If you look at historic photographs of the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and compare them to the fire bombing of Tokyo, you can see that the essential characteristics of both are the same. There are modern structures still standing, with rubble surrounding them. The houses in Tokyo and Hiroshima were made of wood and paper, with clay tile roofs.
The first picture above is of Hiroshima. The second is of Tokyo. If you hadn't been told which is which, could you tell which was firebombed and which was supposedly atomic bombed?
Here's a description of the bomb's effects on Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
(1) Heat rays: Estimates suggest that after the atomic bomb was detonated, powerful heat rays were released for a period of approximately 0.2 to 0.3 seconds, heating the ground to temperatures ranging from 3,000 to 4,000ÂșC. These heat rays burnt people near the hypocenter to ashes and melted bricks and rocks. It is said that people suffered burns up to 3.5 kilometers from the hypocenter in Hiroshima and up to 4 kilometers in Nagasaki. In addition, the heat rays burnt buildings, triggered large-scale fires and ignited an enormous firestorm.
(2) The Blast: The blast from the atomic bomb completely destroyed all surrounding structures in an area of 4.7 square miles by US estimate. In the areas surrounding the hypocenter, people were slammed into walls and crushed to death by collapsing houses. Injuries were sustained from flying glass and other debris even in areas a long distance from the hypocenter.
Looking at the first photo above; does it look like all the structures were completely destroyed? Do you see any melted stone or brick?
Other references:
Tokyo was a much larger city than Hiroshima. The fire bombing of Tokyo destroyed about 17 square miles. The bombing of Hiroshima destroyed four square miles. There are more buildings to be seen in the pictures of Tokyo after the bombing than in the pictures of Hiroshima simply because there were more buildings to begin with in Tokyo than in Hiroshima.
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