Strategy, Tactical, Leadership, and Technology

Although Europe appeared to have won the conflict, the reality was that it had been severely ruined; empires had collapsed, the economies were in ruins, millions of soldiers had been killed or injured, and whole generations had been permanently affected.

Every turn revealed an extraordinary variety of artifacts—massive anti-aircraft guns that once shielded warships and bases, Japanese swords captured on the battlefield, and a surprising array of small arms from both Allied and Japanese forces.

At 2:45 AM, August 6, the Enola Gay lifted off from Tinian, carrying Little Boy and a hand-picked crew. At 8:15 AM Hiroshima time, the bomb was dropped from 31,000 feet.