On August 6, 1945, a modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress, called Enola Gay, took off from the island Tinian carrying the world's first atomic bomb. As the bomber approached Hiroshima, one of the designated primary targets, the Japanese radar net detected the bomber and an alert was broadcast throughout Hiroshima. However, many dismissed the warning and did not seek shelter. Later that day, the atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima and exploded at 8:15 am, instantly killing 80,000 to 140,000 people and injuring 100,000. The explosion reached temperatures estimated to be one million degrees Celsius, igniting the air and forming a fireball. The fireball expanded to nine hundred feet in less than one second. The blast wave of the atomic bomb was felt from thirty seven miles away. The bomb destroyed sixty percent of the city.
Three days later, on August 9, 1945, another B-29 bomber, called Bock's Car, took off with another atomic bomb, dubbed Fat Man, that was intended to be dropped on Kokura. However, when Bock's Car was making its bombing run, the smoke over Kokura prevented the bombardier from dropping the bomb. Bock's Car made several more unsuccessful passes as Japanese fighters climbed to intercept and anti-aircraft zeroed in on the bomber. The smoke proved too big of an obstacle for a successful bomb drop and the target was changed to two Mitsubishi war plants in Nagasaki. Fat Man was dropped at 10:58 am Nagasaki time. The bomb detonated 1,840 feet above its target and devastated the immediate area. However, the mountainous terrain of Nagasaki limited the total area of destruction. Despite this, the bomb destroyed forty percent of the city and caused around 23,753 deaths and wounded 23,345 people.
On August 10, 1945, Japan announced its surrender and four days later, Truman announced to the American public that the Japanese had surrendered. In early September, Japan formally surrendered on USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, ending the war.