Fascinating photo's of history. They expected a minimum of the tens of thousands of casualties if a invasion were to take place. No mention that the bomb was not fully armed. Navy Capt. Deak Parsons assisted by Lt. Morris Jeppson, finished the assembly and armed the bomb in the bomb bay after takeoff.
Interesting read about the invasion plans here.
"Operation Downfall, the invasion of Japan during World War II"
How the Atomic Bomb Saved 4,000,000 Lives
How the Atomic Bomb Saved 4,000,000 Lives
Interesting. The plans for the invasion that never took place included a key first attack by the 158th Regimental Combat team. The "Bushmasters" were an Arizona National Guard unit, in which I was privileged to serve when it became the 158th Infantry Regiment. MacArthur himself lauded the unit.
John


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