CITY DEVASTATED BY ATOMIC BOMB

Southland Times, Issue 25746, 9 August 1945, Page 5

CITY DEVASTATED BY ATOMIC BOMB

RESULT STAGGERS. BOTH ALLIES AND JAPAN FIVE MAJOR INDUSTRIAL TARGETS WIPED OUT

• (United Press Association —Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 8. The devastation in Hiroshima, the first Japanese city on which an atomic bomb was dropped has staggered both the Allies and the Japanese. Four square miles of the city—more than half of the built-up area—were laid in ruins. Five major industrial targets were wiped from the face of the earth. Tokyo radio said: “Most of Hiroshima has been destroyed. The destructive power of the atomic bomb is beyond description.” The radio also stated that the Prime Minister, Admiral Baron Kantaro Suzuki, had called a Cabinet meeting to consider a report on the destruction of Hiroshima. After the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima the Superfortress crew which carried it felt the concussion like a close explosion of flak, although they were 10 miles from the target. Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot, and a Navy ordnance expert, Captain William Parsons, described the explosions as tremendous and awe-inspiring. Captain Parsons said: “We dropped the bomb at 9.15 a.m. and turned the plane broadside on to get the best view. We then made as much distance from the ball of fire as we could. At least 10 miles away we braced ourselves for the shock. It was just like a close blast of flak.” One of the crew said: “My God, we can’t believe what happened. A mountain of smoke mushroomed up with the stem pointing down. There was white smoke at the top, but swirling boiling dust up to 1000 feet from the ground. Soon afterwards small fires sprang up at the edge of the town, but the town was entirely obscured. We stayed for two or three minutes and by that time the smoke had risen to 40,000 feet. As we watched the top of the white cloud of smoke broke off and another soon formed.” Colonel Tibbets, who was specially trained for the mission, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Lieutenant-General Carl Spaatz,' commander of the Bth and 20th Air Forces, as soon as he stepped from the plane.