Dropping the A-Bomb

On 8/6/1945, the plane named Enola Gay and flown by Paul Tibbets flew over Hiroshima looking for their predetermined target just as kids were beginning classes. The air raid sirens went off and the kids got under their desks, like that was going to help them from what was about to happen. A few minutes later, the all clear blast was given and the kids took their seats. A few minutes later, another air raid was sounded and this time the bomb doors were opened on the plane and the plane's payload was released. 43 seconds later, a bright flash of light appeared and instantly 80,000 people were vaporized. A mushroom cloud appeared and then dropped its radioactive particles over the city of Hiroshima as the cloud descended over the city. We think this will never happen again.

No one can like what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but there were reasons why the bombs were used. The Japanese committed enormous and ghastly wholesale atrocities in their conquest of most of Asia. if you are a doubter, check out the Rape of Nanking - just a sample of Japan’s numerous incredible and monstrous war crimes.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-rape-of-nanking

They had to be stopped, but an invasion of the Japanese mainland was anticipated and prison guards had already been given a date on which all prisoners of war were to be executed so their guards could participate in the defense of Japan. Were those bombs a good thing, certainly not, but the alternative would have meant an enormous drawn out slaughter on both sides.
 
I recently read "In Harms Way" by Doug Stanton. It is the story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis - an excellent book.

The ship left the US July 16 1945, on a secret mission. It carried the components of "Little Boy".

After delivering the bomb, the ship was torpedoed in the South Pacific. Around 300 men died when the ship was hit - 900 survived.

By the time help arrived, only 317 were still alive.
 

There is an interesting story about an American B29 pilot who may have been one of the final straws that led to the Japanese surrender. The pilot was taken prisoner in China and brought to Japan. When the bombs were dropped, they were all the US had at the time. The Japanese command was aware of the possibility that there were no more, but had no way of knowing for sure, so they brought in the pilot and demanded to know how many atom bombs the US had. The pilot had no idea what an atom bomb was so he said about a hundred. Japan surrendered.
 
I recently read "In Harms Way" by Doug Stanton. It is the story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis - an excellent book.

The ship left the US July 16 1945, on a secret mission. It carried the components of "Little Boy".

After delivering the bomb, the ship was torpedoed in the South Pacific. Around 300 men died when the ship was hit - 900 survived.

By the time help arrived, only 317 were still alive.
I wrote about this story before. Edgar Harrell has a really great book out on this event called, "Out of the Depths." Edgar died just a few years ago and was the last remaining survivor of the Indianapolis. He also tells the story on a YouTube video. I spent 30 years in the Marines and to this day, the USS Indianapolis is still being talked about. Edgar was a Marine stationed aboard the boat (ship) to aid in its security. The mission was so secret that no one even realized that it hadn't returned to port.

 
Wow, great books, I have a first éd of On Thermonuclear War (OTW) in my library long time. Kahn was a Cold War icon.

Stanley Kubrick s film 1963, Dr Strangelove, started with OTW, Dr Strangelove was said to be a combination of Dr Herman Kahn, Dr Werner Von Braun and Dr Edward Teller.

OTW is still relivant today. Our military and government responsable for the USA sécurité and defense should read OTW,but that assumes no the can read.....

From an optimist in the nuclear age

Jon
 
Wow, great books, I have a first éd of On Thermonuclear War (OTW) in my library long time. Kahn was a Cold War icon.

Stanley Kubrick s film 1963, Dr Strangelove, started with OTW, Dr Strangelove was said to be a combination of Dr Herman Kahn, Dr Werner Von Braun and Dr Edward Teller.

OTW is still relivant today. Our military and government responsable for the USA sécurité and defense should read OTW,but that assumes no the can read.....

From an optimist in the nuclear age

Jon
I think this may be a PDF version.

https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1441635907764.pdf
 
Think about this and I know Californians know more about this than I do, so maybe they can add to it or straighten out what I have read.

When the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in San Luis Obispo, CA was being built, a lot of people and many scientists were concerned that the plant was being built too close to a fault line, that if an earthquake would happen, it could destroy the plant causing great damage.

The owners of the plant, PG&E did everything to convince everyone, including the courts that it was safe to build the plant at its planned location. After the plant was 80% completed, PG&E finally admitted that the plant is sitting near a fault line, but they finished it anyway.

Today, scientists have reported that if the plant would be hit by an earthquake and the two reactors inside would explode, the results would be about the same as when Nagasaki was hit with an "A" bomb. I think the plant is set to expire in 2025?
 


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