Who dropped atomic bombs on Japan. Life after a nuclear explosion

On August 6, 1945, the United States of America used the most powerful weapon of mass destruction to date. It was an atomic bomb equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT. The city of Hiroshima was completely destroyed, tens of thousands of civilians were killed. While Japan was moving away from this devastation, three days later the United States again launched a second nuclear strike on Nagasaki, hiding behind the desire to achieve the surrender of Japan.

Bombing of Hiroshima

On Monday at 2:45 am, the Boeing B-29 Enola Gay took off from Tinian, one of the islands in the North Pacific Ocean, 1500 km from Japan. A team of 12 specialists was on board to make sure the mission went smoothly. The crew was commanded by Colonel Paul Tibbets, who named the aircraft Enola Gay. That was the name of his own mother. Right on the eve of takeoff, the name of the aircraft was written on board.

The Enola Gay was a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber (aircraft 44-86292), part of a special air group. In order to carry out the delivery of such a heavy load as a nuclear bomb, Enola Gay was modernized: the latest propellers, engines, and quickly opening bomb bay doors were installed. Such modernization was carried out only on a few B-29s. Despite the modernization of the Boeing, he had to drive the entire runway in order to gain the speed necessary for takeoff.

A couple more bombers were flying alongside the Enola Gay. Three more planes took off earlier to determine the weather conditions over possible targets. Hanging from the ceiling of the aircraft was a nuclear bomb "Kid" ten feet (more than 3 meters) long. In the "Manhattan Project" (to develop US nuclear weapons), Navy Captain William Parsons played an important role in the appearance of the atomic bomb. On the Enola Gay plane, he joined the team as the specialist in charge of the bomb. To avoid a possible explosion of a bomb during takeoff, it was decided to put a live charge on it right in flight. Already in the air, Parsons changed bomb plugs for live charges in 15 minutes. As he later recalled: "At the moment when I put the charge, I knew what the" Kid "will bring to the Japanese, but I did not feel much emotion about it."

The "Kid" bomb was created on the basis of uranium-235. It was the result of $2 billion worth of research, but never tested. Not a single nuclear bomb has yet been dropped from an aircraft. The United States chose 4 Japanese cities for the bombing:

• Hiroshima;
• Kokura;
• Nagasaki;
• Niigata.

At first there was also Kyoto, but later it was crossed off the list. These cities were the centers of the military industry, arsenals, military ports. The first bomb was intended to be dropped to advertise the full power and more impressive importance of the weapon, in order to attract international attention and hasten Japan's surrender.

First bombing target

On August 6, 1945, clouds broke over Hiroshima. At 8:15 am (local time), the hatch of the Enola Gay aircraft flew open and the Kid flew into the city. The fuse was set at a height of 600 meters from the ground, at an altitude of 1900 feet the device detonated. Gunner George Caron described the sight he saw through the rear porthole: “The cloud was in the form of a mushroom from a bubbling mass of purple-ash smoke, with a fiery core inside. It looked like lava flows covering the entire city."

Experts estimate that the cloud has risen to 40,000 feet. Robert Lewis recalled: "Where we had a clear view of the city a couple of minutes ago, we could already see only smoke and fire creeping up the sides of the mountain." Almost all of Hiroshima was razed to the ground. Even within three miles of the explosion, out of 90,000 buildings, 60,000 were destroyed. Metal and stone simply melted, clay tiles melted. Unlike many previous bombings, the target of this raid was not a single military facility, but an entire city. The atomic bomb, apart from the military, mostly killed civilians. The population of Hiroshima was 350,000, of which 70,000 died instantly directly from the explosion and another 70,000 died from radioactive contamination over the next five years.

A witness who survived the atomic explosion described: “The skin of the people turned black from burns, they were completely bald, as their hair was burned, it was not clear whether it was the face or the back of the head. The skin on the hands, on the faces and bodies hung down. If there were one or two such people, it would not be such a strong shock. But wherever I went, I saw just such people around, many died right along the way - I still remember them as walking ghosts.

Atomic bombing of Nagasaki

When the people of Japan were trying to make sense of the destruction of Hiroshima, the United States was planning a second nuclear strike. It was not delayed so that Japan could surrender, but was inflicted immediately three days after the bombing of Hiroshima. On August 9, 1945, another B-29 "Bokskar" ("Bok's car") took off from Tinian at 3:49 in the morning. The city of Kokura was supposed to be the initial target for the second bombardment, but it was covered with dense clouds. The alternate target was Nagasaki. At 11:02 am, a second atomic bomb was detonated 1,650 feet above the city.

Fujii Urata Matsumoto, a miraculous survivor, recounted the horrific scene: “A field of pumpkins was blown clean by an explosion. Nothing remained of the entire mass of the crop. Instead of a pumpkin, a woman's head lay in the garden. I tried to consider her, maybe I knew her. The head was a woman in her forties, I never saw her here, maybe she was brought from another part of the city. A gold tooth gleamed in his mouth, scorched hair hung down, eyeballs burned out and black holes remained.

On the morning of August 6, 1945, the American B-29 Enola Gay bomber dropped the Little Boy atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima with the equivalent of 13 to 18 kilotons of TNT.

Those closest to the epicenter of the explosion died instantly, their bodies turned to coal. Birds flying past burned up in the air, and dry combustible materials (for example, paper) ignited at a distance of up to 2 km from the epicenter. Light radiation burnt the dark pattern of clothes into the skin and left silhouettes. human bodies on the walls.

The number of deaths from the direct impact of the explosion ranged from 70 to 80 thousand people. By the end of 1945, due to the effects of radioactive contamination and other delayed effects of the explosion, the total number of deaths ranged from 90 to 166 thousand people. After 5 years, the total death toll, taking into account deaths from cancer and other long-term effects of the explosion, could reach or even exceed 200 thousand people.

The role of the atomic bombings in the surrender of Japan and their ethical validity are still the subject of scientific and public discussion. But it remains indisputable that the peaceful people of Hiroshima suffered terribly, although they were not to blame for anything. And politicians are obliged to do everything so that such a tragedy could never happen again.

Pre-war photograph of the bustling shopping district of Hiroshima City.

The Chamber of Industry Building, by the Motoyasugawa River, Hiroshima, the remains of which were preserved after the nuclear explosion and are now called the "House of the Atomic Bomb" or "Peace Memorial".

Street of the Temples, in pre-war Hiroshima. This area was completely destroyed.

Traditional, Japanese sailing ships on the background wooden houses, in Hiroshima before the explosion.

An aerial view of the densely populated area of ​​Hiroshima along the Motoyasugawa River, which took the brunt of the nuclear attack and was completely destroyed.

Hiroshima railway station, between 1912 and 1945.

Port of Hiroshima.

On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. About 80,000 people are believed to have been killed, and another 60,000 survivors died from trauma and radiation exposure by 1950.

Survivors of the first atomic bomb wait for emergency medical attention in Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945.

Shortly after the atomic bomb was dropped over the Japanese city of Hiroshima, survivors receive urgent medical treatment from military medics. August 6, 1945.

People return to Hiroshima, a month after the nuclear explosion.

Japanese troops participating in the elimination of the consequences of a nuclear explosion, rest in railway station Hiroshima, which survived the bombing.

The movement of some tram lines in the destroyed Hiroshima has been restored.

One of several Japanese fire engines that arrived in Hiroshima shortly after the bombing.

Hiroshima after the nuclear bombing.

A Japanese woman and her child, who were injured in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, lie on a blanket on the floor of a damaged bank building turned hospital near the city center. October 6, 1945.

Hiroshima a month after the nuclear bombing.

Traces of a nuclear explosion: from the railing of the bridge and from a person standing on the bridge.

Post Office, Hiroshima. Traces of a nuclear explosion on the walls.

Traces of an explosion on a gas tank.

Two Japanese men sit in a makeshift office set up in a ruined building in Hiroshima.

Nagarekawa, a Methodist church among the ruins of Hiroshima.

The ruins left after the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.

Photo of Hiroshima after the atomic bombing.

A Japanese soldier near Hiroshima, September 1945.

Nuclear weapons have been used for combat purposes only twice in the history of mankind. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 showed how dangerous it could be. It was the real experience of using nuclear weapons that could keep two mighty powers (USA and USSR) from unleashing a third world war.

Bomb drop on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Millions of innocent people suffered during World War II. The leaders of the world powers put the lives of soldiers and civilians on the cards without looking, in the hope of achieving superiority in the struggle for world domination. One of the worst disasters ever world history was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as a result of which about 200 thousand people were destroyed, and the total number of people who died during and after the explosion (from radiation) reached 500 thousand.

Until now, there are only assumptions that forced the President of the United States of America to order the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Did he realize, did he know what destruction and consequences would be left after the explosion of a nuclear bomb? Or was this action intended to demonstrate military power in front of the USSR in order to completely kill any thoughts of attacks on the United States?

History has not preserved the motives that moved the 33rd US President Harry Truman when he ordered a nuclear attack on Japan, but only one thing can be said with certainty: it was atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced the Japanese emperor to sign a surrender.

In order to try to understand the motives of the United States, one must carefully consider the situation that arose in the political arena in those years.

Emperor of Japan Hirohito

The Japanese emperor Hirohito was distinguished by good inclinations of a leader. In order to expand his lands, in 1935 he decides to seize all of China, which at that time was a backward agrarian country. Following the example of Hitler (with whom Japan entered into a military alliance in 1941), Hirohito begins to take over China, using methods favored by the Nazis.

In order to cleanse China of indigenous people, Japanese troops used chemical weapons, which were banned. Inhuman experiments were carried out on the Chinese, which aimed to find out the limits of the viability of the human body in various situations. In total, about 25 million Chinese died during the Japanese expansion, most of whom were children and women.

It is possible that the nuclear bombing of Japanese cities could not have taken place if, after the conclusion of a military pact with Nazi Germany, the emperor of Japan would not have given the order to launch an attack on Pearl Harbor, thereby provoking the United States to enter World War II. After this event, the date of the nuclear attack begins to approach with inexorable speed.

When it became clear that the defeat of Germany was inevitable, the question of the surrender of Japan seemed to be a matter of time. However, the Japanese emperor, the embodiment of samurai arrogance and a true God for his subjects, ordered all the inhabitants of the country to fight to the last drop of blood. Everyone, without exception, had to resist the invader, from soldiers to women and children. Knowing the mentality of the Japanese, there was no doubt that the inhabitants would fulfill the will of their emperor.

In order to force Japan to capitulate, drastic measures had to be taken. The atomic explosion that thundered first in Hiroshima, and then in Nagasaki, turned out to be exactly the impetus that convinced the emperor of the futility of resistance.

Why was a nuclear attack chosen?

Although the number of versions why a nuclear attack was chosen to intimidate Japan is quite large, the following versions should be considered the main ones:

1. Most historians (especially American ones) insist that the damage caused by dropped bombs is several times less than a bloody invasion of American troops could bring. According to this version, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not sacrificed in vain, as it saved the lives of the remaining millions of Japanese;
2. According to the second version, the purpose of the nuclear attack was to show the USSR how perfect military weapon United States to intimidate a possible adversary. In 1945, the President of the United States was informed that there had been activity Soviet troops near the border with Turkey (which was an ally of England). Perhaps this is why Truman decided to intimidate the Soviet leader;
3. The third version says that the nuclear attack on Japan was the revenge of the Americans for Pearl Harbor.

At the Potsdam Conference, which took place from July 17 to August 2, the fate of Japan was decided. Three states - the USA, England and the USSR, led by their leaders, signed the declaration. It spoke of a sphere of post-war influence, although the Second World War was not finished yet. One of the points of this declaration spoke of the immediate surrender of Japan.

This document was sent to the Japanese government, which rejected the proposal. Following the example of their emperor, the members of the government decided to continue the war to the end. After that, the fate of Japan was sealed. Since the US military command was looking for where to use the latest atomic weapons, the president approved the atomic bombing of Japanese cities.

coalition against Nazi Germany was on the verge of a break (due to the fact that one month remained before the victory), the allied countries could not agree. The different policies of the USSR and the USA eventually led these states to the Cold War.

The fact that US President Harry Truman was informed about the start of nuclear bomb tests on the eve of the meeting in Potsdam played an important role in the decision of the head of state. Wanting to scare Stalin, Truman hinted to the Generalissimo that he had a new weapon ready, which could leave huge casualties after the explosion.

Stalin ignored this statement, although he soon called Kurchatov and ordered the completion of work on the development of Soviet nuclear weapons.

Having received no answer from Stalin, the American president decides to start the atomic bombing at his own peril and risk.

Why were Hiroshima and Nagasaki chosen for the nuclear attack?

In the spring of 1945, the US military had to select suitable sites for full-scale nuclear bomb tests. Even then, it was possible to notice the prerequisites for the fact that the last test of the American nuclear bomb was planned to be carried out at a civilian facility. The list of requirements for the last test of a nuclear bomb, created by scientists, looked like this:

1. The object had to be on a plain so that the blast wave was not interfered with by uneven terrain;
2. Urban development should be as wooden as possible so that fire damage is maximized;
3. The object must have a maximum building density;
4. The size of the object must exceed 3 kilometers in diameter;
5. The selected city should be located as far as possible from the military bases of the enemy in order to exclude the intervention of the enemy military forces;
6. For a blow to bring maximum benefit, it must be delivered to a large industrial center.

These requirements indicate that the nuclear strike was most likely a long-planned affair, and Germany could well have been in the place of Japan.

The intended targets were 4 Japanese cities. These are Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kyoto and Kokura. Of these, it was only required to choose two real targets, since there were only two bombs. An American expert on Japan, Professor Reisshauer, begged to be struck off the list of the city of Kyoto, as it was of great historical value. It is unlikely that this request could affect the decision, but then the Minister of Defense intervened, who was on a honeymoon in Kyoto with his wife. The minister went to a meeting and Kyoto was saved from a nuclear attack.

The place of Kyoto in the list was taken by the city of Kokura, which was chosen as a target along with Hiroshima (although later the weather conditions made their own adjustments, and Nagasaki had to be bombed instead of Kokura). The cities had to be big, and the destruction large-scale, so that the Japanese people were horrified and stopped resisting. Of course, the main thing was to influence the position of the emperor.

Studies conducted by historians from various countries of the world show that the American side was not at all concerned about the moral side of the issue. Dozens and hundreds of potential civilian casualties were of no concern to either the government or the military.

After reviewing entire volumes of classified materials, historians have come to the conclusion that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were doomed in advance. There were only two bombs, and these cities had a convenient geographical location. In addition, Hiroshima was a very densely built-up city, and an attack on it could unleash the full potential of a nuclear bomb. The city of Nagasaki was the largest industrial center working for the defense industry. There produced a large number of weapons and military equipment.

Details of the bombing of Hiroshima

The combat strike on the Japanese city of Hiroshima was pre-planned and carried out in accordance with a clear plan. Each item of this plan was clearly executed, which indicates the careful preparation of this operation.

On July 26, 1945, a nuclear bomb bearing the name "Baby" was delivered to the island of Tinian. By the end of the month, all preparations were completed, and the bomb was ready for combat. After consulting the meteorological indications, the date of the bombardment was set - August 6th. On this day the weather was excellent and the bomber, with a nuclear bomb on board, soared into the air. Its name (Enola Gay) was remembered for a long time not only by the victims of a nuclear attack, but throughout Japan.

In flight, the death-carrying plane was escorted by three planes whose task was to determine the direction of the wind so that the atomic bomb hit the target as accurately as possible. Behind the bomber, an aircraft was flying, which was supposed to record all the data of the explosion using sensitive equipment. A bomber was flying at a safe distance with a photographer on board. Several planes flying towards the city did not cause any concern to either the Japanese air defense forces or the civilian population.

Although Japanese radars detected the approaching enemy, they did not raise the alarm because of a small group of military aircraft. Residents were warned of a possible bombardment, but they continued to work quietly. Since the nuclear strike was not like a conventional air raid, not a single Japanese fighter took to the air to intercept. Even the artillery paid no attention to the approaching planes.

At 8:15 a.m., the Enola Gay bomber dropped a nuclear bomb. This drop was made using a parachute to allow a group of attacking aircraft to retire to a safe distance. After dropping a bomb at an altitude of 9,000 meters, the battle group turned around and withdrew.

Having flown about 8,500 meters, the bomb exploded at an altitude of 576 meters from the ground. A deafening explosion covered the city with an avalanche of fire that destroyed everything in its path. Directly at the epicenter, people simply disappeared, leaving behind only the so-called "shadows of Hiroshima." All that was left of the man was a dark silhouette imprinted on the floor or walls. At a distance from the epicenter, people burned alive, turning into black firebrands. Those who were on the outskirts of the city were a little more fortunate, many of them survived, having received only terrible burns.

This day has become a day of mourning not only in Japan, but throughout the world. About 100,000 people died that day, and next years claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. All of them died from radiation burns and radiation sickness. According to the official statistics of the Japanese authorities as of January 2017, the number of deaths and injuries from the American uranium bomb is 308,724 people.

Hiroshima today is largest city Chugoku region. The city has a commemorative memorial dedicated to the victims of the American atomic bombing.

What happened in Hiroshima on the day of the tragedy

The first Japanese official sources said that the city of Hiroshima was attacked by new bombs that were dropped from several American aircraft. People did not yet know that the new bombs destroyed tens of thousands of lives in an instant, and the consequences of a nuclear explosion would last for decades.

It is possible that even the American scientists who created the atomic weapon did not anticipate the consequences of radiation for people. For 16 hours after the explosion, no signal was received from Hiroshima. Noticing this, the operator of the Broadcasting Station began to make attempts to contact the city, but the city remained silent.

After a short period of time, strange and confusing information came from the railway station, which was located near the city, from which the Japanese authorities understood only one thing, an enemy raid was made on the city. It was decided to send the aircraft for reconnaissance, since the authorities knew for sure that no serious enemy combat air groups broke through the front line.

Having approached the city at a distance of about 160 kilometers, the pilot and the officer accompanying him saw a huge dusty cloud. Flying closer, they saw a terrible picture of destruction: the whole city was ablaze with fires, and smoke and dust made it difficult to see the details of the tragedy.

Landing at safe place, a Japanese officer reported to the command that the city of Hiroshima was destroyed by US aircraft. After that, the military began selflessly to help the wounded and shell-shocked from the bomb explosion compatriots.

This catastrophe rallied all the surviving people into one big family. Wounded, barely standing people dismantled the rubble and put out fires, trying to save as many of their compatriots as possible.

Washington made an official statement about the successful operation only 16 hours after the bombing.

Dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki

The city of Nagasaki, which was an industrial center, has never been subjected to massive air strikes. They tried to save it to demonstrate the enormous power of the atomic bomb. Just a few high-explosive bombs damaged weapons factories, shipyards and medical hospitals in the week before the terrible tragedy.

Now it seems incredible, but Nagasaki became the second Japanese city to be nuked by chance. The original target was the city of Kokura.

The second bomb was delivered and loaded onto the plane, according to the same plan as in the case of Hiroshima. The plane with a nuclear bomb took off and flew towards the city of Kokura. On approaching the island, three American planes were supposed to meet to record the explosion of an atomic bomb.

Two planes met, but they did not wait for the third. Contrary to the forecast of meteorologists, the sky over Kokura was covered with clouds, and the visual release of the bomb became impossible. After circling for 45 minutes over the island and not waiting for the third aircraft, the commander of the aircraft that carried the nuclear bomb on board noticed a malfunction in the fuel supply system. Since the weather finally deteriorated, it was decided to fly to the reserve target area - the city of Nagasaki. A group consisting of two aircraft flew to the alternate target.

On August 9, 1945, at 7:50 am, the inhabitants of Nagasaki woke up from an air raid signal and descended into shelters and bomb shelters. After 40 minutes, considering the alarm not worthy of attention, and classifying two aircraft as reconnaissance, the military canceled it. People went about their usual business, not suspecting that an atomic explosion would now thunder.

The Nagasaki attack went exactly the same way as the Hiroshima attack, only high cloud cover almost spoiled the Americans' bomb release. Literally in the last minutes, when the fuel supply was at the limit, the pilot noticed a “window” in the clouds and dropped a nuclear bomb at an altitude of 8,800 meters.

The carelessness of the Japanese air defense forces, which, despite the news of a similar attack on Hiroshima, is striking, did not take any measures to neutralize American military aircraft.

The atomic bomb, called "Fat Man", exploded at 11 hours 2 minutes, within a few seconds turned a beautiful city into a kind of hell on earth. 40,000 people died in an instant, and another 70,000 received terrible burns and injuries.

Consequences of nuclear bombings of Japanese cities

The consequences of a nuclear attack on Japanese cities were unpredictable. In addition to those who died at the time of the explosion and during the first year after it, radiation continued to kill people for many years to come. As a result, the number of victims has doubled.

Thus, the nuclear attack brought the United States a long-awaited victory, and Japan had to make concessions. The consequences of the nuclear bombing shocked Emperor Hirohito so much that he unconditionally accepted the terms of the Potsdam Conference. According to the official version, the nuclear attack carried out by the US military brought exactly what the American government wanted.

In addition, the troops of the USSR, which had accumulated on the border with Turkey, were urgently transferred to Japan, on which the USSR declared war. According to members of the Soviet Politburo, after learning about the consequences caused by nuclear explosions, Stalin said that the Turks were lucky, as the Japanese sacrificed themselves for them.

Only two weeks had passed since the entry of Soviet troops into Japan, and Emperor Hirohito had already signed an act of unconditional surrender. This day (September 2, 1945) went down in history as the day the Second World War ended.

Was there an urgent need to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Even in modern Japan, there is an ongoing debate about whether it was necessary to carry out a nuclear bombing or not. Scientists from all over the world are painstakingly studying secret documents and archives from the Second World War. Most researchers agree that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were sacrificed for the sake of ending the world war.

The well-known Japanese historian Tsuyoshi Hasegawa believes that the atomic bombing was started in order to prevent the expansion of the Soviet Union into Asian countries. It also allowed the United States to assert itself as a leader militarily, which they succeeded brilliantly. After the nuclear explosion, arguing with the United States was very dangerous.

If you stick to this theory, then Hiroshima and Nagasaki were simply sacrificed to the political ambitions of the superpowers. Tens of thousands of victims were completely ignored.

One can guess what could have happened if the USSR had time to complete the development of its nuclear bomb before the United States. It is possible that the atomic bombing would not have happened then.

Modern nuclear weapons are thousands of times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Japanese cities. It is difficult even to imagine what could happen if the two largest powers in the world started a nuclear war.

The most little-known facts about the tragedy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Although the tragedy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is known to the whole world, there are facts that only a few know:

1. The man who managed to survive in hell. Although everyone who was near the epicenter of the explosion died during the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, one person who was in the basement 200 meters from the epicenter managed to survive;
   
2. War is war, and the tournament must go on. At a distance of less than 5 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion in Hiroshima, a tournament was held in the ancient Chinese game "Go". Although the explosion destroyed the building and many of the competitors were injured, the tournament continued on the same day;
3. Able to withstand even a nuclear explosion. Although the explosion in Hiroshima destroyed most of the buildings, the safe in one of the banks was not damaged. After the end of the war to American company, which produced these safes, came thank you letter from a bank manager in Hiroshima;
4. Extraordinary luck. Tsutomu Yamaguchi was the only person on earth who officially survived two atomic explosions. After the explosion in Hiroshima, he went to work in Nagasaki, where he again managed to survive;
5. "Pumpkin" bombs. Before starting the atomic bombing, the United States dropped 50 Pumpkin bombs on Japan, so named for their resemblance to a pumpkin;
6. An attempt to overthrow the emperor. The Emperor of Japan mobilized all the citizens of the country for " total war". This meant that every Japanese, including women and children, must defend their country to the last drop of blood. After the emperor, frightened by atomic explosions, accepted all the conditions of the Potsdam Conference and later capitulated, the Japanese generals tried to carry out a coup d'état, which failed;
7. Met a nuclear explosion and survived. Japanese Gingko biloba trees are remarkably resilient. After the nuclear attack on Hiroshima, 6 of these trees survived and continue to grow to this day;
   
8. People who dreamed of salvation. After the explosion in Hiroshima, hundreds of survivors fled to Nagasaki. Of these, 164 people managed to survive, although only Tsutomu Yamaguchi is considered the official survivor;
9. Not a single policeman died in the atomic explosion in Nagasaki. The surviving law enforcement officers from Hiroshima were sent to Nagasaki in order to teach colleagues the basics of behavior after a nuclear explosion. As a result of these actions, not a single policeman was killed in the Nagasaki bombing;
10. 25 percent of those who died in Japan were Koreans. Although it is believed that all of those who died in the atomic explosions were Japanese, in fact a quarter of them were Koreans, who were mobilized by the Japanese government to participate in the war;
11. Radiation is a fairy tale for children. After the atomic explosion, the American government for a long time concealed the fact of the presence of radioactive contamination;
12. "Meetinghouse". Few people know that the US authorities did not limit themselves to nuclear bombing of two Japanese cities. Before that, using the tactics of carpet bombing, they destroyed several Japanese cities. During Operation Meetinghouse, the city of Tokyo was virtually destroyed, and 300,000 of its inhabitants died;
13. They didn't know what they were doing. The crew of the plane that dropped the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima was 12 people. Of these, only three knew what a nuclear bomb was;
14. On one of the anniversaries of the tragedy (in 1964), an eternal flame was lit in Hiroshima, which should burn as long as at least one nuclear warhead remains in the world;
    
15. Lost connection. After the destruction of Hiroshima, communication with the city was completely lost. Only three hours later did the capital learn that Hiroshima had been destroyed;
16. Deadly poison. The crew of the Enola Gay were given ampoules of potassium cyanide, which they were supposed to take in case of failure to complete the task;
17. radioactive mutants. The famous Japanese monster "Godzilla" was invented as a mutation for radioactive contamination after a nuclear bombing;
18. Shadows of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The explosions of nuclear bombs had such tremendous power that people literally evaporated, leaving only dark prints on the walls and floor as a memory of themselves;
19. Hiroshima symbol. The first plant to bloom after the Hiroshima nuclear attack was the oleander. It is he who is now the official symbol of the city of Hiroshima;
20. Warning before a nuclear attack. Before the nuclear attack began, US aircraft dropped millions of leaflets on 33 Japanese cities warning of an impending bombardment;
21. Radio signals. An American radio station in Saipan broadcast warnings of a nuclear attack throughout Japan until the very last moment. The signals were repeated every 15 minutes.

The tragedy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened 72 years ago, but it still serves as a reminder that humanity should not thoughtlessly destroy its own kind.

World War II is remembered in history not only for catastrophic destruction, the ideas of a crazy fanatic and many deaths, but also on August 6, 1945 - the beginning of new era in world history. The fact is that it was then that the first and at the moment the last application was carried out. atomic weapons for military purposes. The power of the nuclear bomb in Hiroshima has remained for centuries. In the USSR there was one that scared the population of the whole world, see the top of the most powerful nuclear bombs and and to

There are not so many people who survived this attack, as well as surviving buildings. We, in turn, decided to collect all the existing information about the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, structure the data of this effect of influence and reinforce the story with the words of eyewitnesses, officers from the headquarters.

Was an atomic bomb necessary?

Almost every person living on earth knows that America dropped nuclear bombs on Japan, although the country experienced this test alone. In view of the political situation of that time, in the States and the control center they celebrated the victory, while people died en masse on the other side of the world. This topic still resonates with pain in the hearts of tens of thousands of Japanese people, and for good reason. On the one hand, it was a necessity, because it was not possible to end the war in any other way. On the other hand, many people think that the Americans just wanted to test a new deadly "toy".

Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist for whom science has always been in the first place in his life, did not even think that his invention would cause such huge damage. Although he did not work alone, he is called the father of the nuclear bomb. Yes, in the process of creating a warhead, he knew about the possible harm, although he did not understand that it would be inflicted on civilians who had nothing to do with the war. As he later said, "We did all the work for the devil." But this phrase was uttered later. And at that time he did not differ in foresight, because he did not know what would happen tomorrow and what the Second World War would turn into.

In the American "bins" before the year 45, three full-fledged warheads were ready:

• Trinity;
• Baby;
• Fat man.

The first one was blown up during testing, and the last two went down in history. Dropping a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was predicted to end the war. After all, the Japanese government did not accept the terms of surrender. And without it, other allied countries will have neither military support nor a reserve of human resources. And so it happened. On August 15, as a consequence of the shock experienced, the government signed documents on unconditional surrender. This date is now called the official end of the war.

On whether the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was necessary, historians, politicians and simple people cannot agree to this day. What's done is done, we can't change anything. But it was this anti-Japanese action that marked a turning point in history. The threat of new atomic bomb explosions hangs over the planet every day. Although most countries have abandoned nuclear weapons, some still retained this status. The nuclear warheads of Russia and the United States are safely hidden, but conflicts at the political level are not decreasing. And the possibility is not ruled out that sometime similar "actions" will be held.

In our native history, we can meet the concept of " cold war", when during the Second World War and at its end, two superpowers - Soviet Union and the US could not come to an agreement. This period began just after the surrender of Japan. And everyone knew that if the countries were not found mutual language, nuclear weapons will be used again, only now not in concert with each other, but mutually. This would be the beginning of the end and make the Earth again clean slate, unsuitable for existence - without people, living organisms, buildings, only with a huge level of radiation and a bunch of corpses around the world. As a famous scientist said, in the Fourth World War people will fight with sticks and stones, since only a few will survive the Third. After this small lyrical digression, let's return to historical facts and how the warhead was dropped on the city.

Prerequisites for the attack on Japan

Dropping a nuclear bomb on Japan was conceived long before the explosion. The 20th century is generally distinguished by the rapid development of nuclear physics. Significant discoveries in this industry were made almost daily. World scientists realized that a nuclear chain reaction would make it possible to make a warhead. Here is how they behaved in the opponent countries:

1. Germany. In 1938, German nuclear physicists were able to split the nucleus of uranium. Then they turned to the government and talked about the possibility of creating a fundamentally new weapon. Then they launched the world's first rocket launcher. Perhaps this spurred Hitler to start the war. Although the studies were classified, some of them are now known. Research centers have created a reactor to generate enough uranium. But scientists had to choose between substances that could slow down the reaction. It could be water or graphite. By choosing water, they, without knowing it, deprived themselves of the possibility of creating atomic weapons. It became clear to Hitler that he would not be released until the end of the war, and he cut funding for the project. But the rest of the world did not know about it. That is why German studies were feared, especially with such brilliant initial results.
2. USA. The first patent for a nuclear weapon was obtained in 1939. All such studies took place in fierce competition with Germany. The process was spurred on by a letter to the President of the United States from the most progressive scientists time that in Europe the bomb could be built earlier. And, if not in time, then the consequences will be unpredictable. Starting from 1943, Canadian, European and English scientists helped America in development. The project was called "Manhattan". The weapon was first tested on July 16 at a test site in New Mexico and the result was considered successful.

In 1944, the heads of the United States and Britain decided that if the war did not end, they would have to use a warhead. Already at the beginning of 1945, when Germany capitulated, the Japanese government decided not to admit defeat. The Japanese continued to repel attacks in the Pacific and advance. It was clear then that the war was lost. But the morale of the "samurai" was not broken. A striking example of this was the battle for Okinawa. The Americans suffered huge losses in it, but they are incomparable with the invasion of Japan itself. Although the US bombed Japanese cities, the fury of the resistance of the army did not subside. Therefore, the question of the use of nuclear weapons was raised again. The targets for the attack were chosen by a specially created committee.

Why Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The target selection committee met twice. The first time the Hiroshima Nagasaki nuclear bomb was approved was the release date. For the second time, specific weapons targets were chosen against the Japanese. It happened on May 10, 1945. They wanted to drop the bomb on:

• Kyoto;
• Hiroshima;
• Yokohama;
• Niigata;
• Kokuru.

Kyoto was the largest industrial center of the country, Hiroshima had a huge military port and army warehouses, Yokohama had a center for the military industry, Kokuru was the repository of a large arsenal of weapons, and Niigata was the center of the construction of military equipment, as well as the port. It was decided not to use the bomb on military installations. Indeed, it was possible not to hit small targets without an urban area around and there was a chance to miss. Kyoto was rejected outright. The population in this city is different. high level education. They could assess the significance of the bomb and influence the surrender of the country. Some requirements were put forward for other objects. They should be large and significant economic centers, and the very process of dropping the bomb should cause a resonance in the world. Objects affected by air raids were not suitable. After all, the assessment of the consequences after the explosion of an atomic warhead from the general staff had to be accurate.

Two cities were chosen as the main ones - Hiroshima and Kokura. For each of them, a so-called safety net was determined. Nagasaki became one of them. Hiroshima attracted with its location and size. The strength of the bomb should be increased by nearby hills and mountains. Significance was also attached to psychological factors that could have a special impact on the population of the country and its leadership. And yet, the effectiveness of the bomb must be significant in order to be recognized throughout the world.

History of the bombing

The nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima was supposed to explode on August 3rd. She had already been delivered by cruiser to the island of Tinian and assembled. It was separated by only 2500 km from Hiroshima. But bad weather pushed back the terrible date by 3 days. Therefore, the event of August 6, 1945 took place. Despite the fact that there was fighting near Hiroshima and the city was often bombed, no one was afraid anymore. In some schools, studies continued, people worked according to their usual schedule. Most of the inhabitants were on the street, eliminating the consequences of the bombing. The rubble was dismantled even by small children. 340 (245 according to other sources) thousand people lived in Hiroshima.

Numerous T-shaped bridges connecting the six parts of the city with each other were chosen as the bombing site. They were perfectly visible from the air and crossed the river along and across. From here, both the industrial center and the residential sector, consisting of small wooden buildings, were visible. At 7 o'clock in the morning the air raid signal sounded. Everyone immediately ran for cover. But already at 7:30 the alarm was canceled, as the operator saw on the radar that no more than three aircraft were approaching. Entire squadrons were flown in to bomb Hiroshima, so the conclusion was made about reconnaissance operations. Most of the people, mostly children, ran out of hiding to look at the planes. But they flew too high.

The day before, Oppenheimer had given the crew members clear instructions on how to drop the bomb. It was not supposed to explode high above the city, otherwise the planned destruction would not be achieved. The target must be perfectly visible from the air. The pilots of the American B-29 bomber threw off the warhead in exact time explosion - 8:15 am. The Little Boy bomb exploded at an altitude of 600 meters from the ground.

Consequences of the explosion

The yield of the Hiroshima Nagasaki nuclear bomb is estimated at 13 to 20 kilotons. She had a filling of uranium. It exploded over the modern Sima hospital. People who were a few meters from the epicenter burned down immediately, as the temperature here was in the region of 3-4 thousand degrees Celsius. From some, only black shadows remained on the ground, on the steps. Approximately 70 thousand people died in a second, hundreds of thousands more were terribly injured. The mushroom cloud rose 16 kilometers above the ground.

According to eyewitnesses, at the moment of the explosion, the sky turned orange, then a fiery tornado appeared, which blinded, then the sound passed. Most of those who were within a radius of 2-5 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion lost consciousness. People flew 10 meters away and looked like wax dolls, the remains of houses were spinning in the air. After the survivors came to their senses, they rushed en masse to the shelter, fearing the next combat use and the second explosion. No one yet knew what an atomic bomb was and did not imagine the possible dire consequences. Whole clothes remained on the units. Most of them were in tatters that had not had time to burn out. Based on the words of eyewitnesses, we can conclude that they were scalded with boiling water, their skin ached and itched. In places where there were chains, earrings, rings, there was a scar for life.

But the worst began later. People's faces were burned beyond recognition. It was impossible to make out whether it was a man or a woman. With many, the skin began to peel off and reached the ground, holding only on the nails. Hiroshima was like a parade of the living dead. The inhabitants walked with their hands outstretched in front of them and asked for water. But you could only drink from the canals by the road, which they did. Those who reached the river threw themselves into it to relieve the pain and died there. The corpses flowed downstream, accumulating near the dam. People with babies who were in the buildings hugged them and so died frozen. Most of their names have never been determined.

Within minutes, black rain fell with radioactive contamination. There is a scientific explanation for this. The nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki increased the air temperature several times. With such an anomaly, a lot of liquid evaporated, it very quickly fell on the city. Water mixed with soot, ash and radiation. Therefore, even if a person did not suffer much from the explosion, he became infected by drinking this rain. He penetrated into the channels, onto the products, infecting them with radioactive substances.

The dropped atomic bomb destroyed hospitals, buildings, there were no medicines. The day after, the survivors were taken to hospitals about 20 kilometers from Hiroshima. Burns were treated with flour and vinegar. People were wrapped in bandages like mummies and sent home.

Not far from Hiroshima, the inhabitants of Nagasaki were unaware of exactly the same attack on them, which was being prepared on August 9, 1945. Meanwhile, the US government congratulated Oppenheimer...