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Started By
Message
80th anniversary of the first atomic bomb
Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:28 am
Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:28 am
quote:naval history
Little Boy - Hiroshima - August 6, 1945
The atomic bomb used at Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, was "Little Boy". The bomb was dropped by a USAAF B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, piloted by U.S. Army Air Force Colonel Paul Tibbets, Jr. The bomb weighed 9,000 pounds and had a diameter of only 28 inches. The gun-type weapon possessed the power of 26,000,000 pounds of high explosives. Nuclear fission was achieved by the collision of two parts of active material (Uranium-235). A U-235 projectile fired down a gun barrel collided with a stationary element, causing a mass increase leading to nuclear fission. Little Boy was dropped untested. Previously, on July 26, the bomb, along with "Fat Man" was transported to Tinian Island by USS Indianapolis (CA-35) for final assembly. Four days later, Japanese submarine, I-58, sank Indianapolis, northeast of Leyte.
A replica of Little Boy can be found at "In Harm's Way: Pacific" exhibit area in the National Museum of the Navy, Bldg. 76.
Image: 77-BT-91: Tinian Island, August 1945. Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Enola Gay, returns after the strike Hiroshima, August 6, 1945. Note the aircraft entering hard sand. Official photograph of the Office of Chief of Engineers, now in the collections of the National Archives.
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Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:30 am to bigjoe1
Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:35 am to bigjoe1
Let the debates in the morality of the bomb begin. Before it does, I’ll point out though that dropping the bomb ended the war faster and with far less loss in human lives than any other option. And I’m not talking just Japanese and American lives. Starvation was already breaking out in places like Java and Indochina. Thousands were dying daiy across Japanese occupied Asia. Every day the war was extended, that death toll continued to not only grow but also accelerate. Had we chose blockade or invasion, which were the only other viable options, the finally death toll would have been millions more.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:39 am to Darth_Vader
My dad who fought in the Pacific called it payback day.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:45 am to bigjoe1
quote:
along with "Fat Man"
This is truly the best FAFO moment for me. We drop one and then give Japan the chance to surrender. Then they don't, so we drop the second one and they are finally like "Okay, yeah, Sorry."
Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:52 am to bigjoe1
Japan never would have surrendered otherwise.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 7:59 am to TT9
Anyway, we delivered the bomb.
Best monologue in movie history imo
Best monologue in movie history imo
Posted on 8/6/25 at 8:02 am to Darth_Vader
Couldn't agree more Darth.
My Dad and every WW2 vet I knew never had a second thought about the decision to use the bomb. The world was sick of war and it just had to end.
My Dad and every WW2 vet I knew never had a second thought about the decision to use the bomb. The world was sick of war and it just had to end.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 8:45 am to bigjoe1
quote:
My Dad and every WW2 vet I knew never had a second thought about the decision to use the bomb. The world was sick of war and it just had to end.
As terrible as it was, dropping the A-bomb was far and away the most humane way to end the war.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 8:57 am to bigjoe1
On the same day, Richard Bong, America's top fighter ace, died testing the new P-80 jet fighter.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 9:11 am to FightinTigersDammit
quote:At least he died doing what he loved.
On the same day, Richard Bong, America's top fighter ace, died testing the new P-80 jet fighter.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 9:14 am to bigjoe1
Posted on 8/6/25 at 9:17 am to bigjoe1
quote:
My Dad and every WW2 vet I knew never had a second thought about the decision to use the bomb.
My Dad was on Okinawa awaiting orders for the invasion of Japan; my uncle was in Czechoslovakia waiting for the same thing.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 9:28 am to Tchefuncte Tiger
"the future is bright"
Posted on 8/6/25 at 10:16 am to bigjoe1
Japan should be thanking us for dropping those bombs and ending the war quickly.
If the Allies would have invaded Japan, every city, town, and village would have looked like Stalingrad before it was all over. The nation would have been reduced to an agrarian society forever and would not be the technological and economic powerhouse that it has become.
Half of the nation would have gone communist, like Korea and Germany because the Soviets would have wanted their piece of the pie.
Likely tens of millions of dead Japanese from combat, disease, and starvation if an invasion occurred.
At least one million American casualties were expected in an invasion of the mainland.
Sorry, Japan, but we had to nuke you to save you from yourselves. You're welcome.
If the Allies would have invaded Japan, every city, town, and village would have looked like Stalingrad before it was all over. The nation would have been reduced to an agrarian society forever and would not be the technological and economic powerhouse that it has become.
Half of the nation would have gone communist, like Korea and Germany because the Soviets would have wanted their piece of the pie.
Likely tens of millions of dead Japanese from combat, disease, and starvation if an invasion occurred.
At least one million American casualties were expected in an invasion of the mainland.
Sorry, Japan, but we had to nuke you to save you from yourselves. You're welcome.
This post was edited on 8/6/25 at 10:18 am
Posted on 8/6/25 at 10:27 am to Tchefuncte Tiger
quote:
My Dad was on Okinawa awaiting orders for the invasion of Japan; my uncle was in Czechoslovakia waiting for the same thing.
My Dad had flown 38 combat missions with the 15th Army air Force in Italy.
He reported to an air base in Souix Falls, SD. the day the 2nd bomb was dropped. He was being trained on the B-29 gunnery system for eventual assignment to the Pacific.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 10:27 am to bigjoe1
F
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F
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A
F
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Posted on 8/6/25 at 10:31 am to TheFonz
Well said.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 11:36 am to Mstate
quote:
Anyway, we delivered the bomb.
Best monologue in movie history imo
Written by John Milius, IIRC.
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