World War II Database

1. Linda Giorgilli says:
18 Jul 2010 01:45:20 PM

My dad was in both the atomic bomb testings at the Bikini Atoll. May we all never forget those who give themselves over to fight for our freedoms. Their lives are no doubt changed forever by their experiences in the service, experiences that we cannot truly imagine, but can remain thankful for and never forget.

2.  Bill says:
12 Mar 2011 09:30:09 PM

ONE OF THE FEW COLOR PHOTOS TAKEN OF BLAST

Scientists and Military personnel observing
from ten miles away (16km), other observers were 20 miles (32km) away, other personnal were stationed at different distances.

The shock wave took 40 seconds to reach the observers, and the shock was felt 100 miles
(160km) away. The mushroom cloud reached
7.5 miles high (12km)

3.  Bill says:
8 Aug 2015 05:10:41 PM

THE WORLD CHANGED FOREVER:

In 1945 the world had three nuclear weapons in existence by 1986 over 70,000, with continued development of weapons of mass destruction. Since the end of World War II only two Atomic weapons were used against Japan, and the world had to live in the post-war age, under the shadow of the bomb...

The Hiroshima bomb known as "Little Boy" was
13 kilotons, created 4.4 miles of destruction w/a
blast radius of one mile.
The Nagasaki Bomb known as "Fat Man" was 21 kilotons, created 1.2 mile blast radius. Together
these weapons killed over 110,000 and injured
over 130,000. By 1950 230,000 had died from radiation and injuries.

MEMORIALS TO THE DEAD:

Did you know that there are two memorials in Japan. one is for Hiroshima and the other is for Nagasaki that list those that are known dead However, these are estimated deaths with thousands having gone missing.
This list is updated annually as of 2014 a total of 450,000, Hiroshima has 292,325 listed and Nagasaki has 165,409 listed. At the same time
140,000 died in fire bombing raids with over 1,000,000 injured.

BOMB THEM BACK INTO THE STONE AGE:

Did you know that even with the two atomic attacks on Japan, USAAF B-29s continued to drop dumb bombs on target over the Empire.
The United States had more atomic attacks planned. Another one in August, and three more in September 1945 scary isn't it...

TOOLS OF ARMAGEDDON:

Any nation which has a commercial nuclear reactor could produce enough Plutonium to make dozens of Hiroshima size bombs per-year. In the hands of say an unstable country this could be very dangerous...

DOOMSDAY DEVICE:

Doomsday weapons have always been a science-fiction film favorite. Nations have dreamed of such a weapon, but could such weapons be hidden and exist?
Salted nuclear weapons, Neutron bombs even Cobalt bombs. Such weapons are designed to produce long lasting radioactive fallout such weapons could destroy the attacker as well as the defender, with long term effects, over time they could destroy all life on the planet.
Such language is designed to make mass murder of civilizations and cultures sound respectable.
Salted weapons are not to be confused with the
term "Dirty Bomb" such a weapon has radioactive material spread over an area after the bomb explodes.

I thank the editor/ww2db for allowing me to leave my comments...

4.  Bill says:
10 Aug 2015 02:49:16 PM

RESTRECTED: FOR EYES ONLY NEED TO KNOW

After Japan surrendered ending WWII the whole country was devastated. Millions were homeless
and injured the infrastructure was in chaos in supporting the day to day necessities of life food, water, shelter and medical care.
Basic services were limited, or didn't exist at all
by 1948 Hiroshima was still in ruins and 140,000 people or more than half its population at the time the bomb was dropped died. Its been estimated that 60,000 survived the blast, but later died from injures and radiation exposure by 1950.

REBUILDING: YEAR ZERO

Rebuilding both cities took years the first areas to be cleared were major streets and secondary roadways. Building material was salvaged or cleared away. Vast areas of debris and rubble were moved, vehicles and heavy machinery were able to work and travel throughout the city.
Buildings were demolished, water and sewage lines were dug, replaced or repaired.

Much of the population continued to live in tents or temporary shelters. Food, water, medical care and other services were being provided.
Besides Hiroshima and Nagasaki other Japanese
cities were still in ruin from U.S. bombing raids
The infrastructure of a civilization had to be rebuilt.
I'm not a scientist or an academic, but I've kept up with technical developments from what I've read in books and technical journals besides working in my own field. History has always held my interest. The damage and loss of life were horrible However, on the other hand both bombs were air-bursts above those cities and much of the radiation never made contact with the earth, both cities were on the coast and much of the radioactive materials were carried away by smoke and winds out to sea.

HELL ON EARTH:

Did you know that U.S. Occupation Authorities seized or a better word would be confiscated film
that was taken by thirty (30) Japanese newsreel
photographers who filmed what they really saw in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRUCTION: LINGERING DEATH, DISEASE, SUFFERING THIS WOULD FRIGHTEN ANY SANE PERSON

These films showed the decaying bodies, charred
bodies burnt beyond recognition, the scattered parts of skeletons, skulls scattered, piles of flesh
that were once human beings. The shadows of victims that were etched against the walls of buildings they were just vaporized, tens of thousands upon tens of thousands died a horrible death, tens of thousands went missing the bomb just vaporized them. The stench across the land must have been unbearable.

BANNED FILMS:

These films were restricted for decades and held from the Japanese people as well as from the American population.
Those films hidden to keep the true evil of the Atomic bomb, a weapon that could wipeout civilization as we know it....

I thank the editor/ww2db for allowing me to share my knowledge of WWII...

5.  Bill says:
13 Aug 2015 03:11:48 PM

COLD WAR GLOSSARY: WHY ARE WE TALKIN NUKES

When WWII ended only the United States had the capability to annihilate an enemy with the use of Atomic bombs. Since the end of WWII nuclear weapons have cast its shadow over civilization.
I've created a list of terms that have become part of the 20th Century, and will continue to be
even more so, now that other nations have developed or are developing nuclear weapons, if I've missed anything feel free to add to this list.

I'm not an academic, scientific or technical person, However, but I've followed with interest
the latest scientific advances, that have been published and are known of by the public...

NEW TERMS FOR THE UNTHINKABLE:

TRINITY, HIROSHIMA, NAGASAKI, ARMS RACE, SPACE RACE, DEFON, FALLOUT, FIRST STRIKE, HOT LINE, IRON CURTAIN, GLASNOST, DETERENCE, DETENTE, WARHEAD, THROW WEIGHT.
MISSILE GAP, BOMBER GAP, NUCLEAR WINTER, FAILSAFE, PROLIFERATION, OVERPRESSURE, HEAT AND BLAST, URANIUM, PLUTONIUM, ISOTOPES, RADIATION, RADIOACTIVE, HALF LIFE.
DEVICE, REACTOR, FUEL RODS, HEAVY WATER, FISSION BOMBS, FUSION BOMBS, HYDROGEN BOMBS, ATOMIC BOMBS, ANTI-MATTER BOMB, NEUTRON BOMB, SALTED BOMBS, COBOLT BOMBS, AIR-FUEL BOMBS, MAGATONS, KILOTONS, TSAR BOMBA, MUSHROOM CLOUD, MANHATTEN PROJECT.
NUCLEAR FREE ZONE, ABM, ICBM, SLBM, IRBM, SILO, SDI, MERV, SALT, START, RED SCARE, SUPERPOWER, NATO/WARSAW PACT, THIRD WORLD.
ANNIHILATE, BAMBOO CURTAIN, STRATEGIC & CONVENTIONAL FORCES, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE, STOCKPILE, ALERT,
DUE-LINE, EARLY WARNING, POINT OF NO RETURN, GO CODES...

THIS GLOSSARY WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY...
(MAD) MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION AND THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

I THANK THE EDITOR/WW2DB FOR ALLOWING ME TO LEAVE THIS COMMENT...

6.  Bill says:
14 Aug 2015 03:21:42 PM

NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY:

After WWII the United States continued to build and improve the atomic bombs used against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It has been estimated
that at one time the US was building the Mk.III
and Mk.IV fission bombs at a rate of (4) four per week, or 1,500 bombs a year. Over the decades, the weapons were improved packing more and more kilotons and megatons for the buck.
The army was also developing nuclear capable rounds for its artillery. Nuclear weapons were also stockpiled in the United States and Europe.

THE RUSSIAN BOMBS: WE HAVE THEM TOO

In the meantime, the USSR was also developing its own nuclear weapons program, with data stolen from spies working within the US during the Manhatten Project.
Did you know that even before WWII the Soviets were doing research into atomic energy However, with the invasion of the USSR by Nazi Germany on 22 June 1941 it was scaled back and production of weapons became a priority.
Stalin upon hearing of the atomic bombs dropped
on Japan appeared surprised but had knowledge
of the weapon through his spies in the USA.

MILITARY PARITY USSR vs. USA

The Soviet Union was determined to become
equal or equivalent with both conventional and
nuclear weapons. The USA didn't expect the USSR to have a nuclear device for at least ten years.
RDS-1 the first Soviet test of a nuclear weapon was in 1949, its design was similar to that of the USA's "Fat Man" Plutonium bomb.
Other tests followed in 1951 a uranium bomb, a third test in 1951 was first air-dropped test. In 1954 another air-drop test.
The first hydrogen bomb was tested in 1953 and was followed by another hydrogen bomb in 1955

THE BIG BOY: TSAR BOMB

This was the largest bomb ever tested and was air-dropped a special parachute was developed so the bomber could safely get away from the blast. It was the latest thing in nuclear weapons
50-megatons! it was at first 100-megatons, but was scaled back, and was tested in 1961.

The Tsar Bomb was 1,400 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.
To give you an idea the Tsar bomb mushroom cloud reached 64km, the Hiroshima bomb mushroom cloud reached 12km. To get an idea of height, Mt. Everest is 8.8km high... the shock wave of the Tsar bomb circled the earth three (3) times. TO LEARN MORE CLICK TO EVENTS, SCROLL DOWN TO TO GERMANY'S SURRENDER HERE AT WW2DB...

SUGGESTED DVD's

FAT MAN & LITTLE BOY (1989)
NUKES IN SPACE: THE RAINBOW BOMBS (2000)
TRINITY & BEYOND: THE ATOMIC BOMB MOVIE
(2000 and 2006)
ATOMIC TESTING (2007)
COLD WAR HYSTERIA (2008) THESE DVDs ARE STILL AVAILABLE AS FAR AS I KNOW...

ONCE AGAIN I THANK THE EDITOR/WW2DB FOR GIVING ME CONTINUED SUPPORT, IN LEAVING
INFORMATION AT THIS DATABASE...

ALL COMMENTS ARE MINE ALONE AND IN NO WAY REFLECT THE EDITOR/WW2DB IN ANY WAY

7.  Bill says:
27 Jan 2017 01:59:21 PM

TRINITY & BEYOND: JULY 16, 1945

DAWN OF THE ATOMIC AGE:
PLAYIG WITH FIRE

Within 27 months, the United States leading scientific minds of that time, developed a nuclear device. Different teams worked on the design of the weapon. Other teams worked on the firing design, production, components, electronics, design, testing and retesting and redesign of schematics and related material, fuel and fissionable material.
To create such a weapon thousands of calculations checked and re-checked, estimates, nuclear theory you need to know you're nuts & bolts about this stuff...

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

Did you know that scientists set up 50 different cameras that took both still photos as well as motion pictures, that were used to record the worlds first nuclear detonation. A special camera named Fastax took 10,000 frames per second! to record the event. Other cameras would record wavelengths of light from the explosion, others recorded gamma-rays, other cameras along with special instruments recorded other scientific data and measurements of the developing fireball.

NOT ALL THE PLAYERS:

Of all the scientific minds involved in the development of the atomic bomb, Albert Einstein wasn't involved with work on the bomb.
Believe it or not, the US Government considered him (Einstein) not a political reliable the FBI even had a big file on him, and he was out of the loop, and not even on a need-to-know basis.
Einstein did play a roll, it wasn't centered or direct as most of us would imagine...
In his famous 1939 letter to President Roosevelt, it did started the first phase of the atomic bomb project, later to become the Manhattan Project.

E=MC^2: IT WAS A DISCOVERY

This would lead the world toward the atomic age. Einstein predicted the atom bomb way back in 1905, that's 40 years before the real thing.
Later on the Germans, Italians and the Japanese worked on the problem, even the French did some research, how far all these countries progressed is open to speculation and conjecture.

PHYSICS 101:

Einstein's formula E=MC^2
showed mass and energy and that fission could be made into a weapon and predict how powerful such a weapon would be...

SO WHAT DOES E=MC^2 MEAN:

E = Energy Measured in Joules, J
M = Mass Measured in Kilograms, Kg
C = The Speed of Light Measured in Meters Per Second, MS, But Needs To Be Squared...
I paid attention in physics class, and that was way back in 1965, as of 2017, that was 52 years ago!

Okay what's a Joule, its a unit used to measure energy at work. Named after James P. Joule (1818-1889) English Physicist who established mechanical theory of heat and discovered the first law of thermodynamics...
This is just general information passed on to the reader. Quantum Physics, Thermodynamics are way beyond me, so we won't go any further. To learn more, click to events, scroll down to the European War, scroll down to Germany's Surrender

Did you know that the USAAF
dropped leaflets on cities, warning its citizens about the atomic attack.
People failed to understand what was going to happen or didn't believe the Americans, or that the local police and military prevented them from leaving...