Early Arrival

What if the atomic bomb had been ready six months earlier? So in February 1945, one bomb is dropped on Hiroshima and one on a German city. I am thinking both enemies surrender. Does anyone disagree? If they do, what effect does an earlier end to the war have? Also any thoughts on what German city becomes the target?
 
Dresden and Konigsberg?

What if the atomic bomb had been ready six months earlier? So in February 1945, one bomb is dropped on Hiroshima and one on a German city. I am thinking both enemies surrender. Does anyone disagree? If they do, what effect does an earlier end to the war have? Also any thoughts on what German city becomes the target?

The problem with this thread is, Germany is being cut up as a defeated carcass. Organized resistance effectively ended on March 1st. The phrase in Europe was "Home Alive, in '45". Whereas in the Pacific the soldiers, sailors, and marines were saying "Golden Gate, in '48.":( Japan, as far as anyone knew, was prepared to go balls to the wall right down to the very last cave, on the very last island. Hence, the 1948 reference.

Germany was going down. There was absolutely no question of that. General Falkenhorst in Norway, the "Werewulf" SS in the Bavarian Alps, were not going to hold out. It was just a question of when. Weeks, not months and years.

But Japan? Iwo Jima is about to be invaded, and Okinawa is untouched. One Japanese woman who survived it all as a young teenager, put it best:"I can't believe it only took TWO bombs."

Oh, and Germany doesn't surrender even if you drop 100 bombs. Not if Hitler is still living. After all, since Stalingrad what has the war been about but to save his neck? And after July the 20th, there is literally no one left to stop him. Resistance at the front will collapse, but no "surrender".


Now, if your thread was on 12/16/44 (Day one of the Bulge), that's a different kettle of fish. Germany could well get BOTH bombs. Say, Berlin and Berchtesgaden. The most likely of Hitler's hideouts.
 
Whilst I disagree it would end the war, I think the Allies would drop bombs on Hamburg or Frankfurt. They wouldn't risk sending ONE plane with a bomb on it over Berlin, even at the end of the war.
The Germans would NEVER surrender, the Battles of Aachen and Berlin show that.
 
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