y

4

principles which must govern the developments of the:future! are not difficult to
oT

comprehend, and it is satisfying intellectually to have some basis for appraising
in terms of probability the random estimates which have been presented to the
public.

Some of those estimates, it must be said, though emanating from distin-

guished scientists, are not marked by the scientific discipline which is so rigorously observed in the laboratory.

passionate,

Certainly they cannot be regarded as dis-

It might therefore be profitable for us to examine briefly (a) the

relation of increase in power to increase of descructive capacity, and (b) the
several factors which must determine the inherent power of the bomb.

As we have

seen, the radius of destruction of a bomb increases only as the third root of the
explosive energy released.

Thus, if Bomb A has a radius of total destruction of

one mile, it would take a bomb of 15000 times the power (Bomb 5) to have a radius
of destruction of ten miles.“

In terms of area destroyed the proportion does

not look so bad; nevertheless the area destroyed by Bomb B would be only 100 times
as great as that destroyed by Bomb A.

In other words, the ratio of destructive

efficiency to energy released would be only one-tenth as great in Bomb B as it is
in Bomb A.

But when we consider also the fact that the area covered by Bomb 5 is

bound to include to a much greater degree than Bomb A sections of no appreciable

military significance (assuming both bombs are perfectly aimed), the military
efficiency of the bomb falls off even more rapidly with increasing power of the
individual unit than is indicated above

\hat this means is that even if itwere |

technically feasible to accomplish it, an increase in the power of the bomb

43.

Since the Hiroshima bom: had a radius of total destruction of sometning under
1-1/l miles; its power would have to be increased by some 600 tines to gain the
ppPothotscat ten mile radius.
The bomt of longer destructive radius would of course not have to be ained as
accurately for any given target; and this fact may prove of importance in very
long range rocket fire, which can never be expected to be as accurate as bombing
from airplanes, But here again, large numbers of missiles will also make up for
the inaccuracy of the individual missile,

i

Select target paragraph3