Excerpt from the Manhattan Project Notebook
1. The following plan and schedule for initial attacks using special bombs have been worked out:
a. The first bomb (gun type) will be ready to drop between August 1 and 10 and plans are to drop it the first day of good weather following readiness.
b. The following targets have been selected: Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata and Nagasaki.
(1) Hiroshima (population 350,000) is an "Army" city; a major POE [Port of Embarkation]; has large QM [quartermaster] and supply depots; has considerable industry and several small shipyards.
(2) Nagasaki (population 210,000) is a major shipping and industrial center of Kyushu.
(3) Kokura (population 178,000) has one of the largest army arsenals and ordnance works; has the largest railroad shops on Kyushu: and has large munitions storage to the south.
(4) Niigata (population 150,000) is an important industrial city, building machine tools, diesel engines, etc., and is a key port for shipping to the mainland.
c. All four cities are believed to contain large numbers of key Japanese industrialists and political figures who have sought refuge from major destroyed cities.
d. The attack is planned to be visual to insure accuracy and will await favorable weather. The four targets give a very high probability of one being open even if the Weather varies from that forecast, as they are considerably separated.
. . .
2. Two tested type bombs are expected to be available in August, one about the 6th and another the 24th. General Groves expects to have more information on future availabilities in a few days which will be furnished you when received.
Use the Manhattan Project Notebook to answer the question.
Which of the following BEST describes the American strategy for the atomic bomb as explained in the Manhattan Project Notebook?
A.
to target army, navy, and air force bases throughout the country
B.
to target cities of key importance to the Japanese military and industry
C.
to target only military personnel and figures of key strategic importance
D.
to target only cities with industrial production above a certain threshold