Young Researcher Searches for Missing 'Pumpkin' Bombs
The United States dropped 49 mock atomic bombs across Japan in the closing weeks of World War II, killing around 400 people as American air crews practiced the techniques later used in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. (News On Japan)
In the final months of World War II, the United States conducted 49 mock atomic bomb tests across Japan, releasing what were known as Pumpkin bombs. These 4.5-ton, three-meter-long bombs were intentionally shaped like the atomic weapon to practice accurate delivery. Pilot Paul Tibbets emphasized that these practice missions were crucial to the success of the atomic bombing operation.
The U.S. deemed these rehearsals essential, citing the difficulty in accurately dropping such large bombs. American footage revealed bombs often missed targets by significant distances, making the descent unstable due to their size. The U.S. produced Pumpkin bombs for practice missions across Japan, including the Kansai region. Nara was the only Kansai area not targeted.
Kobe University graduate student Koki Nishioka, researching the mock bombs, highlighted their importance in the U.S. atomic bombing operation's development. Nishioka became intrigued after learning about connections between Osaka and Kobe with the atomic bomb program. He was shocked to discover these cities were involved. A replica of a Pumpkin bomb exists in Fukui Prefecture, where many visitors were surprised by the wide distribution of the weapons.
Survivors remember the attacks' destruction, with some questioning how those carrying out the bombings could knowingly drop weapons in populated areas. At a bombing site, a military factory remains operational, having produced equipment, including torpedoes, and resulted in casualties. Detailed records from a Shizuoka warehouse revealed revised casualty figures, with some accounts describing the scene as both a battlefield and a place of devastation.
However, American military records described the mission as an "excellent result." Kobe was hit by four Pumpkin bombs, but the exact impact point of one remains unknown. Nishioka is investigating to determine where that bomb fell, estimating it likely landed in a mountainous area. After finding metal fragments believed to belong to bombs, further analysis showed they were from different bombs.
Nishioka's investigation emphasizes that the atomic bomb's history is not confined to Hiroshima and Nagasaki but remains embedded in communities across Japan via the Pumpkin missions.
Written by urgent.news from News On Japan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
