Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 288 Target, Hiroshima (Fourth update, please subscribe)

The wages of avarice is death.

Faced with such a huge financial decision, who would be willing to miss it?

Uncle Guo will not let it go, and neither will others. Even if someone is unwilling, the officials will not agree.

Sometimes some things just take advantage of human greed.

What if those machines may remain idle in the warehouse for a long time in the future, and even if they are shipped to the factory in small quantities, they will not be able to perform their functions? As long as it is transported back to Tangshan, it will eventually be used. It is just a matter of whose hands it will be used.

And what about the ones shipped back to Borneo?

Of course, it will also contribute to the construction of Borneo.

Li Yian doesn't know what choice Tangshan will make next, but interests will always drive people to make corresponding choices.

As for our own side, the expeditionary force affiliated to the Pacific Allied Forces Command set off a week ago, and they will arrive in Japan soon.

The only question is, when will Japan surrender?

That night, after the banquet, Li Yian stared out the window, thinking about this question only.

In fact, Li Yi'an was not the only one thinking about this issue. On the other side of the ocean, in Washington, the White House, and the Oval Office, Truman was looking through a report.

"Has the goods arrived?"

"Yes, Mr. President, it was safely transported to its destination last night."

Secretary of War Stimson reported to President Truman.

"Looks like we have to use that thing."

At the beginning of the month, Truman once watched a documentary film in the screening room of the White House. The film truly recorded the horrific scenes that occurred in Alamogordo.

For that terrible scene, Truman felt not fear, but joy, which can even be described as high spirits. In his view, that thing not only means that the United States has mastered the key weapon that determines the victory of the war, but also can end the war.

"This damn war can finally end!"

After that, Truman looked up at Stimson and said.

"I know that not everyone agrees with the use of atomic bombs, and military leaders in the military still argue to this day. General Arnold believed that conventional bombing would end the war, and Ike believed that through military offensive, we could end the war this year End the war before Christmas. Only Marshall supports the use of the atomic bomb!"

Putting down the pen in his hand, Truman looked at Stimson and said.

"What do you think?"

"Ike did not agree with the use of atomic bombs. He once told me privately that Japan had failed and there was no need to drop atomic bombs. In addition, he believed that the United States should also avoid using such a weapon that was "not necessary to save American lives." "Indispensable" weapons have aroused the condemnation of world public opinion. In his opinion, this is the case.

Nodding slightly, Truman adjusted the sockets of his glasses and said.

"And what do you think?"

"Mr. President, I support every decision you make."

Stimson's answer made Truman purse his lips and said.

"I know that almost everyone has moral reservations, and many people are worried about suffering the condemnation of the world..."

As the words fell, Truman said, looking at Stimson.

"Some people say that our "hunger war" has starved to death tens of millions of people, and now that we have used atomic bombs, we must suffer moral blame. However, I hope everyone understands that it is not your hands that are stained with Blood, but my hands are covered with blood, so as for moral matters, leave it to me to worry about. The most important thing now is to end this damn war so that our boys can take off their Military boots, nothing is more important than returning to your family!”

Yes, nothing is more important than this, so what if everyone opposes it? As long as the boys can go home!

After a moment of silence, Truman said.

"I have signed the order to use it, let General Carl Spaatz issue the order and implement it!"

"Yes, Mr. President!"

Stimson glanced at the president. When everyone was reserving surprises for the sake of morality, Truman, as president, resolutely shouldered everything.

When Stimson left, Truman took off his glasses, rubbed his temples silently, and then said to himself.

"The responsibility is here, put the responsibility here, stop here!"

Then, as if he remembered something, he muttered to himself again.

"I really miss him. If he were here, he would definitely support me!" ...

The atomic bomb was assembled in an air-conditioned bomb depot on Tinian Island. "Little Boy" is about 71 centimeters in diameter, 305 centimeters long, and weighs about 4100 kilograms. Except for the difference in size, it looks like an ordinary bomb.

The crew responsible for dropping the atomic bomb, the 0th Group, was trained under extreme secrecy. Only their commander, Colonel Paul Tibbetts, knew what his mission was. The area they were in was surrounded by barbed wire and tightly protected by military police. Even generals had to have a pass to enter.

Under such strict security measures, the 0th Brigade seemed to have nothing to do. Occasionally, they would fly to enemy territory in threes and drop bombs, so that other troops on the island often laughed at them.

This morning, the weather forecast indicated that the weather would be suitable for takeoff after midnight. The night before, Captain William Parsons, the naval ordnance expert responsible for loading bombs onto the planes, had witnessed four B-29 bombers crashing during takeoff. So he reported to General Thomas Farrell, who was in charge of this secret plan.

"If planes loaded with atomic bombs cannot take off safely, atomic explosions may turn the entire island into rubble."

General Farrell shrugged his shoulders and said.

"Then we can only pray for God's blessing."

"Oh, I can wait until the plane takes off and leave, then I can finally install the bomb, so that this kind of thing won't happen."

"Have you ever installed a bomb under such conditions before?"

"No. But I still have a whole day to practice."

"Okay, then you can practice first."

Before dusk, the atomic bomb was transported from the air-conditioned warehouse to the dazzling sunshine outdoors and loaded into the bomb bay of the B-29 bomber. The bomb was covered with greetings to the female relatives of the Japanese Emperor. The name of the aircraft was "Inno." "La Gay" was named after Tibbetts' mother. At dusk, Colonel Parsons climbed into the sweltering fuselage. He squatted next to the bomb and practiced the final assembly step hour after hour. His hands were constantly cut by sharp metal edges, and blood was everywhere on the bomb.

"For God's sake, man,"

General Farrell said when he saw Parsons' bleeding hands.

"I have a pair of pigskin gloves. You can use them. Those gloves are very thin. Look at your hands!"

"I don't care, I have to use my hands to do it."

At 7:17 p.m., Farrell wired Groves:

"Judge (Parsons) planted the bomb after takeoff..."

Shortly after 10 p.m., the six crew members were called into a semi-domed mobile home for pre-departure briefings. They watched as Tibbetts strode onto the stage.

"Tonight is the night we have all been waiting for,"

Tibbetts said,

"The effect of the long-term training over the past few months will be tested tonight. Success or failure will soon be known. We are going to create history tonight."

Because the crew had been told three days before what they were carrying, they knew that what was about to be dropped was a bomb with the destructive power of 20,000 tons of TNT.

"Because this bomb is so powerful, our tactics are different from those used to throw ordinary bombs." Later, Tibbetts explained.

"Three weather observation aircraft will take off first to monitor the weather over the three selected cities so that they can change the target at the last minute. An hour later, the "Enola Gay" will take off again, accompanied by There were also two escort aircraft carrying scientific instruments and photographic equipment. The three aircraft converged over Iwo Jima a few minutes after dawn."

During the final briefing at midnight, each crew member was issued a pair of welder's goggles to protect their eyes in the intense flash from a bomb explosion. The crew members all lowered their heads and listened carefully to the prayers of William Downey, a burly twenty-seven-year-old Lutheran pastor, "...God, we pray to you that the war will end soon and peace will return soon." On earth. God bless the pilots who flew tonight and return safely..."

At 1:37 in the morning, three weather observation aircraft flew into the night sky. A group of farewell people and photographers gathered around "Enola Gay", and dozens of flashlights were flashing.

Accompanied by the roar of the engine, the "Enola Zhanyi" and the two escort aircraft taxied to the runway. When the "Enola Gay" roared slowly out of the runway, General Farrell concentrated on observing the takeoff from the control tower of the North Airport. Although the aircraft has accelerated to 290 kilometers, it seems that it cannot leave the ground due to the extra weight.

This scene reminded those watching the scene where several B-29s crashed one after another a few nights ago. Everyone was sweating and even wished they could help lift the plane into the sky.

Finally, with only a few yards of runway left, the giant bomber took off and flew into the night sky.

In the control tower, General Farrell turned to a naval officer and said,

"I had never seen a plane take off with such a long runway. I thought Tibbetts would never get it up in the air."

When he said these words, General Farrell's shirt, which seemed to be relaxed, was soaked with sweat.

It's not because of the heat, it's all because of the coldness.

Realizing this, General Farrell smiled again.

"Today's weather is really hot and we all sweat a lot."

(End of this chapter)