Did the American and Nazi scientists had any faintest idea about the devastation power of the atomic bomb?

Question

prior Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Answer 1

I don't agree with any of the answers yet. I know through history that all the "White sands" scientists signed and, agreed to the man, that firing off the atomic bomb might mean the total destruction of all mankind. That was their total and full attitude.
They knew what might happen, yes, the bomb would work, but, the "Jesus effect" or the "God effect" would prevail, that explained that the nuclear effect would start but, would continue to eat the atomic particles until the entire globe would be afire like the sun. They didn't know for sure if it would stop. This was to a man.
Even Professor Einstein agreed to it, there may be no end to the beginning.

Truman, when he signed the bill authorizing the action, could only say "may God forgive me" Knowing he may have started the beginning of the end of mankind.

On the other hand, the Japanese strategy was, to a man, woman and child, they would fight to the death even using sharpen stakes.
The option was four million men and women would be the price of an invasion of Japan and the liquidation of an entire race of people.

The figures, when the war would end, were enormous, the "God effect" was the option. The scientists chose the manpower, the U.S. chose (Truman) chose the end of man, possibly. No one knew for sure.

The tests themselves were inconclusive, they were of a different type and lower yields, that was why there were two different bombs. They were forced into speed instead of safety, many were fired over their thoughts and, some quit.

Answer 2

Yes, of course, that's why both were trying so hard to be the first to develop it. They already had done the math to predict how much energy would be produced. It was pretty well understood what the force of the explosion would be like.

EDIT: Also, the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not the first nuclear bombs ever detonated. The US had detonated one test bomb at the Trinity Site in New Mexico three weeks before Hiroshima.

The idea that scientists were afraid of "igniting the atmosphere" with the first bomb is a persistent but false myth. The question was asked by one of the Manhattan Project scientists, but after researching it further they determined it to be impossible. No scientists were worried about this by the time the first bomb was detonated.

Answer 3

Yes they probably did, which is why the Nazi scientists were working so hard to develop it. They already had the rockets to carry the bomb, although primitive, they were reaching London. Once the Nazi regime began to fall it was a race between the Soviets and Americans to see who could get to that technology first. The Soviets raced into Berlin and the Americans went to the locations where Intel said the technology could be found. Both sides got enough of the puzzle pieces to eventually make the A bombs, but America got there first.

The fact is Japan had already surrendered, just not unconditional. Most historians agree that an unconditional surrender would have come within 48 hours. Those two bombs were more about showing the Soviets what the US could and would do, than forcing the defeated Japanese to unconditional surrender.

Answer 4

They sure did. In fact, Albert Speer described a meeting with top Nazi scientists and Hitler which put Adolf off on the idea of developing the weapon because they were not sure that once detonated, the bomb wouldn't simply start a world-wide chain reaction and actually destroy the earth.

Answer 5

Yes. The A-bomb was tested in the desert of New Mexico and the whole process was taped and studied. They know the power of an A-bomb. They know what they were doing.