Japan: Hiroshima - Hiroshima, Blast Effect - USAF-11080

Summary

LS Looking at the E side of a two story reinforced concrete building which was affected by blast in such a manner that the top story now rests on the ground (7750 feet from zero at 89 degrees). CU The NE corner showing the failure of reinforced concrete column covered with light brick facing. MC Pan up SE corner showing the point of failure of another reinforced concrete vertical column, also a close up. MC Electric time clock (with Japanese lettering) which stopped at 8:14 AM the day Hiroshima was bombed. Clock located inside Imperial Textile Mills. MLS S and W faces of building 96 showing manner in which walls withstood blast and transmitted shock. MLS Building 96A located approx. 375 feet from zero at 242 degrees showing the inner section of brick load bearing structure which was protected by the outer walls and withstood the blast. MLS E face showing displacement of bricks on the lower part of the wall while those on the upper portion are intact. MS E face of building 96A showing upper portion of brick load bearing structure which was relatively unaffected by the blast. LS Building 95 located 1125 feet from zero at 305 degrees, showing E and S faces of L-shaped reinforced concrete 3 story school. LS Building 94 located approx. 1050 feet from zero at 297 degrees which was affected by blast and subsequently destroyed by fire. Light steel frame structure. MLS Pan L to R of E wall of S wing showing effect of blast and manner in which the structure started to fail. Failure particularly evident on the concrete panels located between reinforced concrete vertical columns. MS Pan L to R of S face of E wing showing absence of structural failure as result of blast which was largely reflected against the E face of S wing. MS E face of S wing showing partial collapse of concrete panels, flash-burned areas and shadows cast by bamboo down spouts. MS Reinforced concrete panel bowed inward by blast. Panel located on upper 3rd floor of E face of S wing. MS Collapsed wall located on W side of roof in S wing of building 95 located approx. 1050 feet from zero at 297 degrees. MS Shooting N along collapsed roof wall on W side of S wing. MS Reverse angle shooting S. MCS Showing the construction of the wall and its' displacement toward the W. MS Taken for comparison showing similar types of wall on N side of E wing, which was unaffected by blast. MLS Building 52, located approx. 1400 feet from zero at 239 degrees, a three-story brick load bearing structure showing collapse of building as seen when looking at S face. MS S face and SE corner of building 92 showing the separation of the E wall from S wall, a prelude to collapse. MCS Above separation of walls. MS Showing a portion of the S wall, which has partially collapsed. MS Showing structural failure of S wall. 8- MS Steel telephone pole which has been distorted towards the WSW. Mast is located just W of buildings 92 and 93. MS S and W faces of a small concrete frame building with rough tiled sides which was undamaged by blast. Building is approx. 600 feet from zero at 250 degrees. MS N and W faces of the above undamaged single story building. MLS Collapsed lattice steel mast located approx. 1900 feet from zero at 240 degrees. LS Pan L to R from corner of bridge showing buildings 231.90 and 93 and 232 in background. looking N along W bank of Ota River in the Nishi Jikata Michi district which is situated between 2nd and 3rd bridge S of T bridge. LS Building 40, located approx. 2300 feet from zero at 97 degrees, showing W face of seven story modern, earthquake resistive, affected by blast was subsequently gutted by fire. Windows are being replaced by wood. MLS W face of building 40 showing steel casement windows mildly affected by blast, but sufficiently damaged by fire to necessitate removal. MC Affected steel casement windows. LS S and W faces of building 40 showing absence of structural damage from blast. MLS Building 46, located approx. 2100 feet from zero at 111 degrees, showing S and W faces and it leaning to E. MS A burned tree silhouetted against a background of rubble and destroyed houses. MLS Building 39, located approx. 2375 feet from zero at 95 degrees, showing SW corner of three-story modern concrete building which was gutted by fire. In foreground are two traffic light signals bent towards the E by blast. MLS W face of building 39. MS Distorted traffic signal. MS Looking N and down on the roof of building 39 which was gutted by fire. LS Building 49, located approx. 2950 feet from zero at 100 degrees, showing W side of seven-story modern concrete, fire resistive building which was superficially damaged by blast but gutted by fire. LS S face of building 49. LS Upper portion of E face of seven-story reinforced concrete building, located 3075 feet from zero at 100 degrees, which was gutted by fire. LS S face of building 49 with a portion of building 50 in foreground, located 3075 feet from zero at 100 degrees. Building 50 is a three-story building whose windows have been boarded up. LS E and SE faces of building 50 which was gutted by fire. LS SE-E faces of building 50. LS SE corner of building 235, located 2552 feet from zero at 93 degrees, which is a two-story concrete and brick building that was affected by blast and gutted by fire. The metal shutters on the windows of the E face have been blown inward. MLS S face showing the effect of blast on door type steel shutters as result of blast. MS Distortion of steel shutters as result of blast. MS W face of building 235 showing effect of blast and method of construction of wall. MLS Pan L to R looking at the S and W wings of a collapsed one-story brick building located at 2500 feet from zero at 93 degrees apparently used as a cannery. MLS S face of W wing showing collapse of brick load bearing structure with light steel truss roof. CU The S wall showing the displacement of brick S to the N which has resulted in situation where immediate collapse is imminent (EXC). MS W end of W wing showing displacement to the N. MS The W end of S wall of the building showing fracture and failure. MS The W end of N wall as above. MS Looking N showing vertical steel column of E wall which has been displaced; to the E, a single-story light steel structure located 2000 feet from zero at 93 degrees. LS Shooting SE showing partial collapse of W face. LS A portion of W ward and roof shooting SE. MS The base of concrete wall on the W side shooting N and showing it leaning to the E. MC Three different angles showing several metal shutters of a two-story reinforced concrete building which have been forced inward by suction phase of blast. MLS Looking SW at reinforced concrete wall located just E of building 235 which runs in a N-S direction showing manner in which wall was effected by blast and is leaning to the E. MLS Pan L to R of building 54, located 3100 feet from zero at 126 degrees, looking E to SE showing what once were a series of brick buildings and are now in a state of collapse. MLS Shooting SE across area adjacent to W end of building 54 showing rubble-strewn area with burned tree in background. MLS Shooting SE at portion of entrance to Shrine with burned trees and tin shack in front of it. LS Two walls of building 253, located 4400 feet from zero at 153 degrees, shooting E. Fire walls of the Commercial School which have not collapsed because of the small frontal area they presented. LS Pan L to R of building 3, Japanese Red Cross, located 4800 feet from zero at 183 degrees, showing W face and steel casement windows which were torn out by blast being replaced with wooden shutters. MS A small gas pump W of hospital affected by fire. Located 4375 feet from zero at 183 degrees. This is typical of almost all small gas pumps in Hiroshima. LS Building 3, located 5450 feet from zero at 183 degrees, showing the W face of a gym which was affected by blast and gutted by fire. MLS Building 30, located 450 feet from zero at 183 degrees, showing E face of two-story reinforced concrete building affected by blast and gutted by fire. MS S face showing steel casement windows on side away from zero which have been forced out by blast. MS Window frames above main entrance on S side showing how it has been forced outward (two takes). MS Pan up along 2nd floor from W end on S side showing how it has been forced outward. MS Interior of W half of N wall showing window frame blown in and burned cement wall. MCS Burned and twisted frames and burned wall. CU Separation of light steel roof member from N wall as seen from the interior. MS Three shots showing distorted members of light steel frame roof structure affected by blast. MLS Building 30A, located 5600 feet from zero at 178 degrees, showing NE along foundation of N wing of Yamanaka Girls' High School which was destroyed by fire. MLS Reverse angle. MLS Shooting N along foundation of E wing with portion of Red Cross Hospital. In background, small white tile building on right. MLS Shooting W along foundation of S wing with monument on fight. MS Building 99, located 6375 feet from zero at 188 degrees, showing S face of two-story reinforced concrete building. Light steel frame sides and roof affected by blast and gutted by fire. MS Pan L to R two shots looking SE showing displacement of light wooden frame structure from its' original position which is marked by two small boys holding a metal rod. MS W end of the light wooden frame structure nearest the paper soaking pit. MLS Shooting SW showing collapsed roof of light wooden frame structure which had been forced downward, located 8575 feet from zero at 177 degrees. MLS Looking S at N face of light steel frame structure located 6950 feet from zero at 342 degrees which was affected by blast and gutted by fire. MS NW corner showing slight leaning of structure towards the N. MS Looking SE at the door on E side of the structure that is leaning to the S steel vertical column is bent toward the N. LS Building 85, located 3075 feet from zero at 295 degrees, showing a three-story reinforced concrete building faces with tile superficially affected by blast. MS Three shot showing effect of blast on metal down spouts on S side on building at SW corner. LS Looking NE at the S and W face of a reinforced concrete frame building, located 2650 feet from zero at 275 degrees, whose E and W faces were intact but whose N and S faces were damaged by blast. LS Building 86, located 1950 feet from zero at 284 degrees, showing W face of five-story reinforced concrete building which was affected by blast and gutted by fire. A projection attached to the W face was completely collapsed. MLS Looking E at the overhanging on the S side of the building. MS The NW corner of the projection showing the manner of collapse. MS The SW corner of the projection. LS The S face of building showing all the windows blown out. MLS Showing the NW corner of the main section of the Red Cross Hospital showing effect of blast on two windows of the operating room located 4750 feet from zero at 180 degrees. MS The northernmost of the two windows shown facing NW. MS The westernmost window, which faces SW. MLS Pan L to R looking W showing remains of a bus terminal destroyed by fire. MS Four shots showing present conditions of several buses which were trapped in the terminal. MLS Pan L to R looking W at E face of two-story wooden frame structure structurally damaged by blast and unaffected by fire. Roof is undulating as result of failure of window column located 7400 feet from zero at 221 degrees. MS Looking W showing the way the S wall has bowed outward. MS The E wall, ground floor level showing bowing effect of blast. MLS Looking W showing the effect of blast on the E side which has bowed the structure. MS Looking N showing bowing of entrance on E side of auditorium.