this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2024
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Explanation: After torturing an American POW after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese cabinet and Emperor were convinced that the US had 100 atomic bombs (we did not) and that further resistance was futile. War Minister Korechika Anami, on the other hand, was an advocate for fighting to death anyway. Insane.
It was part of the reason why the USA made sure it had two bombs to drop. The USA was playing up the number of bombs it had to try to convince Japan to surrender as they wouldn't even have the chance to fight back.
Plus they knew that one bomb wouldn't be enough. One bomb could be all that we had. They had to prove otherwise. I've heard that they were finishing the assembly of the second bomb in-route, but that seems like an old wives tale to me. I don't think you can make atomic bombs in the cargo hold of a jostling bomber aircraft.
I vaguely remember the core and the rest of the assembly being transported separately. But that was on purpose, not out of hurry.