WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk Hiroshima: Dropping The Bomb
19 snips
Aug 11, 2025 
Iain MacGregor, a historian specializing in World War II, joins the hosts to dissect the monumental event of Hiroshima. They delve into the tense preparations aboard the Enola Gay, exploring the human emotions of the crew as they prepared for the mission. MacGregor discusses the strategic decisions behind the bombing and the moral complexities faced by the airmen once the destruction was unleashed. The podcast also highlights the broader implications of the atomic bomb's use and the profound impact it had on the course of history.
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Episode notes
Hidden Base Training On Tinian
- Iain MacGregor says crews trained on Tinian in a secret, fenced area with tight security.
- Crews practised "pumpkins" to accustom aircraft and men to the bomb's weight.
Geography Determined Target Lethality
- Iain MacGregor notes Hiroshima's flat plain magnified blast effects while Nagasaki's hills contained damage.
- Target choice weighed military value and terrain effects.
Most Uranium Didn't Fission
- Iain MacGregor explains Little Boy contained 64 kg of U‑235 but only 1.7% fissioned.
- The rest was destroyed by the blast, showing extreme inefficiency yet massive destruction.
