Hiroshima 70:

[Anchorman]

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the first atomic bomb dr

http://www.cnduk.org/cnd-media/item/2203opped on Japan.

[Hope]

I understand that Rita Chakrabati introduced today's BBC News at One with the words - "Japan remembers the shock attack of 70 years ago ...".  She then went on to reintoduce the story in full by saying 'At a quarter past 8 this morning in Japan, tens of thousands of people bowed their heads and stood in silence to remember one of the most shocking attacks the world has ever witnessed'.

Was this an attempt by the BBC to rewrite history?  The use of the phrase '... one of the most shocking ...' is usually used to express revulsion of whatever event follows.  Not sure about others here, but I have regularly been told that this attack had been on unarmed and undefended citizens, when in reality, "During World War II, the 2nd General Army and Chugoku Regional Army were headquartered in Hiroshima, and the Army Marine Headquarters was located at Ujina port. The city also had large depots of military supplies, and was a key center for shipping".  (wikipedia)  It sounds as if people want to lay all the blame for the atrocity (which is no doubt what it was) on the American military.

What are others' thoughts.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Hope,

My thoughts, is God regretting the Covenant he made with Noah, now look at what his children are capable of

Gonnagle.

[Anchorman]

Dear Hope,

My thoughts, is God regretting the Covenant he made with Noah, now look at what his children are capable of

Gonnagle.

Wot Gonners said.

[ad_orientem]

The use of the atomic bomb was shocking. I don't see how anyone could see it any other way.

[BeRational]

The use of the atomic bomb was shocking. I don't see how anyone could see it any other way.

So was the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

So is all war.

[Nearly Sane]

Surely the use of a weapon way more powerful than anything seen up to that point is by definition 'shocking' at the time because of the effect?

[Rhiannon]

Of course it was shocking, is shocking still.

Equally the treatment of POWs by the Japanese was shocking, the Holocaust was shocking. But in a different way.

[Harrowby Hall]

One of the things that you notice when you visit the Peace Museum in Hiroshima is how absent is any context for the nuclear attack: "There was a war going on, and one day this American plane took off from Tinian island base and it headed for Hiroshima ...."

The museum is an accurate portrayal of the events which happened that day, and pulls no punches in presenting the awfulness of the nuclear attack. It is common to see people walking out with tears streaming down their faces. The story of Sadako, a child dying from lukaemia, folding her paper cranes and only getting to about 700 - rather short of the thousand that folk legend would guarantee her a long life, is just one of many.

The Japanese are still in denial about their role in WW2 and in China during the preceding years and about their rounding up of Korean women to be used as sex slaves. It is only fairly recently that a memorial has been erected to the thousands of Koreans who perished that day - but tellingly, it is outside the Peace Park.

The Allies knew that Hiroshima was an important military target but it was left strictly alone from bombing raids because it had already been selected as a suitable target for an atom bomb. Hiroshima is a relatively compact city set in a ring of mountains with the sea on one side. Any nuclear blast would be contained and its effects could be fully studied.

But the nuclear bombs were only dropped as an adjunct to the fire bombing of Tokyo and other cities which also caused massive civilian casualties. There is no doubt that the Allies (which by this time really meant the USA) would have defeated the Japanese in time.

It may just be that the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively reduced the total civilian population potential loss because they forced the Japanese to surrender. If this is the case, I can just about accept the Hiroshima bomb as a neccesity. I cannot, however, accept the bombing of Nagasaki. It was a war crime.

[floo]

I understand that Rita Chakrabati introduced today's BBC News at One with the words - "Japan remembers the shock attack of 70 years ago ...".  She then went on to reintoduce the story in full by saying 'At a quarter past 8 this morning in Japan, tens of thousands of people bowed their heads and stood in silence to remember one of the most shocking attacks the world has ever witnessed'.

Was this an attempt by the BBC to rewrite history?  The use of the phrase '... one of the most shocking ...' is usually used to express revulsion of whatever event follows.  Not sure about others here, but I have regularly been told that this attack had been on unarmed and undefended citizens, when in reality, "During World War II, the 2nd General Army and Chugoku Regional Army were headquartered in Hiroshima, and the Army Marine Headquarters was located at Ujina port. The city also had large depots of military supplies, and was a key center for shipping".  (wikipedia)  It sounds as if people want to lay all the blame for the atrocity (which is no doubt what it was) on the American military.

What are others' thoughts.

It was a terrible atrocity,  on a par with the Holocaust, imo!

[Hope]

It was a terrible atrocity,  on a par with the Holocaust, imo!

IIRC, the Jews, blacks and homosexuals had not done anything to the Germans; on the other hand, the Japanese had committed some horrendous atrocities - possibly on a par with the events we commemorate today - and without any appearance of giving them up or ceasing warfare.  Comparing the events of August 1945 with the Holocaust is, in my view, to trivialise the Holocaust.

[Hope]

The Allies knew that Hiroshima was an important military target but it was left strictly alone from bombing raids because it had already been selected as a suitable target for an atom bomb. Hiroshima is a relatively compact city set in a ring of mountains with the sea on one side. Any nuclear blast would be contained and its effects could be fully studied.

A relative of mine who ws involved in the Far East theatre of war suggested that, rather like Oxford here in the UK for Hitler, Hiroshima had not been bombed because the Americans had designated it as the administrative capital in any post-war American reconstruction of the country.

[Owlswing]

It should also be noted that, had the Americans not agreed to allow the Emperor to remain in place, and to absolve him of any blame or responsibility for any actions of the Japanese military during the war, the Japanese military were prepared, as in all the battles along the island chains to reach the Japanese main islands, to fight literally to the last man, woman and child, and the vast majority of the Japanese people were prepared to die to prevent the invasion of the Japanese homeland.

The Japanese military's insistance upon absolution for the Emperor makes it abundantly clear that they were well aware of the criminal nature of some of their actions - like the Burma Railway. Even today the Japanese have steadfastly refused to apologise for their treatment of Allied prisiners of war, hundred of whom, when the Bomb dropped, were on board ships on their way to the Japanese main islands to be used as hiuman shields in the event of an Allied invasion.

Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, etc., proved just how many Allied servicemen would have died to win the battle for Japan. It is also a fact that, when the Bomb was dropped, Royal Air Force planes and crews, Royal Navy ships and British Army units were being prepared to join the Americans in that invasion. 

[ad_orientem]

The use of the atomic bomb was shocking. I don't see how anyone could see it any other way.

So was the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

So is all war.

Yes, all war is, but I think the use of the A-bomb was shocking in an extra special way.

[Owlswing]

The use of the atomic bomb was shocking. I don't see how anyone could see it any other way.

So was the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

So is all war.

Yes, all war is, but I think the use of the A-bomb was shocking in an extra special way.

The "shock" only came when the full effects of thye Bomb became apparent.

Even the people who built it were not aware of exactly what the effects of the Bomb would be. They had no idea of what "radiation sicknss" was or even that it would occur.

I am, though, not sure that, even had Truman and the American military known about these things, it would have stopped them dropping it. The US had not wanted to join WWII, and only did so when Japan attacked.

The Bomb was part of the US response to what Roosevelt called "the day that will live in infamy". Maybe today is America's "day that will live in infamy" for the Japanese.

[Harrowby Hall]

The Allies knew that Hiroshima was an important military target but it was left strictly alone from bombing raids because it had already been selected as a suitable target for an atom bomb. Hiroshima is a relatively compact city set in a ring of mountains with the sea on one side. Any nuclear blast would be contained and its effects could be fully studied.

A relative of mine who ws involved in the Far East theatre of war suggested that, rather like Oxford here in the UK for Hitler, Hiroshima had not been bombed because the Americans had designated it as the administrative capital in any post-war American reconstruction of the country.

I think that your relative may have confused Hiroshima for Kyoto.

Like Hiroshima, Kyoto was spared the attention of Allied bombers. Kyoto is a city steeped in the history of Japan and was the capital before Edo was transformed into Tokyo. Kyoto, on the other hand, is in a central position close to many of the other major cities. From a communications point of view and as a political gesture, too, it would have been a good choice for centre of government.

I can think of no sensible reason why Hiroshima should have been so blessed. It is at the southern end of Honshu and at the end of WW2 was not particularly well connected with the rest of the island. Hiroshima was only founded in the 16th century and does not have the cultural importance of Kyoto.

[Hope]

I think that your relative may have confused Hiroshima for Kyoto.

I've just done a Google search and found this on wikipedia. 

Residents wondered why Hiroshima had been spared destruction by firebombing. Some speculated that the city was to be saved for U.S. occupation headquarters, others thought perhaps their relatives in Hawaii and California had petitioned the U.S. government to avoid bombing Hiroshima.

http://tinyurl.com/pbhyh82

[Harrowby Hall]

I think that your relative may have confused Hiroshima for Kyoto.

I've just done a Google search and found this on wikipedia. 

Residents wondered why Hiroshima had been spared destruction by firebombing. Some speculated that the city was to be saved for U.S. occupation headquarters, others thought perhaps their relatives in Hawaii and California had petitioned the U.S. government to avoid bombing Hiroshima.

http://tinyurl.com/pbhyh82

Interesting.

It's some years now since I last visited the Peace Museum, but I think I recall a display about the USA's selection of a potential target. It starts out with a list of suitable cities and ends up with Hiroshima for a number of reasons such as its location in southern Honshu and on the Inland Sea, and its topography, contained in a semi-circle of hills.

Thus it was identified as a potential target a couple of years before its eventual destruction and preserved for that purpose. Of course my memory may be faulty, but then your source only reports speculation on the part of people with no firm information.

[OH MY WORLD!]

The blame for those deaths is at the feet of the Japanese military rulers. THEY WERE WARNED about what was going to happen. Who warned them? Harry Truman. So one bomb is dropped, Japanese military rulers refused to end the war, another was dropped and still they waited. So who were the Japanese military rulers really concerned about? Not their civilians. And yes, it is true that 80% of the casualties were non military but the city was targeted out of three cities I believe. Hiroshima was a target because of it's importance to the Japanese killing machine.

Now as I wandered around Pearl harbour, looked down on a sunken battleship from on top the water, I wondered what was racing through the minds of those young men on that day of horror, when the Japanese, without provocation, launched a brutal attack with their killing machine. An interesting thing happened as I went through a building of news articles and various items and artifact.  I noticed many Japanese with me looking things over. We all came to a large display of model warships and an employee came over and proceeded to begin the story of what exactly happened on that day. I suddenly felt quite alone and looking around I found that every single Japanese person had quietly left the small building. I believe they still carry shame for their nation starting that war.

[BeRational]

The use of the atomic bomb was shocking. I don't see how anyone could see it any other way.

So was the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

So is all war.

Yes, all war is, but I think the use of the A-bomb was shocking in an extra special way.

My father in law was captured in Japan and was on the railway.
He always maintained that the greatest shame was that they only dropped two A bombs!

Such was the enormity of feeling by him and his comrades, many of who died and never came back.

Its all very well for us so far removed to pontificate about its use, but I am not sure our opinions count for much.

I guess you had to be there.

[Owlswing]

The blame for those deaths is at the feet of the Japanese military rulers. THEY WERE WARNED about what was going to happen. Who warned them? Harry Truman. So one bomb is dropped, Japanese military rulers refused to end the war, another was dropped and still they waited. So who were the Japanese military rulers really concerned about? Not their civilians. And yes, it is true that 80% of the casualties were non military but the city was targeted out of three cities I believe. Hiroshima was a target because of it's importance to the Japanese killing machine.

Now as I wandered around Pearl harbour, looked down on a sunken battleship from on top the water, I wondered what was racing through the minds of those young men on that day of horror, when the Japanese, without provocation, launched a brutal attack with their killing machine. An interesting thing happened as I went through a building of news articles and various items and artifact.  I noticed many Japanese with me looking things over. We all came to a large display of model warships and an employee came over and proceeded to begin the story of what exactly happened on that day. I suddenly felt quite alone and looking around I found that every single Japanese person had quietly left the small building. I believe they still carry shame for their nation starting that war.

Carry the shame! Carry the shame!

Are you for real!

They have no shame - they STILL, after all these years, they still have no shame!

The Japanese have, for 70 years, refused point blank to acknowledge that their brutality towards and murder of British and Commonwealth POWs was in any way wrong, no Empereor since Hirohito, no politician since Hideki Tojo, has expressed one word of shame or responsibility.

They claim they acted according to the tradition of Bushido and that soldiers who surrendered were not entitled to be treated as soldiers, they should have fought to the last man as did the Japanese.

Shame, them! No way!

[OH MY WORLD!]

Yes I am for real Matty. You can hold hate for the Japanese people, most of whom were not around during the war. I cannot, nor do I have hate in my heart for the German people. I pity you. Those people quietly left that building as the talk began because they do feel shame for what happened that day. Shame on you.

[L.A.]

I understand that Rita Chakrabati introduced today's BBC News at One with the words - "Japan remembers the shock attack of 70 years ago ...".  She then went on to reintoduce the story in full by saying 'At a quarter past 8 this morning in Japan, tens of thousands of people bowed their heads and stood in silence to remember one of the most shocking attacks the world has ever witnessed'.

Was this an attempt by the BBC to rewrite history?  The use of the phrase '... one of the most shocking ...' is usually used to express revulsion of whatever event follows.  Not sure about others here, but I have regularly been told that this attack had been on unarmed and undefended citizens, when in reality, "During World War II, the 2nd General Army and Chugoku Regional Army were headquartered in Hiroshima, and the Army Marine Headquarters was located at Ujina port. The city also had large depots of military supplies, and was a key center for shipping".  (wikipedia)  It sounds as if people want to lay all the blame for the atrocity (which is no doubt what it was) on the American military.

What are others' thoughts.

It's very easy with hindsight to look back and make these kinds of judgements, but I think that the view at the time was somewhat different.

It had been a long and bloody war with plenty of civilians being killed on all sides. Although the Japanese were effectively beaten, they had no intention of surrendering and without the bombings there would have been a lot more killing.

Perhaps the Germans should reflect on how lucky they were to be beaten before the bomb was ready.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Homo Sapiens,

War! What is it good for, absolutely nothi ...... Well actually, freeing slaves, getting rid of tyrants.

Japan wants to ban the bomb, can we do that, now that we have the technology, are we grown up enough to say, nuclear bombs were a bad idea let's scrap the lot, or is it to late, Pandora's box has been opened.

It does say something about us humans that we can sit down and actually think about making a weapon that can kill millions in an instant.

If I was God, back to the drawing board, forget I even thought about making stupid humans, stick to creating worms or Elephants, I like Elephants.

Gonnagle.

[Anchorman]

Dear Homo Sapiens,

War! What is it good for, absolutely nothi ...... Well actually, freeing slaves, getting rid of tyrants.

Japan wants to ban the bomb, can we do that, now that we have the technology, are we grown up enough to say, nuclear bombs were a bad idea let's scrap the lot, or is it to late, Pandora's box has been opened.

It does say something about us humans that we can sit down and actually think about making a weapon that can kill millions in an instant.

If I was God, back to the drawing board, forget I even thought about making stupid humans, stick to creating worms or Elephants, I like Elephants.

Gonnagle.

-
Yep.
Too many countries posess(legally and, with the connivance of other 'civilised' countries, illegally) these abhorrant things.
Whether or not the Americans were right to drop that obscenity on Hiroshima (and, for the record, they knew EXACTLY what destruction and butchery it would wreak), they then dropped a biigger one on  Nagasaki...which was not necessary, killing, in the process, nost of the Christians in Japan (though faith here isn't an issue).
When children born in the late '40-s and 50's died as a result of 'A bomb disease' - children who were born AFTE the war - then the so-called 'civillised' nations should have taken action to end the production of weapons which kill those born years, even decades, after the conflict.
There is no place for nuclear weapons in a civilised society, and it's a matter of shame for me that my so-called government allows these WMDs parked less than 40 miles from my front door.


http://k1project.org/explore-health/hiroshima-and-nagasaki-the-long-term-health-effects