Enola Gay readied for Hiroshima mission
5 August 1945. With final preparations underway for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the force commander who will pilot the flight instructs that his mother’s name, Enola Gay, be painted on the B-29’s nose. The bomber’s regular pilot (who will co-pilot this mission) is outraged.
Cabinet crisis in Vietnam
5 August 1945. Premier Tran Trong Kim returns from Hanoi after negotiating with the Japanese Governor-General for reversion of Cochinchina to Vietnamese imperial rule. In Hue, however, he faces a cabinet revolt over his handling of the matter and concerns that the country faces more pressing issues, like popular unrest and the threat of resumed famine. Within two days, all ministers have resigned. When Premier Kim proves unable to form a new cabinet, this technically leaves the old one in caretaker mode. Although the machinery of government continues to function, imperial leadership is disrupted at a critical moment.