The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Page 9

bomb.
The bomb exploded high over the industrial valley of Nagasaki, almost
midway between the Mitsubishi Steel and Arms Works, in the south,
and the Mitsubishi-Urakami Ordnance Works (Torpedo Works), in the
north, the two principal targets of the city.
Despite its extreme importance, the first bombing mission on
Hiroshima had been almost routine. The second mission was not so

uneventful. Again the crew was specially trained and selected; but bad
weather introduced some momentous complications. These
complications are best described in the brief account of the mission's
weaponeer, Comdr., now Capt., F. L. Ashworth, U.S.N., who was in
technical command of the bomb and was charged with the
responsibility of insuring that the bomb was successfully dropped at the
proper time and on the designated target. His narrative runs as follows:
"The night of our take-off was one of tropical rain squalls, and flashes
of lightning stabbed into the darkness with disconcerting regularity.
The weather forecast told us of storms all the way from the Marianas to
the Empire. Our rendezvous was to be off the southeast coast of
Kyushu, some 1500 miles away. There we were to join with our two
companion observation B-29's that took off a few minutes behind us.
Skillful piloting and expert navigation brought us to the rendezvous
without incident.
"About five minutes after our arrival, we were joined by the first of our
B-29's. The second, however, failed to arrive, having apparently been
thrown off its course by storms during the night. We waited 30 minutes
and then proceeded without the second plane toward the target area.
"During the approach to the target the special instruments installed in
the plane told us that the bomb was ready to function. We were
prepared to drop the second atomic bomb on Japan. But fate was
against us, for the target was completely obscured by smoke and haze.
Three times we attempted bombing runs, but without success. Then
with anti-aircraft fire bursting around us and with a number of enemy
fighters coming up after us, we headed for our secondary target,
Nagasaki.
"The bomb burst with a blinding flash and a huge column of black
smoke swirled up toward us. Out of this column of smoke there boiled
a great swirling mushroom of gray smoke, luminous with red, flashing
flame, that reached to 40,000 feet in less than 8 minutes. Below
through the clouds we could see the pall of black smoke ringed with
fire that covered what had been the industrial area of Nagasaki.
"By this time our fuel supply was dangerously low, so after one quick
circle of Nagasaki, we headed direct for Okinawa for an emergency
landing and refueling".

GENERAL COMPARISON OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI
It was not at first apparent to even trained observers visiting the two
Japanese cities which of the two bombs had been the most effective.
In some respects, Hiroshima looked worse than Nagasaki. The fire
damage in Hiroshima was much more complete; the center of the city
was hit and everything but the reinforced concrete buildings had
virtually disappeared. A desert of clear-swept, charred remains, with
only a few strong building frames left standing was a terrifying sight.
At Nagasaki there were no buildings just underneath the center of
explosion. The damage to the Mitsubishi Arms Works and the Torpedo
Works was spectacular, but not overwhelming. There was something
left to see, and the main contours of some of the buildings were still
normal.
An observer could stand in the center of Hiroshima and get a view of
the most of the city; the hills prevented a similar overall view in
Nagasaki. Hiroshima impressed itself on one's mind as a vast expanse
of desolation; but nothing as vivid was left in one's memory of
Nagasaki.
When the observers began to note details, however, striking differences
appeared. Trees were down in both cities, but the large trees which fell
in Hiroshima were uprooted, while those in Nagasaki were actually
snapped off. A few reinforced concrete buildings were smashed at the
center in Hiroshima, but in Nagasaki equally heavy damage could be
found 2,300 feet from X. In the study of objects which gave definite
clues to the blast pressure, such as squashed tin cans, dished metal
plates, bent or snapped poles and like, it was soon evident that the
Nagasaki bomb had been much more effective than the Hiroshima
bomb. In the description of damage which follows, it will be noted that
the radius for the amount of damage was greater in Nagasaki than
Hiroshima.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE
ATOMIC EXPLOSIONS
In considering the devastation in the two cities, it should be
remembered that the cities' differences in shape and topography
resulted in great differences in the damages. Hiroshima was all on low,
flat ground, and was