63 years ago, there was no bell, no siren, just hell. , page 4

Originally posted by ghofer

I disagree. Read some articles on the history of what happened. Do you really think the nukes were necessary? Can you not imagine that maybe they could have nuked a military target instead as a demonstration? Do you realize Japan was crushed economically and militarily before they were nuked and seeking surrender? Only people in the U.S. still believe the myth that the bombs were necessary. Even the majority of the military commanders at the time did not think the nuclear weapons should be used. I think I'd agree with those in the know.

The terrible loss of life in WW2 is a stain on the history of mankind.

But lets not forget who started the war, and lets not forget what the japanese military did everywhere they went.
The atrocities they commited are so horrifing that they are almost beyond comprehension.
Many men who had managed to survive imprisonment by the japanese military, usually say that if they knew what was in store for them they never would have surrendered.

And how can you say "Even the majority of the military commanders at the time did not think the nuclear weapons should be used. I think I'd agree with those in the know" . That is utter BS only, a small number of people were even aware of the bomb when it was dropped.
They only people who argued aginst its use were afraid it would trigger a chain reaction in the atmosphere.
And after the terrible casualties from the fighting in the pacific campaign, and knowing that the japanese people would not surrender, I doubt that there would be any commander in the in service, that would argue against the use of it to bring a quick end to the war.

It was absolutely necesary to end the war as quickly as possible, not only did using the bombs avert a huge loss of allied troops, it averted the deaths of millions of ordinary japanese citizens.
And while the allies were bogged down trying to subdue the islands the military would have continued to fight from manchuria, and other parts of asia.

Does any one know what the significance of august 12th 1945 is?

ANYONE?

It is the day the japanese army successfully detonated an atomic bomb in the coastal waters off manchuria.
Yes they had a working atomic bomb, and the ability to manufacture more.
The japanese were far from beaten, the military only quit fighting because the emporer ordered it so.
They still had more than 2 million men available safely garrisoned in manchuria. and the western parts of the empire.
Most of their military industrial manufacturing capacity had been transfered to manchuria as well, by this stage in the war.
They still had thousands of combat ready aircraft,l and new models were on the verge of being deployed. Jet powered fighters with radar and antiship missles.
They had built underground airfields with cliff side take off/landing entrances.
They would have had the ability to strike at an armada with a 20min turn around.
They had developed a cruise missle type rocket that would have been very effective.
They had weaponized the plague and typhus, and when they surrended there was a mission in progress to bomb San Deigo with plague and typhus.
Of the three submarines that set out from japan, we sunk one off hawaii, one "lost at sea" ie scuttled, and the other was actually lost at sea.
To this day, in manchuria, they still have outbreaks of typhus and plague in the areas where they used it on the chinese.

The only people who are to blame for the deaths of japanese citizens is the japanese high command.