Days of August 9th atomic bomb. Manchurian Offensive Operation

Fulfilling allied obligations undertaken to the USA and Great Britain, as well as in order to ensure the security of its Far Eastern borders, the USSR entered the war against Japan on the night of August 9, 1945, which was a logical continuation of the Great Patriotic War.

With the defeat of Germany and its allies in Europe, the Japanese did not consider themselves defeated; their persistence caused an increase in pessimistic assessments of the American command. It was believed, in particular, that the war would not end before the end of 1946, and the losses of the allied forces during the landing on the Japanese islands would amount to more than 1 million people.

The most important element of the Japanese defense were the fortified areas of the Kwantung Army, stationed in the territory of occupied Manchuria (Northeast China). On the one hand, this army served as a guarantee of Japan’s unhindered supply of strategic raw materials from China and Korea, and on the other, it carried out the task of pulling Soviet forces from the European theater of war, thereby helping the German Wehrmacht.

Back in April 1941, a Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact was concluded, which somewhat reduced tensions between Japan and the USSR, but, simultaneously with the preparation of a strike against Anglo-American troops in the Pacific, the Japanese command was developing a plan of military operations against the Red Army under the code called "Kantokuen" (Special Maneuvers of the Kwantung Army). The danger of war on the Far Eastern borders of the USSR remained throughout the subsequent period. On April 5, 1945, the USSR government denounced the Soviet-Japanese neutrality treaty.

By the summer of 1945, the Japanese had 17 fortified areas, 4.5 thousand pillboxes and bunkers, numerous airfields and landing sites in Manchuria. The Kwantung Army had 1 million people, 1.2 thousand tanks, 1.9 thousand aircraft, 6.6 thousand guns. To overcome strong fortifications, not only courageous, but also experienced troops were needed. At the beginning of the war in the Far East, the Soviet command transferred here additional forces freed up in the west after the victory over Nazi Germany. By the beginning of August, the total number of Red Army formations in the Far Eastern theater of operations reached 1.7 million people, 30 thousand guns and mortars, 5.2 thousand tanks, more than 5 thousand aircraft, 93 ships. In July 1945, the Main Command of Soviet troops in the Far East was formed, it was headed by Marshal of the Soviet Union A. Vasilevsky.

On August 8, 1945, in Moscow, the Soviet government handed over a statement to the Japanese ambassador, which stated that due to Japan’s refusal to cease military operations against the United States, Great Britain and China, the Soviet Union, since August 9, 1945, considers itself in a state of war with Japan. On that day, the Red Army's offensive in Manchuria began in all directions almost simultaneously.

The high rate of advance of Soviet and Mongolian troops in the central part of Manchuria put the Japanese command in a hopeless situation. Due to the success in Manchuria, the 2nd Far Eastern Front part of its forces went on the offensive on Sakhalin. The final stage of the war against Japan was the Kuril landing operation, carried out by part of the forces of the 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts and the Pacific Fleet.

The Soviet Union won victory in the Far East in the shortest possible time. In total, the enemy lost over 700 thousand soldiers and officers, of which 84 thousand were killed and more than 640 thousand captured. Soviet losses amounted to 36.5 thousand people, of which 12 thousand were killed and missing.

On September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay on board the American battleship Missouri, the Japanese rulers, in the presence of authorized representatives of the USSR, USA, China, Great Britain, France and other allied states, signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan. Thus ended the Second World War, which lasted six long years.

YALTA SECRET AGREEMENT OF THE THREE GREAT POWERS ON ISSUES OF THE FAR EAST, February 11, 1945

The leaders of the three great powers - the Soviet Union, the United States of America and Great Britain - agreed that two or three months after the surrender of Germany and the end of the war in Europe, the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan on the side of the Allies, subject to:

1. Preservation of the status quo of Outer Mongolia (Mongolian People's Republic).

2. Restoration of the rights belonging to Russia violated by the treacherous attack of Japan in 1904, namely:

a) the return of the southern part of the island to the Soviet Union. Sakhalin and all adjacent islands,

b) the internationalization of the commercial port of Dairen, ensuring the priority interests of the Soviet Union in this port and the restoration of the lease on Port Arthur as a naval base of the USSR,

c) joint operation of the Chinese Eastern Railway and the South Manchurian Railway, which gives access to Dairen, on the basis of organizing a mixed Soviet-Chinese Society, ensuring the primary interests of the Soviet Union, while keeping in mind that China retains full sovereignty in Manchuria.

3. Transfer of the Kuril Islands to the Soviet Union. It is assumed that the agreement regarding Outer Mongolia and the aforementioned ports and railways will require the consent of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. On the advice of the Marshal, the President will take steps to ensure that such consent is obtained.

The heads of government of the Three Great Powers agreed that these claims of the Soviet Union should be unconditionally satisfied after the victory over Japan.

For its part, the Soviet Union expresses its readiness to conclude a pact of friendship and alliance between the USSR and China with the National Chinese Government in order to assist it with its armed forces in order to liberate China from the Japanese yoke.

Franklin Roosevelt

Winston Churchill

Foreign policy of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War. T. 3. M., 1947.

ACT OF SURRENDER OF JAPANESE, September 2, 1945

(extraction)

1. We, acting by order and on behalf of the Emperor, the Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Staff, hereby accept the terms of the Declaration issued on July 26th at Potsdam by the Heads of the Governments of the United States, China and Great Britain, which was subsequently acceded to by the Soviet Union, which four powers will subsequently called the Allied Powers.

2. We hereby declare the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Staff, all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control, regardless of where they are located.

3. We hereby order all Japanese troops, wherever located, and the Japanese people to immediately cease hostilities, preserve and prevent damage to all ships, aircraft and other military and civilian property, and comply with all demands that may be made by the supreme authorities. commanders of the Allied Powers or organs of the Japanese Government on his instructions.

4. We hereby order the Japanese Imperial General Staff to immediately issue orders to the commanders of all Japanese troops and troops under Japanese control, wherever located, to surrender unconditionally in person, and to ensure the unconditional surrender of all troops under their command.

6. We hereby pledge that the Japanese Government and its successors will faithfully carry out the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and give such orders and take such actions as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers or any other representative designated by the Allied Powers may require in order to give effect to this declaration.

8. The power of the Emperor and the Japanese Government to administer the State will be subordinate to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, who will take such steps as he may deem necessary to carry out these terms of surrender.

Foreign policy of the Soviet Union during the Patriotic War. M., 1947. T. 3.

It is located in the west of the island of Kyushu in Japan and is the administrative center of the prefecture of the same name. The city arose on the site of a fishing village, and was one of the main points through which Japan contacted foreign countries. During Japan's period of isolation, Nagasaki was the only port through which limited trade was conducted with the Dutch and Chinese.

With the outbreak of World War II, Nagasaki not only did not lose its importance as a major seaport, but also acquired important military significance due to the many industries operating in the city, primarily shipbuilding, weapons and steel factories.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 and 70 years laterIn August 1945, American pilots dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Nagasaki was located in two valleys, along which two rivers flowed. A mountain range separated residential and industrial areas. It was he who determined the chaotic development of Nagasaki and the fact that less than 4 square miles of the city's total area of ​​35 square miles were built up. Nagasaki developed for many years without a coherent city plan, and therefore residential buildings and factory buildings throughout the industrial valley ended up as close to each other as possible. On one street were located the Mitsubishi steel mill and the shipyard of the same company on the south side, and the Mitsubishi-Urakami torpedo workshops on the north side. The main business and residential areas were located on a small plain near the edge of the bay.

Nagasaki had never been bombed on a large scale before the atomic bomb. However, on August 1, 1945, several high-explosive bombs were dropped there. Some of these bombs hit shipyards and docks in the southwestern part of the city. Several ended up in the Mitsubishi steel and weapons factories, a medical school and a hospital. Although the damage from this attack was relatively minor, it caused considerable unrest in the city and some people, mainly schoolchildren, were evacuated to rural areas; Thus, by the time of the atomic attack, the population of Nagasaki had decreased somewhat.

The release of the atomic bomb "Fat Man" ("Fat Man") - a plutonium bomb (plutonium-239 isotope) with a yield of 20 kilotons and a mass of 4.5 tons - was planned by the United States for August 11, then the date was postponed to August 9.

On August 9, at 11:20 a.m., the crew of the carrier aircraft dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The bomb exploded high above Nagasaki's industrial valley, almost halfway between the Mitsubishi steel and weapons factories to the south, and the Mitsubishi-Urakami torpedo plant to the north, the city's two main targets.

More than 73 thousand people were killed or disappeared, and later another 35 thousand people died from exposure and injuries. More than 50% of the victims were affected by burns, up to 30% were damaged by the shock wave, and 20% were exposed to penetrating radiation.

Fires destroyed most of the residential buildings.

The atomic explosion over Nagasaki affected an area of ​​approximately 43 square miles, of which 8.5 square miles were water and only 9.8 square miles were built up. The rest of the space was only partially populated, which helped avoid even more casualties.

The consequences of the second bombing were no less terrifying than after the first operation. In one of the Japanese reports, the situation observed in Nagasaki was characterized as follows: “The city resembles a cemetery in which not a single tombstone has survived.”

Currently, the epicenter of a nuclear explosion is a prosperous suburb of Nagasaki. Only the so-called Epicenter Park reminds of the disaster. In the center of this park there is a black stone column - just above the place where the bomb exploded.

Nearby is the Peace Park, in the center of which there is a colossal figure of a seated half-naked man on a high pedestal. His right hand is raised up, as if pointing to a falling bomb, and his left is extended horizontally and symbolizes peace and forgiveness.

In the south of Peace Park is the Atomic Bomb Museum, which opened in 1996. The scary exhibits of this museum make an indelible impression on visitors. The clock with its hands frozen at 11.02 - the exact time of the explosion of the atomic bomb on August 9, 1945 - became the emblem of Nagasaki.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

An American B-29 Superfortress bomber named “Enola Gay” took off from Tinian early on August 6 with a single 4,000 kg uranium bomb called “Little Boy”. At 8:15 a.m., the “baby” bomb was dropped from a height of 9,400 m above the city and spent 57 seconds in free fall. At the moment of detonation, a small explosion provoked an explosion of 64 kg of uranium. Of these 64 kg, only 7 kg went through the fission stage, and of this mass, only 600 mg turned into energy - explosive energy that burned everything in its path for several kilometers, leveling the city with a blast wave, starting a series of fires and plunging all living things into radiation flow. It is believed that about 70,000 people died immediately, with another 70,000 dying from injuries and radiation by 1950. Today in Hiroshima, near the epicenter of the explosion, there is a memorial museum, the purpose of which is to promote the idea that nuclear weapons will cease to exist forever.

May 1945: selection of targets.

During its second meeting at Los Alamos (May 10-11, 1945), the Target Selection Committee recommended Kyoto (a major industrial center), Hiroshima (an army storage center and military port), and Yokohama (a military center) as targets for the use of atomic weapons. industry), Kokura (the largest military arsenal) and Niigata (a military port and mechanical engineering center). The committee rejected the idea of ​​using this weapon against a purely military target, since there was a chance of overshooting a small area not surrounded by a large urban area.
When choosing a goal, great importance was attached to psychological factors, such as:
achieving maximum psychological effect against Japan,
the first use of a weapon must be significant enough for its importance to be recognized internationally. The committee pointed out that the choice of Kyoto was due to the fact that its population had a higher level of education and was thus better able to appreciate the value of weapons. Hiroshima was of such a size and location that, taking into account the focusing effect of the surrounding hills, the force of the explosion could be increased.
US Secretary of War Henry Stimson removed Kyoto from the list due to the city's cultural significance. According to Professor Edwin O. Reischauer, Stimson "knew and appreciated Kyoto from his honeymoon there decades ago."

Pictured is US Secretary of War Henry Stimson

On July 16, the world's first successful test of an atomic weapon was carried out at a test site in New Mexico. The power of the explosion was about 21 kilotons of TNT.
On July 24, during the Potsdam Conference, US President Harry Truman informed Stalin that the United States had a new weapon of unprecedented destructive power. Truman did not specify that he was referring specifically to atomic weapons. According to Truman's memoirs, Stalin showed little interest, saying only that he was glad and hoped that the United States could use it effectively against the Japanese. Churchill, who carefully observed Stalin's reaction, remained of the opinion that Stalin did not understand the true meaning of Truman's words and did not pay attention to him. At the same time, according to Zhukov’s memoirs, Stalin understood everything perfectly, but did not show it, and in a conversation with Molotov after the meeting he noted that “We will need to talk with Kurchatov about speeding up our work.” After the declassification of the American intelligence services' operation "Venona", it became known that Soviet agents had long been reporting on the development of nuclear weapons. According to some reports, agent Theodore Hall even announced the planned date of the first nuclear test a few days before the Potsdam Conference. This may explain why Stalin took Truman's message calmly. Hall had been working for Soviet intelligence since 1944.
On July 25, Truman approved an order, beginning August 3, to bomb one of the following targets: Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata, or Nagasaki, as soon as weather permits, and the following cities in the future as bombs become available.
On July 26, the governments of the United States, Great Britain, and China signed the Potsdam Declaration, which set out the demand for Japan's unconditional surrender. The atomic bomb was not mentioned in the declaration.
The next day, Japanese newspapers reported that the declaration, the text of which was broadcast on the radio and scattered in leaflets from airplanes, had been rejected. The Japanese government did not express any desire to accept the ultimatum. On July 28, Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki said at a press conference that the Potsdam Declaration was nothing more than the old arguments of the Cairo Declaration in a new wrapper, and demanded that the government ignore it.
Emperor Hirohito, who was waiting for a Soviet response to the evasive diplomatic moves [what?] of the Japanese, did not change the government’s decision. On July 31, in a conversation with Koichi Kido, he made it clear that imperial power must be protected at all costs.

An aerial view of Hiroshima shortly before the bomb was dropped on the city in August 1945. Shown here is a densely populated area of ​​the city on the Motoyasu River.

Preparing for the bombing

During May-June 1945, the American 509th Mixed Aviation Group arrived on Tinian Island. The group's base area on the island was several miles from other units and was carefully guarded.
On July 26, the cruiser Indianapolis delivered the Little Boy atomic bomb to Tinian.
On July 28, the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, George Marshall, signed an order for the combat use of nuclear weapons. This order, drafted by the head of the Manhattan Project, Major General Leslie Groves, ordered a nuclear strike "on any day after the third of August as soon as weather conditions permit." On July 29, the commander of US strategic aviation, General Carl Spaatz, arrived on Tinian, delivering Marshall's order to the island.
On July 28 and August 2, components of the “Fat Man” atomic bomb were brought to Tinian by plane.

Commander A.F. Birch (left) numbers the bomb, codenamed "Baby", physicist Dr Ramsay (right) will receive the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1989.

The "baby" was 3 m long and weighed 4,000 kg, but contained only 64 kg of uranium, which was used to provoke a chain of atomic reactions and subsequent explosion.

Hiroshima during World War II.

Hiroshima was located on a flat area, slightly above sea level at the mouth of the Ota River, on 6 islands connected by 81 bridges. The city's population before the war was over 340 thousand people, making Hiroshima the seventh largest city in Japan. The city was the headquarters of the Fifth Division and the Second Main Army of Field Marshal Shunroku Hata, who commanded the defense of all of Southern Japan. Hiroshima was an important supply base for the Japanese army.
In Hiroshima (as well as in Nagasaki), most buildings were one- and two-story wooden buildings with tiled roofs. Factories were located on the outskirts of the city. Outdated firefighting equipment and insufficient training of personnel created a high fire danger even in peacetime.
Hiroshima's population peaked at 380,000 during the war, but before the bombing the population gradually declined due to systematic evacuations ordered by the Japanese government. At the time of the attack the population was about 245 thousand people.

Pictured is the US Army Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber "Enola Gay"

Bombardment

The primary target of the first American nuclear bombing was Hiroshima (the alternate targets were Kokura and Nagasaki). Although Truman's orders called for atomic bombing to begin on August 3, cloud cover over the target prevented this until August 6.
On August 6 at 1:45 a.m., an American B-29 bomber under the command of the commander of the 509th Combined Aviation Regiment, Colonel Paul Tibbetts, carrying the “Baby” atomic bomb on board, took off from the island of Tinian, which was about 6 hours flight from Hiroshima. Tibbetts' plane (Enola Gay) was flying as part of a formation that included six other planes: a reserve plane (Top Secret), two controllers and three reconnaissance aircraft (Jebit III, Full House and Straight Flash). The commanders of reconnaissance aircraft sent to Nagasaki and Kokura reported significant cloudiness over these cities. The pilot of the third reconnaissance aircraft, Major Iserli, found that the sky over Hiroshima was clear and sent the signal “Bomb the first target.”
Around seven o'clock in the morning, the Japanese early warning radar network detected the approach of several American aircraft heading towards southern Japan. An air raid warning was announced and radio broadcasts were stopped in many cities, including Hiroshima. At approximately 08:00, the radar operator in Hiroshima determined that the number of incoming aircraft was very small - perhaps no more than three - and the air raid alert was canceled. In order to save fuel and aircraft, the Japanese did not intercept small groups of American bombers. The standard radio message was that it would be wise to head to bomb shelters if the B-29s were actually spotted, and that it was not a raid but just some form of reconnaissance that was expected.
At 08:15 local time, the B-29, being at an altitude of over 9 km, dropped an atomic bomb on the center of Hiroshima. The fuse was installed at a height of 600 meters above the surface; the explosion, the equivalent of 13 to 18 kilotons of TNT, occurred 45 seconds after the release.
The first public report of the event came from Washington, sixteen hours after the atomic attack on the Japanese city.

A photo taken from one of two American bombers of the 509th Integrated Group shortly after 8:15 a.m. on August 5, 1945, shows smoke rising from the explosion over the city of Hiroshima.

When the uranium in the bomb fissioned, it was instantly converted into the energy of 15 kilotons of TNT, heating the massive fireball to 3,980 degrees Celsius.

Explosion effect

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, flammable materials such as paper ignited up to 2 km from the epicenter. The light radiation burned the dark pattern of clothing into the skin and left silhouettes of human bodies on the walls. People outside their houses described a blinding flash of light, which was simultaneously accompanied by a wave of stifling heat. The blast wave followed almost immediately for everyone near the epicenter, often knocking them off their feet. Occupants of the buildings generally avoided exposure to the light radiation from the explosion, but not the blast wave - glass shards hit most rooms, and all but the strongest buildings collapsed. One teenager was thrown from his house across the street by the blast wave, while the house collapsed behind him. Within a few minutes, 90% of people who were 800 meters or less from the epicenter died.
The blast wave shattered glass at a distance of up to 19 km. For those in the buildings, the typical first reaction was the thought of a direct hit from an aerial bomb.
Numerous small fires that simultaneously broke out in the city soon merged into one large fire tornado, creating a strong wind (at a speed of 50-60 km/h) directed towards the epicenter. The firestorm captured over 11 km² of the city, killing everyone who did not manage to get out within the first few minutes after the explosion.
According to the memoirs of Akiko Takakura, one of the few survivors who were at a distance of 300 m from the epicenter at the time of the explosion:
Three colors characterize for me the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima: black, red and brown. Black because the explosion cut off the sunlight and plunged the world into darkness. Red was the color of blood flowing from wounded and broken people. It was also the color of the fires that burned everything in the city. Brown was the color of burnt skin falling off the body, exposed to the light radiation from the explosion.
A few days after the explosion, doctors began to notice the first symptoms of radiation among the survivors. Soon, the number of deaths among the survivors began to rise again, as patients who had seemed to be recovering began to suffer from this strange new disease. Deaths from radiation sickness peaked 3-4 weeks after the explosion and began to decline only 7-8 weeks later. Japanese doctors considered vomiting and diarrhea characteristic of radiation sickness to be symptoms of dysentery. Long-term health effects associated with exposure, such as an increased risk of cancer, haunted survivors for the rest of their lives, as did the psychological shock of the blast.

The shadow of a man who was sitting on the steps of the stairs in front of the bank at the time of the explosion, 250 meters from the epicenter.

Losses and destruction

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 radioactive contamination and other post-effects of the explosion, the total number of deaths ranged from 90 to 166 thousand people. After 5 years, the total death toll, including deaths from cancer and other long-term effects of the explosion, could reach or even exceed 200,000 people.
According to official Japanese data, as of March 31, 2013, there were 201,779 “hibakusha” alive - people who suffered from the effects of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This figure includes children born to women exposed to radiation from the explosions (mostly living in Japan at the time of the calculation). Of these, 1%, according to the Japanese government, had serious cancer caused by radiation exposure after the bombings. The number of deaths as of August 31, 2013 is about 450 thousand: 286,818 in Hiroshima and 162,083 in Nagasaki.

View of the destroyed Hiroshima in the fall of 1945 on one branch of the river passing through the delta on which the city stands

Complete destruction after the dropping of an atomic bomb.

Color photograph of the destruction of Hiroshima in March 1946.

An explosion destroyed the Okita plant in Hiroshima, Japan.

Look how the sidewalk has been raised and there's a drainpipe sticking out of the bridge. Scientists say this was due to the vacuum created by the pressure from the atomic explosion.

Twisted iron beams are all that remains of the theater building, located about 800 meters from the epicenter.

The Hiroshima Fire Department lost its only vehicle when the western station was destroyed by an atomic bomb. The station was located 1,200 meters from the epicenter.

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Nuclear pollution

The concept of “radioactive contamination” did not yet exist in those years, and therefore this issue was not even raised then. People continued to live and rebuild destroyed buildings in the same place where they were before. Even the high mortality rate of the population in subsequent years, as well as diseases and genetic abnormalities in children born after the bombings, were not initially associated with exposure to radiation. Evacuation of the population from contaminated areas was not carried out, since no one knew about the very presence of radioactive contamination.
It is quite difficult to give an accurate assessment of the extent of this contamination due to lack of information, however, since the first atomic bombs were technically relatively low-power and imperfect (the Baby bomb, for example, contained 64 kg of uranium, of which only about 700 g reacted division), the level of contamination of the area could not be significant, although it posed a serious danger to the population. For comparison: at the time of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, there were several tons of fission products and transuranium elements in the reactor core - various radioactive isotopes that accumulated during the operation of the reactor.

Terrible consequences...

Keloid scars on the back and shoulders of a victim of the Hiroshima bombing. The scars formed where the victim's skin was not protected from direct radiation rays.

Comparative preservation of some buildings

Some reinforced concrete buildings in the city were very stable (due to the risk of earthquakes), and their frames did not collapse, despite the fact that they were quite close to the center of destruction in the city (the epicenter of the explosion). This is how the brick building of the Hiroshima Chamber of Industry (now commonly known as the "Genbaku Dome", or "Atomic Dome"), designed and built by the Czech architect Jan Letzel, survived, which was only 160 meters from the epicenter of the explosion (at the height of the bomb detonation 600 m above the surface). The ruins became the most famous artifact of the Hiroshima atomic explosion and were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, despite objections from the US and Chinese governments.

A man looks at the ruins left after the atomic bomb exploded in Hiroshima.

People lived here

Visitors to Hiroshima Memorial Park look at a panoramic view of the aftermath of the atomic explosion on July 27, 2005 in Hiroshima.

Memorial flame in honor of the victims of the atomic explosion at the monument in the Hiroshima Memorial Park. The fire has burned continuously since it was lit on August 1, 1964. The fire will burn until “all the atomic weapons on earth disappear forever.”

In September 1944, at a meeting between US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Hyde Park, an agreement was concluded that included the possibility of using atomic weapons against Japan.

By the summer of 1945, the United States of America, with the support of Great Britain and Canada, as part of the Manhattan Project, completed preparatory work to create the first operational nuclear weapons.

During its second meeting at Los Alamos (May 10-11, 1945), the Target Selection Committee recommended Kyoto (a major industrial center), Hiroshima (an army storage center and military port), and Yokohama (a military center) as targets for the use of atomic weapons. industry), Kokura (the largest military arsenal) and Niigata (a military port and mechanical engineering center). The committee rejected the idea of ​​using this weapon against a purely military target, since there was a chance of overshooting a small area not surrounded by a large urban area.

Chronology of events before the first bombing

On July 16, the world's first successful test of an atomic weapon was carried out at a test site in New Mexico. The power of the explosion was about 21 kilotons of TNT.

On July 24, during the Potsdam Conference, US President Harry Truman informed Stalin that the United States had a new weapon of unprecedented destructive power. Truman did not specify that he was referring specifically to atomic weapons. According to Truman's memoirs, Stalin showed little interest, saying only that he was glad and hoped that the United States could use it effectively against the Japanese. Churchill, who carefully observed Stalin's reaction, remained of the opinion that Stalin did not understand the true meaning of Truman's words and did not pay attention to him.

According to Zhukov’s memoirs, Stalin understood everything perfectly, but did not show it, and in a conversation with Molotov after the meeting he noted that “We will need to talk with Kurchatov about speeding up our work.” After the declassification of the American intelligence services' operation "Venona", it became known that Soviet agents had long been reporting on the development of nuclear weapons. According to some reports, agent Theodore Hall even announced the planned date of the first nuclear test a few days before the Potsdam Conference. This may explain why Stalin took Truman's message calmly. Hall had been working for Soviet intelligence since 1944.

On July 25, Truman approved an order, beginning August 3, to bomb one of the following targets: Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata, or Nagasaki, as soon as weather permits, and the following cities in the future as bombs become available.

On July 26, the governments of the United States, Great Britain, and China signed the Potsdam Declaration, which set out the demand for Japan's unconditional surrender. The atomic bomb was not mentioned in the declaration.

Preparing for the bombing

On July 28, the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, George Marshall, signed an order for the combat use of nuclear weapons. This order, drafted by the head of the Manhattan Project, Major General Leslie Groves, ordered a nuclear strike "on any day after the third of August as soon as weather conditions permit." On July 29, the commander of US strategic aviation, General Carl Spaatz, arrived on Tinian, delivering Marshall's order to the island.

Hiroshima was located on a flat area, slightly above sea level at the mouth of the Ota River, on 6 islands connected by 81 bridges. The city's population before the war was over 340 thousand people, making Hiroshima the seventh largest city in Japan. The city was the headquarters of the Fifth Division and the Second Main Army of Field Marshal Shunroku Hata, who commanded the defense of all of Southern Japan. Hiroshima was an important supply base for the Japanese army.

In Hiroshima (as well as in Nagasaki), most buildings were one- and two-story wooden buildings with tiled roofs. Factories were located on the outskirts of the city. Outdated firefighting equipment and insufficient training of personnel created a high fire danger even in peacetime.

On August 6 at 1:45 a.m., an American B-29 bomber under the command of the commander of the 509th Combined Aviation Regiment, Colonel Paul Tibbetts, carrying the “Baby” atomic bomb on board, took off from the island of Tinian, which was about 6 hours flight from Hiroshima. Tibbetts' plane (Enola Gay) was flying as part of a formation that included six other planes: a reserve plane (Top Secret), two controllers and three reconnaissance aircraft (Jebit III, Full House and Straight Flash). The commanders of reconnaissance aircraft sent to Nagasaki and Kokura reported significant cloudiness over these cities. The pilot of the third reconnaissance aircraft, Major Iserli, found that the sky over Hiroshima was clear and sent the signal “Bomb the first target.”

At 08:15 local time, the B-29, being at an altitude of over 9 km, dropped an atomic bomb on the center of Hiroshima. The fuse was installed at a height of 600 meters above the surface; explosion, equivalent to 13 to 18 kilotons of TNT, occurred 45 seconds after the release

The first public report of the event came from Washington, sixteen hours after the atomic attack on the Japanese city.

Explosion effect

The shadow of a man who was sitting on the steps of the stairs in front of the bank at the time of the explosion, 250 meters from the epicenter

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, flammable materials such as paper ignited up to 2 km from the epicenter. The light radiation burned the dark pattern of clothing into the skin and left silhouettes of human bodies on the walls. People outside their houses described a blinding flash of light, which was simultaneously accompanied by a wave of stifling heat. The blast wave followed almost immediately for everyone near the epicenter, often knocking them off their feet. Occupants of the buildings generally avoided exposure to the light radiation from the explosion, but not the blast wave - glass shards hit most rooms, and all but the strongest buildings collapsed. One teenager was thrown from his house across the street by the blast wave, while the house collapsed behind him. Within a few minutes, 90% of people who were 800 meters or less from the epicenter died.

The blast wave shattered glass at a distance of up to 19 km. For those in the buildings, the typical first reaction was the thought of a direct hit from an aerial bomb.

Numerous small fires that simultaneously broke out in the city soon merged into one large fire tornado, creating a strong wind (at a speed of 50-60 km/h) directed towards the epicenter. The firestorm captured over 11 km² of the city, killing everyone who did not manage to get out within the first few minutes after the explosion.

A few days after the explosion, doctors began to notice the first symptoms of radiation among the survivors. Soon, the number of deaths among the survivors began to rise again, as patients who had seemed to be recovering began to suffer from this strange new disease. Deaths from radiation sickness peaked 3-4 weeks after the explosion and began to decline only 7-8 weeks later. Japanese doctors considered vomiting and diarrhea characteristic of radiation sickness to be symptoms of dysentery [source not specified 762 days]. Long-term health effects associated with exposure, such as an increased risk of cancer, haunted survivors for the rest of their lives, as did the psychological shock of the blast.

Losses and destruction

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 radioactive contamination and other post-effects of the explosion, the total number of deaths ranged from 90 to 166 thousand people. After 5 years, the total death toll, including deaths from cancer and other long-term effects of the explosion, could reach or even exceed 200 thousand people.

It is quite difficult to give an accurate assessment of the extent of this contamination due to lack of information, however, since the first atomic bombs were technically relatively low-power and imperfect (the Baby bomb, for example, contained 64 kg of uranium, of which only about 700 g reacted division), the level of contamination of the area could not be significant, although it posed a serious danger to the population. For comparison: at the time of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, there were several tons of fission products and transuranium elements in the reactor core - various radioactive isotopes that accumulated during the operation of the reactor.

Nagasaki

Nagasaki in 1945 was located in two valleys, along which two rivers flowed. A mountain range separated the city's districts.

Nagasaki was not subjected to large-scale bombing before the explosion of the atomic bomb, but on August 1, 1945, several high-explosive bombs were dropped on the city, damaging shipyards and docks in the southwestern part of the city. Bombs also hit the Mitsubishi steel and gun factories. The result of the raid on August 1 was the partial evacuation of the population, especially schoolchildren. However, at the time of the bombing the city's population was still about 200 thousand people.

At 8:50 a.m., a B-29 carrying the atomic bomb headed for Kokura, where it arrived at 9:20 a.m. By this time, however, there was already 70% cloud cover over the city, which did not allow visual bombing. After three unsuccessful approaches to the target, at 10:32 the B-29 headed for Nagasaki. At this point, due to a problem with the fuel pump, there was only enough fuel for one pass over Nagasaki.

The hastily aimed bomb exploded almost halfway between the two main targets in Nagasaki, the Mitsubishi steel and gun works in the south and the Mitsubishi-Urakami torpedo factory in the north. If the bomb had been dropped further south, between business and residential areas, the damage would have been much greater.

In general, although the power of the atomic explosion in Nagasaki was greater than in Hiroshima, the destructive effect of the explosion was less. This was facilitated by a combination of factors - the presence of hills in Nagasaki, as well as the fact that the epicenter of the explosion was located over an industrial area - all this helped protect some areas of the city from the consequences of the explosion.

The atomic explosion over Nagasaki affected an area of ​​approximately 110 km², of which 22 were water surfaces and 84 were only partially inhabited.

According to a report from Nagasaki Prefecture, "people and animals died almost instantly" at a distance of up to 1 km from the epicenter. Almost all houses within a 2 km radius were destroyed, and dry, flammable materials such as paper ignited up to 3 km from the epicenter. Of the 52,000 buildings in Nagasaki, 14,000 were destroyed and another 5,400 were seriously damaged. Only 12% of buildings remained undamaged. Although no firestorm occurred in the city, numerous local fires were observed.

Discussion about the advisability of atomic bombings

Proponents of the bombing usually argue that it was the reason for Japan's surrender, and therefore prevented significant casualties on both sides (both the US and Japan) in the planned invasion of Japan; that the rapid conclusion of the war saved many lives in other Asian countries (primarily China); that Japan was fighting a total war in which the distinction between military and civilians was erased; and that the Japanese leadership refused to capitulate, and the bombing helped shift the balance of opinion within the government towards peace.

Opponents of the bombing argue that it was simply an addition to an already ongoing conventional bombing campaign and thus had no military necessity, that it was fundamentally immoral, a war crime, or a manifestation of state terrorism (despite the fact that in 1945 no there were international agreements or treaties that directly or indirectly prohibited the use of nuclear weapons as a means of warfare).

A number of researchers express the opinion that the main purpose of the atomic bombings was to influence the USSR before its entry into the war with Japan in the Far East and to demonstrate the atomic power of the United States.

The only cases in history where nuclear weapons were used were the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which took place on August 6 and 9, 1945. The US command wanted to bring Japan's surrender as soon as possible. The bombs were named "Baby" and "Fat Man" and had a yield of 18 and 21 kilotons, respectively. The total number of deaths as a result of the bombing is about 260 thousand people (not counting the victims of radiation sickness). This was the final blow to Japan's military power, and it forced her to bow.

Prerequisites for a nuclear strike

The United States lost about 100 thousand people in the war with Japan. The command assumed that the invasion of Japan would result in the same casualties. Then the United States developed the Manhattan Project, which was involved in the creation of atomic bombs.

Atomic attack on August 6. Target: Hiroshima

In total, about 350 thousand inhabitants lived in Hiroshima, and this city was an important supply center for the entire Japanese army, which made it the original target.

The departure began at 01:45, and already at 07:00 Japan spotted three US planes, and the threat of bombing was not announced, since the command believed that three planes would not carry it out.

At 08:15, the atomic bomb exploded at an altitude of half a kilometer. People who were close to the epicenter of the explosion instantly turned into coal. 90% of the population who were at a distance of up to 1 km died within a minute. The firestorm killed everyone who was in this area within a few minutes. All who survived were susceptible to radiation sickness (which was unknown before), most of the people who were in the city died within five weeks, some lived up to eight weeks. Then people gave the name to this new disease - radiation. And the first recognized victim died eighteen days after the atomic strike. Japanese doctors could not explain why people were dying, and they could not do anything about it. Just 16 minutes later, Japan learned about the terrible explosion, but there were no details. At first, the command considered this to be rumors, because there was no bombing. When Japanese scouts saw what was left of the city, they could not believe their eyes. Only sixteen hours later did Japan learn the whole truth about what had happened.

Five years later, the death toll as a result of bombing and radiation was 200 thousand, and that’s just Hiroshima. Analysts say that as of 2013, the number of deaths as a result of a nuclear strike is about 290 thousand in Hiroshima and about 170 thousand in Nagasaki.

At that time, people did not yet know what radioactive contamination was and continued to live in the same place. This has caused many deaths and abnormalities in newborns.

Atomic attack on August 9. Target: Nagasaki

The city of Nagasaki was a large seaport; a large number of military vessels were produced here. At the time of the bombing, the city had about 200 thousand inhabitants.

At 10:53, two aircraft were discovered by Japanese forces, but they were mistaken for reconnaissance aircraft. At 11:02 minutes an explosion occurred at an altitude of 500 m. The power of the charge was greater than that dropped on Hiroshima, but the relief of Nagasaki reduced the severity of the damage. People who were within a radius of 1 km died instantly. 12% of the city's buildings remained intact. As of 1950, the number of deaths as a result of the explosion and radiation sickness was about 150 thousand people.

At first, the United States planned to launch an atomic strike on the capital, Tokyo, but soon abandoned this, since this city was not an important strategic site. The same city of Hiroshima was of greater military importance for Japan. However, if a bomb had been dropped on Tokyo, the number of victims would have been even greater, and many times over.

The US command planned to launch several more atomic strikes on Japanese territory, but no order came from the president. The US initially planned to drop bombs as they were produced.

Already on August 10, Japan asked for surrender; the only thing it wanted was to retain the emperor at the head of state.

Discussions about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Humanity is still asking the question: “Was Japan’s surrender worth the use of such weapons?” There are opponents and supporters of surrender in the world. Some believe that this was already an unnecessary action, since the surrender of Japan was possible with fewer casualties; opponents consider these actions inhuman and immoral. Supporters believe these nuclear strikes helped save the lives of many American soldiers.

Some also believe that the United States simply wanted to show its military advantage over the USSR. Truman himself considered the bombing necessary, and said that he would never ask for forgiveness for it. His grandson reported this in 2015.

The United States knew about the high morale of the Japanese soldiers, who were not going to capitulate. The American Army feared losses because fighting the Japanese on their home soil would lead to guerrilla warfare, which would weaken the regular US Army.

Consequences

In total, nuclear strikes and subsequent radiation sickness took the lives of almost half a million people, among them were also US citizens of Japanese descent, many Chinese and Korean prisoners of war. Two cities were reduced to ruins.

It was then that nuclear weapons were used for the first time, and it was then that many thought about their use as a weapon of a new generation. After the bombing, the United States began to actively create even more bombs, and the USSR soon joined them.

The bombing “informed” medicine about a new disease - radiation; until that time, no one could have imagined that a person could die from radiation. Which subsequently accelerated work on the treatment and prevention of this disease and, in turn, reduced mortality from radiation sickness in our time.

Atomic strikes served as the final point in World War II and confirmed the complete victory of the anti-Hitler coalition over the Axis countries (Berlin, Rome, Tokyo).