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