Japan and atomic weapons

We have had another thread going about a History Channel show that has presented evidence of Japan developing atomic weapon technology. There has been much discussion about if they were really that close to making a working bomb or just a dirty bomb.

If Japan had been able to accumulate sufficient materials and created working atomic weapons how would they have used them?

I think there would have been two possible uses. 1) Tactical deployment against the American navy.
2) Strategic deployment agains the American mainland in an attempt to make us sue for peace.

The Japanese had lost air superiority in the Pacific theater and they had, at least as far as I know, no strategic bombers that had the ability to carry a weapon of this size. This would leave some form of naval delivery, probably by a suicide crew. A fast patrol boat sized craft would have been large enough to carry a nuclear weapon of the era and would have the ability to sneak into a fleet at night to set off a atomic bomb. A submarine could also be modified. The Japanese already had a sub with a hanger on the deck to hold an airplane. The sub could then be deployed against the American coast. Think how devestating an atomic weapon would have been in one of our ports like Seattle or San Francisco. I know there were defences to try to prevent subs from getting into our harbors and that we had coastal patrols, so no guarantees they would get through.

 

Just my 2 cents;
'if' they had a couple bombs, I'd think they'd drop them on U.S. held islands like Iwo or Saipan.

 

I would think I would have to agree with Bigice on this one. The Japanese had the I-400 series subs that had waterproof hangers attached to the deck which they already had plans to use in bombing the Panama Canal. They were also trying to employ balloon bombs against the US mainland, one of which actually made it to Oregon and killed a few civillians. I don't think it would have been a big stretch for the Japanese to target a major fleet anchorage such as Ulithi or Pearl Harbor or to go all the way and detonate a working weapon in San Francisco Bay, Seattle, or San Diego.

 

You mention the balloon bombs, how about this for an inspiration? Put the waepon in the waterproof hanger with a blimp or a suitable series of balloons. They inflate the blimp and release it into the onshore winds under cover of darkness? They could put it on a timer and with a little bit of luck this secret weapon could go inshore someplace like San Francisco where subs could never make it and without alerting the air defences. (No noise, low speed, I wonder what kind of signal the 1940s vintage radars would return?)