Quote Originally Posted by JerMc
There was a show on yesterday (I believe on the History or the military channel) about Japan's attempt to develope an Atomic bomb. I didn't get to watch much of it, so I don't know the full story, but it seems that they were close to developing their own when Hiroshima was bombed. If this was true, WW II could have become a full out Nuclear war, if it had lasted much longer. One interesting part I did manage to see before I had to go out was the Japanese scientist who had actually worked on their weapon's program. He described the difficuties they had in just coming up with a vessel to contain the U 235. It was so corrosive that it just ate right through most materials in a matter of seconds. It was at that point that I had to leave. Did anyone else see any of this program?
You'll find the full history in an essay in the previously mentioned book, Dower's Japan in War and Peace. The show, I believe, is a result of some sensationalist news from 1978. The actual story is that it was a truly puny and pathetic project that had no hope of fruition. It's been years since I read it but the actual project was basically set up so that a particular group in a lab did not have to go to war. This project gave them protected status. I remember something about a submarine load of dirt from which they planned to extract the compounds. It never arrived.
I've just quickly thumbed through the essay and didn't see any mention of the corrosive material. The essay does list famous Japanese physicists who were involved in nuclear research but they're not really part of the two teams on the bomb project. There were probably about fifty people all told (compare/contrast the US project) and they were not above making things up to keep the military from drafting them.