Other candidate cities included Kokura and Nagasaki, which would later be bombed as well. The U.S. military prepared extensively for the mission, selecting the Enola Gay, a B-29 Superfortress bomber, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets, to carry out the operation.
The Bombing Mission: August 6, 1945
On the morning of August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay took off from the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands. The crew was aware of the gravity of their mission but were under strict orders to execute it without warning to ensure maximum effect.
At approximately 8:15 a.m. local time, “Little Boy” was dropped over Hiroshima from an altitude of about 31,000 feet. The bomb detonated roughly 600 meters above the city center, releasing an enormous explosion equivalent to about 15 kilotons of TNT.
Immediate Impact on Hiroshima
The blast instantly destroyed an area of approximately 13 square kilometers, flattening most buildings within a radius of one mile from the hypocenter. The intense heat caused severe burns and ignited fires throughout the city. The shockwave shattered windows and collapsed structures miles away.
An estimated 70,000 to 80,000 people were killed immediately by the blast and subsequent fires. Many more suffered fatal injuries or would die later from radiation sickness, burns, and other complications. The medical infrastructure was overwhelmed, with hospitals destroyed and medical personnel among the casualties. shutdown123