Latest news with #Hiroshimabombing
Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Times
Nagasaki as it happened: the atomic bombing of Japan in real time
It has been three days since a new horror dawned on the world when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. About 80,000 people died instantaneously and everything within a half-mile radius was wiped out. Survivors, who suffered terrible burns and other injuries in the almighty blast, are now beginning to fall ill with a mysterious sickness. The death toll will rise further. Nevertheless, Japan has not surrendered. The militaristic government remains split 50-50 between those who would give the Allies the unconditional surrender they demand and those who believe Japan can fight its way to another deal. Better terms would be bought by forcing an Allied invasion of Japan, in which maybe more than a million would die. Besides, the anti-peace camp includes many who find the idea of surrender utterly abhorrent. The Japanese Supreme War Council will meet later today. The American bomber convoy expects to reach its target at about 9.40am. In the morning skies over Yakushima, an island south of the western edge of Japan, two planes have been circling for 40 minutes. The B-29 bombers, called Bockscar and The Great Artiste, are carrying very different cargoes. The Great Artiste is filled with scientific instruments, cameras and even a journalist. Bockscar is carrying a single bomb. They have been waiting for a third plane, called Big Stink, at this isolated rendezvous point. They can wait no longer. With a waggle of its wings, Bockscar indicates that it is time to proceed. They head north. Some 170 miles away, the summer sun is waking the city of Nagasaki.
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Decades later, Korean survivors of WWII atomic bombs still carry the scars, and the silence
HAPCHEON, Aug 6 — Bae Kyung-mi was five years old when the Americans dropped 'Little Boy', the atomic bomb that flattened Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Like thousands of other ethnic Koreans working in the city at the time, her family kept the horror a secret. Many feared the stigma from doing menial work for colonial ruler Japan, and false rumours that radiation sickness was contagious. Bae recalls hearing planes overhead while she was playing at her home in Hiroshima on that day. Within minutes, she was buried in rubble. 'I told my mom in Japanese, 'Mom! There are airplanes!'' Bae, now 85, told AFP. She passed out shortly after. This photo taken on June 26, 2025 shows Kim Hwa-ja (front left), an ethnic Korean who is also an atomic bomb survivor, or 'hibakusha', and Kwon Joon-oh (2nd left), whose mother and father were also survivors, as they visit the 'Monument in Memory of the Korean Victims of the A-bomb', following an interview with AFP near the Peace Park Memorial in the city of Hiroshima, Hiroshima prefecture. — AFP pic Her home collapsed on top of her, but the debris shielded her from the burns that killed tens of thousands of people — including her aunt and uncle. After the family moved back to Korea, they did not speak of their experience. 'I never told my husband that I was in Hiroshima and a victim of the bombing,' Bae said. 'Back then, people often said you had married the wrong person if he or she was an atomic bombing survivor.' Her two sons only learned she had been in Hiroshima when she registered at a special centre set up in 1996 in Hapcheon in South Korea for victims of the bombings, she said. Bae said she feared her children would suffer from radiation-related illnesses that afflicted her, forcing her to have her ovaries and a breast removed because of the high cancer risk. This photo taken in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang, shows Lee Bu-yul, 87, a survivor of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II, posing in front of a traditional structure holding 1,172 wooden plaques bearing the names of deceased victims behind the Hapcheon Atomic Bomb Victim Welfare Center. Lee was seven at the time of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and his mother died within one year of it. — AFP pic A burning city She knew why she was getting sick, but did not tell her own family. 'We all hushed it up,' she said. Some 740,000 people were killed or injured in the twin bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. More than 10 per cent of the victims were Korean, data suggests, the result of huge flows of people to Japan while it colonised the Korean peninsula. Survivors who stayed in Japan found they had to endure discrimination both as hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivors, and as Koreans. Many Koreans also had to choose between pro-Pyongyang and pro-Seoul groups in Japan, after the peninsula was left divided by the 1950-53 Korean War. Kwon Joon-oh's mother and father both survived the attack on Hiroshima. Bae Kyung-mi was five years old when the Americans dropped 'Little Boy', the atomic bomb that flattened Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Some 740,000 people were killed or injured in the twin bombings of Hiroshima and Nakasaki which ended World War II — and more than 10 per cent of the victims were Korean, data suggests, the result of huge flows of people to Japan while it colonised the Korean peninsula. — AFP pic The 76-year-old's parents, like others of their generation, could only work by taking on 'filthy and dangerous jobs' that the Japanese considered beneath them, he said. Korean victims were also denied an official memorial for decades, with a cenotaph for them put up in the Hiroshima Peace Park only in the late 1990s. Kim Hwa-ja was four on August 6, 1945 and remembers being put on a makeshift horse-drawn trap as her family tried to flee Hiroshima after the bomb. Smoke filled the air and the city was burning, she said, recalling how she peeped out from under a blanket covering her, and her mother screaming at her not to look. Korean groups estimate that up to 50,000 Koreans may have been in the city that day, including tens of thousands working as forced labourers at military sites. This photo shows residents preparing to have their portraits taken for use at their funerals at the Hapcheon Atomic Bomb Victim Welfare Center. — AFP pic Stigma But records are sketchy. 'The city office was devastated so completely that it wasn't possible to track down clear records,' a Hiroshima official told AFP. Japan's colonial policy banned the use of Korean names, further complicating record-keeping. After the attacks, tens of thousands of Korean survivors moved back to their newly-independent country. But many have struggled with health issues and stigma ever since. 'In those days, there were unfounded rumours that radiation exposure could be contagious,' said Jeong Soo-won, director of the country's Hapcheon Atomic Bomb Victim Center. This photo shows Korean Red Cross secretary-general Kang Soohan opening the doors to a traditional structure holding wooden plaques bearing the names of deceased victims behind the Hapcheon Atomic Bomb Victim Welfare Center. — AFP pic Nationwide, there are believed to be some 1,600 South Korean survivors still alive, Jeong said. Eighty-two live at the centre. Seoul enacted a special law in 2016 to help the survivors — including a monthly stipend of around US$72 — but it provides no assistance to their offspring or extended families. 'There are many second- and third-generation descendants affected by the bombings and suffering from congenital illnesses,' said Jeong. A provision to support them 'must be included' in future, he said. A Japanese hibakusha group won the Nobel Peace Prize last year in recognition of their efforts to show the world the horrors of nuclear war. But 80 years after the attacks, many survivors in Japan and Korea say the world has not learned. This photo shows Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor Bae Kyung-mi reaching out while visiting a traditional structure holding wooden plaques bearing the names of deceased victims behind the Hapcheon Atomic Bomb Victim Welfare Center. — AFP pic 'Only talk' US President Donald Trump recently compared his strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 'Would he understand the tragedy of what the Hiroshima bombing has caused? Would he understand that of Nagasaki?' survivor Kim Gin-ho said. In Korea, the Hapcheon centre will hold a commemoration on August 6 — with survivors hoping that this year the event will attract more attention. From politicians, 'there has been only talk... but no interest', she said. — AFP
CNN
06-08-2025
- CNN
Friendship flight to commemorate 80 years since atomic bombings on Japan
Japan AsiaFacebookTweetLink Follow As they fly wing to wing over a vital spot in the development of the atomic bomb, a native of Japan and a former US military officer hope their friendship outshines the horror of the blasts that took place 80 years ago. On Wednesday, pilots Adrian Eichhorn, 69, and Shinji Maeda, 46, will board their 60-year-old Beechcraft Bonanzas and fly in close formation over historic Wendover Field in Utah on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. 'It is history forgotten,' said Eichhorn. 'If this helps renew that interest to thank all the people involved in the war effort, that's important.' Working alongside scientists from Los Alamos, the Wendover base's 20,000 personnel became significant to the success of the Manhattan Project. The nearby salt flats are where B-29 crews tested 'pumpkin bombs' bulbous enough to fit atomic warheads. It's also where the crews of Enola Gay and Bockscar would depart the United States to start their journeys to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At least 100,000 people died as a direct result of the bombings on August 6 and August 9, 1945, according to the National Archives. The Japanese surrender days later effectively ended World War II. 'In Japan, we have mixed feelings,' said Maeda, who grew up in a farming town in Japan. He was barred from learning to fly as a teen due to a 1998 motorcycle crash that severed an optic nerve. 'In America, I became the one-eyed pilot,' said Maeda. The flying duo met in 2019 and quickly discovered they had more in common than they first realized. Not only did they have a love of flying, but Eichhorn had also been in a bad motorcycle crash. 'We joke that our first flight was over a car,' he said. Both men have circumnavigated the globe solo. Eichorn, who has also flown over the North Pole, advised Maeda on his 2021 round-the-world flight. 'He's been my sensei, friend and brother,' Maeda said. 'It's the fellowship of airmen,' said Eichhorn. 'We have a bond with each other that I think few other hobbyists or sports people have.' The pair hopes their flights over Wendover serve as a metaphor for how far the relationship between the United States and Japan has come. Both hail from families that effectively fought against each other during the Second World War. 'You could have asked anybody on the planet in 1945 when we dropped the first atomic bomb if Japan and the United States would someday become allies and I would argue that nobody would have said yes,' Eichhorn said. 'The shock effect, the devastation of it — I still think it's probably one of the most difficult decisions the United States ever had to make.' Eichhorn's authority on the subject is one afforded to few. He spent four years as a nuclear adviser to President Bill Clinton, prepared to present the commander in chief with options for a retaliatory strike in the case of a nuclear attack on the United States. 'There are lots of wars on this planet,' Maeda said. 'The question is, why we are not learning from history?' Maeda's career also took off. He now works for Boeing. 'That is the beauty of aviation,' said Maeda. 'I'm very proud of this relationship.'
CNN
06-08-2025
- CNN
Friendship flight to commemorate 80 years since atomic bombings on Japan
Japan AsiaFacebookTweetLink Follow As they fly wing to wing over a vital spot in the development of the atomic bomb, a native of Japan and a former US military officer hope their friendship outshines the horror of the blasts that took place 80 years ago. On Wednesday, pilots Adrian Eichhorn, 69, and Shinji Maeda, 46, will board their 60-year-old Beechcraft Bonanzas and fly in close formation over historic Wendover Field in Utah on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. 'It is history forgotten,' said Eichhorn. 'If this helps renew that interest to thank all the people involved in the war effort, that's important.' Working alongside scientists from Los Alamos, the Wendover base's 20,000 personnel became significant to the success of the Manhattan Project. The nearby salt flats are where B-29 crews tested 'pumpkin bombs' bulbous enough to fit atomic warheads. It's also where the crews of Enola Gay and Bockscar would depart the United States to start their journeys to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At least 100,000 people died as a direct result of the bombings on August 6 and August 9, 1945, according to the National Archives. The Japanese surrender days later effectively ended World War II. 'In Japan, we have mixed feelings,' said Maeda, who grew up in a farming town in Japan. He was barred from learning to fly as a teen due to a 1998 motorcycle crash that severed an optic nerve. 'In America, I became the one-eyed pilot,' said Maeda. The flying duo met in 2019 and quickly discovered they had more in common than they first realized. Not only did they have a love of flying, but Eichhorn had also been in a bad motorcycle crash. 'We joke that our first flight was over a car,' he said. Both men have circumnavigated the globe solo. Eichorn, who has also flown over the North Pole, advised Maeda on his 2021 round-the-world flight. 'He's been my sensei, friend and brother,' Maeda said. 'It's the fellowship of airmen,' said Eichhorn. 'We have a bond with each other that I think few other hobbyists or sports people have.' The pair hopes their flights over Wendover serve as a metaphor for how far the relationship between the United States and Japan has come. Both hail from families that effectively fought against each other during the Second World War. 'You could have asked anybody on the planet in 1945 when we dropped the first atomic bomb if Japan and the United States would someday become allies and I would argue that nobody would have said yes,' Eichhorn said. 'The shock effect, the devastation of it — I still think it's probably one of the most difficult decisions the United States ever had to make.' Eichhorn's authority on the subject is one afforded to few. He spent four years as a nuclear adviser to President Bill Clinton, prepared to present the commander in chief with options for a retaliatory strike in the case of a nuclear attack on the United States. 'There are lots of wars on this planet,' Maeda said. 'The question is, why we are not learning from history?' Maeda's career also took off. He now works for Boeing. 'That is the beauty of aviation,' said Maeda. 'I'm very proud of this relationship.'
News.com.au
06-08-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Atomic bombs did not need to be dropped on Japanese cities in WWII, says author
The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the United States was not necessary, an acclaimed novelist and speechwriter has argued as Japan marks 80 years since the devastating day. A silent prayer was held on Wednesday at 8.15am, the moment when US aircraft Enola Gay dropped 'Little Boy' over the western Japanese city on August 6, 1945. The final death toll was around 140,000 people, killed not just by the colossal blast and the ball of fire, but also later by the radiation. Three days later, on August 9, another atomic bomb claimed the lives of 74,000 people in Nagasaki before Imperial Japan surrendered on August 15, bringing an end to World War II. But novelist and speechwriter Dennis Glover claimed the use of nuclear weapons, the one and only time used in armed conflict history, was not needed as Japan was 'militarily defeated' prior to the atomic bombs being released. 'Its surrender was a matter of time,' he told 'The bombs were dropped in some ways to speed up the surrender but they weren't necessary to get Japan to surrender in the foreseeable future and the reason why Japan was refusing to surrender at the time was the allies wouldn't concede to the principal that the emperor would stay on his throne after Japan's surrender. 'So, that was the decisive factor at this stage. Once the Americans accepted that (Emperor) Hirohito could stay on the throne they surrendered and they probably could've done that earlier without having to drop the bomb.' Asked about why then US president Harry S Truman authorised the drop of the two atomic bombs despite Japan's effective defeat, Mr Glover said there were a number of reasons. 'They didn't have the clarity of foresight that we have now looking through the historical records so they were making their decision to drop the bomb based on imprecise information and also emotional reasons to do with revenge and so forth,' he said. 'They had the weapons, which would cost them in today's money possibly trillions of dollars, and they felt compelled to use them... you don't have a pistol on the table without using it.' Another reason he raised included what he described as 'war weariness' in the US, with many American citizens at the time wanting WWII to end and their loved ones to return home. Mr Glover also suggested the bombs were used to speed up the end of the conflict and to 'try and stop the Soviets from having an excuse' to invade Japanese home islands from the north. 'The Americans certainly didn't want that and I think the big emotional reason was the desire for revenge, revenge for Pearl Harbor,' the novelist said to 'But also against Japanese atrocities, I mean these were just becoming clear as the Philippines and the Pacific Islands were being liberated in 1945.' He added there 'was not a lot of love for Japan, especially amongst the American military' when it became clear the extent of the atrocities, such as rape and torture being carried out. There is ongoing debate today, with experts who believe the atomic bombs had to be dropped, while others argued it was not necessary. Mr Glover said there was common belief the US had to carry out the attack to protect the lives of American, British, and potentially Australian and New Zealand soliders who would have been involved in the invasion and occupation of Japan. While he said that was a 'genuine reason' it was also 'slightly erroneous'. 'I think that invasion was getting quite unlikely by August 1945. Japan was going to surrender before they managed to organise to do it,' Mr Glover said. 'I think Hiroshima's become a symbol of the world anti-nuclear movement and a symbol of the world peace movement... who believe that it didn't need to be dropped and I think to some extent I think they're right. They have the stronger case now.' Wednesday's ceremony in Hiroshima included a record of around 120 countries and regions as well as Taiwanese and Palestinian representatives for the first time, AFP reported. The United States - which has never formally apologised for the bombings - will be represented by its ambassador to Japan. Absent will be Russia and China, organisers said earlier this week. Nihon Hidankyo, the grassroots organisation that last year won the Nobel Peace Prize, represented the dwindling number of survivors, known as hibakusha. As of March, there are 99,130 hibakusha, according to the Japanese health ministry, with the average age of 86. 'I want foreign envoys to visit the peace memorial museum and understand what happened,' the group's co-chair Toshiyuki Mimaki told local media ahead of the commemorations. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui is expected at the ceremony to urge attendees to 'never give up' on achieving a nuclear-free world. Kunihiko Sakuma, 80, who survived the blasts as a baby, told AFP he is hopeful. 'I think the global trend of seeking a nuclear-free world will continue,' he said. 'The younger generation is working hard for that end,' he said before the ceremony.
