Nagasaki

Nagasaki

Nagasaki had never been subjected to large scale bombing
prior to the explosion of the atomic bomb there. On August
1st, 1945, however, a number of high explosive bombs
were dropped on the city. A few of these bombs hit in the
shipyards and dock areas in the southwest portion of the
city. Several of the bombs hit the Mitsubishi Steel and Arms
Works and six bombs landed at the Nagasaki Medical
School and Hospital, with three direct hits on buildings
there. While the damage from these few bombs were relatively
small, it created considerable concern in Nagasaki
and a number of people, principally school children, were
evacuated to rural areas for safety, thus reducing the population
in the city at the time of the atomic attack.
On the morning of August 9th, 1945, at about 7:50 A.M.,
Japanese time, an air raid alert was sounded in Nagasaki,
but the “All clear” signal was given at 8:30. When only
two B-29 superfortresses were sighted at 10:53 the Japanese
apparently assumed that the planes were only on reconnaissance
and no further alarm was given. A few moments
later, at 11:00 o’clock, the observation B-29 dropped
instruments attached to three parachutes and at 11:02 the
other plane released the atomic 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”