Hiroshima after the atomic bomb [1945] - Photos that made history

The atomic bombardments on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan were two nuclear attacks of the end of World War 2.

The morning of the 6th August 1945, the U.S. air force threw the atomic bomb "little boy" on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, followed three days later by the bomb "fat man" on Nagasaki. The esteem of the direct victims is between 100.000 and 200.000 persons, mainly civilians. For the seriousness of its direct and indirect damages caused by the explosive devices, and for the fact that it was the first and only one used of this kind of weapons during a war, the two atomic attacks are considered among the most significant war episodes in the history of the entire humankind.

During 1945 Hiroshima was a city of a high military and industrial importance. There were also some military bases nearby, like the 5th division GHQ and the marshal Shunroku Hata GHQ, the 2nd of the army who controlled the entire defensive system of southern Japan. Hiroshima was a minor base, devoted to resupply and support of the army. The city was mainly a center for communications and storage of goods, and a place for the sorting of troops. It was kept on purpose out of the bombers' routes to allow the studies on the effects of the atomic bomb in an ideal environment. The drop of the bomb priority was in the end given to Hiroshima itself because it was reported that was the only target that had not inside and around Prisoner-of-war camps.

The city center contained some reinforced concrete buildings and some lighter structures. In the outskirts the area was filled with countless wooden small structures, used as workshops, placed between one house and another. Some industrial plants were placed not far from the outskirts. Houses were made in wood, with light roofs, and many industrial buildings was made with prefabricated wooden walls. The entire city had a high fire risk.

Hiroshima's population reached a peak of 381.000 citizens before the war, but just be for the attack rapidly went down cause of a general evacuation ordered by the Japanese government, insomuch as the population at the 6th august counted about 255.000 citizens. This amount is based on the data obtained by the provisions for the population (that were rationed), and the esteem on the laborers and the soldiers present in the city during the bombardment, in fact, pretty inaccurate.

This article is part of the section: Photos that made history

Translation by Nina Kozul

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