New Clear Anniversaire

"Surrender - or be destroyed"

Prett righteous declaration from the Potsdam Declaration, nicht wahr?

Das Dritten Reich lay totally defeated in a pool of blood - kicking and screaming til she was  - well - pretty much destroyed. The victorious VE Day cats turned their full attention to the Greater Far East Co - Prosperity Sphere. 

Imperial Nippon.

Doing a Iwo Jima/Okinawa style invasion of the Japanese Homeland would take like two Invasion Ops - Operation Down Fall consisted of Operation Olympic and Operation Coronet

Operation Olympic was the sub-plan that targeted the Japanese home island of Kyushu. It was scheduled to take place on 1 Nov 1945, code named X-Day, with Okinawa acting as the primary staging area. The invasion fleet was to include 42 aircraft carriers, 24 battleships, and over 400 destroyers and destroyer escorts. The fleet would escort 14 American divisions, both Army and Marine Corps, that would form the initial assault force. The American forces were to conquer and hold the southern third of Kyushu. A deceptive operation, Operation Pastel, was to be launched against cities on the Chinese coast and Taiwan in support of Operation Olympic.

Operation Coronet was to take place on 1 Mar 1946, code named Y-Day, assuming Operation Olympic had successfully secured airfields so that additional land-based air support would be available. It was to be the largest amphibious operation in history, with 25 divisions participating in the initial invasion, including those in floating reserve; the great invasion force was to include those transferred from the recently-concluded European War. The invasion beaches were to be at Kujikuri on the Boso Peninsula and Hiratsuka at Sagami Bay, and the forces would work their way north across the Kanto plain toward Tokyo.

Naturally, the American plan considered Japanese resistance. It noted the possibility that the invasion "will be opposed not only by the available organized military forces of the Empire, but also by a fanatically hostile population", which would result in high casualties.

 In a study done by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff in Apr 1945, at least 456,000 casualties were to be expected for Operation Olympic alone. Some other evaluations were also done, and their casualty estimates ranged anywhere from 30,000 to 1,000,000. In preparation, the United States manufactured 500,000 Purple Heart medals to award to those injured in combat.

See, the recent bloody slugfests at Iwo Jima and Okinawa pretty much guaranteed that doing Nippon would rival the horrific casualty rates of the 3rd Reich/Soviet Union battles - sump Americans were hot to avoid.

Thus - Great Satan went new clear.

Her choice targets were Hiroshima and Nagasaki

These cities were largely untouched during the nightly bombing raids and the Army Air Force agreed to leave them off the target list so accurate assessment of the weapon could be made. Hiroshima was described as "an important army depot and port of embarkation in the middle of an urban industrial area. It is a good radar target and it is such a size that a large part of the city could be extensively damaged. There are adjacent hills which are likely to produce a focusing effect which would considerably increase the blast damage. Due to rivers it is not a good incendiary target." 

Great Satan had previously dropped leaflets warning civilians of air raids on 35 Japanese cities, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

70,000–80,000 people, or some 30% of the population of Hiroshima were killed by the blast and resultant firestorm, and another 70,000 injured. 

"Practically all living things, human and animal, were literally seared to death" 

"If they do not now accept our terms, they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth. Behind this air attack will follow sea and land forces in such numbers and power as they have not yet seen and with the fighting skill of which they are already well aware"

Japan"s Military Gov made plans to impose martial law and prevent anyone from making peace.

Nagasaki was hit today in 1945. Guestimates for immediate deaths range from 40,000 to 75,000

Until 9 August the war council had still insisted on its four conditions for surrender. On that day Hirohito ordered Kido to "quickly control the situation ... because the Soviet Union has declared war against us." He then held an Imperial conference during which he authorized minister Tōgō to notify the Allies that Japan would accept their terms on one condition, that the declaration "does not compromise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a Sovereign ruler."

On 12 August the Emperor informed the imperial family of his decision to surrender. One of his uncles, Prince Asaka, then asked whether the war would be continued if the kokutai could not be preserved. Hirohito simply replied "Of course."

As the Allied terms seemed to leave intact the principle of the preservation of the Throne, Hirohito recorded on 14 August his capitulation announcement which was broadcast to the Japanese nation the next day despite a short rebellion by militarists opposed to the surrender.

Imperial Nippon formally gave up the ghost on board USS Missourion VJ Day

Pic - "Instrument of Surrender"