki was founded by the samurai ruler Omura Sumitada in the second half of the 16th century. Initially, this settlement was an important trading center where merchants from different countries arrived. Many Europeans, admired by the beauty of Japanese nature, authentic culture and great economic prospects, took root there and remained to live. The city developed at a rapid pace. By the middle of the 19th century it was already the largest port of international importance. By the time the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima, followed by the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese, Nagasaki was already the stronghold of the Japanese steel industry and the center of shipbuilding.
Developed infrastructure, the location of the main shipbuilding and automobile manufacturing plants, weapons and steel production, dense buildings, these factors met all the conditions that the US military put forward for the proposed facility for testing the destructive effect of an atomic bomb. Like the city of Hiroshima, tragedy struck Nagasaki in the late summer of 1945.
The day Hiroshima and Nagasaki died
Only three days that separated in time the moment of destruction of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the context of the history of the entire country can be called insignificant. The bombing operations carried out by American military pilots were carried out almost identically. The small group of aircraft did not cause concern. Observers of Japanese air defense points considered them simply reconnaissance, and so they were deeply mistaken. Without fear of bombing, people continued to go about their daily activities. Having dropped its deadly cargo, the bomber immediately moves away, and the aircraft flying slightly behind record the results of the explosions. 
Here's what the explosion looked like from official reports:
Hell survivors
Surprisingly, after nuclear explosions in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were supposed to destroy all life within a radius of up to 5 km, people survived. What’s even more surprising is that many of them have lived to this day and told what happened to them at the time of the explosions. 
Report of the USSR Ambassador on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
A month later, after what happened in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the USSR leadership instructed a group of Embassy representatives to familiarize themselves with the consequences of the explosions. Among the declassified documents from the Russian Foreign Policy Archive, which were provided by the Historical Society, is a report from the Soviet ambassador. It recounts eyewitness observations, press reports, and describes the aftermath of Hiroshima.
According to the ambassador, the destructive power of bombs is greatly exaggerated in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The consequences of an atomic explosion are not significant for him. For example, the ambassador considered the rumor that it was dangerous to be in the immediate vicinity of the explosion site, and that a long stay in the city could lead to infertility and impotence. He blamed American radio, which reported that life in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be impossible for another seventy years, of fueling the confusion and panic. 
The group traveled on September 14, 1945 to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to see for themselves what a nuclear bomb could do. Representatives of the Embassy and a correspondent from the TASS news agency arrived in the city, which was a scorched desert. Here and there we came across reinforced concrete buildings that had miraculously survived, with windows broken inward and “swollen” ceilings.
One old man told them that a huge fire after the explosion spread even against a strong wind. Observing the visible destruction, how the completely burnt-out vegetation began to come to life in places, embassy representatives concluded that certain rays were spreading from the explosion, but not evenly, but as if in bunches. This was confirmed by a doctor at a local hospital.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
Having visited the hospital, they saw terrible wounds and burns of the victims, which they described in detail. The report spoke of deep wounds on open areas of the bodies, burnt scalp hair, which after a month began to grow back in small tufts, and a lack of white blood cells, which caused heavy bleeding, high fever and death. The hospital doctor said that protection from the rays of a uranium bomb could be rubber or electrical insulation. It also became known from a conversation with doctors that it was impossible to drink water for several days after the explosion and be near that place, otherwise death would occur within a couple of days.
Although the information collected about the consequences of Hiroshima did not convince the ambassador of the danger of the uranium bomb, the first results of the deadly effects of radiation were clearly visible. 
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Strange stories
Many documents have been studied by historians in order to restore a complete and reliable picture of what actually happened in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. But there are still blank spots in the history of these cities. There is also information unconfirmed by official documents and simply incredible.
There is a conspiracy theory that during World War II, Japanese scientists were actively studying the field of nuclear energy, and were already on the verge of discovering nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Only a lack of time and the consumption of the country's economic resources prevented the Japanese from finishing them before the United States and Russia. Japanese media reported that secret documents were found with calculations for uranium enrichment to create a bomb. The scientists were supposed to complete the project by August 14, 1945, but apparently something prevented them. 
The intelligence of the countries participating in the largest military confrontation worked perfectly. This is evidenced by the fact that their leaders knew about their rivals’ atomic developments and were in a hurry to intensify their own. But at that moment the United States found itself head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the world. There is testimony from a man who, in 1945, attended a school for the children of high-ranking Japanese military officials. A few weeks before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the leadership received a secret message. Immediately all staff and students were evacuated. It saved their lives.
On the day that Hiroshima was attacked by an American plane carrying an atomic bomb, amazing things happened. For example, one of the eyewitnesses saw three parachutes descending from the sky. One of them was carrying a bomb, which exploded. The other two were also carrying cargo, apparently two more bombs. But they didn't explode. They were picked up by the military for study. 
But the most mysterious event of that month, when Hiroshima and Nagasaki choked in fire tornadoes from the explosion of the atomic bomb, were the appearance of UFOs.
Unidentified lights in the sky
As you know, August 1945, when Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened, was marked by many historically significant events. While studying them, for many years scientists did not notice any inexplicable oddities in the documents. It was only in 1974 that the Japanese ufological magazine UFO News first published a photo that accidentally captured an unidentified flying object over the ruins of Hiroshima. Although the quality of the photo left much to be desired, it could not have been a fake. A disc-shaped UFO was clearly visible in the sky.
An active search began for new evidence of the presence of aliens over Japanese cities at that time. And surprisingly, there was a lot of information indicating that Hiroshima and Nagasaki attracted increased attention from alien visitors. 
Thus, the report of the captain of the anti-aircraft battery, Matsuo Takenaka, dated August 4, speaks of the appearance of several luminous points in the night sky over Hiroshima. They were mistaken for reconnaissance aircraft and tried to catch them in the beams of searchlights. However, the objects, making absolutely unimaginable turns, constantly moved away from the rays of light. Similar messages are found in other military reports.
The pilot of the escort plane for the Enola Gay, which was carrying the Baby bomb, reported strange movements in the clouds near the side. At first he decided that these were interception planes of the Japanese army, but, not noticing anything again, he did not raise the alarm. 
Information about the observation of strange objects in the skies over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in those days also came from ordinary residents. Usari Sato claimed that when a nuclear mushroom mushroomed over Hiroshima, she saw a strange object at its top that flew through the “cap.” So she realized that she had been mistaken in mistaking it for an airplane. The disappearance of patients from hospital wards remains a mysterious phenomenon. After conducting thorough research, ufologists came to the conclusion that more than a hundred people officially disappeared from hospitals without a trace after the explosions. At that time, little attention was paid to this, since so many patients died, and even more missing people never made it to medical institutions at all.
Conclusion
There are many dark pages in the history of mankind, but August 6 and 9, 1945 are a special date. Hiroshima and Nagasaki fell victim to human aggression and pride that summer month. American President Truman gave a cruel and cynical order: to drop atomic bombs on the densely populated Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The consequences of this decision were not fully known even to him. In those days, ominous nuclear mushrooms hovered over these Japanese cities.
Lightning flashed and thunder was heard. A few hours after the explosions, black sticky raindrops sprinkled the ground, poisoning the soil. Radiation and fire tornadoes burned out human flesh. Nagasaki and Hiroshima the day after the bombing were littered with burnt and charred corpses, the whole world shuddered from the horror committed by people against people. But, even 70 years after the atomic attacks on Japan, an apology has still not been made.
There are absolutely opposing opinions about whether Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered from the nuclear bomb in vain. It is not surprising that Truman made such a decision. The desire to get ahead of the USSR in the arms race was justified. He justified the atomic strike by saying that it would kill fewer American military personnel and Japanese residents. Did this really happen? It is impossible to know.
Contentarticles:
- The leadership of the commission put forward the main criterion for attack targets
The United States, with the consent of the United Kingdom, as provided for in the Quebec Treaty, dropped nuclear weapons on Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. This happened during the final stage of World War II. The two bombings, which killed at least 129,000 people, remain the deadliest use of nuclear weapons in warfare in human history.
The war in Europe came to an end when Nazi Germany signed act of surrender May 8, 1945 of the year. The Japanese, faced with the same fate, refused to surrender unconditionally. And the war continued. Along with the United Kingdom and China, the United States called for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese military in the Potsdam Declaration of July 26, 1945. The Japanese Empire ignored this ultimatum.
How it all began: the background to the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Back in the fall of 1944, a meeting between the leadership of the United States and the United Kingdom took place. At this meeting, the leaders discussed the possibility of using atomic weapons in the fight against Japan. A year before, the Manhattan Project was launched, which involved the development of nuclear (atomic) weapons. The project was now in full swing. The first samples of nuclear weapons were presented during the end of hostilities on European territory.
Reasons for the nuclear bombing of Japanese cities
In the summer of 1954, the United States became the sole possessor of nuclear weapons throughout the world, causing catastrophic damage to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This weapon became a kind of regulator of relations between the long-time rival of the United States of America - the Soviet Union. This was despite the fact that in the current situation in the world, both powers were allies against Nazi Germany.
Japan suffered defeats, but this did not stop the people from being morally strong. The Japanese resistance was considered by many to be fanatical. This was confirmed by frequent cases when Japanese pilots went to ram other aircraft, ships or other military targets. Everything led to the fact that any enemy ground troops could be attacked by kamikaze pilots. Losses from such raids were expected to be large.
To a greater extent, it was precisely this fact that was cited as an argument for the use of nuclear weapons by the United States against the Japanese Empire. However, there was no mention of the Potsdam Conference. At it, as Churchill said, Stalin negotiated with the Japanese leadership about establishing a peaceful dialogue. For the most part, such proposals would go to both the United States and the United Kingdom. Japan was in a situation where the industry was in a deplorable state, corruption was becoming something inevitable.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki as targets for attack
After the decision was made to attack Japan with nuclear weapons, the question arose about choosing a target. For this purpose, a specialized committee was organized. Immediately after the signing of Germany's surrender, at the second meeting of the committee, the agenda of the meeting was the choice of cities for atomic bombing.
The leadership of the commission put forward the main criterion for attack targets:
. Civilian objects also had to be located near military targets (which were supposed to be the immediate target).
. Cities should be important objects from the point of view of the country's economy, strategic side and psychological importance.
. The hit target should cause a great resonance in the world.
. Cities damaged during the war were not suitable. As a result of the atomic bombing, it is necessary to assess the degree of destructive power of the weapon.
The city of Kyoto was considered as a contender for the purpose of testing nuclear weapons. It was a major industrial center and, as an ancient capital, had historical value. The next contender was the city of Hiroshima. Its value lay in the fact that it had military warehouses and a military port. The military industry was concentrated in the city of Yokahama. A large military arsenal was based in the city of Kokura. The city of Kyoto was excluded from the list of potential targets; despite meeting the requirements, Stimson was unable to destroy the city with its historical heritage. Hiroshima and Kokura were chosen. An air raid was carried out on the city of Nagasaki, which provoked the evacuation of children from the entire area. Now the facility did not quite meet the requirements of the American leadership.
Later, there were long discussions about backup targets. If for some reason the selected cities cannot be attacked. The city of Niigata was chosen as insurance for Hiroshima. Nagasaki was chosen as the city of Kokura.
Before the actual bombing, careful preparations were made.
The beginning of the nuclear bombing of Japan
It is impossible to identify a specific single date for the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Both cities were attacked three days apart. The city of Hiroshima came under the first attack. The military was distinguished by its unique sense of humor. The bomb dropped was called "Baby" and destroyed the city on June 6. The operation was commanded by Colonel Tibbetts.
The pilots believed that they were doing it all for the good. It was assumed that the result of the bombing would be the end of the war. Before departure, the pilots visited the church. They also received ampoules of potassium cyanide. This was done to avoid the pilots being captured.
Before the bombing, reconnaissance operations were carried out to determine weather conditions. The area was photographed to assess the scale of the explosion.
The bombing process was not influenced by any extraneous factors. Everything went according to plan. The Japanese military did not see objects approaching the target cities, despite the fact that the weather was favorable.
After the explosion occurred, the “mushroom” was visible from a great distance. At the end of the war, newsreel footage of that region was edited to create a documentary about this terrible bombing.
The city that was supposed to be attacked is the city of Kokura. On August 9, when a plane with a nuclear bomb (“Fat Man”) on board was circling over the target city, the weather made its own adjustments. High clouds became a hindrance. At the beginning of nine in the morning, the two partner aircraft were supposed to meet at their destination. The second aircraft did not appear even after more than half an hour.
It was decided to bomb the city from one plane. Since time was lost, the above-mentioned weather conditions prevented the city of Kokura from suffering. Early in the day, it was discovered that the aircraft's fuel pump was faulty. Together with all the events (natural and technical), the plane with nuclear weapons had no choice but to attack the backup city - Nagasaki. The landmark for dropping an atomic bomb in the city was the stadium. This is how the city of Kokura was saved and the city of Nagasaki was destroyed. The only “luck” of the city of Nagasaki was that the atomic bomb did not fall in the place where it was originally planned. Its landing site was further away from residential buildings, which led to less severe destruction and fewer casualties than in Hiroshima. People located within a radius of just under a kilometer from the center of the explosion did not survive. After the explosion in the city of Hiroshima, a deadly tornado formed. Its speed reached 60 km/h. This tornado was formed from numerous fires after the explosion. In the city of Nagasaki, the fires did not lead to a tornado.
The results of a terrible tragedy and human experiment
After such a monstrous experiment, humanity learned of the terrible radiation sickness. Initially, doctors were concerned that the survivors were symptomatic with diarrhea and then died after severely deteriorating health. In general, nuclear weapons are widespread due to their destructive properties. If conventional weapons had one or two destructive properties, then nuclear weapons had an extended range of action. It contains damage from light rays that lead to skin burns, depending on the distance, until complete charring. The shock wave can destroy concrete floors in houses, leading to their collapse. And a terrible force, like radiation, haunts people to this day.
Even then, after the nuclear experiment in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, people could not even imagine the scale of the consequences. Those who survived directly after the atomic explosions began to die. And no one could cope with this. Everyone who was injured but survived had serious health problems. Even years later, the echo of the American nuclear experiment resonated with the descendants of the victims. In addition to people, animals were also affected, and subsequently gave birth to offspring with physical defects (such as two heads).
After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet Union enters the conflict. The Americans achieved their goal. Japan announced its surrender, but subject to the preservation of the current government. Information appeared in the Japanese media about the end of hostilities. All of them were in English. The gist of the messages was that Japan's enemy possesses terrible weapons. If military operations continue, such weapons can lead to the complete extermination of the nation. And they were right, it is pointless to fight weapons of this scale if one bombing can destroy all living things within a kilometer radius and cause huge losses at a greater distance from the center of the explosion.
General results
After the horrific consequences of a nuclear explosion in Japan, the United States continued to develop atomic weapons and its longtime enemy, the Soviet Union, became involved in this process. This marked the beginning of the Cold War era. The worst thing is that the actions of the American government were carefully thought out and planned. When developing nuclear weapons, it was clear that they would cause enormous destruction and death.
The cold-bloodedness with which the American army prepared to assess the consequences of the destructive power of weapons is appalling. The obligatory presence of residential areas in the affected area suggests that people in power begin to flirt with other people's lives, without any twinge of conscience.
In the city of Volgograd, there is Hiroshima Street. Despite participation on different sides of the military conflict, the Soviet Union helped the destroyed cities, and the name of the street testifies to humanity and mutual assistance in conditions of inhuman cruelty.
Today, young people, under the influence of propaganda and unreliable facts, have the opinion that atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Soviet army.
The only military use of nuclear weapons in the world was the bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It should be noted that the unfortunate cities found themselves in the role of victims largely due to the tragic circumstances.
Who are we going to bomb?
In May 1945, US President Harry Truman was given a list of several Japanese cities that were supposed to be attacked with nuclear weapons. Four cities were chosen as the main targets. Kyoto as the main center of Japanese industry. Hiroshima, as the largest military port with ammunition depots. Yokahama was chosen due to the defense factories located outside of its territory. Niigata was targeted because of its military port, and Kokura was on the hit list as the country's largest military arsenal. Note that Nagasaki was not originally on this list. According to the American military, the nuclear bombing should have had not so much a military as a psychological effect. After it, the Japanese government had to abandon further military struggle.
Kyoto was saved by a miracle
From the very beginning, it was assumed that Kyoto would be the main target. The choice fell on this city not only because of its enormous industrial potential. It was here that the flower of the Japanese scientific, technical and cultural intelligentsia was concentrated. If a nuclear strike on this city had actually taken place, Japan would have been thrown far back in terms of civilization. However, this is exactly what the Americans needed. The unfortunate Hiroshima was chosen as the second city. The Americans cynically believed that the hills surrounding the city would increase the force of the explosion, significantly increasing the number of victims. The most amazing thing is that Kyoto avoided a terrible fate thanks to the sentimentality of US Secretary of War Henry Stimson. In his youth, a high-ranking military man spent his honeymoon in the city. Not only did he know and appreciate the beauty and culture of Kyoto, but he also did not want to spoil the fond memories of his youth. Stimson did not hesitate to remove Kyoto from the list of cities proposed for nuclear bombing. Subsequently, General Leslie Groves, who led the US nuclear weapons program, recalled in his book “Now It Can Be Told” that he insisted on bombing Kyoto, but was persuaded by emphasizing the historical and cultural significance of the city. Groves was very unhappy, but nevertheless agreed to replace Kyoto with Nagasaki.
What have Christians done wrong?
At the same time, if we analyze the choice of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as targets for nuclear bombing, many uncomfortable questions arise. The Americans knew very well that the main religion of Japan is Shinto. The number of Christians in this country is extremely small. At the same time, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were considered Christian cities. It turns out that the American military deliberately chose cities populated by Christians for bombing? The first B-29 Great Artist had two targets: the city of Kokura as the main one, and Nagasaki as a backup. However, when the plane, with great difficulty, reached Japanese territory, Kukura found himself hidden by thick clouds of smoke from the burning Yawata Iron and Steel Works. They decided to bomb Nagasaki. The bomb fell on the city on August 9, 1945 at 11:02 am. In the blink of an eye, a 21-kiloton explosion destroyed tens of thousands of people. He was not saved even by the fact that in the vicinity of Nagasaki there was a camp for prisoners of war of the allied armies of the anti-Hitler coalition. Moreover, in the USA they knew very well about its location. During the bombing of Hiroshima, a nuclear bomb was dropped over the Urakamitenshudo Church, the largest Christian temple in the country. The explosion killed 160,000 people.