Thread: 9th August 1945

Japan
The second atomic bomb is dropped by the US Air Force on Nagasaki. The aircraft is a B-29 christened 'Great Artist' and commanded by Major Charles Sweeney. Casualties total 23,753 dead and 43,020 injured, many of whom die later.
Towards midnight Emperor Hirohito calls the Supreme Council together and tries to make the military leaders accept the proposed surrender. But they will not. At 3am the meeting breaks up with nothing decided than a cautious sounding of the possibilties of peace through Sweden and Switzerland.
China
The Russians open their operations against the Japanese. Their objectives are the occupation of Manchuria and North Korea, the Kuril Islands and southern Sakhalin and the destruction of the huge Japanese Kwangtung Army numbering 1,000,000 men. Against the Japanese forces the Russians deploy 1,158,000 men, grouped into the 1st and 2nd Fra East Fronts and the Transbaikal Front, with 26,000 guns and mortars, 5,500 tanks and self-propelled guns and 3,900 aircraft. The Russians penetrate into Manchuria and head straight for Mukden.

Originally Posted by Kyt

I'm afraid it was Bockscar that actually dropped the bomb, Sniper. The Great Artiste was used to carry the instruments to measure the blast. The confusion arises because the usual pilot of Bockscar, Capt. Frederick C. Bock, was actually flying The Great Artist:

509th Operations Group - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bockscar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Great Artiste - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sorry i stand corrected. Just going by the books i have in front of me. Bockstar wasn't mentioned at all which seems strange.