KAMIKAZE : “Fat Man” The atomic bomb

Fat Man - Atomic bomb museum of Nagasaki

In contrast to the cool lifestyle of downtown Nagasaki, the visit to the museum of the atomic bomb is a punch in the stomach. What a shock to walk at the exact spot where the bomb exploded, in the middle of a city teeming with human beings going by their daily activities ... If there is indeed a museum that should be called the Peace museum this is the one! The very well-conceived museum is divided into two parts. It doesn't only revive the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and its consequences, it also eloquently exposes the current danger of nuclear weapons. Here, everything is translated into English; the message has to go through … Beyond Japan. A countdown of the events (transcribed here link on NAGASAKI - the atomic countdown) that led to the explosion of the bomb welcomes us at the entrance of the museum. The dismay in front of the damage caused by the bomb and the proliferation of the nuclear arsenal on our planet would not let me go, well after exiting the museum.

Some facts about the Atomic explosions of Nagasaki and Hiroshima:

The first bomb that exploded in Hiroshima, "little boy", had a power of 13 kilotons (equivalent of TNT), while "Fatman" of Nagasaki was 21 kT. Because Hiroshima was built in a large flat valley, the city and the population suffered more damage from the blast of the bomb. But in comparison, 60% died of burns in Hiroshima while the percentage is of 95% in Nagasaki. **

At the time of the explosion, the military and civilian population of Hiroshima was of 250,000, including 43,000 soldiers. According to sources there were 66,000 dead and 69,000 injured, a total of 135,000 casualties.

In Nagasaki the population at the time of the explosion was of 195,000, including 9,000 soldiers and 400 prisoners of war**. There were 39,000 killed and 25,000 wounded, with a total of 64,000 casualties. It is important to note that among the victims there were 5000 Koreans forcefully employed by the factory and shipyard of Mitsubishi (see here the page "the ravens") and that the prisoners of War were mainly Dutch, including some Australians. Following the cold logic of war; Nagasaki and Hiroshima had been chosen as a potential target because there were no American prisoners in town.

Over a period of five years after the explosion, the number of victims increased due to burns, radiation and cancers. Japanese sources speak of a total of 237,000 direct and indirect deaths in Hiroshima and 80,000 in Nagasaki.

Map showing the impact of the atomic blast on Nagasaki - The hills on the south east side of town protected
a large part of the old downtown.

Nagasaki Atomic Blast

The velocity of the blast wind generated by the atomic bomb was of 170 meters per second at the one kilometer point from the hypocenter. The fact that even the fiercest typhoon/hurricane reaches only about 80 meters per second attests to the colossal destructive force unleashed by the explosion. It is estimated that the ground beneath the explosion was subjected instantaneously to a pressure between 6.7 and 10 metric tons per square meter. The blast pulverized all buildings near the hypocenter, traveling 3.7 kilometers after 10 seconds and 11 kilometers after 30 seconds. The wind lost strength at this point but still broke windows on Lojima Island 12 kilometers away and wreaked damage as far as 15 kilometers from the hypocenter.

Damage scale

500 m: Iron-reinforced concrete buildings completely destroyed
1 Km: Almost no building left standing
1.5 Km: Huge cracks in 30 centimeter-thick brick walls and wooden structures completely destroyed.
2 Km: Upper stories of brick buildings completely destroyed
2.5 km: Wooden buildings damaged beyond repair
3 Km: Wooden Houses partially destroyed
3.5 Km: All windows smashed and plaster walls moderately damaged.