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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 1596.PDF
AUGUST I6TH, 1945 JAPAN'S offer to surrender was sosudden that it took most people bysurprise. It was the only sensible thing for the Japanese Government to do ; but the Japanese do not always do the sensible thing. As we write it is hard to realise that soon no more shots need be fired in anger (except where justice deals with war criminals), no more bombs need be dropped, and no more torpedoes despatched upon their deadly errand. This news comes at the end of a week of surprises. Let us collect our minds and look back at what happened before. Since VE Day no week has given to the world two such great pieces of news as the dropping of the first atomic bomb on a Japanese city and the declaration of war by Russia on Japan. Either by itself was news of first-class magnitude. Coming so soon one after the other they are staggering, and the rulers of Japan might well feel their minds reeling. For a considerable time past it has* been clear that Japan had no hope of avoiding unconditional surrender. The Allied forces already deployed against her, and being rapidly swollen as the might of America left Europe to assist in wiping the slate clean SHORT - LIVED : The Hawaii Mars, the first of twenty 72J-ton Martin flying boats for the American naval air transport service, which recently crashed on landing. It was launched on July zist. The marshalling9 yards at Chum- phon, on theBangkok- Singa- pore railway,after attention by R.A.F. Liber-ators. Japan's Collapse : The Atomic Bombs: Russia's Declaration of War : Invasion of Manchuria of the recollection of Pearl Har- bour, were sufficient to assure the col- lapse of Japanese resistance by the ordinary use of sea, land and air power. Only quite recently have the first, 4,000 lb. bombs been dropped on the Japanese islands ; but already the Japanese fleet had ceased to be a fight- ing force. Then came the news of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and the whoL world was amazed. Nations whiC! feel no apprehension of being inytil in war for as long ahead as pa/ri be estimated have nevertheless/ been struck with awe at the fearful possibili- ties laid before humanity by this new and terrible means of destruction. It is not surprising that Japanese foreign broadcasts began to whine about the inhumanity of using such a terrific in- strument of destruction. Bullies are usually prone to whine when they feel themselves beaten. Japan has claimed to bj_> on'iliM'il nwtinii1n has talked bushido (wmcTKwe believe something like chivalry), and ention. ith the utmost harbilii*fr/anH^feo is fin the
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