Radiation and the atomic bombing of Japan.

[TjW]

Being able to accomplish the goal of having more atomic bombs dropped on your country strikes me as an odd definition of "lucky".

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Being able to accomplish the goal of having more atomic bombs dropped on your country strikes me as an odd definition of "lucky".

They would have had an honorable death facing the enemy rather than surrendering. Gen. Anami went the seppuku route.

 

[MG1962]

There was an attempt to intercept his speech, recorded on a vinyl LP record, and take the Emperor into "protective custody" the night before the announcement was to be aired. Things could have gone differently if they'd been lucky enough.

I am not sure there was LP technology at that stage. The average 12 inch disc back then only ran maybe 5 or 6 minutes.

It is interesting to note there were two separate recordings made. One for the civilian population and one for the military units overseas

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I am not sure there was LP technology at that stage. The average 12 inch disc back then only ran maybe 5 or 6 minutes.

Didn't know that. I was just a pre-kid in those days.

It is interesting to note there were two separate recordings made. One for the civilian population and one for the military units overseas

They planned to keep one copy and have the other travel as needed. They didn't expect to get the second one back, I imagine.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

There was an attempt to intercept his speech, recorded on a vinyl LP record, and take the Emperor into "protective custody" the night before the announcement was to be aired. Things could have gone differently if they'd been lucky enough.

I thought the resolution to that was pretty surreal. I can't get this image out of my head: General Tanaki personally, and single-handedly dissolving the coup by walking into the palace and scolding the officers for their dishonorable actions, before committing suicide on behalf of his men a few days later. It's the stuff of cinema.

Tanaki, despite his unfortunate loyalties, seems to have been a fairly good and honorable man, at least compared to most of his peers.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I thought the resolution to that was pretty surreal. I can't get this image out of my head: General Tanaki personally, and single-handedly dissolving the coup by walking into the palace and scolding the officers for their dishonorable actions, before committing suicide on behalf of his men a few days later. It's the stuff of cinema.

Tanaki, despite his unfortunate loyalties, seems to have been a fairly good and honorable man, at least compared to most of his peers.

They seemed to have their own version of "honor" and I don't think I'll ever understand it completely.

 

[catsmate]

There was an attempt to intercept his speech, recorded on a vinyl LP record, and take the Emperor into "protective custody" the night before the announcement was to be aired. Things could have gone differently if they'd been lucky enough.

There's at least one AH based on that PoD, by Conroy IIRR.

They seemed to have their own version of "honor" and I don't think I'll ever understand it completely.

Indeed.

 

[ArchieGoodwin]

They seemed to have their own version of "honor" and I don't think I'll ever understand it completely.

Both of the books recommended to me in the other thread made this point over and over. Speaking of Shattered Sword and Attack on Pearl Harbor here.

"Honor" and "Japanese War Effort" were not often in line with each other.

 

[MG1962]

Didn't know that. I was just a pre-kid in those days.

Just another example of the useless trivia bouncing around in my head

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Just another example of the useless trivia bouncing around in my head

Really? I used to work on double train, locked train, divided double reduction, double helical reduction gears.

 

[MG1962]

Really? I used to work on double train, locked train, divided double reduction, double helical reduction gears.

LOL I got nothing

 

[MG1962]

They seemed to have their own version of "honor" and I don't think I'll ever understand it completely.

Yeah it seemed to be some odd bastardization of the Bushido code

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Yeah it seemed to be some odd bastardization of the Bushido code

That's precisely what it was. Bushido, in its original form, did not call for a "never surrender" attitude, among other things. But the hypermilitarists had their own image of feudal Japan, rather like the idealized "gunslingers" of American movies.

 

[John Nowak]

I can't get this image out of my head: General Tanaki personally, and single-handedly dissolving the coup by walking into the palace and scolding the officers for their dishonorable actions, before committing suicide on behalf of his men a few days later. It's the stuff of cinema.

Indeed it was: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062041/

If I had as much money as Tommy Wiseau, I'd release historical films with a commentary track with historians discussing the details, like Jim Lovell commenting on Apollo 13.

 

[MG1962]

Today I watched a lecture on CSPAN with Robert Norris about his book.

http://www.amazon.com/Racing-Bomb-Manhattan-Projects-Indispensable/dp/1586420674

He made a very interesting statement. Truman never authorized the use of the bomb. It was assumed as soon as it was ready it would be deployed. All Truman did was rubber stamp the deal.

All the were waiting for was the material needed for the bomb itself. Within two weeks of having enough, they were in the process of dropping it on Japan

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Today I watched a lecture on CSPAN with Robert Norris about his book.

http://www.amazon.com/Racing-Bomb-Manhattan-Projects-Indispensable/dp/1586420674

He made a very interesting statement. Truman never authorized the use of the bomb. It was assumed as soon as it was ready it would be deployed. All Truman did was rubber stamp the deal.

All the were waiting for was the material needed for the bomb itself. Within two weeks of having enough, they were in the process of dropping it on Japan

That's how I understand it. A decision to use it was unnecessary. Truman would have had to issue orders to not use it.

 

[MG1962]

That's how I understand it. A decision to use it was unnecessary. Truman would have had to issue orders to not use it.

I guess I had just never thought of it like that. Assumed it would be "Sir the bomb is ready"

"Okay well the buck stops here"

'So we are authorized to use it"

"Yes"

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I guess I had just never thought of it like that. Assumed it would be "Sir the bomb is ready"

"Okay well the buck stops here"

'So we are authorized to use it"

"Yes"

No different than Tall Boy or Grand Slam, Churchill might have heard about those ginormous bombs when they were used the first time.

 

[catsmate]

No different than Tall Boy or Grand Slam, Churchill might have heard about those ginormous bombs when they were used the first time.

Given his interest in minutiae, I suspect some sort of briefing paper was sent to him when they were tested.

As for Truman, he was informed soon after the test that the Gadget had worked (by Stimson who still acted as his liason to the project team) while at the Big Three conference. He received a more detailed report on 21JUL from Groves.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Given his interest in minutiae, I suspect some sort of briefing paper was sent to him when they were tested.

Quite possibly.

As for Truman, he was informed soon after the test that the Gadget had worked (by Stimson who still acted as his liason to the project team) while at the Big Three conference. He received a more detailed report on 21JUL from Groves.

Truman was less inclined to interfere in operational matters than WSC. That probably comes from his being in the National Guard between the wars.