August 6th, 1945, 75 years later.

Read Ruin From the Air

By the summer of 1944 it was clear that Japan’s defeat was inevitable, but how the drive to victory would be achieved remained to be seen. The ensuing drama—that ended in Japan’s utter devastation—was acted out across the vast stage of Asia, with massive clashes of naval and air forces, fighting through jungles, and barbarities by an apparently incomprehensible foe. In recounting the saga of this time and place, Max Hastings gives us incisive portraits of the theater’s key figures—MacArthur, Nimitz, Mountbatten, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. But he is equally adept in his portrayals of the ordinary soldiers and sailors—American, British, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese—caught in some of the war’s bloodiest campaigns.

With unprecedented insight, Hastings discusses Japan’s war against China, now all but forgotten in the West, MacArthur’s follies in the Philippines, the Marines at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and the Soviet blitzkrieg in Manchuria. He analyzes the decision-making process that led to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—which, he convincingly argues, ultimately saved lives. Finally, he delves into the Japanese wartime mind-set, which caused an otherwise civilized society to carry out atrocities that haunt the nation to this day.

Retribution is a brilliant telling of an epic conflict from a master military historian at the height of his powers.

Oppenhiemer didn't realize the power that he had released until he witnessed what was probably the largest man made explosion in history up until that time, in the New Mexico desert. He thought of a quote from Hindu scripture in the Bhagavad Gita. "I am become death. The Shatterer Of Worlds."
Some of the scientists involved began to have second thoughts. Some thought that, maybe, the Japanese should be shown what the weapon could do and that they would surrender. But I am of the opinion that had it not been used, the invasion of Japan, in November of '45, would have cost many more lives. They would have fought to the last man, woman and child. It would have been the worst bloodbath in history.

Some thought that, maybe, the Japanese should be shown what the weapon could do and that they would surrender. But I am of the opinion that had it not been used, the invasion of Japan, in November of '45, would have cost many more lives. They would have fought to the last man, woman and child. It would have been the worst bloodbath in history.

There were couple online articles this week saying Japan surrendered not because of the 2 atomic bombs, but because Russia declared war on them and the Japanese were more afraid of the Russians than the Americans .

That is indeed a possibility since the Japanese army knew that they stood no chance against the Soviet steam-roller in Manchuria in 1945.

The Soviets had little capability to direct any meaningful attack against the Japanese home islands.

Only the US had the capability of launching a massive amphibious assault against the Japanese home islands.

Only the US could mount massive bombing raids against the Japanese home islands, conventional and nuclear.

Only the US could completely cut off and starve out the Japanese home islands with submarines and air dropped naval mines.

And I'm pretty sure the Japanese were well aware of this.

And to think that all of this could have been avoided had Japan surrendered earlier instead of fanatically fighting until the end. Tojo and Hirohito had plenty of chances so those unfortunate deaths in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were on their hands.

I don't know if they could have surrendered earlier. They were still split on surrendering, and they didn't try to contact the US or UK about surrendering. They did try to contact Russia, who ignored them, up until they declared war on Japan.

I perceive the most egregious error of the Japanese Navy was the lack of offence against or defence of merchant shipping, not considered an honourable action within the interpreation of Bushido.

4. The final components of the first gun type bomb have arrived at Tinian, those of the first implosion type should leave San Francisco by airplane early on 30 July. I see no reason to change our previous readiness predictions on the first three bombs. In September, we should have three or four bombs. One of these will be made from 235 material and will have a smaller effectiveness, about two-thirds that of the test type, but by November, we should be able to bring this up to full power. There should be either four or three bombs in October, one of the lesser size. In November, there should be at least five bombs and the rate will rise to seven in December and increase decidedly in early 1946.

What's your fascination with reviving so many dead threads? Just curious.