JAPAN: Hiroshima and the Bomb

Bob Gard replies to Edith Coliver:

"Based on reading the contemporary press, I believe it fair to state that it was widely believed -- rightly or wrongly -- that the Japanese would continue their fanatical resistance, virtually fighting to last man, thereby requiring an invasion of Japan with large numbers of US casualties. Had we stopped with the first bomb, it was feared, the Japanese might conclude that it was our only such weapon and decide to continue the war. Whether we waited long enough between bombs is open to question; but the initial official statements from Japan following the first attack were defiant. When we dropped a second bomb, it had a far greater chance of leaving the impression that we had more. It is true that the weapons were not identical. In the case of Germany, I can't recall if we had the weapon ready to go, but I don't think so. Also, it seemed evident in the spring of '45, especially after the Battle of the Bulge, that Germany could not hold out much longer. It would have been prudent to save our limited atomic capability for use against Japan."

Ronald Hilton - 8/16/00