 July 16th, 1945. This is the darkness of a desert morning, and here in New Mexico, a group of men wait tensely, expectantly. Behind them, three unbroken years of work. Work done in unprecedented secrecy. Three different cameras recorded from six miles away, these views of the most concentrated release of explosive energy in the history of mankind. From the time of that first explosion until Hiroshima shuddered beneath the release of atomic energy, work on the bomb went steadily forward in closely guarded plants. In New Mexico, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Hanford, Washington. For over a hundred years, the city of Hiroshima had garrisoned some of the Japanese Empire's finest troops. The city had never been subjected to actual bombing, but had been warned repeatedly. Now its army headquarters, barracks, ordnance, and quartermaster depots, factories, mills, and shipyards were to feel the weight of the atom's destructive power. Twenty-one days after the New Mexico experiment, a B-29 was over Hiroshima carrying an atomic bomb. At 8.15 in the morning of August 6th, Japanese time, the first atomic bomb struck an enemy target. This is zero point on Hiroshima, the exact spot above the city at which the bomb burst over enemy territory, at the junction of the Matayusu and Oto rivers. The atomic bomb was intentionally exploded well above its target in order to dissipate its radioactive material. The devastation you see here was caused by the explosion of the bomb above this zero point. Only the strongest buildings are left standing, and they are gutted. Looking north from zero point, this is what was left. Looking east, the camera records a scene of complete devastation in the immediate area. To the south, these are the ruins. Looking west from zero point, the same complete leveling is evident, the same inability of structures to withstand atomic power. Just a tenth of a mile from zero point, the effect of the bomb blast can be seen on these stripped and broken trees and on this Russian-Japanese war memorial. Lines were literally blasted into the stone of the memorial. Here, looking west from the Sanwa building, the side of a concrete smokestack nearest the blast has been discolored. The Hiroshima gas company building on the right in this picture has been almost completely demolished by the force of the explosion from above, as though struck by a giant sledgehammer. The reinforced concrete Sanwa bank building was wrecked even more completely. These twisted steel beams once supported the roof. The direction of the bomb blast can be seen clearly in these scenes of the concrete parapet wall extending above the bank building's roof. Two tenths of a mile from zero point was a Shinto shrine. Here, too, the blast stripped the trees and collapsed stonework. Originally, the base of this statue was polished granite, but now the stone is roughened by the force of the blast which completely removed the polish. The lighter surfaces which are being pointed out indicate the angle of the bomb blast as though painted on the surface. The nearby lamppost shows flash burns on the side facing the blast. The commercial museum was also within two tenths of a mile of zero point, and the garden wall facing the blast was bent inward by the push of the explosion. The downward force of the blast caused the failure of the concrete beams which supported this roof, and the roof itself has settled so much that it now acts as a reservoir. Looking east, an area of complete devastation is all that can be seen. The railing was blown off this bridge, and the steel poles on the bridge show the effects of the atomic bomb blast, which hurled grit with such forces to etch the steel. The front of this school is a quarter of a mile from and faces zero point. The sag in the concrete reinforced floor can be seen here in the entrance. The steel rods, which are now hanging, once supported the suspended ceiling. This reinforced concrete building was knocked sidewise, causing the lower story to collapse. This barren area, three tenths of a mile from zero point, once contained the main Japanese military headquarters. The barracks were utterly destroyed. Most of the military personnel of approximately 20,000 were wiped out. The distorted steel framework is all that remains of a building which stood four tenths of a mile from zero point. Whereas this reinforced concrete building of the Chikogi Electric Company, one half mile from zero point, withstood the blast much better. Six tenths of a mile out, destruction was almost as complete as it was at zero point. Wooden structures were completely collapsed by the blast. This was Hiroshima Castle. Its framework was demolished by the force of the blast, but fires of secondary origin did not occur. Because it happened to be at a 45 degree angle to the direction of the blast, the Hiroshima City Hall with its heavily reinforced concrete construction shows much less damage. Doors and windows were blown in by the force of the explosion. Shadows of the posts on Yorozoyo Bridge indicate the direction of the explosion. Six tenths of a mile from zero point, the bridge floor is etched except where shielded by the railing. Outlined in the surface of the bridge is the shadow of a pedestrian which tells its own meaningful story. One mile from zero point, the blast damage shows lessening force, but the results of fires of secondary origin are still severe. On this side of a steel bridge over the Ota River, one mile away from and facing zero point, the lead paint was almost completely removed by the sandblast effect, resulting from the explosion of the atomic bomb. The surface of the other side of the same bridge, however, was not visibly affected. Also a mile away from zero point is a red cross hospital which although damaged, never ceased functioning. This is the front of the building which faces northeast. On the northwest side of the building the steel windows and all floors were blown in. This southwest side of the building again shows windows blown in by the external air pressure caused by the explosion. Here, however, the windows in the southeast wall were blown out rather than in. A look inside the hospital shows chairs in the same position as at the time of the blast. The backs of the chairs which faced zero point were flash burned through the window. The mohair upholstery fabric was singed down to the base of the nap. The effect on this wall which faced zero point was almost identical with the damage done by the explosion to the opposite wall. In addition, interior partitions were knocked down. Looking toward zero point from the roof of the red cross hospital a mile away, the tremendous destruction created by the first atomic bomb can be seen. Army vehicles of our occupying forces are moving through the city streets. Here, looking in the opposite direction toward the south, away from zero point only a few masonry foundation walls remain and what is left of one reinforced concrete building. Looking west, still a mile from zero point, the only sign of a small industrial plant is a lone concrete smokestack. Temporary housing facilities built with scrap material have been thrown up in the area. No matter what kind of construction the Japanese used, whether it consisted of wooden frame and mud plaster walls as here or wooden lab and plaster veneer construction, they made no attempt to zone their various types of buildings. Barracks, homes, industrial centers of steel and reinforced concrete, factory buildings of brick construction all were crowded together with no apparent regard for the safety of the civilian population. Within an area of a mile to a mile and a half, there was almost complete destruction except for some reinforced concrete buildings. From one and a half to two miles, there was severe damage by fire and moderate damage by blast. From two to six miles, there was minor damage by blast and fire, varying from damaged roofs to broken windows. These wooden buildings, a mile and a half from the center of the blast, were all subject to fires of secondary origin. The Higashiki Railroad Station in East Hiroshima, one and a half miles from zero point, although still in use, was extensively damaged. The marquee crumbled from the force of the blast and has been removed. When the marquee fell, it pulled the brick veneer off part of the building. Inside of the station, steel beams supporting the roof were twisted out of shape, and the concrete walls, though still standing, show the effects of the tremendous concussion. This high school building, the same distance from zero point as the railroad station, had its north wall smashed in by the blast. The second story of the north wall was especially badly damaged. Looking through a bound out section of the wall to zero point, notice that not all the buildings in this area were as severely damaged as the school house. A portion of the wall of the school was blown in across the desks, and petitions were shifted. The high school wall farthest from the zero point now bulges in the direction of the blast, and all glass was blown out of the window frame. Between zero point and the main building of the novitiative Jesuits four miles away, was a hill which served to lessen the intensity of the blast. Yet, despite this protection, all the windows were shattered and part of the wall blown in. The chapel, which is the left wing of the building, is built of timber with plaster walls. The glass and the doors of the main entrance foyer were shattered and the paneled ceiling was blown loose by the force of the explosion occurring four miles away. A group of Jesuits who were teaching in Hiroshima witnessed and survived the explosion. One of them has provided an eyewitness account. Introduce yourself please. I am Father John Zeemus, Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of Tokyo, it's under management of Jesuit Farris. What were you doing in Hiroshima at the time of the explosion? Well, my philosophical class was evacuated from Tokyo to Hiroshima about five months ago, and I was staying with my class at a house of studies at the outskirts of the city of Hiroshima. Could you describe exactly what happened in the morning of August the 6th? Yes, I was in my room which faces the valet and suddenly I saw a light like magnesium light, flashlight, which filled the whole valet and looking out of my window to find out the reason for this peculiar phenomena, I saw nothing beside this light and turning from the window to the door of my room. I heard a crash, it may have been 10 seconds after seeing the light, the flashlight, and immediately I was covered with splinters of the window frames and glass sticking into the walls and actually my flesh itself. I tried to get out of my room but found that our house had been severely damaged by the blast of this explosion. I had the impression at that time that the bomb had immediately crashed on the house. So severe, so strong, was the effect of the percussion. But looking outside the house, I saw no trace of the bomb itself, but about a kilometer away from my house, I saw several present houses which were on fire. After a while, we saw a procession of people coming from the outskirts of the city of Deweller. Many of them, most of them, were wounded, especially the parts of the body which were not covered by clothes, like hands, feet, back. They came up to our house and we did what we could, but there were no possibility to give much of aid. As a matter of fact, we used all our grease, we had at that wartime in the house and it was exhausted at the moment. How many people do you think were killed? All of us who lived through this experience at the spot estimate the numbers of that at least at 100,000. This estimate is not based on official figures but just on the knowledge of special groups under the population. Was there anybody to take charge of the city after the disaster? There was nobody to take charge after the disaster because all important people were practically killed. The major, the commander of the city, many high ranking officers, a Korean prince which was stationed at the time in Oshima and also the regiments of the city were wiped out. What is your opinion as to the story that the ruins of the city amid the deadly rain? Well, I think that it's just a rumor because I myself and others of us have worked in the city itself immediately after the explosion for several hours and we felt no ill effect at all. Tell me a little about the Japanese reaction towards the Americans and towards the Islamic war. Neither myself nor anybody of our of our fathers heard a single outburst of hate against the Americans in those terrible days. During the whole war we didn't experience much about hatred against the Allied. As a matter of fact at the beginning of the war, after the Japanese victories, the Japanese were inclined to look down on the enemy. But then after the offensive went off according to schedule, they began to admire the skill of the Americans. And especially since the majestic B-29 appeared over Tokyo, practically every Japanese admired the technical skill of the Americans. Father, what is your and your colleague's opinion as to the use of the atomic bomb? We have discussed among ourselves the uses of the use of the bomb, some considered in the same category as poison gas and were against its use on the civilian population. Others were of the view that in total war as carried on in Japan, there was no difference between civilians and soldiers and that the bomb itself was an effective force tending to end the bloodshed, warning Japan to surrender and thus to avoid total destruction. It seems logical to me that he who supports total war in principle cannot complain of a war against civilian. The crux of the matter is whether total war in its present form is justifiable even when it serves a just a just purpose. Does it not have material and spiritual evil as its consequences which far exceed whatever the good that might result? When will our moralists give us a clear answer to this question? The business of living goes on in the devastated areas of Hiroshima. In the northeastern section of the city, temporary homes are constructed of whatever materials can be salvaged from the ruins. Near the Higashi Railroad Station in eastern Hiroshima, scrap lumber, tin and roof tile are all used in an attempt to build a new, in no matter how flimsy a fashion. Immediately following the bombing of Hiroshima, the president of the United States delivered an ultimatum to the Japanese government. Surrender or face complete destruction. The ultimatum was ignored. At 10.58 the morning of August 9th Japanese time, the second atomic bomb was exploded over the industrial seaport city of Nagasaki. Almost the entire population of 230,000 people was engaged in the manufacture of arms, munitions and other war products. Two great Mitsubishi factories were located in the heart of the city. To the north, one of the world's largest torpedo plants, and further south the huge steel and arms works. The bomb which was dropped on Nagasaki was aimed at a point midway between the two plants in order to cause the greatest possible industrial damage. Unlike Hiroshima, the force of the explosion at Nagasaki was largely confined to the industrial valley which was surrounded by a series of hills that shielded many other areas of the city. Towering mushroom effect could be seen going higher and higher and reaching into the stratosphere. Because the bomb was exploded high above the ground, the greatest part of its harmful radioactive material was dissipated in the stratosphere. As a result, the area under the explosion was relatively free from radioactivity. Persons entering Nagasaki shortly after the explosion to do rescue work sustained no ill effect or injury. A little more than three square miles, there was very severe damage by blast and fire. Most buildings were reduced to rubble. Still recognizable from the air are the skeleton remainders of the Mitsubishi plants, the large steel and arms works, and the ordinance factory devoted to the manufacture of torpedoes. The Mitsubishi steel and arms works extended almost a mile in length. Its buildings were modern and typical of American industrial construction, having steel frames and roof and siding of corrugated metal or asbestos. Buildings of reinforced concrete still stand amid the wreckage of steel frames. Some smokestacks survive. They offered comparatively little resistance to the blast. But as in Hiroshima, the directional force bent steel and stripped corrugated metal from the framework of the building. Where corrugated metal remained, it was pushed in like tissue paper. These buildings show a varying degree of destruction depending upon proximity to zero point and building strength. This foundry three tenths of a mile away from zero point chose considerable damage in spite of fairly good construction. Other buildings were stronger, some being constructed to support heavy overhead cranes. Damage to equipment inside was nevertheless serious. This machinery had been used in the manufacture of naval rifles, anti-aircraft guns and heavy artillery. In the valley, homes were scattered through factory areas. On machinery and many of these homes, piecework was carried on to help the Japanese war effort. Blast and secondary fire destroyed the lightly constructed buildings, in many cases leaving damaged equipment. Photographed from zero point, this area of three and a tenth square mile shows almost utter devastation by blast and fire. Note how hills in the south interrupted the blasts. In the second area of five and a half square miles, there was moderate damage from blast and severe damage from fires. The total area of damage covered almost 42 and a half square miles, ranging from complete destruction to damaged roofs and broken windows. The greatest distance at which damage was measured was 12 miles, where through a peculiar focusing of concussion, workers' barracks were knocked down. One half mile from zero point, a cracked smokestack. A prison of concrete and masonry, two tenths of a mile from zero point, was almost totally destroyed. The walls left standing were parallel to the direction of the blast. This area was completely wiped out from zero point up to the church at the foot of the hills about a mile away. In the bed of the creek, rests the dome which was blown from its place at the top of the church. The gas works was blown into a mass of twisted steel, two concrete walls, the remains of two factory buildings. Bridges showed greater destruction in Nagasaki than in Hiroshima, but even close to zero point, the downward force of the blast failed to damage roads and railroads due to the height at which the bomb was detonated. The main north-south street of Nagasaki was in use shortly after the disaster occurred. A typical residence on the outskirts of Nagasaki, a mile and a half from zero point. Six weeks after the explosion of the atomic bomb over Nagasaki, the survivors are busy working at the restoration of their homes. Ten hours of work, two B-29s, two atomic bombs, three days apart, two cities. The tabulation of that record speaks for itself.