Hiroshima

[Neil]

A nurse survives the blast... Dry and thirsty she manages to crawl to the small pool she new was in back of the hospital. When she gets there she finds a multitude of wounded and thirsty people already there... The first who crawl in, die under the weight of the others who then crawled in and onto them.... Soon after the blast, a mother manages to find the remains of her home. Her six year old child has survived the blast but is trapped in the ruins from the waist up... She cries out to her mother that she cannot breath. The mother tries to free the child, but can not... Slowly the fires approach and after continued attempts to free the child, she has to leave her daughter to burn to death... The same women is in hospital four days later with her husband. The staff try to take a blood sample from the husband. When removing the needle, the blood fails to stop flowing.... The husband bleeds to death while vomiting dark brown matter... The wife lays next to him during the hour it takes him to die... I always find myself with such mixed emotions to Hiroshima... I can understand the arguments for the weapons use, but I find the scientific and lab-rat approach to the blast taints the event almost too much as an experiment under the guise of something else... However, logic says while the first bomb should have been dropped in an unpopulated zone to demonstrate the weapon I can understand that these weapons were incredibly hard to construct so each was "precious", and also I suspect the powers that be in Japan may have ignored such a demonstration... It was a most hideous act, which was probably the better of two evils... Mind you, could Japan have just been left? Was a surrender necessary out of interest? Opinions?

[EvilNed]

Japan had thousands of PoW and committed general genocide in China. Yes, they still had holdings in China. While these lands could probably be liberated fairly easily, Japan also needed to be stopped. Otherwise they would rebuild and go at it again. They, like the germans, demostrated an immense nationalistic pride to the point where they definetly would have used A-Bombs on the americans, given the oppertunity. On the other hand, an Invasion might have been possible if the US and Soviet attacked from two different points. But even so, the Japanese goverment were so cruel to their citizens. They literally handed out tools to schoolgirls and told them to "aim for the abdomen" of the invading soldiers. In my personal opinion, war is war. Atrocities are committed. The A-Bombs were one of the worst, but hey. The Japanese goverment were worse if you put all their cruelty together.

[Neil]

I think you are most likely right... Mind you didn't Japan have basically no fuel supplies? Also the people were generally low on food?

[coma]

I think you are most likely right... Mind you didn't Japan have basically no fuel supplies? Also the people were generally low on food? Yes, they had nothing My Girls father (they are from Hiroshima) had to decide medicine for his dying father or food for his family. His father died. He was just a teenager when the decision was left up to him. from what I understand the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima because its a valley and it would contain the blast. Presumably for later study. Nationalism was certainly strong, but unlike Hitler, their Govt never had an election until after the war so they had no choice either way. My girls point of view is basically the Japanese govt/Military (same thing, Hirohito was a puppet) was asking for it. What did they think would happen attacking a country with almost inexaustable national resources? Before the US occupation they had never been invaded before. At least not with any success. Hiroshima was a civilian population and other then the valley aspect the only other reason I can think of would be terror. If I had the choice Die in an invasion (which was the thought at the time, a million US casualties) or fry a city, I may have picked the bomb. My girl says the teach much about the A Bombings in school, but not much about the war itself. She says it's not out of dismissing it. Quite the opposite. It a deep shame from the often unspoken fact that they were responsible for it. Though the young generation does not agree with that at all, they are more open about the truth. That said, since the war they have not bothered anybody and it's time to leave them alone. Wars over, the Allies won, in case some of you haven't read. It finished about 60 years ago. All the prepetrators are long dead. Yes, they still had holdings in China. On the way out of China, the defeated army took a LOT of grief (and violence) from the Chinese peasents. However, logic says while the first bomb should have been dropped in an unpopulated zone to demonstrate the weapon I can understand that these weapons were incredibly hard to construct so each was "precious", and also I suspect the powers that be in Japan may have ignored such a demonstration... It was a most hideous act, which was probably the better of two evils... Mind you, could Japan have just been left? Was a surrender necessary out of interest? Opinions? The Allies wanted total surrender with no conditions. Maybe also Hiroshima/Nagasaki had nothing they wanted to make use of after the war. Heavy Industry etc. Just a guess. Thought hey propbaly bombed it already. The Allies also firebombed Tokyo and other Cities. I think the Firebombing of Tokyo killed more people, or close to it.

[HLS]

Well i am not brushed up on my history but I feel there is no excuse for dropping the bomb on so many civilians. thinking of it breaks my hart. But then again seeing the devastation of the bomb and what it did to people will perhaps make people think twice before ever using the bomb again. The story you quoted Neil really moved me. Heidi

[_liam_]

they didn't need to bomb a populated area. But the likes of the rape of nanking and unit 731 make it hard for me too feel sympathy for japan, as terrible as that sounds.

[DVW5150]

There is a photo of a burned sillouete of the man hanging his belt on a shelf; it is very eerie / disturbing ... The very use of such a weapon wasnt a deterrent , tests were continued in Nevada until 1959 . All the soldiers that were in trenches 3 miles from the "below ground bursts" are dead of cancer . I just hope nobody forgets how horrible a nuclear weapon can be . Also , the 'president' can learn how to pronounce the word nuclear , he says 'NU-CU-LEAR' ... I sincerely pray that we , our children , and future generations never experience a nuke .

[kortick]

what people dont realise is that the use of those weopons were not to be limited to the two the standard order was for them to be dropped as they were ready as soon as they rolled off the line they were to be put on a plane and dropped on japan tokyo was one of the next targets it only was a last minute order from truman after he got the photos of the damage the bombs caused that he issued an exectutive order stating no nuclear bombs could be dropped with out presidential command the nagasaki bomb went out with out trumans full awareness read the book "hiroshima in america" for details you will not find anywhere on this subject if not for truman many more bombs would have been dropped on japan he stopped it from being a wasteland it also tells how the scientists who worked on the bombs were outside vomiting in the bushes after they saw the job thier creation had done powerful reading

[deadpunk]

In the end, I think the Allies (or just America if you prefer) decided that an extremist show of power is what was needed to end the War. The impact of that nuclear display lasted for quite a bit. It really wasn't until the recent stirrings in the Middle East that the idea of another world war was even considered. Terrible, no doubt...but, war is.

[Danny]

war is war, but i dont think any country should have somethign with that kind of explosive power, cus our species aint gonna be around forever and if we leave the planet as an irradiated wasteland then boarders and race wont matter much when everyones dead will they?, plus good look for the animals that gotta survive it. as for the whole hiroshima thing ,im replying to someone a few posts up, that was the fatman littleboy thing right?, i heard they only had 2 of those bombs and the whole thing was a gambit and they didnt have anymore and it was one big bluff, least thats what we learn over here in history classes, though even nowadays some countrys tweak the truth in history books a fair bit no matter were you are.

[Neil]

Hiroshima was a civilian population and other then the valley aspect the only other reason I can think of would be terror. While generally true, it had a large military school/training camp didn't it? But it was treated very much an experiment which I find quite sickening... The town was never bombed prior to the nuclear attack to ensure when the bomb was dropped an "accurate experiment" could be carried out... The story you quoted Neil really moved me. Heidi I think the event must have been quite unimaginable... The pain and suffering that one bomb caused from seconds after, till years later... The survivors were hot and desperately thirsty... Then the black rain began to fall, and the survivors none the wiser opened their mouths and catched every drop they could in their mouths...

[EvilNed]

I did a bit of calculating on this a few weeks ago. Here are my results: Japan had 10,000 Kamikaze pilots ready to defend their country. But not all of them would be able to operate, of course. Let's say half of them could. 400 allied ships are sunk. 100 man on each ship. 400x100 = 40000. Plus the 5000 suicide bombers. That's 45,000 casualties just there. The japanese had 600,000 soldiers defending Japan. 300,000 of these were not armed with weapons because they were running out of ammo. But the japanese goverment deployed these troops to defend Japan anyway. Many of these guys were conscripts. Forced to war. So... Yeah. In the end, the A-Bombs probably claimed alot less lives than an invasion would have.

[Khardis]

A nurse survives the blast... Dry and thirsty she manages to crawl to the small pool she new was in back of the hospital. When she gets there she finds a multitude of wounded and thirsty people already there... The first who crawl in, die under the weight of the others who then crawled in and onto them.... Soon after the blast, a mother manages to find the remains of her home. Her six year old child has survived the blast but is trapped in the ruins from the waist up... She cries out to her mother that she cannot breath. The mother tries to free the child, but can not... Slowly the fires approach and after continued attempts to free the child, she has to leave her daughter to burn to death... The same women is in hospital four days later with her husband. The staff try to take a blood sample from the husband. When removing the needle, the blood fails to stop flowing.... The husband bleeds to death while vomiting dark brown matter... The wife lays next to him during the hour it takes him to die... I always find myself with such mixed emotions to Hiroshima... I can understand the arguments for the weapons use, but I find the scientific and lab-rat approach to the blast taints the event almost too much as an experiment under the guise of something else... However, logic says while the first bomb should have been dropped in an unpopulated zone to demonstrate the weapon I can understand that these weapons were incredibly hard to construct so each was "precious", and also I suspect the powers that be in Japan may have ignored such a demonstration... It was a most hideous act, which was probably the better of two evils... Mind you, could Japan have just been left? Was a surrender necessary out of interest? Opinions? Japan wanted t be left, (While holding much of manchuria) they would have simply arose anew in a decade with another yen to conqour. We did it right with the unconditional surrender.

[Arcades057]

Also look up the Dresden bombing. 48 hours worth of incendiary bombing reduced the city to a hole in the ground. The fire was so hot that it created a firestorm within that sucked people into the cities center. Imagine a hurricane made of fire that sucks things into it. The final casualties were impossible to due to the total immolation of most of the victims, but German officials, known for limiting their own casualties in reports, reported the death toll at greater than one hundred thousand. Before: After: The subject of the nuclear bombings of Japan are often bandied about, but rarely is the bombing of Dresden mentioned. The difference in the attacks to my mind is that of the two Japanese cities bombed, both were contributors ot the war effort in some way; Dresden's contribution was morale. And people.

[coma]

The subject of the nuclear bombings of Japan are often bandied about, but rarely is the bombing of Dresden mentioned. The difference in the attacks to my mind is that of the two Japanese cities bombed, both were contributors ot the war effort in some way; Dresden's contribution was morale. And people. I hear many different things about the choice of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From what I understand, their contribution to the war effort was minimal. I think they were both Terror to motivate suureneder. At least Hiroshima. Though I believe Dresden was revenge in part. You're right about it not being brought up much. I think that may be because Fat man and Little boy began the Atomic age, whereas Dreseden was just a "regular" War atrocity. There was a US POW camp there too, with a big POW painted on the roofs, but NAzi's played that trick alot. Kurt Vonnegut was in that prison and wrote Catch 22 about his experiecne in there and his presence in the Dresden Firebombing. Agreat book that I highly reccomend. There was so much horrific, evil sh!t, iy's impossible to judge right and wrong. Whats an atrocity, what isn't. In an all out war it seems like you may have to kill everybody to win as fast as possib;e.