The Effects of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

by The United States Strategic Bombing Survey, June 30, 1946

This report describes the effects of the atomic bombs which were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively.


  1. Forward
  1. Introduction
  2. The Effects of the Atomic Bombings
    1. The attacks and damage
      1. The Attacks
      2. Hiroshima
      3. Nagasaki
    2. General Effects
      1. Casualties
      2. Morale
      3. The Japanese Decision to Surrender
  3. How the Atomic Bomb Works
    1. The Nature of the Explosion
    2. Heat
    3. Radiation
    4. Blast
    5. Compared to Other Weapons
  4. Signposts
    1. The Danger
    2. What We Can Do About It
      1. Shelters
      2. Decentralization
      3. Civilian Defense
      4. Active Defense
      5. Conclusion
  5. Maps

I think it was necessary to drop one, but the second one could have easily been avoided. I think Japan would have capitulated anyway.

Hans Bethe, physicist