Bombing of Nagasaki
Three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, a second mission was put into action to bomb another Japanese city. This time, the primary target was the city of Kokura, and the secondary target was Nagasaki. The mission was very similar to the bombing of Hiroshima. Major Charles Sweeney piloted the aircraft nicknamed Bockscar, which was in charge of weapon delivery. Two B-29 bombers flew from the island of Tinian as weather scouts an hour ahead of time, and two more accompanied Bockscar on the mission for photography and blast measurement. The three B-29s on the mission flew separately from Tinian, and were to rendezvous just off the coast of Japan.
The weather scout planes reported clear conditions over both target cities, but the mission was slightly delayed due to one plane not making the rendezvous point. When Bockscar reached the city of Kokura, cloud cover had moved in, and did not allow for a visual bombing attack. Three runs were made over the city, but a lack of fuel forced Sweeney to move on to the secondary target of Nagasaki. On their approach to Nagasaki, air raid sirens in the city were set off, but again, the all clear signal was given when only two B-29’s were sighted (Trinity Atomic Web Site). Clouds had also moved in over the city, but a small break provided a visual for the bombing to take place. The bomb, nicknamed “Fat Man” was dropped at approximately 11:02 AM and exploded at 1,600 feet above the city.
The weather scout planes reported clear conditions over both target cities, but the mission was slightly delayed due to one plane not making the rendezvous point. When Bockscar reached the city of Kokura, cloud cover had moved in, and did not allow for a visual bombing attack. Three runs were made over the city, but a lack of fuel forced Sweeney to move on to the secondary target of Nagasaki. On their approach to Nagasaki, air raid sirens in the city were set off, but again, the all clear signal was given when only two B-29’s were sighted (Trinity Atomic Web Site). Clouds had also moved in over the city, but a small break provided a visual for the bombing to take place. The bomb, nicknamed “Fat Man” was dropped at approximately 11:02 AM and exploded at 1,600 feet above the city.
The bomb was dropped almost two miles north of the intended target in one of the two valleys that the city is comprised of. It is estimated that there were 40,000 to 80,000 deaths, with another 40,000 injured. Although “Fat Man” was a more powerful bomb than “Little Boy”, there was only a half-mile radius of buildings that were completely destroyed. The hypocenter was located in a small valley, which contained the blast and protected a major part of the city. Fires were also not able to spread as they did in Hiroshima due to rivers that separated the city.
Nagasaki before and after the atomic bomb explosion.
Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
The location of the hypocenter of the explosion over Nagasaki can be seen in a small valley, far from a major portion of the city. The more powerful bomb created a more powerful and expansive explosion, although damage was not as severe as the case in Hiroshima. The cross-hatched areas indicate severe destruction a half mile away from the hypocenter, and less significant damage extended up to four miles. DEM Source: USGS. Image Source: http://www.allworldwars.com/Photographs-of-the-atomic-bombings-of-Hiroshima-and-Nagasaki.html