Groucho's Fact Hunt

[tsubaki]

An early use of nitrocellulose was to make snooker and pool balls. You can imagine the scenes in a wild West saloon when the balls became old and unstable and exploded if struck hard with another ball.

that bit in Scum would certainly have been worse

 

[degsy]

You and @tsubaki might know about this. I understand why the first bomb was dropped after the fierce defence of the Japanese islands but why was the second bomb dropped on Nagasaki?

Because the high ups in tokyo didnt really believe the truth of the first one and wouldnt surrender

But, alegedlly, mainly to see if it would work, as it was a different type to the 1st one*
Edit; *subject to verification

 

[PhilM]

You and @tsubaki might know about this. I understand why the first bomb was dropped after the fierce defence of the Japanese islands but why was the second bomb dropped on Nagasaki?

Like @tsubaki said, they hadn't surrendered and that's even after an amendment to the Potsdam declaration for unconditional surrender to allow the Emperor to stay.

They actually saw the amendment, which was there to stop them being nuked, as an act of weakness and the Supreme War Council wanted to keep fighting on.

You had the Kyujo incident, like @tsubaki also mentioned, where the coup failed because they couldn't find the tape.

General Anami (War Minister) and General Umezu (Chief of Army) were pretty much hell bent on fighting on, with the Second Army (key to defence) in Hiroshima.

Unknown to them, we (well the Yanks) had no more weapons after that and it would have took a while to produce some more, so thank God they did surrender.

@degsy the first weapon (Little Boy) was a uranium weapon with a gun-type trigger, whereas Fat was plutonium (made from uranium-238) with an implosion mech.

 

[PhilM]

A brilliant song from the 80s which is based on the story of Hiroshima. "It's 8:15, that's the time that it's always been" depicts how clocks stopped due to the blast.

 

[deipnosophist]

This pun-off was stone cold. You should be charged for trying to resurrect it.

sorry...I came in late and didn't bother reading the preceding material. I deserve to be lamped...I feel such a bulb

 

[PhilM]

Nagasaki was not the primary target for the second blast either; instead, the original target was the city of Kokura, but poor weather meant they went to the second.

The geography of the city (mountains and valleys) saved many, many lives because the blast was deflected upwards even though it was actually more powerful.

 

[deipnosophist]

Hiroshima was bombed seventy-five years ago today when the 'Enola Gay', named after Col. Tibbit's mother, alongside The Necessary Evil' and 'The Great Artiste'.

The city was the home to the HQ of the Second Army and was a major hub for the defence of the Japanese homeland, so was chosen as a military target.

...Enola Gay was Col Paul Tibbets' mum. I know the spelling well because i once wrote an essay about the JFK assassination and the police officer purportedly shot (and killed) by Harvey-Oswald was a fella called JD Tippit.

 

[deipnosophist]

Nagasaki was not the primary target for the second blast either; instead, the original target was the city of Kokura, but poor weather meant they went to the second.

The geography of the city (mountains and valleys) saved many, many lives because the blast was deflected upwards even though it was actually more powerful.

yes, Fat Man was a plutonium 239 fission bomb, Little Boy (Hiroshima bomb) used Uranium 235 as its fissionable source. The former was 6x more powerful due to amount of fissionable material 'activated'

 

[PhilM]

...Enola Gay was Col Paul Tibbets' mum. I know the spelling well because i once wrote an essay about the JFK assassination and the police officer purportedly shot (and killed) by Harvey-Oswald was a fella called JD Tippit.

Indeed it was. Tibbet wasn’t even mean to be the pilot for the mission as he was the commander of the 509th, but he (due to his personality) insisted.

The naming of the plane after his mother caused controversy in the unit as Capt. Lewis (the plane’s commander) had named it himself before it was changed.

 

[deipnosophist]

Indeed it was. Tibbet wasn’t even mean to be the pilot for the mission as he was the commander of the 509th, but he (due to his personality) insisted.

The naming of the plane after his mother caused controversy in the unit as Capt. Lewis (the plane’s commander) had named it himself before it was changed.

Tibbets...and I was unaware of those backstories, so thank you

 

[summerisle]

lol

 

[deipnosophist]

The Bounty also stopped in Tahiti to collect breadfruit plants. There was a LOT of sex going on and Capt Bligh’s attempted dampening of this created great discontent...and ultimately mutiny. I was engaged to a girl who was the product ( about 7 generation removed) of those ‘liaisons’. We were together 11 years. She was the most beautiful looking woman in any room anywhere in the world. Stunning.

 

[chrismpw]

The Bounty also stopped in Tahiti to collect breadfruit plants. There was a LOT of sex going on and Capt Bligh’s attempted dampening of this created great discontent...and ultimately mutiny. I was engaged to a girl who was the product ( about 7 generation removed) of those ‘liaisons’. We were together 11 years. She was the most beautiful looking woman in any room anywhere in the world. Stunning.

This is not where that story ends...

 

[deipnosophist]

This is not where that story ends...

No, but there is only so much of that emotional rabbit hole I will shed daylight upon via a footie forum...

 

[Jamo Martinez]

'I trust' according to my extensive knowledge of Latin
(i.e a quick search on tinternet)

Possibly where we get words like 'confide' from.