Article

2016-08-07 -Land of the Free

09 August: Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Blossom Unains5562 2016-08-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11127 views ] Top

#1 There was a coup attempt on the 15th by junior officers, who were going to "free" the Emperor from the clutches of the Japanese diplomats but it collapsed when the General commanding the Home Guard wouldn't support them. The General committed seppukku later that day.

Posted by AlmostAnonymous5839 2016-08-07 01:49|| 2016-08-07 01:49|| Front Page Top

#2 The days when we didn't f&ck around with wars. We ended them in a win. They didn't drag on forever.

Posted by JohnQC 2016-08-07 07:45|| 2016-08-07 07:45|| Front Page Top

#3 Notice that the evil is never call upon those who knew they had lost the war, but refused to take the opportunity to do the unthinkable till after the bombs were dropped. Never hold the Japanese militarists responsible. They could have called it quits when Germany surrendered. Instead they were training Japanese school girls to die holding a bamboo pole with knife in the end of it*, to try to save their worthless skins. Make no mistake. They were the evil. They didn't care about civilians deaths. They ordered their own citizens at Saipan and Okinawa to commit suicide rather than be captured by Americans. Remember Manila.

*see World at War, episode Japan, last two minutes for the archival film.

Posted by Procopius2k 2016-08-07 08:24|| 2016-08-07 08:24|| Front Page Top

#4 Indeed P2k.

My father was a CB on Saipan and the only war story he ever told me after having a few drinks at the bowling alley 30 years later was about cleaning up the rocks and beaches after the Japanese defeat.

Dealing with dead women and children left deep scars.

Posted by AlanC 2016-08-07 08:40|| 2016-08-07 08:40|| Front Page Top

#5 It ~~was~~ is their way. Most of the women and children who jumped were Korean farm workers. Japanese soldiers rarely jumped preferring to die by blast or shot to the eye. Saipan was the first island assaulted with any kind of civilian population and the last until Okinawa. Tinian was fine flat county with a large number of forced laborers to cut sugar cane. Their losses were low since the 4th MD surprised the hell out of them.

Posted by Shipman 2016-08-07 12:08|| 2016-08-07 12:08|| Front Page Top

#6 Alternative explanation: USSR Declares War on Japan August 08, 1945. Japanese high officials had a Forlorn Hope that Stalin could be persuaded to soften the US position.
The atomic bombs did serve as an balm to Japanese pride: it wasn't that their Army, Navy, and Industry was overwhelmed, No!, The US Cheated! With A-Bombs! Cheaters!

Posted by magpie 2016-08-07 13:01|| 2016-08-07 13:01|| Front Page Top

#7 Then there is the theory that Truman dropped the bomb to convince Stalin not to mess with him.

Posted by Abu Uluque 2016-08-07 14:10|| 2016-08-07 14:10|| Front Page Top

#8 After photos of G.I. beheadings started filtering back to the U.S. rules of war were out the window--little mercy was shown to the Japanese during the Pacific islands campaigns. Today, there does not seem to be the outrage with regards to beheadings, burning prisoners alive, drownings in cages or rapes of civilian women by ISIS. PC has run amok. There are no consequences anymore. Photos.

Posted by JohnQC 2016-08-07 14:18|| 2016-08-07 14:18|| Front Page Top

23:24 Alaska Paul
22:57 Zenobia Floger6220
22:45 Shipman
22:33 Shipman
21:41 newc
21:27 Unelet Protector of the Sith2424
21:19 swksvolFF
21:19 swksvolFF
21:14 Shipman
21:07 Thing From Snowy Mountain
20:31 CrazyFool
20:30 trailing wife
20:21 trailing wife
19:59 regular joe
19:24 Rob Crawford
18:25 Raj
17:51 Besoeker
17:40 Bangkok Billy
17:27 swksvolFF
17:23 Zenobia Floger6220
17:22 Herman Snease8631
17:11 Besoeker
17:03 Iblis
16:51 Shipman