Haunting photos show the day the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima

James PasleyAug 5, 2023, 02:46 IST

An aerial photograph of Hiroshima shortly after the "Little Boy" atomic bomb was dropped in 1945Universal History Archive/UIG/Getty

In May 1945, during the final months of World War II, Germany had surrendered to the Allies but Japan refused.
President Harry Truman wanted to finish the war quickly. His government decided to drop the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

On August 6, 1945, a 10-foot-long uranium bomb that weighed 9,788 pounds called "Little Boy" was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

The explosion wiped out five square miles of the city, including 62,000 buildings. Up to 80,000 people were killed instantly. The explosion was so powerful people were vaporized leaving nothing behind except for their "nuclear shadow."

It has gone down as one of the deadliest days in Japanese history. There has also been renewed debate around whether the attacks were necessary to end the war.

Director Christopher Nolan's film "Oppenheimer," which was released in July, is about the work that went on to build an atomic bomb in the years leading up to Hiroshima.

Here's how the bomb drop played out and why it wasn't enough to end the war by itself.

On May 7, 1945, after World War II had been fought for almost six years, Germany surrendered to the Allies—including Britain, China, the Soviet Union and the US—but instead of following suit, Japan continued to fight. They made it clear they would fight until the bitter end.

Celebrations in New York on May 7 1945 after Germany announces its surrender towards the end of World War II.Bettmann/Getty

On May 7, 1945, after World War II had been fought for almost six years, Germany surrendered to the Allies—including Britain, China, the Soviet Union and the US—but instead of following suit, Japan continued to fight. They made it clear they would fight until the bitter end.

The Allies' casualties grew worse during this period. Between April and July, the Japanese killed as many as half of the total casualties they had inflicted over the previous three years of the war.

A photo of the fall out after a kamikaze plane strike in May 1945 near Okinawa.MPI/Getty

The Allies' casualties grew worse during this period. Between April and July, the Japanese killed as many as half of the total casualties they had inflicted over the previous three years of the war.

In April, President Harry Truman was sworn in. Until then, he had not known about the work being done by J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team on the Manhattan Project to build an atomic weapon. But with Japan's refusal to surrender, he soon came around to the idea of using it.

President Harry Truman in 1945.MPI/Getty

In April, President Harry Truman was sworn in. Until then, he had not known about the work being done by J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team on the Manhattan Project to build an atomic weapon. But with Japan's refusal to surrender, he soon came around to the idea of using it.

On July 16, a test atomic bomb was successfully detonated in New Mexico. Less than a fortnight later, on July 26, Truman made the Potsdam Declaration. He told Japan to unconditionally surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction."

President Harry Truman with Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Potsdam Conference on July 17, 1945.AP Photo

On July 16, a test atomic bomb was successfully detonated in New Mexico. Less than a fortnight later, on July 26, Truman made the Potsdam Declaration. He told Japan to unconditionally surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction."

The plan to use the atomic bomb proceeded. A crew of 12 was assembled on a US military base on Tinian, an island in Northern Marianas in the Pacific. Colonel Paul Tibbets was named pilot and Captain Robert Lewis was his co-pilot.

Enola Gay, the B-29 plane from which the first atom bomb was dropped, taken in April 1946.Art Edger/NY Daily News Archive/Getty

The plan to use the atomic bomb proceeded. A crew of 12 was assembled on a US military base on Tinian, an island in Northern Marianas in the Pacific. Colonel Paul Tibbets was named pilot and Captain Robert Lewis was his co-pilot.

On August 5, the crew was briefed about their mission. Hiroshima, a city of approximately 350,000 people, which had an active military base, had been chosen for bombing.

A briefing held on August 5 led by Captain William Parsons and Colonel Paul Tibbets.PhotoQuest/Getty

On August 5, the crew was briefed about their mission. Hiroshima, a city of approximately 350,000 people, which had an active military base, had been chosen for bombing.

The atomic bomb was called "Little Boy." It was a 10 foot long uranium bomb that weighed 9,788 pounds

A 1946 postwar replica of the "Little Boy" nuclear weapon dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in August 1945.MPI/Getty Images

On August 5, Little Boy was loaded onto an American B-29 bomber Tibbets had called "Enola Gay" after his mother. It was confirmed that the drop would take place the next day.

Men around the Little Boy bomb the day before it was dropped in 1945.Bettmann/Getty

On August 5, Little Boy was loaded onto an American B-29 bomber Tibbets had called "Enola Gay" after his mother. It was confirmed that the drop would take place the next day.

At 12:15 a.m. on August 6, the crew listened to a prayer composed for the occasion. At the time, there was no certainty that the flight would survive the explosion.

Colonel Paul Tibbets waves from his cockpit before takeoff from Tinian Island, on August 6, 1945.AP Photo

At 2:45 a.m., Enola Gay and two other B-29 observation bombers took off. Because Enola Gay's cargo was so heavy, it required the entire 2 mile runway to take off.

The Enola Gay in August 1945.Corbis/Getty

At 3 a.m., Parsons and Jeppson began to arm Little Boy. They inserted gunpowder and a detonator into the bomb. At 7:15 a.m., they removed the safety devices and inserted arming devices. Little Boy was ready to be deployed.

Two men inspect Little Boy in August 1945.Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty

At 3 a.m., Parsons and Jeppson began to arm Little Boy. They inserted gunpowder and a detonator into the bomb. At 7:15 a.m., they removed the safety devices and inserted arming devices. Little Boy was ready to be deployed.

At 7:30 a.m., Tibbets told his crew, "We are carrying the world's first atomic bomb."

A portrait of Colonel Paul Tibbets taken on January 1, 1940.Corbis/Getty

At 8:24 a.m., the weather plane over Hiroshima relayed that it was fine to proceed. Tibbets told his crew it had been confirmed. He said, "It's Hiroshima."

A photo-diagram of Hiroshima issued by the US army on August 9, showing Hiroshima and the levels of damage caused by the atomic bomb.AP Photo

At 8:15 a.m. local time, Little Boy, the world's first atomic bomb used in battle, was dropped from 31,060 feet in the sky. It fell nearly six miles in 43 seconds before exploding 1,900 feet from the ground.

The atomic bomb explosion on Hiroshima in 1945.Roger Viollet/Getty Images

At 8:15 a.m. local time, Little Boy, the world's first atomic bomb used in battle, was dropped from 31,060 feet in the sky. It fell nearly six miles in 43 seconds before exploding 1,900 feet from the ground.

The mushroom cloud reached about 2,500 feet into the sky. At the core of the fireball the temperature was 300,000 degrees Celsius, while the surface was 7,000 degrees Celsius.

An aerial view of Hiroshima on August 7, 1945.Hulton Archive/ Getty

The mushroom cloud reached about 2,500 feet into the sky. At the core of the fireball the temperature was 300,000 degrees Celsius, while the surface was 7,000 degrees Celsius.

At the time, it was then the most destructive bomb used in the history of war. The explosion instantly wiped out five square miles of Hiroshima, including 62,000 buildings. Up to 80,000 people were killed instantly.

Two victims of the atomic bombing sit in a converted hospital in October 1945.AP Photo

At the time, it was then the most destructive bomb used in the history of war. The explosion instantly wiped out five square miles of Hiroshima, including 62,000 buildings. Up to 80,000 people were killed instantly.

The explosion was so devastating people were vaporized leaving nothing behind except for their "nuclear shadow." These shadows were actually what the surfaces looked like before the blast, but appeared dark in comparison to everything else that was bleached by the atomic heat.

Human shadow on bank steps, in Hiroshima after the explosion of the atom bomb in August 1945, Japan.Universal History Archive/Universal Image Group/Getty

The explosion was so devastating people were vaporized leaving nothing behind except for their "nuclear shadow." These shadows were actually what the surfaces looked like before the blast, but appeared dark in comparison to everything else that was bleached by the atomic heat.

Roof tiles were fused by the heat, while bronze and granite statutes melted away. Across the city, fires began to spread causing even more damage.

Hiroshima shown eight months after the atomic bomb was dropped.Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty

After the explosion, the Enola Gay circled the city three times before turning back towards the base. It wasn't until they were 368 miles from the city that they could no longer see the mushroom cloud.

An aerial view of the mushroom cloud from the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.US Army Air Corps/PhotoQuest/Getty

After the explosion, the Enola Gay circled the city three times before turning back towards the base. It wasn't until they were 368 miles from the city that they could no longer see the mushroom cloud.

At 2.58 p.m., the Enola Gay landed back on Tinian. The mission had only taken about 12 hours, and while it was not enough to end the war, it had changed the world.

The Enola Gay lands back on Tinian after dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.Bettmann/Getty

About 16 hours after the bomb was dropped, Truman told Japanese leaders if they did not "now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this Earth."

Survivors of the atomic bomb in hospital in 1945.Universal History Archive/Getty

About 16 hours after the bomb was dropped, Truman told Japanese leaders if they did not "now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this Earth."

Three days after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a second, more powerful bomb known as the "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 70,000 people including those who later succumbed to the effects of the bomb by the end of 1945.

The explosion over Nagasaki in 1945.Prisma Bildagentur/Universal Images Group/Getty

Three days after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a second, more powerful bomb known as the "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 70,000 people including those who later succumbed to the effects of the bomb by the end of 1945.

On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered and World War II was officially over. The Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender via a recorded radio message.

Japanese prisoners of war in Guam bow their heads after hearing Emperor Hirohito's announcement of Japan's unconditional surrender.US Navy/Getty Images

How a 1,000-year-old system of irrigation channels could help protect Spain from extreme heat

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Haunting photos show the day the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima

On May 7, 1945, after World War II had been fought for almost six years, Germany surrendered to the Allies—including Britain, China, the Soviet Union and the US—but instead of following suit, Japan continued to fight. They made it clear they would fight until the bitter end.

The Allies' casualties grew worse during this period. Between April and July, the Japanese killed as many as half of the total casualties they had inflicted over the previous three years of the war.

In April, President Harry Truman was sworn in. Until then, he had not known about the work being done by J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team on the Manhattan Project to build an atomic weapon. But with Japan's refusal to surrender, he soon came around to the idea of using it.

On July 16, a test atomic bomb was successfully detonated in New Mexico. Less than a fortnight later, on July 26, Truman made the Potsdam Declaration. He told Japan to unconditionally surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction."

The plan to use the atomic bomb proceeded. A crew of 12 was assembled on a US military base on Tinian, an island in Northern Marianas in the Pacific. Colonel Paul Tibbets was named pilot and Captain Robert Lewis was his co-pilot.

On August 5, the crew was briefed about their mission. Hiroshima, a city of approximately 350,000 people, which had an active military base, had been chosen for bombing.

The atomic bomb was called "Little Boy." It was a 10 foot long uranium bomb that weighed 9,788 pounds

On August 5, Little Boy was loaded onto an American B-29 bomber Tibbets had called "Enola Gay" after his mother. It was confirmed that the drop would take place the next day.

At 12:15 a.m. on August 6, the crew listened to a prayer composed for the occasion. At the time, there was no certainty that the flight would survive the explosion.

At 2:45 a.m., Enola Gay and two other B-29 observation bombers took off. Because Enola Gay's cargo was so heavy, it required the entire 2 mile runway to take off.

At 3 a.m., Parsons and Jeppson began to arm Little Boy. They inserted gunpowder and a detonator into the bomb. At 7:15 a.m., they removed the safety devices and inserted arming devices. Little Boy was ready to be deployed.

At 7:30 a.m., Tibbets told his crew, "We are carrying the world's first atomic bomb."

At 8:24 a.m., the weather plane over Hiroshima relayed that it was fine to proceed. Tibbets told his crew it had been confirmed. He said, "It's Hiroshima."

At 8:15 a.m. local time, Little Boy, the world's first atomic bomb used in battle, was dropped from 31,060 feet in the sky. It fell nearly six miles in 43 seconds before exploding 1,900 feet from the ground.

The mushroom cloud reached about 2,500 feet into the sky. At the core of the fireball the temperature was 300,000 degrees Celsius, while the surface was 7,000 degrees Celsius.

At the time, it was then the most destructive bomb used in the history of war. The explosion instantly wiped out five square miles of Hiroshima, including 62,000 buildings. Up to 80,000 people were killed instantly.

The explosion was so devastating people were vaporized leaving nothing behind except for their "nuclear shadow." These shadows were actually what the surfaces looked like before the blast, but appeared dark in comparison to everything else that was bleached by the atomic heat.

Roof tiles were fused by the heat, while bronze and granite statutes melted away. Across the city, fires began to spread causing even more damage.

After the explosion, the Enola Gay circled the city three times before turning back towards the base. It wasn't until they were 368 miles from the city that they could no longer see the mushroom cloud.

At 2.58 p.m., the Enola Gay landed back on Tinian. The mission had only taken about 12 hours, and while it was not enough to end the war, it had changed the world.

About 16 hours after the bomb was dropped, Truman told Japanese leaders if they did not "now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this Earth."

Three days after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a second, more powerful bomb known as the "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 70,000 people including those who later succumbed to the effects of the bomb by the end of 1945.

On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered and World War II was officially over. The Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender via a recorded radio message.