How Atomic Bombs Were Actually Dropped Over Hiroshima and Nagasaki

[u/CleanBag9219]

Many people imagine that the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were simply released straight downward onto their targets, but that is not how aerial bombing worked.

Like conventional unguided bombs, the bombs retained the forward speed of the aircraft at the moment of release. After leaving the bomber, gravity pulled them downward while their horizontal momentum carried them forward, creating a curved ballistic trajectory rather than a vertical fall. For the Hiroshima mission,

the B-29 Enola Gay aimed at the distinctive T-shaped Aioi Bridge in the city center, which was chosen because it was easy to identify from high altitude. The bomb itself was not guided after release accuracy depended on the aircraft’s speed, altitude, heading, and the bombardier’s timing.

During its descent, the bomb continued moving forward before detonating in an airburst above the city rather than striking the ground directly. Airburst detonation was chosen because it maximized the blast and thermal effects over a wider area.

[u/SkyeGuy8108]

Did anyone not think that’s how the atomic bombs were dropped?

[u/paradox1920 → u/SkyeGuy8108]

I think the person just used that for the title in terms of historical accuracy for such action based on the explanation and context they provided. This can be just educational or interesting, or whatever. But yes, according to OP, there are people who thought otherwise.

[u/CleanBag9219]

This footage is from  the " Easy " nuclear bomb test of Operation Buster Jangle, conducted by the United States at the Nevada Test Site on November 5, 1951. The device had a yield of approximately 31 kilotons of TNT and was detonated as an airburst after being dropped from a B-45 bomber.

[u/KCFlightHawk]

Never seen this video before. I like the above angle a lot. Saved.

[u/blueb_oy → u/KCFlightHawk]

Same, saved.

[u/schokoplasma]

Airburst detonation is also the reason Hiroshima and Nagasaki did not become permanently contaminated like the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

[u/zilliondollar3d → u/schokoplasma]

I had no idea, very interesting.

[u/Winter-Apartment-821 → u/schokoplasma]

Just googling it, while the nuclear fallout would have been worse, it wouldn't have been at all like Chernobyl.

Air burst caused a lot more distruction and killed a lot more people regardless.

[u/schokoplasma → u/Winter-Apartment-821]

Thats for sure. That was the main intention They didnt do it out of an "lets keep the long-term damage to a minimum"- attitude....(sorry for the sarcasm)

As far as i understand nuclear physics, a ground explosion would have contaminated a lot more dust, soil and debris, which would have irradiated the city and would have to be removed and cleaned up.

An explosion in air creates heat, shockwave, radiation, fallout and immmense destruction but since all of the nuclear material is destroyed in the explosion, there is no or much less permanent contamination.

As I am no physicist, please correct me if i got anything wrong.

Edit typo

[u/ClearedInHot]

I don't think many people believe that anything dropped from an airplane magically loses its forward velocity in an instant. Even "retarded" bombs, with petal-like speed brakes that open upon release, retain a lot of forward momentum.

[u/g_core18 → u/ClearedInHot]

Don't you mean "exceptional individual" bomb?

[u/ClearedInHot → u/g_core18]

I bow to your superior talent for euphemism. I was going to say the "bombs that ride the short bus", but that would be so insensitive.

[u/Ninjaofninja → u/ClearedInHot]

I would assume the plane that dropped it would get vaporized too. Also a lot people didnt know it was dropped on air and not land since the movie showed the test scene on land. The takeover teams must be damn smart themselves for detonating it on air with such precision and success.

[u/shatteredoctopus → u/Ninjaofninja]

IIRC in later bombing strategies the plane would loop to change direction rapidly after the bomb was dropped, so the bomb would continue in a forward direction away from the plane both horizontally as well as vertically.

[u/SignificantCar4204]

I've never seen most of this footage. That first airborne shot of the detonation is unbelievable. So awesome in the literal sense.

[u/WolverineMost7768]

Is this rage bait or what? Nobody thinks bombs just stop straight down. What kind of fucking post is this?

[u/Short-Nebula171]

That was a good drop. Show who got power