Re:The Cannons on the B-29 Bomber
by hydrogen18 on Wednesday December 02, 2015 @09:25AM
(#10663061)
I always figured the Japanese assumed the plane in the case of Hiroshima was a reconnaissance plane gathered ground photographs and checking on the weather. As you correctly noted, they didn't have many resources. I'd figure a lone reconnaissance plane would rank pretty low on the list of targets they were trying to intercept.
Even a lone bomber plane would not have been that much of a threat at this point. Bomb the weapon factories, the war is over. If they had known what was coming they would have deployed a lot more and evacuated the civilians.
We all know what happened instead.
That's a common interpretation of the Japanese reaction. I admit to a limited amount of knowledge on this subject but I have never seen anything that contradicts that view.
Re:The Cannons on the B-29 Bomber
by jessaustin on Wednesday December 02, 2015 @10:24AM
(#10663454)
The "79 fighter planes" claim doesn't pass the sniff test to me either. Remember that two months after this, the Japanese didn't even bother sending fighters to even try to intercept the planes that bombed Hiroshima (for example).
The first proposition is a reasonable explanation for the second. If you're not willing to lose 79 fighters, then don't engage a B-29.
The "79 fighter planes" claim doesn't pass the sniff test to me either. Remember that two months after this, the Japanese didn't even bother sending fighters to even try to intercept the planes that bombed Hiroshima (for example).
I'm not saying that the claim is definitely false, but I wouldn't take anything written in the press during the actual war at face value.