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RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
Some of the targeting approaches are discussed in a May 10-11, 1945 Los
Alamos Target Committee meeting. You can read the meeting minutes
(declassified in 1974) here:
http://www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org/HISTORY/H-07d.htm. Pay
particular attention to the meeting attendees. This read should put most of
the speculation to rest.
Rick Orthen
Earth Sciences Consultants, Inc.
Export, PA
rorthen@earthsciences.net
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu] On Behalf Of NIXON, Grant
(Kanata)
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 2:34 PM
To: Radiation Safety
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
I have received several direct emails in response to my comments, all on a
similar vein. Thank you for these.
It is obvious that Hiroshima, Nagasaki, or any other major city, can be
considered as forming an integral part of the military/industrial complex.
However, I am sure that good arguments to this effect could be made
regardless of the city chosen, so long as the population was large enough.
I was under the impression that the detonation points were selected based of
incurring the most civilian casualties, not the most damage to military
targets. I think that clarification or correction on that particular point
would be most informative.
Best regards,
Grant
-----Original Message-----
From: Barnett, Marvin [mailto:marvin.barnett@WXSMS.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 2:15 PM
To: NIXON, Grant (Kanata)
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
The bombing may or may not have been necessary, but the targets weren't
purely civilian.
from http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/abomb/mp06.htm
"Hiroshima was a city of considerable military importance. It contained the
2nd Army Headquarters, which commanded the defense of all of southern Japan.
The city was a communications center, a storage point, and an assembly area
for troops. "
"The city of Nagasaki had been one of the largest sea ports in southern
Japan and was of great war-time importance because of its many and varied
industries, including the production of ordnance, ships, military equipment,
and other war materials. The narrow long strip attacked was of particular
importance because of its industries."
Marvin Barnett
-----Original Message-----
From: NIXON, Grant (Kanata) [mailto:GNIXON@MDS.Nordion.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 12:58 PM
To: 'Strickert, Rick'; Radiation Safety
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
Very interesting quotes.
Two comments:
(1) The US only had 2 viable A-bombs following the Trinity test. It took two
drops to force a surrender. Given that, it could be argued that using one of
them in a technical demonstration would have prolonged the war.
(2) Looking at the quotes below, it is interesting to note that the bombs
were not used on those who waged war, as stated, but on purely civilian
targets and where there were virtually no targets of military significance.
There is nothing moral or just to be salvaged in the theater of war.
Grant
-----Original Message-----
From: Strickert, Rick [mailto:rstrickert@signaturescience.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 10:22 AM
To: Radiation Safety
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
While liberal angst continues to rage over the moral use of atomic bombs in
WWII, the following is worth noting.
On June 16, 1945, Arthur Holly Compton, E. O. Lawrence, J. Robert
Oppenheimer, and Enrico Fermi, members of the Scientific Panel of the
Interim Committee on Nuclear Power submitted their "Recommendations on the
Immediate Use of Nuclear Weapons". The Recommendations noted in part:
"The opinions of our scientific colleagues on the initial use of
these weapons are not unanimous: they range from the proposal of a purely
technical demonstration to that of the military application best designed to
induce surrender. Those who advocate a purely technical demonstration would
wish to outlaw the use of atomic weapons and have feared that if we use the
weapons now our position in future negotiations will be prejudiced. Others
emphasize the opportunity of saving American lives by immediate military
use, and believe that such use will improve the international prospects, in
that they are more concerned with the prevention of war than the elimination
of this special weapon. We find ourselves closer to these latter views; we
can propose no technical demonstration likely to bring an end to the war; we
can see no alternative to direct military use."
Much has been made of a July 17th petition by Leo Szilard and 69 cosigners
at Chicago's Met Lab opposing military use of the atomic bomb. However a
July 18th poll by Compton includes the responses of 150 voluntary
participants (more than half the scientists at the Met Lab). In the results
of the poll, 131 (87%) voted for options favoring eventual military use of
the weapon against Japan; the rest voted for options opposing any military
use. On July 24, Compton passed on both Szilard's petition and the poll
results to General Grove's assistant, Col. Nichols.
On August 10, 1945, after the Nagasaki bombing, President Harry Truman
stated:
"Having found the bomb we have used it. We have used it against
those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who
have starved and beaten and executed American prisoners of war, against
those who have abandoned all pretense of obeying international laws of
warfare. We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order to
save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans.
"We shall continue to use it until we completely destroy Japan's
power to make war. Only a Japanese surrender will stop us."
Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, 1347 days after its attack on Pearl
Harbor.
Rick Strickert
Austin, TX
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