January 1946: Report on bombing of Hiroshima

This magazine is a conduit through which technological advances are communicated and, in doing so, it has documented periods in mankind’s history that are horrific and awe inspiring in equal measure. This point was brought to bear in January 1946 when The Engineer reported on the use of atomic weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War.

Specifically, 6 August 1945 saw the US drop a 15kt atomic bomb on Hiroshima that wiped out over four square miles of the city, which was around 60 per cent of its total area.

Four days later, a second, more-advanced, 21kt bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, which was afforded a degree of relative protection by its mountainous geographical features.

On 14 August 1945 Japan surrendered unconditionally, bringing about the end of hostilities between Japan and Allied forces. By December 1945, between 90,000 and 120,000 people are estimated to have died as a result of the attack on Hiroshima, which had a population of roughly 330,000. In Nagasaki, a city with a population of 250,000, between 60,000 and 80,000 are thought to have died as a consequence of the atomic strike.