On this date 74 years ago, the US dropped the first of two atomic bombs on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing more than 70,000 people instantly. Sumie Sasaki/Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. By Mark Weber. The US dropped another bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945, killing up to 80,000 people. Most people alive have zero recollection of those events and those times. ‘Seared to death’: The atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima. Ahead of the decisive nuclear bombings, the Allies (the UK, US, Soviet Union, and China) readied themselves for a more 'traditional' invasion of … The first bomb dropped on Hiroshima was known as ‘Little Boy.’ The Enola Gay, the plane which dropped the bomb, was named in tribute to the 30-year-old Colonel Tibbets’ mother. The 1.25 million battle casualties incurred in total by the United States in World War II included both military personnel killed in action and wounded in action. It exploded with an energy of approximately 15 kilotons of TNT (63 TJ) and caused widespread death and destruction throu… Then-President Harry S. Truman authorized the attack on Hiroshima. Mitsuko Taguchi/Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Torazuchi Matsunaga remembered soldiers carrying children's corpses on stretchers to a temporary crematorium. At 11:02 a.m., another atomic bomb was dropped over Nagasaki. The resolution said the city’s residents “consider it their sublime duty to be a cornerstone of world peace and no nation of the world should ever be permitted to repeat the error of using of nuclear weapons.”, The resolution called the ex-president’s stance a “gross defilement committed on the people of Hiroshima and their fallen victims.”, Truman responded to the Hiroshima resolution by writing a letter to the Council’s chairman, saying that “the feeling of the people of your city is easily understood, and I am not in any way offended by the resolution.”. The drawings document survivors' memories surrounding that horrible day. Some 200,000 people died in the initial blast and from the ensuing effects of radiation. ", Charles Maier, a professor of history at Harvard University, said that while it was possible for Truman to have made another decision, he said "It would have been hard to justify to the American public why he prolonged the war when this weapon was available.". Akira Onogi/Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The bomb was code … ", PHOTO: Please click the button below to agree to our Terms and Conditions and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States is one of the major menacing events of WW2; others being the Holocaust, bombing of industrial and population centres and so on. ‘Seared to death’: The atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima. "It seemed to offer a potentially magical solution that would spare a lot of pain," he told CNN. Nearly one million of the casualties occurred during the last year of the war, from June 1944 to June 1945. Hiroshima's Atomic Bomb Genbaku Dome became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. In December 1944, American battle casualties hit an … It remains an act of barbarism unparalleled in the history of war – and its use was never a necessity. Targeting was finalized on July 25, 1945: Hiroshima, Kokura, Nilgata, Nagasaki. Mitsuko Taguchi is haunted by this scene, depicted in her drawing, of a dead mother and child who had fallen while trying to outrun flames. "Their faces were really even blacker than the drawing. Three days after the bombing, she arrived at where her house once stood. Residents wondered why Hiroshima had been spared destruction by firebombing. Chisako Sasaki drew this image of a girl at a window on the second floor of a burning house. Next to the woman, a sobbing girl pleads for help from neighbors. He said the thought of wiping out another 100,000 people was too horrible. Hiroshima was chosen as a target because of its military importance. "I wept and wept. The rest died from exposure, dehydration, and shark attacks. The USS Indianapolis, after delivering the Hiroshima bomb materials to Tinian island in the Marianas, was sunk on July 30. "I can never forget," Sasaki said. Japan was a fierce enemy of the US and its allies — Britain, China and the Soviet Union — during the World War II. At least 70,000 people were killed in the initial blast, while approximately 70,000 more died from radiation exposure. Hiroshima was chosen as a target because of its military importance. ", PHOTO: The devastation led to Japan's unconditional surrender and brought an end to World War II. Less than a month later, atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hiroharu Kono/Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. As Japan marks 75th anniversary of the nuclear bomb attack, a look at how it happened, the devastation it wrought. The day after the Hiroshima bomb was dropped, Truman received a telegram from Senator Richard B. Russell of Georgia, encouraging the president to use as many atomic bombs as possible on Japan, claiming the American people believed “that we should continue to strike the Japanese until they are brought groveling to their knees.” "The recent experience in the battles in Iwo Jima and Okinawa was very costly in terms of US and Japanese casualties, despite the destruction of the Japanese air force and navy," Rushay said. Soldiers had been trained not to give water to burn victims, thinking it would worsen their condition. Sueko Sumimoto remembered a mother standing on a bridge. But it was also intended to send a message to the Soviets. Then-President Harry S. Truman authorized the attack on Hiroshima. It is described by UNESCO as not only representing “a stark and powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind; it also expresses the hope for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons.”. The US remains the only country to have used nuclear weapons. If it was the Hiroshima bomb, why did Prime Minister Suzuki wait almost three days after he learned of it in the early morning of August 7 before he convened a meeting of the Supreme War Council on August 9? An estimated 140,000 people, including those with radiation-related injuries and illnesses, died through Dec. 31, 1945. The question of whether or not the United States was right to drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 is surely among the 20th century’s most enduring and divisive.. For many, the horrors inflicted by an atomic attack are so devastating and widespread that there will never be any justification. ", PHOTO: Hiroshima had been spared from bombing the entirety of the war, but a series of air raid warnings the night before made her father uneasy—she survived because he … Rushay said that Hiroshima was one of four potential targets and that Truman left it up to the military to decide which city to strike. Had the US … The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is located atop the busy commercial district obliterated by the atomic blast and contains monuments dedicated to the thousands killed in the explosions. A second bomb followed three days later over Nagasaki and killed 40,000 more. Kate Hudson writes: The city of Hiroshima stands on a flat river delta on the Japanese mainland, Honshu. By Marc LiVecche. Was Hiroshima Necessary? Why was Hiroshima bombed? "The hands and legs sticking out of the stretcher swung with the motion. He added that Truman and his military advisers feared a "very costly invasion" of Japan. TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images. In 1958, the City Council of Hiroshima passed a resolution condemning Truman for refusing to express remorse for using atomic bombs and for continuing to advocate their use in an emergency situation. The park is located atop the busy commercial district obliterated by the atomic blast and contains a museum and monuments dedicated to those killed by the explosion. I cannot forget that shocking sight. The United States detonates the world's first atomic bomb at a test site in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. Between 300,000-420,000, according the Department of Energy and the City of Hiroshima website. However, it was clearly not moral to use this weapon knowing that it would kill civilians and destroy the urban milieu. In 1945, the Pacific War between the Empire of Japan and the Allies entered its fourth year. Rushay said that Hiroshima was one of four potential targets and that Truman left it up to the military to decide which city to strike. This attack was made because the Japanese wanted to capture the Dutch … Visitors come to bear witness to preserved burnt wreckage, painful survivor testimonies and human shadows left permanently visible after the atomic bomb explosion's incandescent destruction. He added that Truman and his military advisers feared a “very costly invasion” of Japan. So if Japan was ready to surrender, why were atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Hiroshima before the bombing. In this rendering, Hideo Kimura shows burned and screaming classmates. After digging through a foot of dirt, Kono found the bones of her older brother, older sister and a 3-day-old baby who had all died in a fire. But the stars glittering all around the scary smokestack were so beautiful. "I put my hands together and just prayed to Namu Amida Buddha," she said. Hiroshima, city, capital of Hiroshima prefecture, southwestern Honshu, Japan. Bruce 7 August 2015 2. All Rights Reserved. To complete your CNN profile and ensure you are able to receive important account information, please verify your email address. Chisako Sasaki/Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Mitsuko Taguchi is haunted by this scene, depicted in her drawing, of a dead mother and child who had fallen while trying to outrun flames. By Marc LiVecche. Hiroshima and Nagasaki will remain a burden on American conscience — Hiroshima because it was the world's first atomic bombing, setting a … The park is the location of the iconic “A-Bomb Dome,” the skeletal ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. While President Truman had hoped for a purely military target, some advisers believed that bombing an urban area might break the fighting will of the Japanese people. The nuclear warfare ushered in the end of World War II and a devastating chapter in world history. Chisako Sasaki drew this image of a girl at a window on the second floor of a burning house. On this date 74 years ago, the US dropped the first of two atomic bombs on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing more than 70,000 people instantly. The United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima 75 years ago today. Why Bombing Hiroshima Was The Moral Thing To Do. The utter devastation caused by the bombing has led many to criticize the decision. ", PHOTO: One plant's tall smokestack remained standing, and it scared us at night. The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was justified at the time as being moral – in order to bring about a more rapid victory and prevent the deaths of more Americans. A second atomic attack on Nagasaki three days later killed another 70,000. Filled with moans and the smell of zinc oxide and Mercurochome mixed sweat. The attack on Dresden, continues to this day woman pinned under a pillar from her collapsed house as flames! And broken planks and built US a shack over the burnt ruins of the survivors the! 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