Eightieth Year of the Nagasaki Bombing - Never Again

 

Hiroshima Nagasaki : Never Again

Today, August 9, 2025, marks the 80th year of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, a sombre milestone in human history. On August 9, 1945, three days after the “Little Boy” uranium bomb devastated the city of Hiroshima, the United States dropped their second atom bomb, a plutonium-based atomic bomb, codenamed “Fat Man,” on Nagasaki. This catastrophic event, alongside the Hiroshima bombing, hastened the end of World War II but left an indelible scar on humanity, prompting a global resolve to prevent such a tragedy from recurring. As we commemorate this anniversary, it is time to reflect on the details of the Nagasaki bombing, the specifics of the “Fat Man” bomb, the experiences of those involved, and the broader implications for the world order.

The Nagasaki Bombing and the “Fat Man”

On August 9, 1945, at 11:02 a.m., the B-29 bomber Bockscar, piloted by Major Charles W. Sweeney, dropped the “Fat Man” bomb over Nagasaki. The bomb, a plutonium-239 implosion-type device, had a yield of approximately 21 kilotons of TNT, slightly more powerful than the 15-kiloton “Little Boy” used on Hiroshima. Unlike Hiroshima, where the bomb detonated almost directly above the city centre, “Fat Man” exploded 1,650 feet above the Urakami Valley, a secondary target after cloud cover obscured the primary target, Kokura. The hilly terrain of Nagasaki partially contained the blast, but the devastation was still immense.

The “Fat Man” bomb was 10.7 feet long, 5 feet in diameter, and weighed around 9210 Kg. Its complex implosion design, developed under the Manhattan Project, required precise engineering to compress the plutonium core and trigger a nuclear chain reaction. The bomb’s detonation instantly killed an estimated 35,000–40,000 people, with total deaths reaching approximately 74,000 by the end of 1945 due to injuries, burns, and radiation poisoning. The Urakami Valley, an industrial area was obliterated, including the Urakami Cathedral, a symbol of Nagasaki’s Christian community.

Nagasaki’s unique geography and the bomb’s off-target detonation mitigated some of the destruction compared to Hiroshima’s flatter terrain. However, the human toll was staggering. Survivors, known as hibakusha, faced severe burns, radiation sickness, and long-term health effects like cancer and leukemia. Artifacts from the bombing—melted glass, charred clothing, and stopped clocks—bear witness to the instantaneous horror, much like those preserved from Hiroshima.

Japan’s Surrender

The Nagasaki bombing, combined with Hiroshima’s destruction and the Soviet Union’s declaration of war on Japan on August 8, 1945, compelled Japan’s leadership to surrender. On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s capitulation in a radio broadcast, the first time most Japanese citizens heard his voice. The formal surrender was signed on September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri, officially ending World War II. The dual atomic bombings demonstrated the unprecedented destructive power of nuclear weapons, forcing Japan to confront the reality of total defeat and influencing its decision to surrender unconditionally.

The Pilot: Charles W. Sweeney

Major Charles W. Sweeney, a 25-year-old pilot, commanded Bockscar during the Nagasaki mission. Unlike Colonel Paul Tibbets, who piloted the Enola Gay for the Hiroshima bombing and expressed no regret, Sweeney’s reflections reveal a more complex emotional response. In his 1997 memoir, War’s End: An Eyewitness Account of America’s Last Atomic Mission, Sweeney described the mission as a military necessity to end the war and save lives by avoiding a prolonged invasion of Japan. However, he also expressed unease about the human cost. Sweeney noted the challenges of the Nagasaki mission, including mechanical issues with Bockscar and the need to divert to the secondary target due to weather conditions. After the war, he defended the bombings but acknowledged the haunting images of destruction, particularly the suffering of civilians. Sweeney’s experience underscores the moral weight carried by those who executed such missions, even as they believed in their strategic necessity.

J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientific director of the Manhattan Project, oversaw the development of both “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The Nagasaki bombing, as the second use of a nuclear weapon, deepened Oppenheimer’s growing unease about the destructive power he had helped unleash. After witnessing the first successful test of a plutonium bomb (the “Gadget”) at Trinity in July 1945, Oppenheimer famously quoted the Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki solidified his concerns about the ethical implications of nuclear weapons.

By 1947, Oppenheimer became an advocate for international control of nuclear arms, opposing the development of the more powerful hydrogen bomb. His vocal stance against nuclear proliferation led to his 1954 security clearance hearing, where he was accused of disloyalty during the McCarthy era, a fallout of his efforts to curb the nuclear arms race. The Nagasaki bombing, in particular, reinforced Oppenheimer’s belief that humanity must avoid future nuclear conflicts, shaping his later career as a cautionary voice in the nuclear age.

The Fallout on the World Order

The Nagasaki bombing, alongside Hiroshima, fundamentally altered the global order. The demonstrated power of nuclear weapons ushered in the Cold War, defined by a nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The bombings established the U.S. as the preeminent global superpower but also introduced a new era of existential fear. The creation of NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and subsequent nuclear proliferation by countries like the Soviet Union (1949), the UK (1952), and others stemmed from the strategic lessons of 1945.

The bombings also spurred international efforts to control nuclear weapons. The United Nations, founded in 1945, prioritized non-proliferation, leading to treaties like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968 and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996. However, India refused to sign these treaties citing its national strategic interests. The bombings’ legacy continues to shape global security policies, with nuclear arsenals serving as deterrents while raising the specter of mutually assured destruction.

Reflections on the 80th Anniversary

Reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing, the lessons remain stark. The “Hiroshima-Nagasaki Never Again” exhibition, which I coordinated in 1998 at the National Science Centre, Delhi, vividly captured the horrors of nuclear devastation. The Nagasaki panels, like those for Hiroshima, displayed melted artefacts, survivor testimonies, and images of the Urakami Valley’s destruction, reinforcing the human cost of nuclear warfare. Keeping the national policy in mind, I decided to exclude panels critical of India’s stance on the NPT and CTBT from the exhibition. During the 75^th year of Hiroshima bombing, I had posted a detailed blog where I have narrated in detail about the exhibition and the National Science Centre, featuring on the editorial page. This exhibition helped me in understanding the delicate balance that we have to play as curators, balancing the decision between national interests and global disarmament efforts.

Nagasaki, like Hiroshima, has rebuilt itself into a vibrant, modern city, yet the scars of 1945 endure. The Nagasaki Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum stand as reminders of the tragedy, urging humanity to prioritize peace. The experiences of Sweeney and Oppenheimer highlight the personal and ethical dilemmas faced by those involved in the bombings, while the global fallout reshaped international relations.

As we mark this 80th anniversary, let us renew our commitment to ensuring that nuclear energy serves humanity’s progress—through medicine, energy, and research—rather than its destruction. May Nagasaki’s suffering, alongside Hiroshima’s, remain a solemn warning: never again.

Images : Courtesy Wikipaedia and National Science Centre Delhi