Declassified pictures show US's final preparations before dropping nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On the unfortunate day of August 6, 1945, the US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese city of Hiroshima followed by another bomb drop on Nagasaki, three days later.

'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man', the names given to these bombs were loaded onto the bombers at the North Field airbase on Tinian Island in the Northern Mariana Islands, which are south of Japan, Business Insider reported.



Recently, a few photographs of the run up to the attacks were made public which shed light on the preparation for the bombings.

The photo series depicts what is now considered to be one of the most unfateful yet important moments in modern history.

Soldiers check the casings on the "Fat Man" atomic bomb. Multiple test bombs were created on Tinian Island. All were roughly identical to an operational bomb, even though they lacked the necessary equipment to detonate.

On the left, geophysicist participant Francis Birch marks the bomb unit that would become "Little Boy," while Norman Ramsey, who would later win the Nobel Prize in physics, looks on.

A technician applies sealant and putty to the crevices of "Fat Man," a final preparation to make sure the environment inside the bomb would be stable enough to create a full impact once it detonated.

Soldiers and workers sign their names and other messages on the nose of "Fat Man."

"Fat Man" is loaded onto a transport trailer and given a final inspection

The bomb is then escorted to the nearby North Field airbase on Tinian, covered by a tarp

The bomb and its trailer are lowered down into the pit using a hydraulic lift

Once "Little Boy" is ready, the Enola Gay, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, is reversed and positioned over the trench

Using the hydraulic lift, "Little Boy" is carefully raised and loaded into the belly of the Enola Gay

From there, both "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" were flown over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, dropped, and detonated

August 15, Japan announced its plans to surrender and signed formal documents to that fact on September 2, ending World War II.