Pacific Campaign

Atomic Bombs in the Pacific War

The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers to the fighting between the Allies of World War II and the Empire of Japan during the war. It took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia. 

During this battle the use of bombs was constant causing many deaths and affected people.

For example in the attack of Pearl Harbour, this was a surprise military strike conducted by Japan against the United States. Japan’s attack was a preventive action to keep the United States pacific fled from interfering with some military action that Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against the territories of: Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States.

United States as trying to defend the Allies sent two atomic bombs to the city of Hiroshima and to the city of Nagasaki located in Japan during the final stages of World War II in1945. This was the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.

The first bomb that was thrown was Hiroshima’s bomb. Hiroshima was a city located in Japan. On August 6 , 1945, this city suffered the devastation of a nuclear attack. Japanese’s detected American aircrafts flying above Japanese’s lands. 

At 2:45 am the plane named “Enola Gay” take off from Tinian with the bomb inside. 8:15 am “Enola Gay” dropped the bomb into Hiroshima’s town. 

In few minutes, a column of smoke and fire turn up in the land, on a temperature approximately of 4000°c. Because of the temperature many people dead.

All the building in the ratio of 13 square kilometers from the center of the explotion became totally destroyed. Many people was affected because of the bomb. Entire families were destroyed and all the houses were damaged.

Japanese government thought that USA have only one atomic bomb and the fear have passed , but this idea got into USA army and to show that they have more bombs, they dropped a second atomic bomb. Nagasaki.

Many Japan cities were destroyed due to the Nagasaki bombarding. The bombing of Nagasaki on August 9th was the last major act of World War Two.

The city of Nagasaki was a huge sea port in southern Japan, it had a great wartime importance because 9of its industrial activity, the production of ships, war materials and military equipment was inside this sea port.

Nagasaki was subjected to a large-scale bombing. On August 1, 1945 a huge number of high-exposing bombs were dropped on the city. Some hospitals and buildings were damaged, this bomb created concern in people, especially in children. Most people were evacuated to safety rural areas; this helped to reduce the population in the city at the time of the nuclear attack.

The explosion generated heat estimated at 3,900 °C. Millions of deaths were produced, from 40,000 to 75,000. The total deaths by the end of 1945 can have reached 80,000. The radius destruction was approximately of one mile.

This bombing had serious effects on Japan´s population, and it led to years of chaos and crisis. Many homes, schools and hospitals were destroyed and it left many affected people.

It was militarily and morally unjustifiable to bomb the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Careful observation of the bombings and all events leading up to it,it allows one to realize the reason this atrocity occurred. The Americans' anger toward Japanese behavior debilitated their moral reasoning. In no circumstance could indiscriminately killing these Japanese citizens be condoned

References:
http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2005/5/16/15030/8226
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
http://www.atomcentral.com/hiroshima-nagasaki.aspx

Francesca Montalbetti and Valerie Vallejo