Hiroshima August 6 1945

[Rash]

My sister was born on this date.  I knew she was trouble.

[Sabre]

# 26, Agreed,  after they dropped the second  one, the covered was bare.  Also # 1 is incorrect, the US Air Force did not exist until 1948.  The US Army Air Corp. dropped the only Atomic weapons during WWII.

Actually, it was the US Army Air Forces, or AAF, that dropped the bombs. The US Army Air Corp was re-designated the US Army Air Forces on June 20, 1941, six months before Pearl Harbor.  Incidentally, it was the National Security Act of 1947 that created the UN Air Force. My father was serving at the time, and ended up on the AF side of fence following the transition.

[DaveBB]

There were going to be at least 7 tactical atomic bombs for the invasion of Japan.  I'll dig up the source I read that in.  It's either "Dirty Little Secrets of World War II" or "Citizen Soldier".

[DaveBB]

In 1957, Marshall gave some details of his invasion plans for the atomic bomb:

    "There were three corps to come in there [to invade Japan], as I recall. ...there were to be three bombs for each corps that was landing. One or two, but probably one, as a preliminary, then this landing, then another one further inland against the immediate supports, and then the third against any troops that might try to come through the mountains from up on the Inland Sea. That was the rough idea in our minds." (Bland, George C. Marshall: Interviews and Reminiscences for Forrest C. Pogue, pg. 424).

And another source stating 6 to 9 tactical atomic bombs would be used:

https://books.google.com/books?id=A2Zv3VD6ptQC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=tactical+atomic+bombs+Invasion+of+Japan&source=bl&ots=pkx9hz7D-8&sig=RU_jiZTDOdULW9-tB3AB5cZmQN8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjel6jCkrXOAhVC6SYKHdaMASQQ6AEIVTAI#v=onepage&q=tactical%20atomic%20bombs%20Invasion%20of%20Japan&f=false

[Traveler]

And another source stating 6 to 9 tactical atomic bombs would be used:

https://books.google.com/books?id=A2Zv3VD6ptQC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=tactical+atomic+bombs+Invasion+of+Japan&source=bl&ots=pkx9hz7D-8&sig=RU_jiZTDOdULW9-tB3AB5cZmQN8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjel6jCkrXOAhVC6SYKHdaMASQQ6AEIVTAI#v=onepage&q=tactical%20atomic%20bombs%20Invasion%20of%20Japan&f=false

Yes, that was their plan, however, there was only enough material to build 4 bombs total and that took almost 16 months to gather.  The first two were test bombs.  If they had waited for those additional bombs  to be built the war would have drug on for years  and US casualties would have mounted .  That's why Truman had them drop the bombs without the follow up invasion.  He guessed that once they saw how terrible this weapon was they would surrender. 

[zack1234]

Another fact is that Berlin would have bombed if the Narzzies had not surrendered

Sorry my mistake "if the Narzzies had not lost"

[Traveler]

Another fact is that Berlin would have bombed if the Narzzies had not surrendered

Did you mean to say "Another fact is that Berlin would have been bombed"?

The use of the Weapon in EU was discussed and ruled out after the break out in December of 45.  The concerns were one; there were no American Air Craft in EU theater of operation that could carry the bomb.   Fat Man was over 10 tons, the B17 was to small.  Two; if for any reason they dropped the bomb and it didn't function.  Germany would now have the bomb and the talent to reverse engineer.   If they dropped the bomb in Japan and it didn't go off, Japan would have the bomb but not the talent to reverse engineer it.  There was never an operational plan developed to drop the bomb on Berlin.

[zack1234]

Could B29's not fly to Europe and they could not build a runway in Britain?

I doubt anything would have left to reverse engineer.

Is the Euraniuim in the bomb radioactive if the bomb does not explode?

[Oldman731]

Could B29's not fly to Europe and they could not build a runway in Britain?

I believe they didn't build British runways long enough for B-29s until the Berlin Airlift.

- oldman

[Traveler]

Could B29's not fly to Europe and they could not build a runway in Britain?

I doubt anything would have left to reverse engineer.

Is the Euraniuim in the bomb radioactive if the bomb does not explode?

The discussion was held with the President and the Logistics of moving a B29 group and Training another Special B29 Group to carry the bomb was thought to be unnecessary and would only delay the end of the war.  Germany was for the most part finished and was expected to surrender before a new B29 Group could be Trained for the Bomb, and moved and established in England.  There was also the possibility that the bomb dropped in Germany if it didn't work, we would have given them the bomb and they might have reversed engineered it.  This is not based on what I think.  This is from the notes of the meeting by the General Staff and the President of the USA.   The out come , was an order by the President to continue with the current plan which was to bomb Japan only.  With Rossvelt's death, it was left to Truman to give the final order to actually drop it.

[Traveler]

Is the Euraniuim in the bomb radioactive if the bomb does not explode?

Yes, it might have been left as a dirty bomb.

[Traveler]

I doubt anything would have left to reverse engineer.

You would think so, however, I have first had experience of bombs that failed to explode dropped from B52's flying at FL 330.  They were conventional 500lb bomb used against the North  Vietnamese on the infiltration routs to the south.  We would do sweeps through the area and part of our job was to locate the unexploded Ords before the VietCong  did and blow them in place.  I was always very surprised at how little damage there was to the bomb casing.

[zack1234]

I bought some tubeless wheel rims for my SX Lambretta from a Vietnam company called  ScooterRS.

Probly made from steel made in the US

[Ack-Ack]

Could B29's not fly to Europe and they could not build a runway in Britain?

I believe they didn't build British runways long enough for B-29s until the Berlin Airlift.

- oldman

Not true at all in either case.  There was a single B-29 sent to England as a demonstration/propaganda effort.  Since it toured the English country side, it the B-29 was obviously able to land and take off from the larger US/RAF bases.

[Ack-Ack]

#22 is also wrong.

Stimson didn't object to Kyoto being on the target list because he visited it while he was (as some accounts put it) either the Governor-General to the Philippines and visited Kyoto in the '30s and fell in love with it or he fell in love with the city during his honeymoon.  In any event, both accounts are incorrect.  In none of Stimson's writings during or after the event mentions anything about visiting Kyoto in the '30s or during his honeymoon as the reason why he objected so much when Kyoto was put on the target list.  He objected because Kyoto was the cultural center and one time capital of Japan and as such, had a far more concentration of influential Japanese intellectuals that he felt that if we dropped an atom bomb on Kyoto that it would drive the Japanese to the Soviet camp and we'd lose any post-war influence over Japan and the region.