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From: tw8023@pyuxii.UUCP (T Wheeler)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: America-bashing (use of atomic bomb)
Message-ID: <202@pyuxii.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 09:07:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxii.202
Posted: Thu Aug 22 09:07:10 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 17:03:50 EDT
References: <3268@drutx.UUCP> <10615@rochester.UUCP> <1733@mnetor.UUCP>, <429@baylor.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
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Sorry, Peter, but they HAD dropped the bomb before H and N.  Take a look
at what happened in April 1945 in New Mexico.  Ok, the bomb was set off
in a tower, but it went off.  One hell of a lot of people on the West
coast knew we had the bomb after the explosion.  It was seen over a
rather large area.  Therefore, we knew that the idea would work, but,
we did not know if the detonation device in the bomb would work. 
Remember, the bomb over Nag. was set to go off at a given altitude.
This was the part they were uncertain about.  If the bomb had been set
to go off on impact, the area of destruction would have been much
smaller.  Thus, if the bomb had been dropped over water as a demo,
the detonation device had failed, the bomb goes under water and either
does not explode or finally does, all that would happen would be a
large water spout, not too convincing to observers.  There were a
total of four bombs produced at that time.  The first one was tested
in New Mexico, the second dropped on Nag., the third (and different
type of bomb) was dropped on Hiro. (not the prime target by the way,
Hiro. being, at the time, a large center of christians in Japan), and
the fourth was destined for another, as yet unnamed, target.  What
with all of our hindsight, it is very easy to now second guess the
thinking of 40 years ago.  I do it all the time when the Mets lose
a ballgame.  The major consideration in discussing past events is
that, unless one of us had a direct involvement in a decision, we
should not be laying a guilt trip on ourselves.  What we should be
doing is learning if we feel a mistake was made by those who
preceded us and try not to repeat those mistakes.
T. C. Wheeler