These super submarines were indeed 400 hundred feet and 3 inches long and 39 feet and 4 inches wide. In order to keep the draught (depth) as shallow as possible, the hull was constructed as two side by side cylinders. Armament was one 5.5 inch gun, ten 25-MM cannon (antiaircraft guns) and eight 21 inch torpedo tubes. And on deck the subs carried three fighter bomber seaplanes (in water tight hangars). A catapult launched the seaplanes and a crane lifted them back on board. Their cruising range was a remarkable 37,500 miles. And their diving range was at least 325 feet. These super subs could do 18 3/4 knots on the surface and 6 1/2 knots submerged. Sometimes they were fitted with dummy funnels to try and disguise them. Most of Japan's submarines were sunk during World War II, but somehow these three super subs survived.

It is now early morning, just before dawn, on August 17, 1945. The three monstrous submarines, the 1-400, the 1-401, and the 1-402, surface 100 miles off the California coast. Quickly the airplane mechanics rush to warm up the three airplanes on all three subs. These fighter-bomber airplanes were "Aichi" M6A1 "Seiran" float planes. These planes were especially designed and built for this type of submarine. (Although they were similar to the Yokosuka E14Y1 that had fire-bombed the Oregon forest in September of 1942.) These seaplanes were loaded with two small atomic bombs a piece. That was a

total of eighteen atomic bombs! These atomic bombs were much smaller than the ones that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, these atomic bombs were very different, they are known as "Dirty Bombs." Not many people would be killed in the initial explosion, many others would be contaminated by high levels

of radiation and with biological bacteria. Several million people would be annihilated instantly, while many others would suffer a horrible lingering death.

The largest cities of

California were all targeted. Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland,  San Josa, Los Angeles and San Diego. California is only around 200 miles wide, so nearly all of California would have become waste land. This bombing would affect people as far inland as Las Vegas, Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona.
Many people today look back on World War II and believe that President Harry S. Truman made the wrong decision. According to them, he should never have decided to drop atomic bombs on Japan. However, I certainly do agree with his decision to drop them. It was absolutely the right thing to do. Yes, thousands of Japanese men, women and children were killed by our two atomic bombs (Almost 130,000). But what many World War II historians completely ignore is our fire bombing of Japan. This

began in April 1945, and ended July, 1945. These bombs were full of Napalm and Thermite which started a very hot fire. Napalm is a jellied gasoline which clings to everything that it touches. Thermite is an aluminum powder mixed with iron oxide, which generates a high heat. Together they produce a very potent incendiary bomb. In Tokyo alone, 100,000 Japanese people died from these fire bombs. At least 500,000 Japanese  people perished in the fires. This is many times more than the two atomic bombs had claimed. We also warned the Japanese ahead of time and described what destructive power the atomic bombs held. They were also given a chance to surrender, but the Japanese government very strongly refused. Japanese militaries, including Baron Kantaro Suzuki, who was appointed Prime minister in April, 1945. He said it is the Japanese government's policy to fight to the very end. Even if it means death to one hundred million Japanese people. And Japanese War Minister General Korechiki Anami said, "It would be wonderful to have one last great battle on Japanese soil, and have our own nation destroyed like a beautiful flower." The nation of Japan was gearing up for an

invasion. But the Emperor Hirohito personally inspected the ruins of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was very shocked and disturbed at the devastation before him. He tearfully decided to end the war, to spare his people any more pain and suffering. When Emperor Hirohito returned to Tokyo, called his Supreme War Council together. He said, "This war must end, I am making a record to broadcast to the people. I want to explain to them that we must surrender unconditionally. This is all the Allies will accept." After much long wrangling, most of his war council finally agreed. But late that night, a group of Japanese soldiers rebelled. They surrounded the Imperial Palace to search for the record. If it could be found and destroyed, the war would still be prolonged. But they were routed out of the palace before the record was found. Now this Japanese Supreme War Council made most of the decisions concerning the war. Many times Emperor Hirohito knew nothing about their plans. He probably knew absolutely nothing about their top secret plan to bomb California on August 17, 1945. But this is just how close we came to losing the entire state of California.
I praise the Lord that He allowed us to drop our two Atomic Bombs first!

Sources: The history Channel, Japan at War Time Life Books, Military Hardware of WW II The Military Press, WW II Magazine July 1995, WW II Magazine July/August 2005.
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