Hi Reader, welcome back to our weekly coverage of what happened in the skies and on the ground during World War II. This week, we cover the anniversary of the Trinity test, the successful detonation of the world's first atomic bomb. Join us as we delve into the history of one of the most pivotal conflicts ever and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Trinity
This week in history, the United States successfully detonated the first-ever nuclear weapon on July 16, 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project. Under the codename "Trinity," the test was conducted in a remote desert in New Mexico, and its success marked the beginning of the nuclear age. The success of the Trinity test was a culmination of three years of intense, secretive research aimed at beating Nazi Germany to the development of the first-ever atomic bomb. Within weeks of the test, the first atomic bombs, "Little Boy" and "Fat Man," would be deployed over Japan, bringing a swift and deadly end to the war in the Pacific and World War II entirely.
In 1938, German scientists discovered nuclear fission, a nuclear chain reaction that produces extreme levels of energy, leading to a global race to build the first atomic weapon. Upon the discovery, prominent scientific figures pressed Albert Einstein to warn President Franklin D. Roosevelt of its dangers, urging the United States to accelerate their nuclear research. In October 1941, President Roosevelt approved the atomic program, placing its responsibility on the US Army. Following the American entry into the war in December 1941, the nuclear program concluded that a bomb could be designed and built in time to influence the war. By September 1942, the Army Corps of Engineers established the Manhattan Engineering District, led by Brigadier General Leslie Groves, in Manhattan, New York. The program combined the country’s military, scientific, and industrial resources, and thousands of workers were recruited to work in the massive secretive project based in Los Alamos, New Mexico, taking on the codename “Manhattan Project” under Director Robert J. Oppenheimer.
By the summer of 1945, weapon development and design were advanced enough to warrant a field test of the nuclear bomb. The test was scheduled for July 16, 1945, in a remote corner of the Alamogordo Bombing Range known as the "Jornada del Muerto," or "Journey of Death," 210 miles (337 km) south of Los Alamos. The test was named "Trinity" by Robert Oppenheimer, inspired by the poetry of John Donne. On July 13, 1945, the bomb, nicknamed "Gadget," was finally assembled and ready for deployment. The "Gadget" was an implosion-type device that used precise explosives to compress the core into a supercritical state, initiating a nuclear reaction and releasing immense energy. On the night of July 15, scientists anxiously awaited for the storm to clear in time for the early morning test, many privately holding doubts about its success. The storm cleared by 4:00 AM and the test was pushed back to 5:30 AM. Finally, at 5:00, the Gadget was armed and the countdown began. At precisely 5:30 a.m. on Monday, July 16, 1945, the nuclear age began.
The Trinity test was a success. Within seconds, the equivalent of 21,000 tons of TNT was released, sending shockwaves and heatwaves across the desert. The immense energy created a massive fireball stretching into the sky, forming a mushroom cloud that would become the iconic imagery of the nuclear age. On the ground, the reaction from the scientists was joyful and celebratory, but it was short-lived as the grim reality set in. The success of the test meant the bomb's design was now available for use in the war against Japan. The terrifying destructive power of atomic weapons and the uses to which they might be put haunted many of the Manhattan Project scientists for the remainder of their lives. Within weeks, "Little Boy" was dropped over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, followed by "Fat Man" on August 9, 1945, over Nagasaki. Within days, Imperial Japan surrendered.
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Thank you for tuning in to this week's coverage of what happened on the ground and the skies during World War II. We hope to see you again next week for even more incredible true stories. And as always, see you in the skies.
-TJ
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"We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent.” - J. Robert Oppenheimer
