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NUCLEAR WARFARE
THE BOMBING OF

HIROSHIMA

When US aircraft dropped atom bombs on the Japanese cities THE BOMBING OF HIR
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 in a bid to end
World War II, it opened a new perilous chapter in the history
of warfare. For the first time, weapons had been created that
were so destructive that their use had to be avoided at all costs.

The first test of a nuclear device took Hiroshima had been chosen as the first
place at Alamogordo in the New target because it was arguably of military OSHIMA
Mexican desert on July 16, 1945. The significance, with a barracks and port,
explosion was equivalent to nearly and was also largely undamaged, unlike
20,000 tons of TNT and generated most Japanese cities already devastated
temperatures three times hotter than by conventional bombing. A large and
the core of the Sun. The detonation flat urban area with a population of
was the culmination of the top-secret 300,000, Hiroshima would demonstrate
Manhattan Project, which had been the maximum effect of the bomb.
initiated in December 1941 and Colonel Tibbets chose to lead the
headed by General Leslie Groves. operation in person. He piloted the
The objective of the project was to B-29 designated to carry the “Little
produce an atom bomb and deliver it Boy” bomb and had his mother’s
on an enemy target, and to this end maiden name, Enola Gay, written
Groves had not only directed teams on the aircraft’s side.
of scientists and engineers, but also The Enola Gay was escorted by
set up a special flying group to drop two other B-29s and arrived over
the bomb. Group 509 of the US Army Hiroshima at 8:15am on August 6
Air Force, commanded by Colonel after an uneventful flight from Tinian.
Paul Tibbets,was equipped with the The aircraft released the bomb from
Boeing B-29 Superfortress, America’s an altitude of 30,000 feet, and it
latest bomber aircraft, which had the detonated in the air a minute later
range to strike Japanese cities from over the center of the city.
US-held Pacific island bases.
In late July and early August, TOTAL DESTRUCTION
components for a uranium-based The destruction surpassed all
atomic bomb, codenamed “Little Boy,” expectations: almost every building
and several plutonium-based bombs, was destroyed over an area of
codenamed “Fat Man,” were delivered 7.5 miles (12 square km) and
to the island of Tinian in the Marianas, estimates of the death toll range
where Colonel Tibbets’ B-29s were from 80,000 to 140,000. Of this
based. The intention was to drop the number, those not killed immediately
bombs on selected Japanese cities by the effect of the heat flash and blast
as soon as the components had died of radiation sickness over the
been assembled and when weather following months.
conditions permitted. Three days later the “Fat Man”
On July 26, after the Potsdam plutonium bomb was dropped on
conference attended by America, another city, Nagasaki. It killed an
Britain, and the Soviet Union, the estimated 35,000 to 80,000 people
US and its allies called on Japan to —a lower figure because hills had
surrender or face “prompt and utter restricted the bomb’s effectiveness.
destruction.” When this call was Japan surrendered on August 15,
rejected by Japan two days later, heralding the end of World War II.
preparations for the world’s first No nuclear device has been used
nuclear strike went ahead. in warfare since.