STATEMENT BY BRIG GEN T F FARRELL CHIEF ATOMIC BOMB MISSION Tokyo Japan 12th September 1945 fle have made a preliminary inspection of Hiroshima Our doctors stayed over in Hiroshima in order to make a further study of those injured by the explosion of the atomic bomb Detailed studies of the effects both physical and on personnel will be continued in order that we may have a true picture of the results of the explosion Detailed measurements of the city were made by cur scientific personnel to determine if there was any radio activity present No measurable radio activity was found under the point of detonation or elsewherc on the ground streets in the ashss or on other materials Col Stafford Warren Medical Corps of Rochester N Y who has been the hief Medical Officer of the project for the past three years and who is an expert in the field of radiology has made a preliminary check on the casualties These investigations will continue nol Warren's preliminary conclusions are as f ollows — The largest number of casualties sa Hiroshima probably resulted from blasts nissles and fires The actual numbers and proportions will probably never be known Many of course will die from the initial effects of the explosion Colonel Warren ind his party of doctors have examined a number of paticnts whose symptoms are such 1s would be caused by radiation It is Obl Warren's opinion that those patients vho were affected by radiation resulted from a single exposure to a dose of gamma ra- tiation at the time of detonation and wn aay did not result from the deposit of angerous amounts of radio activity on the ground His conclusions are based on the nformation obtained as to locations of the ‘affected individuals at the time of the last and on the results from the New Mexico test as related to the detonation at ‘iroshima It is believedbyColonclWarren that the much higher altitude of deto ation would prevent the deposit of much radio activity on the ground and at the ame time would increase the blast effects of the weapon Persons could survive he blast missles or flames and still be within the comparatively limited range f the gamma radiation at the time of the explosion - Some of them could have been hielded by buildings or other obstructions from the effects of thc blast and heat The bomb was designed primarily as a blast weapon with secendary effects from cat and light and at the clevation used it was expected that there would be a radio active effect in a limited area undur the point of detonation just at the moment of the explosion It was further expected that any onc so affected would have received serious damage from the primary cffcets of the bomb Many of the paticnts sxamincd by Colonel Warren who showed results of radio active damage also had cither yurns or other injurics The story that personnel coming into the arca to assist in cvacuation werc ser- Lously injured is thc truth but not the whole truth The perseonncl were alrcady in the area to carry out a previously ordered cvacuation and werc caught there by the blast Many of them became casualties Some other personnel mostly military ar- rived in the arcs about ton hours after the explosion Statements have been made by the Japancse that thesc showed ill effects including fatiguc Japancse officials 1b Hiroshima on 9 Supteron stated that none of these diced and none were scriously affected This confirms the opinicn of our experts that there would be ne residual radio activity on the ground in dangerous amounts At our mccting im Hiroshima Dr Masao Tsuzuki radiologist at the Impcrial University made a statement that he considercd it possible that poison gasses were re leased at the time of the cxplosien of the bomb and asked for confirmation or de- aial An official statement was made to Dr Tsuzuki thet such an assumption was cn- tirely crroncous No peison gasses were released The Japancsc have made an official rcport dated 15 August of their investiga- tion of Hiroshima largely by licdical Officers and the following is quoted from an sfficinl U S translation of their rcport - nat present 15 August 45 an increcasc in radioactivity in thc arca of explosion has been noted but not to the oxtent that it will be injurious to humans Immediately following the cxplosion the amount of radioactive rays which causcd human injuries could not be determincd Also the actual presence of radioactive sub- stances and the assumption that artificial radioactive substanccs werc created sould not be proved ® fic have no means of checking the radioactive conditions cxisting on thc 15th gt f August but we found nonc on the 9th of Scptember There was no crater jue to burning buildings There was no sign of hoating of the ground beyond that There was no fusing of the ground nor melting of mater- jals such as occurred at New Mexico whore the bomb was sct off at a mich lower al- ritudo The area immediately undor the point of detonation is not marked by any special phenomena on the ground either physicel or radio active The flash burning by radiant hcat was quite spectacular A cardboard sign at bout 1-1 4 miles avay had the black lettering charred ond Tho white background untouched In a building a mile away from the cxplosion plush chairs in font of a rindow were scorched on the portions cxpescd to radiant heat coming through the yindowe The physical destruction in the target arca was practically complete The sco ias onc of utter devastation ho number of totally burned buildings at Hiroshima was 55 000 The number Jalf-burncd vas 2300 totally dostroyed by blast 6800 half destreyced by blast 3800 lhe total number destreycd and damaged buildings was 68 000 or sorcuhere between 30 and 90% of the ontire buildings in the city The above statistical information is from Hiroshima off’cinls For a radius of 1-1 4 wiles from point of detonation the arca inciuding the Japancsc military cadourricrs was completely demolished wwerything is blasted with some turning arc about half destroyed To a radius of two miles Between two and three miles the buildings Beyond three miles the damage is generally slight with roof damage up to five miles and giass broken up to twelve miles About twenty well uilt structurcs of masonry and steel romain stonding in control portion of city Hut all windows arc out and Intorlonas pubted A few bridges arc destroyed but moat modern bridges are intact except for hand rails and some sidewalks which have torn loosc Individunl warcncuscs arc collapsed on the pier arcax Moarly threo miles away Bo1atively closc arcas were protected from the tlast by intervening hills Light shelters were caved in street cars werc derailed and burncd auto- wobiles had the roofs caved in four miles away A fire started in thc forest on a nountain about Black letters on signs burnod while the light paint remained Tuge trees were uprooted and broken The Japancsc reported tha®t of the 9 000 soldiers in Hiroshima 4 00C were tilled 3 000 were wounded and 2 000 cscapcd a and his cntirc staff The dead include the Commanding Gen-