HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI 259
NAGASAKI
Mitsubishi arms factory,
Saigo dormitorySaibu Gas,
Ohashi factoryMitsubishi shipyard,
Mount Inasa lumber mill
InasaMount
KonpiraMitsubishi arms factory,
Morimachi plantMitsubishi Electric,
Nagasaki factoryMitsubishi
Nagasaki shipyardMitsubishi arms
factory, Ohashi
plantNagasakiHarbor1 ,500 ft3 ,000 ft5 ,000ft6 ,500ft10,^000ftNagasaki
prefectural
oceUrakami catholic churchNagasaki city hallNagasaki Medical College HospitalUrakami First HospitalMunicipal Nagasaki HospitalTHE BOMB HITS NAGASAKI
AUGUST 9, 1945
Bockscar found the city of Kokura covered by
clouds, which had formed after a US firebomb
raid on nearby Yahata. After three failed runs,
the aircraft diverted to a secondary target city—
Nagasaki. The bomb was dropped at 11:02 am
local time, and exploded some 1,640 ft (500 m)
over the city. It missed its intended detonation
point by almost 2 miles (3.2 km), and damage to
the city was considerably less than at Hiroshima.5
THE “FAT MAN” BOMB
JULY 16–AUGUST 9, 1945
Based on the prototype tested in the US, “Fat
Man” was a plutonium bomb named for its wide,
round shape. All of the weapon’s components
had arrived on Tinian in the Mariana Islands by
August 2, and the bomb was assembled during
the following week. The deadly payload was
loaded aboard a B-29, Bockscar, piloted by Major
Charles Sweeney. Bockscar, accompanied by five
other aircraft, left Tinian at 3:47 am on August 9
and headed for its primary target, Kokura.4
DESTRUCTION OF TWO CITIES
The bombs that flattened Hiroshima and Nagasaki
were the first and last atomic weapons to be employed
in war. Their impact killed tens of thousands of people
instantly, with many more dying by the end of the year,
and their use ushered in the nuclear age.RoadRailroadSchools destroyedRadius of damageHospitals destroyedBuildings destroyedBombing routesBuilt-up areasKEYAug 9 The route of
the bomber Bockscar
over Nagasaki.Aug 9 Fires burn at the
southern edge of the city.11:02 am, Aug 9 The bomb
drops within range
of some of Nagasaki’s
arms factories and other
industrial facilities.NAGASAKI EXPLOSION
Although the bomb dropped
on Nagasaki was more
powerful than the one used
on Hiroshima, its impact was
confined by the hillsides in the
surrounding valley.△ Hiroshima after the blast
A man stands in Hiroshima’s ruins in the aftermath of the bombing.
Unaware that there had been an attack, the Japanese military were
puzzled by the ensuing radio silence from the city.IMPACT AND AFTERMATH
AUGUST 9 ONWARD
Much of the center of Nagasaki was destroyed by
the blast and resultant firestorm, with fire damage
radiating outward around 1.8 miles (3 km). An
estimated 40,000 people were killed outright—
many of them munitions or industrial workers—
with another 60,000 injured. A further 40,000
people died by the end of the year from related
blast and burn injuries or from radiation sickness.6
Area completely
destroyedStructures destroyedStructures on fire
or damagedFactories destroyed13
,^000 ft10,^000 ft6 ,^500ft1 ,500 ftHIROSHIMA
Army
headquartersDistrict
headquartersFukuye department
storeRed Cross HospitalCity HallPrefectural
Industrial
Promotion
HallGround zero2
3
4
5
61TIMELINEJAN 1945 MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN 1946US_258-259_Hiroshima_Nagasaki.indd 259 19/03/19 7:28 PM