September 2 is the 69th anniversary of the Japanese surrender that ended World War II.
Truman declared it the official Victory over Japan day. The surrender had been made on August 15, which is when most of the celebrations happened.
The war wasn't officially over, though, until that 22-minute ceremony on the deck of the USS Missouri.
Truman declared it the official Victory over Japan day. The surrender had been made on August 15, which is when most of the celebrations happened.
The war wasn't officially over, though, until that 22-minute ceremony on the deck of the USS Missouri.
It was only six weeks earlier, on July 16, 1945, that the Trinity test took place in New Mexico. 48 days before that ceremony, 30 days before the informal surrender - three weeks before the dropping of the first atomic bomb on August 6.
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| "Trinity Test Fireball 16ms" by Berlyn Brixner - http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/pa/photos/images/PA-98-0520.jpeg. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. |
Which isn't to say that the testing regime was rushed: Hiroshima was destroyed by the Little Boy uranium gun-type weapon, which wasn't even tested. The mechanism was simple enough that it was expected definitely to work. Trinity was a test of the Fat Man plutonium implosion weapon, which was much less certain of success. Indeed, one reason given for using it in war (rather than as a non-combat demonstration) was that it was not certain to work again.
Still, a lot happened in that six week period between Trinity and the Missouri. A quick sample:
July 16: Trinity test, the first atomic explosion, in New Mexico. That same day, the USS Indianapolis departs San Francisco for island of Tinian, carrying the components of the Little Boy weapon that will be dropped on Hiroshima.
July 20: B-29s of the 509th Composite Group at Tinian practice dropping "pumpkin bombs," inert models of the Fat Man weapon. (The bombers had arrived there in June, a little over a month before.)
July 26: Potsdam Declaration - Japan warned to surrender immediately or face "utter destruction." The USS Indianapolis and the Little Boy components arrive at Tinian. Meanwhile, three Fat Man "pre-assemblies" (i.e. not including plutonium) depart New Mexico on B-29s.
July 30: En route from Tinian to Guam, USS Indianapolis is sunk by torpedoes from a Japanese submarine shortly after midnight. 880 men believed to have survived the attack end up in the water, most of them with only life vests.
August 2: Fat Man pre-assemblies arrive at Tinian. Survivors of USS Indianapolis located. Only 321 men are still alive.
August 6: Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima.
August 9: Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki. Soviet Union declares war on Japan.
August 12: Emperor Hirohito informs his family that he intends to surrender.
August 15: Japanese surrender announced.
August 29: USS Missouri arrives in Tokyo Bay.
September 2: Japanese surrender signed aboard the USS Missouri between 9:00 AM and 9:30 AM. World War II ends.
Some times pass quickly, others don't.
Still, a lot happened in that six week period between Trinity and the Missouri. A quick sample:
July 16: Trinity test, the first atomic explosion, in New Mexico. That same day, the USS Indianapolis departs San Francisco for island of Tinian, carrying the components of the Little Boy weapon that will be dropped on Hiroshima.
July 20: B-29s of the 509th Composite Group at Tinian practice dropping "pumpkin bombs," inert models of the Fat Man weapon. (The bombers had arrived there in June, a little over a month before.)
July 26: Potsdam Declaration - Japan warned to surrender immediately or face "utter destruction." The USS Indianapolis and the Little Boy components arrive at Tinian. Meanwhile, three Fat Man "pre-assemblies" (i.e. not including plutonium) depart New Mexico on B-29s.
July 30: En route from Tinian to Guam, USS Indianapolis is sunk by torpedoes from a Japanese submarine shortly after midnight. 880 men believed to have survived the attack end up in the water, most of them with only life vests.
August 2: Fat Man pre-assemblies arrive at Tinian. Survivors of USS Indianapolis located. Only 321 men are still alive.
August 6: Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima.
August 9: Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki. Soviet Union declares war on Japan.
August 12: Emperor Hirohito informs his family that he intends to surrender.
August 15: Japanese surrender announced.
August 29: USS Missouri arrives in Tokyo Bay.
September 2: Japanese surrender signed aboard the USS Missouri between 9:00 AM and 9:30 AM. World War II ends.
Some times pass quickly, others don't.
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