Nagasaki (129.862E 32.758N) is a major port and industrial area on the island of Kyushu, with large coal deposits in the nearby hills. The population in 1940 was about a quarter of a million persons. The coal mines of Kyushu produced 40% of Japan’s domestic coal, something in the ballpark of 7.3 million tons in 1941. The Mitsubishi shipyard was the largest in Japan, capable of building all types of ships. The battleship Musashi was laid down here. The Mitsubishi Ordnance Works were also located here, along with a couple of small aircraft factories.
Nagasaki was a small village when it became the first Japanese port opened to foreign ships in the 16th century. Christian missionaries were active here and Nagasaki continued to have the largest Christian community in Japan up to the time of the war.
Nagasaki was destroyed on August, 8, 1945, by the second and last nuclear bomb dropped on Japan during the war. The Americans felt that the use of two nuclear weapons was required to convince the Japanese that more were available in their arsenal. Some historians claim that the U.S. had components for only one additional bomb, which was being reserved for tactical use in case an invasion of Japan was ordered.
Kyushu Hikoki K.K. The production schedule of this small aircraft factory was approximately as follows:
| Aircraft Type | Average Airframes Per Month | Starting Month | Ending Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| E13A Jake |
26 | <1941-12 | 1945-8 |
| Q1W Lorna | 6 | 1943-9 | 1945-8 |
| Yard |
Floor Space |
Building Way Length |
Merchant Tonnage |
Naval Tonnage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitsubishi |
4179 |
4039 |
8027 |
3389 |
| Koyagijima-Kawaminami |
409 |
2952 |
8340 |
0 |
| Fukahori-Kawaminami |
928 |
1181 |
3067 |
0 |
Climate Information:
Elevation: 436'
Temperatures: Jan 49/36, Apr 66/50, Jul 85/73, Oct 72/58, record 98/22
Rainfall: Jan 11/2.8, Apr 11/7.3, Jul 10/10.1, Oct 6/4.5 == 75.5" per annum
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia (c) 2007-2008 by Kent G. Budge. Index