13 August 2026
Kokura: The City That Escaped the Second Atomic Bomb
The second atomic bomb was meant for Kokura. The target could not be seen, so the B-29 bomber flew to Nagasaki instead.
On 9 August 1945, a US B-29 bomber flew toward Kokura with the second atomic bomb. Kokura was the main target. Nagasaki was the backup. The crew could not see its target through the haze and smoke. After three tries, the bomber left Kokura and flew to Nagasaki.
Was Nagasaki the original target of the second atomic bomb?
No. Kokura was the main target on 9 August 1945. Nagasaki was the backup. The US bomber flew to Kokura first. The crew tried three times to find a clear view of the target. When this failed, the plane left Kokura and flew south to Nagasaki.
Three days had passed since the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Before dawn on 9 August, a B-29 bomber left the island of Tinian. It carried a plutonium bomb called Fat Man. Major Charles Sweeney was in command. His first target was Kokura Arsenal. Nagasaki was only to be used if the attack on Kokura could not be made.
Kokura had already come close to being bombed once. On 6 August, it was one of the backup targets for the Hiroshima mission. The weather over Hiroshima was clear, so the bomb was dropped there. Three days later, Kokura became the main target. This time, the city was hidden by haze and smoke. That meant Kokura escaped an atomic bomb for the second time in just three days. Nagasaki would not be as lucky.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 9 August 1945 |
| Location | Kokura and Nagasaki, Japan |
| Key figures | Charles Sweeney, Kermit Beahan, Frederick Ashworth |
| Outcome | Kokura could not be clearly seen after three passes. The bomber flew to Nagasaki and dropped Fat Man there at 11:02 a.m. |
| Status today | Kokura is now part of Kitakyushu. Nagasaki was rebuilt and is home to major memorials and museums about the atomic bombing. |
Why was Kokura chosen as an atomic bomb target?
Kokura was an important centre for Japan's war effort. It was home to the large Kokura Arsenal and other military sites. Weapons and military equipment were made and stored there. US planners had placed Kokura on their list of possible atomic bomb targets months before the attack.
Kokura was not picked at random. The city had a large military base and a major army arsenal. The area helped supply Japan's armed forces with weapons and equipment. This made it an important target for the United States. US planners wanted the atomic bomb to hit a place that had clear military value and a large built-up area around it.
By July 1945, Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata and Nagasaki were all approved as possible targets. The crews were told to use their eyes to aim the bomb. Radar could help them reach the area, but they were expected to see the final target before dropping the weapon. This rule mattered because the bomb still had to fall close to the chosen aiming point. Over Kokura, the crew could not get the clear view they needed.
Target was obscured by heavy ground haze and smoke.
— Bockscar mission flight log, 9 August 1945 (source)
Why wasn't the atomic bomb dropped on Kokura?
The crew could not get a clear view of the target. Haze and smoke covered much of Kokura. The B-29 made three passes over the city, but the crew still could not see the aiming point. Fuel was also running low. The pilot then gave up on Kokura and flew toward Nagasaki.
A weather plane had flown over Kokura before the bomber arrived. It reported that the city could be attacked. But the view had changed by the time the B-29 reached Kokura. Haze and smoke covered the target. The bomber passed over the city once. Then twice. Then a third time. Each time, the crew failed to get the clear view they needed.
The crew could not keep trying forever. The bomber had a fault in its fuel system. Some of its fuel could not be moved into the engines. The mission had also lost time earlier in the flight. Each pass over Kokura used more fuel. After the third failed run, Major Sweeney turned the plane away. The next target was Nagasaki.
Did smoke from the bombing of Yahata save Kokura?
It may have helped, but we do not know for sure. Yahata, a nearby city, had been heavily bombed the day before. Smoke from those fires may have moved over Kokura. Weather may also have played a part. The records do not prove that one single cause hid the target.
One popular version of the story says smoke from Yahata saved Kokura. Yahata was only a few miles away. On 8 August, US bombers had attacked the city with large numbers of fire bombs. Fires burned across the area for hours. It is possible that some of this smoke moved toward Kokura before the atomic bomber arrived the next morning. But the records do not prove that this smoke was the main reason the target could not be seen.
But the evidence is not clear enough to say this was the whole reason. Other accounts point to changing weather. Some later stories even say Japanese workers made extra smoke to hide the city. Those claims are much harder to prove. What we know for sure is simple: the crew could not see the target. We do not know exactly what blocked their view.
Why did the bomber fly to Nagasaki?
Nagasaki was the planned backup target. Once the attack on Kokura failed, the B-29 flew south toward Nagasaki. The city was also partly covered by cloud. The crew found a break in the cloud and saw enough of the city to drop the bomb. Fat Man fell at 11:02 a.m.
Nagasaki was not picked by chance while the plane was in the air. US planners had already approved it as a backup target. The city had large shipyards, steel works and weapons factories. But when the bomber arrived, Nagasaki was also hard to see. Cloud covered much of the city, and the plane was now very short of fuel. The crew had little time left to find a clear view and make the attack.
Then the crew saw a break in the cloud. Bombardier Kermit Beahan was able to see enough of the city to aim. Fat Man was released and exploded over Nagasaki at 11:02 a.m. Tens of thousands of people died. Many more were hurt. The bomber then flew to Okinawa because it did not have enough fuel to return straight to Tinian.
What does "Kokura's luck" mean?
"Kokura's luck" is a name given to the city's escape on 9 August 1945. Kokura was the main target, but the bomber could not see its aiming point. Small changes in weather, smoke, time and fuel helped decide which city would be bombed. Nagasaki was hit instead.
Kokura had now escaped an atomic bomb twice in three days. It had been a backup target during the Hiroshima mission on 6 August. Then it became the main target on 9 August. On both days, events sent the bomb somewhere else. This strange chain of events became known as the "luck of Kokura." The phrase is still used to describe how small changes in weather, timing and chance can shape history.
But Kokura's luck came at a terrible cost somewhere else. The bomb was not taken home when Kokura could not be seen. The crew moved to the next city on its list. Nagasaki was bombed instead. The change came down to a mix of orders, weather, smoke, fuel and timing. A few small changes could have led to a very different ending.
Sources
Lost Axis Editorial
Researches each story from primary sources · About Lost Axis →
Early access to each new edition, before it's public.