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"When can we have that bomb?”
The Last Great Victory (Book, p. 653 Hardcover Edition) ^ | 1991 | Stanley Weintraub

Posted on 08/06/2004 2:01:45 PM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets

It was the afternoon of August 5, 1945. To a group of six hundred army officers assigned to the Hiroshima garrison, Professor Yoshitaka Mimura of Hiroshima Bunri University, a theoretical physicist, was explaining the scientific possibilities of new weapons which might reverse the tide of war. Japan had little Navy or Air Force left. Within months a massive invasion of the home islands seemed likely. “Could you tell us, sir”, a young lieutenant colonel asked, “what an atomic bomb is? Is there any possibility that the bomb will be deployed by the end of this war?”

Mimura chalked a rough sketch on the blackboard to illustrate the [nuclear] reactions required. Scientists at Tokyo University, he explained, have “theoretically penetrated” the secrets of nuclear fission. If they could apply their theories practically, an atomic bomb “could be smaller than a piece of caramel candy, but, if exploded five hundred meters above a populated city, it could destroy 200,000 lives.”

“When can we have that bomb?” “Well, it is difficult to say”, Mimura answered, knowing nothing of any Japanese enterprise to apply fission theory to bomb-making. “But I can tell you this much: not before the end of this war.”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: atomicbomb; bomb; hiroshima; wwii
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Originally posted in 1999.

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a37ac16a562a4.htm

Time for an annual booster shot against all the histrionics we'll be hearing in the next few days.

1 posted on 08/06/2004 2:01:45 PM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

Booster bump.

No regrets.


2 posted on 08/06/2004 2:05:08 PM PDT by baseballmom (Michael Moore - An un-American Hatriot)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
"Scientists at Tokyo University, he explained, have “theoretically penetrated” the secrets of nuclear fission."

Using the German genius Heisenberg's flawed math, neither the Japanese nor the Germans had a chance at building a working bomb.

On the other hand, the great American mathematician Feynman's correct math led to an entirely different outcome for the U.S. than for what the Germans and Japanese achieved in their atomic projects.

5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires

3 posted on 08/06/2004 2:05:59 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: baseballmom

Booster bump bump.

Anyone with a lick of sense, some knowledge of military history and operations, and most especially knowledge of the battle for Okinawa, knows that the A-bombs saved many, many Japanese lives, versus a conventional invasion. Not to mention the American casualties.


4 posted on 08/06/2004 2:07:37 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (hoplophobia is a mental aberration rather than a mere attitude)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

Enola Gay Bump. And a tip of the hat to "Give'um Hell Harry".


5 posted on 08/06/2004 2:08:55 PM PDT by Pompah (The price of greatness is responsibility)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

Mega Dittos To That!I was fortunate enought to obtain an autographed copy of Major General Charles Sweeney's book"War's End".He is the man who piloted a B-29 called"Bock's Car"from which was dropped the Nagasaki bomb.General Sweeney died a short time ago,the B-29 is at Wright-Patterson AFB,Dayton,Ohio.ThankYou General Sweeney and ThankYou Col.Tibetts!!


6 posted on 08/06/2004 2:09:24 PM PDT by bandleader
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

“When can we have that bomb?”

They got a practical "demonstration" far sooner than they expected...


7 posted on 08/06/2004 2:11:37 PM PDT by wyattearp (The best weapon to have in a gunfight is a shotgun - preferably from ambush.)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

Do you mean the Japanese would've used it against us? Really? No fooling? Unbelievable!


8 posted on 08/06/2004 2:15:49 PM PDT by Spok
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To: bandleader
Bockscar

Bockscar bump.

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap20.htm

9 posted on 08/06/2004 2:16:47 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (Sandy, is that a top secret document in your pants or are you just happy to see me?)
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To: Pompah

bttt


10 posted on 08/06/2004 2:18:00 PM PDT by BenLurkin ("A republic, if we can revive it")
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

August Fifth, 1945 -

Q. “When can we have that bomb?”

A. "Is tomorrow good for you?"


11 posted on 08/06/2004 2:22:13 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks (Liberals - The Other White Meat.)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
Picture of the crew members, including ground crew, of the Enola Gay 1945. Seems it is printed wrong way round so if you want to save it and do a horizontal flip to see it right way around.

Photo: P-574 (Enola Gay Crew Members)

12 posted on 08/06/2004 2:26:57 PM PDT by protest1
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To: baseballmom
Do you think sympathetic Skerry would use the bomb?
13 posted on 08/06/2004 2:33:23 PM PDT by TUX (Domino effect)
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To: Southack
Using the German genius Heisenberg's flawed math, neither the Japanese nor the Germans had a chance at building a working bomb.
On the other hand, the great American mathematician Feynman's correct math led to an entirely different outcome for the U.S. than for what the Germans and Japanese achieved in their atomic projects

Actually it is a little more complex than that. You see I had a graduate engineering seminar taught by one of the members of the german nuclear bomb team. In that seminar he explained the German nuclear bomb program where it went right and were it went wrong and what was done internally to sabatoge it.

First, there was a cross section experiment to determine the nuclear cross section of graphite. The nobel prize winner blew the experiment and recorded the wrong results.

Now german culture steps in. Nobody in his right mind would try to replicate the experiment to check the results of somebody who won a Nobel prize. It just was not done, it would be an insult to that person.

As a result of the "wrong nuclear cross section for carbon" it was concluded that carbon would not properly moderate or slow nuetrons down enough to help support a chain reaction. As a result of this error, the german nuclear bomb program focused on using heavy water as a moderator and hence invaded Norway to get to its vast hydroelectric resources to produce heavy water. (Oops)

The US in its spirit of checking things redid the experiement and found the error and decided carbon is just so easy to get that they would use a graphite moderated core in the US bomb program, hence the graphite bricks under the stadium where the first nuclear chain reaction in the US took place.

Now back to germany, many of the scientists and their lab machinists looking at the option of completing the bomb quickly and getting sent to the eastern front to fight the Russians and decided to go slowly, very slowly. The made just enough progress so that the german military wouldn't go crazy, but not a bit more. Some of them also had some ethical qualms, but it was mostly about the survival of the lab workers and staff.

An interesting side light was when the US Army captured the nuclear research center some SOB officer came up and really pisssed the german scientists off. He then bullied them and asked where they kept their valuable equipment. The thought for a moment and told him the most valuable thing in the lab was the enriched Uranium isotopes. So he personally hauled the highly radioactive materials off with him without proper shielding. They all had a good laugh over that stupid fool who probably would pay dearly for his arrogence..

14 posted on 08/06/2004 2:35:41 PM PDT by Robert357
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
someone set us up the bomb...
15 posted on 08/06/2004 2:48:56 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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To: Southack
Using the German genius Heisenberg's flawed math, neither the Japanese nor the Germans had a chance at building a working bomb.

Are you certain of that?

16 posted on 08/06/2004 2:56:54 PM PDT by Oberon (Heisenberg may have been here.)
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To: Oberon
Funny. Very funny, Mr. Uncertainly Principle jokester!

5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires

17 posted on 08/06/2004 2:57:56 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Oberon
You can read my post at 14. Karl Wirtz was my guest professor who lead the lecture on the German bomb program. Yes, he should have known. Click here for some information on Karl Witz
18 posted on 08/06/2004 3:01:27 PM PDT by Robert357
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To: Robert357; Southack
Just for fun.. I don't Im not sure how much I believe

"Virus House" German Nuclear Weapon

http://www.luft46.com/armament/abomb.html

Leipzeig Sphere L-IV Plutonium Generator

http://www.luft46.com/armament/abomb-2.html

19 posted on 08/06/2004 3:09:19 PM PDT by tophat9000
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To: Robert357; Southack

Just for fun.. I'm not sure how much I believe http://www.luft46.com/armament/abomb.html
"Virus House" German Nuclear Weapon
http://www.luft46.com/armament/abomb-2.html
Leipzeig Sphere L-IV Plutonium Generator


20 posted on 08/06/2004 3:11:32 PM PDT by tophat9000
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