Military Base in Hiroshima in WW2?

Yes, Hiroshima was a military operation. Just as Operation Thunderclap was 6 months before.

Hiroshima contained the Japanese II General Army HQII GAHQ controlled XVI Area Army (14 divisions in Korea and Kyushu), XV Area Army (8 divisions in western Honshu and Shikoku), and V Area Army (5 divisions on Hokkaido at the other end of Japan. (???)). The 32 divisions defending the rest of Japan (central and northern Honshu) were controlled from I General Army HQ in Tokyo.

According to the Simon and Schuster Encyclopedia of World War II, '[Hiroshima's] normal population of 240,000... was doubled by the presence of... military and naval personnel.'

Not saying that is untrue but dropping on a military installation could have given them the 'scientific data' needed. In spite of the reasons mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't at least SOME feelings of vengence involved. Face it ....... we did more than get even that day.

(...)

One additional question. An email from a Japanese correspondent which I just received stated (excerpt anonymized): * * * 'I couldn't find the exact name of 'Ihiro Wan'. 'Wan' means a bay in Japanese. I found that 'Hiro Wan' exist in Hiroshima. There was major naval port of Kure located in Hiro wan.' * * *

How far away would this naval port be from the city ?

(My original question to my correspondent was I own one myself which has its metal buttplate coarsely engraved with the words 'IHIRO WAN', maybe by the US soldier who captured it (more realistically: picked it up somewhere in a warehouse).

Would you happen to know whether 'Ihiro Wan' is a town/city, an island, a bay, a ship's name or whatever ? Was there any kind of military action ?

given them the 'scientific data' needed. In spite of the reasons mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't at least SOME feelings of vengence involved. Face it ....... we did more than get even that day.

Hiroshima was as legitimate a military target as any of the other Japanese cities we'd been bombing to pieces up to that point. We most certainly would have bombed it too had we not been saving it for the big one. And in terms of civilian casualties the Hiroshima bomb didn't compare with the firebombings of Tokyo. So in what way did we 'more than get even that day'?

'......when we didn't need to do it, and we knew we didn't need to do it, and they knew that we knew that we didn't need to do it, we used them as an experiment for two atomic bombs.' Brigadier General Carter Clarke. The military Intelligence Officer in charge of preparing intercepted Japanese cables- the MAGIC summaries

I honestly don't think that vengeance was at all the reason for dropping the atomic bomb. I feel exactly the same way about fire bombing a city.

Acts such as these involve the burning to death and dismemberment of children. To do something such as this for no militarily or political gain is truly barbaric and sadistic.

When children are considered, if President Truman gave the order to drop the bomb for vengeful reasons, he would have been no better than hitler, stalin or some of the other monsters from history. I do believe that Truman was sufficiently decent not to be cast in that category of characters.

As legitimate a military target as any of the other German cities we'd been bombing to pieces.

'When they think this is just another bomb, they are making a very serious mistake...But, this isn't just another weapon, not just another bomb. People make a mistake about that when they talk that way.' President Trueman. 14 Feb 1949.

240 000 people killed by two a-bombs. 'Hiroshima and Nagaski: The physical, medical and social effects of the Atomic Bombings.' New York 1981 pgs 364-367.

If a-bombs don't compare to firebombs, why spend $2 000 000 000 ( 1945 ) for them?

'The President said that during the past 24 hours he had received 170 telegrams, of which 153 urged him to impose the harhest terms on Japan. One Congressman told him to 'let the Japs know unqualifiedly what unconditional surrender means. Let the dirty rats squeal.' ' 'Delivered from Evil' by Robert Leckie pg 942 Mr leckie was a scout and machine-gunner with the First Marine Div WW2 and was awarded the Naval Commendation Medal for action at Peleliu.

'Attacks on cities like any other act of war are intolerable unless they are strategically justified.' Bomber

Actually in a sense it was just another bomb. The destruction of Tokyo and Dresden with conventional firebombing was comparable to that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The difference was in numbers. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you had one plane carrying one bomb to one city. In Tokyo and Dresden, you had miles and miles of planes dropping bombs for hours and hours. This is why I believe that we did not have to use the atomic bomb in World War II and did not have to get labeled with the associated stigma of being the only country in the world to drop an atomic weapon during hostilities. Conventional bombing would certainly have produced the same physical results. If the bomb helped to win the war sooner, it was strictly because of emotional reasons.

Sort of. In early 1944 a group from Standard oil and Dupont invented a jellied gasoline called 'Napalm'. As early as 1943 at a test site in the Utah desert Japanese buildings had been simulated with wood, paper and straw.

Japan's industrial targets were surrounded by civilian residences. General LeMay figured it this way, 'No matter how you slice it you're going to kill an awful lot of civilians. Thousands and thousands. But, if you don't destroy Japanese industry we're going to have to invade Japan. And how many Americans will be killed in an invasion? 500 000 seems to be the lowest estimate. We're at war with Japan. Would you rather have Americans killed? Crank her up. Let's go.' 'Most of us in the Army Air Forces had been convinced for a long time that it would be possible to defeat the Japanese without invading their home islands. We could bomb and burn them until they quit. I feel that the destruction of Japan's ability to wage war lies with the capability of this command, provided its maximum capacity is exerted unstintingly during the next six months.' 'Mission with LeMay' autobiography.

In 17 raids administered over 14 weeks, 105.6 sq miles-almost half the land area- of japan's 6 most important cities was wiped out. Hundreds of major war industries and thousands of small feeder plants were now non-productive.

'The morale of the Japanese people began a steady decline, never to rise again. Industries suddenly ceased to exist or operated at greatly reduced rates. The panic-stricken people began an exodus from the major cities. The rate of absenteeism in the war industries recorded an alarming rise. The population of Tokyo dropped from over 5 000 000 in 1 Jan 1945 to 2 300 000 on 1 Aug.' Major James Boyle United States Strategic Bombing Survey-PTO Washington, DC July 1, 1946.

'One pilot keeping his hand on the wheel crossed himself with the other and was heard to say, 'This blaze will haunt me forever. It's the most terrifying sight in the world, and God forgive me, it's the best.' Time-Life: WW2: Bombers over Japan

'It was a Hell of a good mission.' Gen Power to LeMay.