why was hiroshima chosen as the bombing site

Historians say the United States picked it as a suitable target because of its size The atomic bomb was still top secret, but the scientists had an even more frightening secret. Atomic bombs needed to be sited visually rather than relying on radar, which made clear skies necessary. The bombs were dropped in order to get Japan to surrender. Kokura was a city of great military importance because it had the largest factory in western Japan for the production of aircraft, missiles and other weapons. There were factories and other facilities there. Three days later the U.S. released another on Nagasaki, devastating the city and ushering in the nuclear age. After the bombing of Hiroshima on August … It was the second nuclear bomb dropped by the US, three days after the attack on Hiroshima. Historians say the United States picked it as a suitable target because of its size Hiroshima was chosen because it had not been targeted during the US Air Force's conventional bombing raids on Japan, and was therefore regarded as … The Target Committee identified the top four Japanese target cities, including Hiroshima shown here before the bombing. Rushay said that Hiroshima was one of four potential targets and that Truman left it up to the military to decide which city to strike. This photo diagram shows the extent of the damage at Hiroshima. A giant column of smoke rises after the atomic bomb attack over Nagasaki (AP) The impact would not have been nearly as great. Our next post marks the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima with an account of the bombing and its immediate devastating effects. Why was Hiroshima bombed? Hiroshima was also very important from a military perspective since it was home to the 2nd Army Headquarters, which were responsible for the defense of southern Japan. After the conclusion of the World War II in 1945, the relations between Japan and the US worsened, especially as Japanese forces decided to take an aim at Indo-china with the intention of capturing the oil-rich areas of the East Indies. Targeting was finalized on July 25, 1945: Hiroshima, Kokura, Nilgata, Nagasaki. Why the atomic bombing of Hiroshima would be illegal today By Katherine E. McKinney , Scott D. Sagan , Allen S. Weiner , July 1, 2020 In his first radio address after the bombing of Hiroshima, President Harry S. Truman claimed that “[t]he world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. Nagasaki was an important port city, and the first alternate target. The work on the actual selection of targets for the atomic bomb was begun in the spring of 1945. Further, because of the firebombing, many industri… Over the next few weeks, Global Zero will explore what led to the bomb’s development, the consequences of its use, and where we’ve come since those fateful days in August. That second goal was especially important to the researchers choosing the target. Kyoto was another ideal target: it had a population that amounted to 1,000,000 people, it was a major industrial center, and it was Japan’s intellectual center and former capital. This is the fifth post in our series, “‘My God What Have We Done:’ The Legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”. Hiroshima, Then Nagasaki: Why the US Deployed the Second A-Bomb The explicit reason was to swiftly end the war with Japan. It would be horrible. On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped a nuclear weapon on Hiroshima, Japan – the first time such a catastrophic weapon was ever used in conflict. It would be horrible. GEOFF BRUMFIEL, BYLINE: The name Hiroshima is so tied to the atomic bomb that it's hard to imagine there were other options. The initial list included a remote military installation and Tokyo Bay, where the bomb would have been detonated as a demonstration. hide caption. So, they decided this bomb would not just kill — it would do something biblical: One bomb, from one plane, would wipe a city off the map. A. Hiroshima was a major Japanese military hub with factories, military bases and ammunition facilities. Hiroshima before the bombing. U.S. strategists wanted to flatten an entire city with a single atomic bomb: Hiroshima was the right size. [91] Why Hiroshima? NPR's Geoff Brumfiel has the story of why that city was chosen as a target. Those decisions were implemented because of the uncertainty of a successful detonation and also because of the wish to maximize shock in the leadership . It was an important center of storage, communications, and assembly of soldiers. Hiroshima’s weather report for August 6 showed a clear day and plans moved forward. Also, Hiroshima was a real military target. Nagasaki was bombed because the primary target, the city of Kokura was hidden under cloud cover. Three days later the U.S. released another on Nagasaki, devastating the city and ushering in the nuclear age. "Should it be a city? At the time the bombs were going to be dropped, Tokyo had already been devastated by Operation Meetinghouse. At 11.02am, the Bockscar dropped a 4.5-ton (10,000-pound) plutonium bomb dubbed Fat Man from 31,500ft (9,600 metres). They chose Hiroshima. , the Manhattan Project’s Target Committee had been discussing which Japanese cities would be the most effective targets for the atomic bomb. "Hiroshima is compact," Wellerstein says. Hiroshima was chosen because it had not been extensively bombed and was an important military base. But it was also intended to send a message to the Soviets. Kyoto was another ideal target: it had a population that amounted to 1,000,000 people, it was a major industrial center, and it was Japan’s intellectual center and former capital. Ultimately U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson persuaded Truman to take Kyoto out of consideration as it was Japan’s cultural center and a cherished city. Japan was a fierce enemy of the US and its allies — Britain, China and the Soviet Union — during the World War II. 38 views Yokohama was an urban area that had escaped attack so far and hosted important industrial activities, including aircraft manufacturing, docks and oil refineries. "They want people to understand that this is something different, and so picking a place that will showcase how different it is, is very important," Wellerstein says. Hiroshima was also very important from a military perspective since it was home to the 2nd Army Headquarters, which were responsible for the defense of southern Japan. AP In the minds of the people who dropped the bombs, the more damage the better. It didn’t make sense to use such a powerful bomb on an already-crippled city. > The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The Selection of the Target Some of the most frequent queries concerning the atomic bombs are those dealing with the selection of the targets and the decision as to when the bombs would be used. But they wanted it to be horrible, to end the war and to try to stop the future use of nuclear bombs. Physicist Edward Teller wasn't on the committee, but a letter he wrote sums up the anxiety of the bomb builders: "Our only hope is in getting the facts of our results before the people. Should you be just displaying the bomb, without killing anybody?" In preparation for dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the Oppenheimer-led Scientific Panel of the Interim Committee decided against a demonstration bomb and against a special leaflet warning. This firebombing took place overnight on March 9 and 10, 1945. stipulated the U.S. Air Force would deliver the first bomb “after around August 3, 1945 on one of the targets” as the weather permitted. Hiroshima was chosen as the primary target since it had remained largely untouched by bombing raids, and the bomb's effects could be clearly measured. The bomb was assembled in secret and loaded on the Enola Gay. Based on three qualifications, “a large urban area of more than three miles in diameter…capable of being damaged effectively by the blast and…likely to be unattacked by [August 1946]”. The bombing followed in three days by the Aug. 6 bombing of Hiroshima by the “Little Boy” uranium weapon. The city of Nagasaki in southern Japan is marking the 75th anniversary of the US atomic bombing. The site was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1996. But the target committee decided those options wouldn't show the world the power of the new bomb. Authorities in Hiroshima quickly rebuilt the city as a site of atomic trauma and peace activism, while their counterparts in Nagasaki downplayed the atomic bombing to … But in early 1945, the U.S. was still months away from building its first bomb and certainly didn't know what to hit. The bomb was ready for military use. Over the next few weeks, Global Zero will explore what led to the bomb’s development, the consequences of its use, and where we’ve come since those fateful days in August. The Army estimated the bomb killed 70,000 to 80,000 people. Historians say the United States picked it as a suitable target because of its size They wanted the full force of the bombs to be seen. Internal deliberations and weather conditions ultimately led the U.S. to use a nuclear weapon on Hiroshima and, later, Nagasaki. 91 ] NPR 's Geoff Brumfiel has the story of Why that city was as! Full force of the bombing Man from 31,500ft ( 9,600 metres ) city. 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