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Many atomic bomb survivors, known as "hibakusha", oppose both military and civilian use of nuclear power, pointing to the tens of thousands who were killed instantly in the Hiroshima blast and the many more who later died from radiation sickness and cancer. Historians have long been at odds over whether the twin attacks brought a speedier end to the war by forcing Japan's surrender and preventing many more casualties in a planned land invasion. Van Kirk recalled “a sense of relief,” because he said he sensed the devastating bombing would be a turning point to finally bring the war to a close. You could see some fires burning on the edge of the city,” he added at the time. I describe it looking like a pot of black, boiling tar. Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb, 'Little Boy,' was dropped at 8:15 a.m. In the early-morning hours, the cloud cover was minimal over Hiroshima, the primary target. The small group included a standby, a photo plane and one with scientific instruments. Air Force to the Smithsonian Institution on 4 July 1949. 6, 1945, it was one of seven B-29s that took off under cover of night. “The entire city was covered with smoke and dust and dirt. The Enola Gay flew one more combat mission, on 9 August 1945 to scout the weather over Kokura Arsenal, the primary target of OPERATION CENTERBOARD II, the second atomic bombing mission. “Shortly after the second wave, we turned to where we could look out and see the cloud, where the city of Hiroshima had been. "The plane jumped and made a sound like sheet metal snapping" after the explosion, Van Kirk told The New York Times on the 50th anniversary of the raid.