Hi BAR
Lest you think that I am unfamiliar with nukes, let me assure you that, as an AOB (aircraft Observer, Bombardment) I flew in nuclear capable B47’s with SAC (Strategic Air Command) during the Cold War. I was well versed in nuclear weapons and their use and capability.
As I have indicated previously, nuclear weapons are a Pandora’s Box (probably best left unopened). However I am glad that, if it had to be opened, better the US than either Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan.
IMHO
FWIW
In 1945, the U.S. military expected up to 1 million casualties in the invasion of Japan, so the services stocked up on Purple Hearts. As late as 1985, the Defense Logistics Agency still had about 120,000 Purple Heart sets dating back to World War II. These expectations were certainly not unreasonable, given the ferocity of the battles on Okinawa. Another dimension were suicides by Japanese civilians, notably on Saipan and Okinawa, convinced by propaganda the Americans would rape and slaughter them. Even with the second bomb, there were still plenty of military fanatics who refused to surrender, enough they they would go so far as to attempt a coup against the Emperor of Japan to prevent his surrender speech from being broadcast. One can only imagine how much longer the war would have gone on had they succeeded. Archival records show a third bomb was under assembly at Tinian in the Mariana Islands where the Enola Gay and Bockscar had flown from, with the main plutonium core about to be shipped from the U.S. Fortunately, it was not needed.
Paul Tibbets - Wikipedia
Was wondering last week if Capt. Tibbets was related to the missing girl in Iowa. Spelled different though.
RIP Paul Tibbets and all those brave souls who did what unfortunately had to be done and prayers for the safe return of Mollie Tibbetts.
Paul S remember they have had hundreds & hundreds of years with feuding war lords gaining control of Japan with the code of the Samurai and later the Bushido code total dedication to their lord & master or emperor where surrender was not an option the beliefs put into the civilian minds that the emperor was a demi-god and the Americans would eat them spurred the populace to a frenzy of dedication to defend till the death.
I mean they were training people to strap explosives on their backs to dive under US tanks and then detonating the charge!
Mate, My dad served in the islands, every adult male (and some of the women) his age I knew, had served and fought in some nation's (UK, US, or Commonwealth, a couple of Poles, and a few from Italy and Germany) armed forces and every theatre of war.
There were blokes I knew growing up who had been captured by the Japanese. Not one of them who had been shipped to Japan as slave labour expected to survive the war. They knew they would be butchered or used as human shields if the home islands were invaded. They knew, and made it clear to us growing up, that every Japanese man, woman and child would die defending the emperor - there would be no surrender, but for the bomb. There was a very real reason that the Allies required all Japanese aircraft have their propellers removed, etc before the US fleet sailed into Tokyo harbour for the surrender of Japan.
1945:At 8:15 am today 73 years ago, a US B-29 dropped a single bomb over Hiroshima, and the first atomic weapon used in warfare detonated with a 13-kiloton blast, destroying nearly 5 square miles of the Japanese city.
Over 70,000 died instantly, and tens of thousands will later perish from injury and sickness.
My boarding school mathematics teacher hated the Japs. He had been taken prisoner in Burma. There were no fingernails left on the six fingers they didn’t cut off.
Read “With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa” by E.B. Sledge and you will see why it was necessary to drop the A-bombs.
The "unecessary" cruelty they inflicted on their adverseries, especially when they were captured was shameful under the Geneva Convention. The very same Convention which meant nothing to them at all.
How the Germans could ever side with them heaven knows.
Every ex serviceman that was ever taken by the Japs and incarserated, hated them with a vengeance and NEVER bought anything knowingly that was Japanese, and would cross the road to be away from them if they saw any.
I know that appears extreme but thats how it scarred them for life.
The Germans were so close to developing a similar bomb under Werner Von Braun so thank God for our level headed top teir at the time for deciding to drop it when they did!!
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
Yes how close they were....................."Broadsword calling Danny Boy" Broadsword Calling Danny Boy" Over..........thank God for the Norwegian Resistance Movement and the Intel they captured, Where Eagles Dare...............
Last edited by Gil Boyd; 08-07-2018 at 06:03 AM.
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
Said many times on this forum. When I was in Australia (and NZ too), all/most of the blokes who worked in our camps, the boilermen, groundsmen, maintenance workers, firemen, storemen etc etc....., you know the sort of blokes, were ex POW's and had blazer badges with the FEPOW logo. Being a singlie (a single bloke) and living in, I got to know those that worked in our workshops. What they used to say about them was horrendous beyond words. The general Australian and NZ population of the mid 60's was one of total hatred.
One day I'll mention the tree planting ceremony..............
Maybe Cinders can remind me about an incident with Japanese POW's at Cowra and how they repaid the kindness shown to them.
Last edited by Peter Laidler; 08-07-2018 at 11:07 AM.