Five myths about the atomic bomb The bomb ended the war – the Soviet Union’s unexpected entry into the war against Japan on Aug. 8 was probably an even greater shock to Tokyo than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima two days earlier. The bomb saved half a million American lives – the U.S. Joint War Plans Committee predicted in mid-June 1945 that the invasion of Japan, set to begin Nov. 1, would result in 193,000 U.S. casualties, including 40,000 deaths. The only alternative to the bomb was an invasion of Japan – there were two other options recognized at the time. The first was a demonstration of the atomic bomb … Continue reading Gregg Herken