Nagasaki was struck by the second atomic bomb before Japan’s formal surrender.
The United States dropped the plutonium bomb code-named Fat Man on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The B-29 bomber Bockscar released the weapon, which detonated over the city shortly after 11 a.m. local time. Nagasaki had major industrial and military facilities, including shipbuilding and arms production.
Hiroshima had been bombed three days earlier, on August 6, with the uranium weapon Little Boy. The two attacks, combined with the Soviet declaration of war and invasion of Japanese-held territory, intensified the crisis inside Japan’s leadership. Japan later accepted the Allied terms and formally signed its surrender on September 2 aboard USS Missouri.
Kokura was the primary target for the second mission, but poor visibility and smoke led the crew to divert to Nagasaki. This is why accounts of the bombing often mention both cities. The attack caused extensive destruction and loss of life, while survivors faced radiation-related illness and long-term consequences.
Nagasaki was the second and final city attacked with a nuclear weapon in wartime.