• kdawson
    +5

    Years and years ago I worked with a man who had been a 'spook' during WWII. He was disgusted by the A-Bomb droppings, said there was no need for it and it was just revenge. Later I read that the Japanese had thousands of fresh troops stationed in China that could be quickly moved to Japan to repel an Allied invasion which called for a great display of power. Which is true? I don't know.

    • AdelleChattre
      +3

      By June, 1945, the U.S. was building, on Okinawa, 25 air bases each of which could send 25 B-29s across all of Japan. Caught between a Soviet invasion and an American bombing campaign, my guess is using atomic weapons less about bringing Japan to surrender and more of a threat display for the Soviets.

      • leweb
        +6

        After spending all that money and resources on the Manhattan Project, did you think they were going to sit on it? No way. Human lives are always less important than arrogance and greed. Just as it is now.

      • kdawson
        +4

        For some reason I'd never thought of that. I think you may be right.

        • AdelleChattre
          +3

          That's high praise from you, quiet stranger. I should admit, though, that it was a grandfather of mine that explained this to me in the first place. He'd been in the second wave at Okinawa, and said they were nearly finishing the airfields when the nukes were used.