Never Before Seen Photos From Hiroshima & Nagasaki

[Whiskey Tango]

Full gallery here at Life.com.

 

[SoulManX]

Damn that Katy KaBoom

But serious wow that just wow.

 

[Ugfugly]

ok tasteless i apologize

the civilians did not deserve those but this is what happens when leaders don't care about their citizens

 

[Harls]

Oh, wow... the photographs are so hauntingly beautiful and sad at the same time.

 

[kane9321]

the bomb saved my grandfather from going to japan( he was off the coast of Okinawa ) ..who knows what would have happened to him if we didnt drop the bomb

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

It's like a real life Fallout 3.

But like a poster above said, very haunting. I am fascinated by stuff like this. While I understand the reasons for doing this, I can't exactly fist pump the insta-deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

 

[Heretic]

Ah WW2...a war that was actually worth fighting.

 

[Honey Vibe]

the bomb saved my grandfather from going to japan( he was off the coast of Okinawa ) ..who knows what would have happened to him if we didnt drop the bomb

Couldn't Truman have demonstrated the terrible power of that weapon, by blowing a way a forested area? You act like your grandfather beat a bar check or something....

 

[Metamorpho1977]

My grandfather was in China then he went to Iwo Jima. He knew Ira Hayes, the indian that got screwed when the flag was raised. He has a Japanese sword and flag that he won in a contest with a Japanese soldier.

 

[THE MR. TERRIFIC]

WOW! Tragic.

 

[Bnightwing]

Just curious, is it still radioactive there?

 

[hippie_hunter]

Couldn't Truman have demonstrated the terrible power of that weapon, by blowing a way a forested area? You act like your grandfather beat a bar check or something....

No, the point of showing off the true destructive power of a weapon is by actually using it, not demonstrating it.

Not only that, but the use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is essentially the whole "kill millions to save billions" idea. Sure hundreds of thousands of people died in the atomic bombings of Japan, but an invasion of Japan would have costed tens of thousands of Allied troops (estimates put it at the millions) and tens of millions of Japanese citizens, especially since Japan's defense plans essentially consisted of just throwing whoever they could at the Allied forces because they had no resources.

And dare I say it would have saved hundreds of thousands more Japanese civilians during the Cold War because the Soviet Union planned on invading the Japanese mainland as well with the Soviet military invading Hokkaido, which would have resulted in the Soviet Union either annexing the island like they did with the Kuril Islands and Southern Sakhalin and brutally oppressed the native Japanese along with evicting and displacing them.

Or set up a communist puppet state of North Japan which would have brutally oppressed its citizens. And Asian Communist nations, asides from Mongolia, made the rest of the Communist bloc look like happy fun time land.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

No, the point of showing off the true destructive power of a weapon is by actually using it, not demonstrating it.

Not only that, but the use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is essentially the whole "kill millions to save billions" idea. Sure hundreds of thousands of people died in the atomic bombings of Japan, but an invasion of Japan would have costed tens of thousands of Allied troops (estimates put it at the millions) and tens of millions of Japanese citizens, especially since Japan's defense plans essentially consisted of just throwing whoever they could at the Allied forces because they had no resources.

And dare I say it would have saved hundreds of thousands more Japanese civilians during the Cold War because the Soviet Union planned on invading the Japanese mainland as well with the Soviet military invading Hokkaido, which would have resulted in the Soviet Union either annexing the island like they did with the Kuril Islands and Southern Sakhalin and brutally oppressed the native Japanese along with evicting and displacing them.

Or set up a communist puppet state of North Japan which would have brutally oppressed its citizens. And Asian Communist nations, asides from Mongolia, made the rest of the Communist bloc look like happy fun time land.

Not only did it save lives, but it showed the world what nuclear weapons could do. There is a reason nuclear weapons haven't been used in warfare since then.

 

[Matt Mortem]

edit

 

[Kurosawa]

No, the point of showing off the true destructive power of a weapon is by actually using it, not demonstrating it.

Not only that, but the use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is essentially the whole "kill millions to save billions" idea. Sure hundreds of thousands of people died in the atomic bombings of Japan, but an invasion of Japan would have costed tens of thousands of Allied troops (estimates put it at the millions) and tens of millions of Japanese citizens, especially since Japan's defense plans essentially consisted of just throwing whoever they could at the Allied forces because they had no resources.

And dare I say it would have saved hundreds of thousands more Japanese civilians during the Cold War because the Soviet Union planned on invading the Japanese mainland as well with the Soviet military invading Hokkaido, which would have resulted in the Soviet Union either annexing the island like they did with the Kuril Islands and Southern Sakhalin and brutally oppressed the native Japanese along with evicting and displacing them.

Or set up a communist puppet state of North Japan which would have brutally oppressed its citizens. And Asian Communist nations, asides from Mongolia, made the rest of the Communist bloc look like happy fun time land.

The Soviets would have BRUTALIZED Japan especially considering the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. They would have made a harsh example of them.

 

[kane9321]

Couldn't Truman have demonstrated the terrible power of that weapon, by blowing a way a forested area? You act like your grandfather beat a bar check or something....

It proved that we had a weapon that could really F U UP...PERIOD!!

USA: "you saw what these bombs did,now do you want one dropped on ANOTHER TARGET IN JAPAN"?

japan: OH *****

USA:exactly

 

[Heretic]

The way you win a war is simple: Break the will of the people. Do unto them so much death and destruction that they beg their leaders to surrender.

We have changed our policy on war to where we now spend more time chopping wood and handing out donuts than we do blowing things up...which is why we can no longer win wars.

 

[SuperFerret]

Couldn't Truman have demonstrated the terrible power of that weapon, by blowing a way a forested area? You act like your grandfather beat a bar check or something....

Flat out simple answer: Even back then, forested areas were becoming harder and harder to come by, where people are far more common.

You're looking at it too emotionally, and from the point of view of those killed by the bombs. You shouldn't do that as it blurs your vision of what's real.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

The Soviets would have BRUTALIZED Japan especially considering the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. They would have made a harsh example of them.

The Japanese basically destroyed Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (if you're implying that Japanese would have sought revenge). The Japanese weren't far from the Nazis in terms of brutality and violence; they also thought they were racially superior. They committed the Nanking Massacre and similar atrocities throughout East Asia and the Pacific.

 

[Ugfugly]

The Japanese basically destroyed Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (if you're implying that Japanese would have sought revenge). The Japanese weren't far from the Nazis in terms of brutality and violence; they also thought they were racially superior. They committed the Nanking Massacre and similar atrocities throughout East Asia and the Pacific.

My great aunt told me all the horrible things the Japanese did to soldiers in Philippines. When I was little I heard all the stories of my uncles and aunts hiding in the hills and the torture being done to those caught. As a child I grew up hating Japanese.

Of course I have no animosity towards them now however if The Bomb wasn't dropped the Japanese would have kept on fighting until their Emperor told them to stop. As has been mentioned already it was the only way to stop the deaths of alot more.

 

[Honey Vibe]

No, the point of showing off the true destructive power of a weapon is by actually using it, not demonstrating it.

Not only that, but the use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is essentially the whole "kill millions to save billions" idea. Sure hundreds of thousands of people died in the atomic bombings of Japan, but an invasion of Japan would have costed tens of thousands of Allied troops (estimates put it at the millions) and tens of millions of Japanese citizens, especially since Japan's defense plans essentially consisted of just throwing whoever they could at the Allied forces because they had no resources.

And dare I say it would have saved hundreds of thousands more Japanese civilians during the Cold War because the Soviet Union planned on invading the Japanese mainland as well with the Soviet military invading Hokkaido, which would have resulted in the Soviet Union either annexing the island like they did with the Kuril Islands and Southern Sakhalin and brutally oppressed the native Japanese along with evicting and displacing them.

Or set up a communist puppet state of North Japan which would have brutally oppressed its citizens. And Asian Communist nations, asides from Mongolia, made the rest of the Communist bloc look like happy fun time land.

Not only did it save lives, but it showed the world what nuclear weapons could do. There is a reason nuclear weapons haven't been used in warfare since then.

Flat out simple answer: Even back then, forested areas were becoming harder and harder to come by, where people are far more common.

You're looking at it too emotionally, and from the point of view of those killed by the bombs. You shouldn't do that as it blurs your vision of what's real.

SuperFerret, I agree that your answer especially, was flat-out "simple".

To the other responses that cite hypothetical scenarios rather than factual history, my rejoinder: would you therefore agree the United States should have been a-bombed, to prevent it from arming violent, repressive dictatorships in South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and fueling ongoing civil wars?

 

[Spidey-Bat]

SuperFerret, I agree that your answer especially, was flat-out "simple".

To the other responses that cite hypothetical scenarios rather than factual history, my rejoinder:

It may be hypothetical, but an amphibious invasion of mainland Japan would have happened had the atomic bombs not been dropped (see: Operation Downfaull); it was the only way Japan would have surrendered. The Japanese were ruthless fighters and they did not follow international agreements with prisoners. They would have rather been killed or even commit suicide before being taken prisoner. They also would have had civilians -woman and children- attack soldiers had an invasion occurred. The casualties would have greatly outnumbered those of the Battle of Stalingrad (which had 2 million casualties). It would have dragged out the war for months and been an enormous cost in terms of finances and, most important, lives.

would you therefore agree the United States should have been a-bombed, to prevent it from arming violent, repressive dictatorships in South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and fueling ongoing civil wars?

I will let someone else handle this one as my knowledge of post-WWII US history is limited.

 

[The Apocalypse]

ah ww2...a war that was actually worth fighting.

message!

 

[Matt Mortem]

SuperFerret, I agree that your answer especially, was flat-out "simple".

To the other responses that cite hypothetical scenarios rather than factual history, my rejoinder: would you therefore agree the United States should have been a-bombed, to prevent it from arming violent, repressive dictatorships in South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and fueling ongoing civil wars?

We shouldn't have been a-bombed, but we should have subjected ourselves to the same war-crime trials as we did the japanese and germans. Seems its only a war crime if you're the loser. Victors are never wrong

 

[Cosmic]

I find it very hard to believe this idea that without the atom bombs, the war would have dragged on. Japan was desperately losing the war, and was trying to surrender. Their major cities and war infrastructure had been bombed all to hell. Their navy was mostly destroyed. They were losing key strategic territories very rapidly. The combined might of the Allied forces and Russia would have crushed their army in short order.

In truth, they were secretly trying to negotiate terms that would leave their emperor intact. But the US demanded complete and total surrender. In the end, we let them keep their emperor, anyway...the "unconditional surrender" that was insisted upon never was fully enforced.