Tragedy echoes through time as the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are remembered. The Nagasaki is a stark reminder of those catastrophic events. On August 9 1945, the United States detonated a plutonium implosion-type nuclear weapon called Fat Man over Nagasaki.
The Nagasaki bombing resulted in immense casualties. Estimates range from 60000 to 80000 deaths by the end of that year. The destruction was immense. A major military port lay in ruins. It had been one of Japan’s largest shipbuilding and repair centers. It was an important producer of naval ordnance.
Japan’s war council still insisted on its four conditions for surrender. The full cabinet met on August 9 1945. They spent most of the day debating surrender. Anami conceded that victory was unlikely. He argued in favor of continuing the war. The meeting ended with no decision.
Emperor Hirohito authorized Foreign Minister Tōgō to notify the Allies that Japan would accept their terms. There was one condition. It stated that the declaration does not comprise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a Sovereign ruler.
But what events led to this devastation? In 1945, the Pacific War raged between Japan and the Allies. Japanese military units fought fiercely. The Allied victory would come at an enormous cost. The Allies prepared for Operation Downfall. It was an Allied invasion of Japan.
The operation had two parts. Operation Olympic was set to begin in October 1945. It involved a series of landings by the U.S. Sixth Army. It was intended to capture the southern third of the southernmost main Japanese island. That island was Kyūshū. This was to be followed in March 1946 by Operation Coronet. It meant the capture of the Kantō Plain. That area was near Tokyo on the main Japanese island of Honshu.
The Target Committee nominated five targets. They included Kokura and Hiroshima. Yokohama was on the list as well as Niigata and Kyoto. The target selection was subject to specific criteria. The target was larger than 4.8 km in diameter. It was an important target in a large city. The blast wave would create effective damage. The target was unlikely to be attacked by August 1945.
President Truman agreed with Stimson. Kyoto was temporarily removed from the target list. On July 25, Nagasaki was put on the target list in place of Kyoto. It was a major military port. It was one of Japan’s largest shipbuilding and repair centers. It was an important producer of naval ordnance.
The 509th Composite Group was equipped with 15 Silverplate B-29s. These aircraft were specially adapted to carry nuclear weapons. The group moved by rail on April 26 1945. It went to its port of embarkation at Seattle, Washington. On May 6 the support elements sailed on the SS Cape Victory for the Marianas.
Nagasaki had been spared from firebombing. Its geography made it difficult to locate at night with AN/APQ-13 radar. Unlike the other target cities, Nagasaki had not been placed off limits to bombers. By early August, the city was defended by the 134th Anti-Aircraft Regiment.
The Fat Man weapon was dropped over the city’s industrial valley. It exploded 47 seconds later. The explosion released the equivalent energy of 21 kilotons of TNT. The Nagasaki represents a pivotal moment in history. Let’s reflect on its lessons.