There have been news stories in the past that the Nazi’s and Japanese were not even close to making a working atomic bomb. They didn’t have enough of the correct materials to make one and their plans for assembling a working atomic bomb were also iffy.
Everything I have read suggests the same. They never got close.
One of the things that spurred the US scientists was intelligence that they were in a race with the Germans. When the war ended, they were stunned to see how far the Germans were from anything useful, barely past the theoretical stuff. And the Japanese were way behind the Germans. Some of them felt they’d been lied to.
I have heard what you report; i.e. that the Japs and Germans were off on the wrong path.
The BS from the totally ignorant.
Where are the links?
There are rumors also that the Japanese had a test detonation in (occupied Korea) just days before the Hiroshima reality knock...
But I wouldn't consider it hard news.