Bombing of tokyo, march 910, 1945, firebombing raid codenamed. They are not, even in the case of the bombing of japan, strictly equivalent from the point. Yet it remains one of the forgotten horrors of the second world war. World war ii was a landmark in the development and deployment of technologies of mass destruction associated with air power, notably the b29 bomber, napalm and the atomic bomb.
The firebombing of tokyo was designed to terrorise and bomb the japanese into surrender. Ralph the area firebombing campaign waged against the cities of japan in the waning months of the second world war represented a stunning departure from earlywar american bombing strategy. Given the high number of civilian casualties and the relatively few strategic targets, some even called the bombing of dresden a war. That time us firebombed a japaneseoccupied chinese city.
In late february 1945, over 300 b29s began a nightattack on the city of tokyo. The extensive destruction of civil installations hospitals, fire and police department, and government agencies the state of utter confusion immediately. The fire bombing of japan, march 9 august 15, 1945. According to japanese police statistics, the 65 raids on tokyo between december 6, 1944 and august, 1945 resulted in 7,582 casualties. Outside of japan, the lag time to look closely at the impacts of the air raids is even more pronounced. Department of energy has estimated that after five years there were perhaps 200,000 or more fatalities as a result of the hiroshima bombing, while the city of hiroshima itself has estimated that 237,000 people were. The bombing of dresden was a historic benchmark that demonstrated the power of strategic bombing. Mark selden is a senior research associate in the east asia program at cornell university and a coordinator of the asiapacific journal. Mcnamaras commentary about his involvement in, among other things, world war ii and the vietnamese war, i was shocked to hear him say that before the dropping of the atomic bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki in 1945, under the command of general curtis lemay, united states b29.
Firebombing of tokyo on the night of march 9, 1945, u. Although the precise death toll is unknown, conservative estimates suggest that the. In my statistics of democide, chapter death by american bombing and other democide, i listed american indiscriminate urban bombing of germany and japan as democidemurder by government i include elsewhere in the book such bombing by britain, germany, italy, and japan. By dawn, more than 100,000 people were dead, a million were homeless, and 40 square kilometers of tokyo were burned to the ground. Although most casualties of the tokyo firebombing were civilians, they are not the victims history remembers, in part because japan itself committed atrocities during. Tokyo remembers devastating, overlooked wwii firebombings. The bombings took place in tokyo on the nights of the 9th and 10th of march 1945. It was also seen as payback for the pearl harbour attacks and the mistreatment of allied prisoners of war. The firebombing of japan was about testing new technologies on a civilian population. Tokyo wwii firebombing, the single most deadly bombing. Overall, 1,700 tons of bombs were dropped, 16 square miles were burned, and 100,000 people lost their lives. Critics say that the military value of the bombing did not justify dresdens near destruction and that the city could have been spared, like rome, paris, and kyoto. Air forces most controversial bombing campaign of world war ii chronicles the background of the campaign, its destruction, and its notorious legacy.
Source, estimate of japanese casualties from allied air. Aftermath from february to february 15, 1945, during the final months of world war ii 193945, allied forces bombed the. In 1977, historian gordon daniels lamented the fact that academics had largely ignored the air raids on japan and the socalled great tokyo air raid in particular as a subject of inquiry. Survivors of the tokyo firebombing feel their pain has been forgotten, by history and by the government. Bombing of tokyo, march 910, 1945, firebombing raid codenamed operation meetinghouse by the united states on the capital of japan during the final stages of world war ii, often cited as one of the most destructive acts of war in history, more destructive than the bombing of dresden, hiroshima, or. The tokyo firebombing has long been overshadowed by the u. W hen the united states launched a bombing operation over japan on mar.
What casualties did the japanese suffer after the us. The fire bombing of japan, march 9 august 15, 1945 hoyt, edwin p. A total of 267,171 buildings were destroyed, a quarter of all of the buildings in tokyo. Lemay, therefore, decided that blanket bombing raids on cities to undermine the morale of civilians were an appropriate response. This policy evolved from the relationship between the usaaf commander, general henry arnold, and his subordinates in the field. Us bombing strategy, the destruction of japanese cities and the american way of war from world war ii to iraq. Tokyo firebombing survivors recall most destructive air raid in history at the same time, 1 million were rendered homeless and over 41 square kilometers of the city were razed to the ground. What was the significance of the tokyo firebombing answers. The bombing of tokyo, tokyodaikushu was a series of firebombing air raids by.
What challenges did women in florida face during the civil war. The firebombing of tokyo killed more people than the atomic bombs at hiroshima or nagasaki. The b29 had been created to fly higher than any other plane. What challenges did women in florida face during the civil. Germany suffered about 353,000 deaths from bombing, according to british historian richard overy see the wikipedia page german casualties in world war ii, who considers an estimate of 635,000 deaths by the west german government mentioned earli. State and citizen responses to the us firebombing and atomic bombing of japan, vol. But the burning of the capital, which resulted in more immediate deaths than either of the nuclear bombings, stands as a horrifying landmark in the history of. Tokyo firebombing survivors recall most destructive air. Tokyo victims of us firebombing sue japan for starting war justin mccurry in tokyo. For japan, it was a grisly beginning to the wars end.
American fire bombing and atomic bombing of japan in history. Total casualties the atomic bombings of hiroshima and. The firebombing of tokyo on march 9, 1945 marked the beginning of. The man who wont let the world forget the firebombing of tokyo. The man who wont let the world forget the firebombing of.
Hiroshima restricted data the nuclear secrecy blog. The key development for the bombing of japan was the b29 bomber plane, which had an operational range of 3,250 nautical miles 6,019 km and was capable of attacking at high altitude above 30,000 feet 9 km where enemy defenses were very weak. Tokyo ap japan mourned tuesday for the 105400 people killed. The untold story of the vengeful japanese attack after the doolittle raid when the u. The night raid ignited numerous fires that soon united into one uncontrollable mass of flame, so hot it generated its own selfsustaining, galeforce winds and literally sucked the oxygen out of the air, suffocating its victims. Significant funds had gone into the development of american military technology 36 billion in 2015 dollars funded the creation of the atomic bomb. Was the bombing in dresden more devastating than that of. American fire bombing and atomic bombing of japan in. Americas firebombing campaign in japan was an allout war. The deadliest air raid in history daily planet air. The effects were devastating and human cost huge over 100,000 civilians in tokyo alone. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the firebombing of tokyo like never before, in no time at all.
The firebombing of tokyo marked the first time it was used on a dense civilian. The astonishing casualty count of the firebombing of tokyo. Americas 1945 attack on japans capital remains undeservedly obscure. As he considered abandoning the entire reason the b29 had been developed in the first place, other possibilities began to. A few months later, from the mariana islands in the pacific, general lemay famously directed the lowaltitude blanket firebombing of tokyo over 1,500 tons of incendiaries in one raid, following up with the carpet bombing of japans other major cities. Deadly wwii firebombings of japanese cities largely ignored.
After the war, only veterans and victims of the atomic bombings received special support. There has been great difficulty in estimating the total casualties in the japanese cities as a result of the atomic bombing. The key development for the bombing of japan was the b29 superfortress strategic bomber, which had an operational range of 3,250. The soviet union declared war on japan an hour before 9 august and invaded manchuria at one minute past midnight.
The worst of these democidal bombings was the firebombing of japanese. Who had more civilian deaths from bombing in world war ii. Overall, by sahr conwaylanzs calculation, the us firebombing campaign destroyed 180 square miles of 67 cities, killed more than 300,000 people and injured an additional 400,000, figures that exclude the atomic bombing of hiroshima and nagasaki which took 140,000 lives by the end of 1945. Wwii firebombings of japanese cities largely ignored. The allies had first encountered the phenomenon of the firestorm when the british bombed the german city of hamburg in august of 1943. Ruthless american incendiary bombing of japan in 1945. B29 bombers flew over tokyo in the dead of night, dumping massive payloads of cluster bombs equipped with a thenrecent invention. In this particular attack over 330 b29s dropped some 2000 tonnes of firebombs over tokyo. Almost 16 square miles in and around the japanese capital were incinerated. Airforce conducted the largest single firebombing in history over tokyo which killed at least 100,000 residents and injured up to one million people. March 9th, 1945, wave after wave of us b29 super fortress bombers lay down 2000 tons of incendiary ordinance on tokyo over the next two days.
Still, though, that beachhold would have eventually have had to been extended further and further. The debate over the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki concerns the ethical, legal, and military controversies surrounding the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki on 6 august and 9 august 1945 at the close of world war ii 193945. Tokyo victims of us firebombing sue japan for starting war. More people were killed in the tokyo firebombing of march 910 than in the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki five months later.
445 1419 507 825 1340 976 525 977 350 1267 842 113 678 857 596 37 163 807 1172 1143 718 600 447 141 557 700 831