In March and May 1945, U.S. bombers visited Tokyo several times and carried out the bombing of Tokyo, which went down in history. More than 300 planes dropped a huge amount of incendiary bombs, burying Tokyo in flames. The situation was no less tragic than that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that followed, and all of this came from a general named Li Mei. Why did the U.S. military carry out this bombing?What happened before and after?And how much did Japan bear at that time?
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor, a U.S. naval base, leading to the outbreak of the Pacific War. Of course, the Americans who "have revenge and will take revenge" could not swallow this breath, so they carried out the world-famous "Doolittle air raid" on April 18, 1942. Although this time did not achieve any decisive results, it greatly boosted the morale of the American soldiers, and made the Japanese realize that the defense of the homeland was extremely fragile, and also made Yamamoto 56 lose the battle of Midway.
However, for more than two years after that, due to various reasons such as technology and distance, the US military was never able to organize another bombing of Japan, until they successfully developed the B29 Super Fortress. The B29 heavy bomber has a maximum speed of 574km h, can fly to an altitude of more than 10,000 meters, has an effective endurance of more than 6,000 kilometers, and has an effective strike radius of more than 2,400 kilometers. Coupled with a bomb load of more than 9,000 kilograms, Japan had few fighters capable of posing a threat at that time. But even if it is such a tough **, before the implementation of the bombing of Tokyo, the US military can be said to have eaten a deflated stomach.
Because the U.S. military did not occupy Mariana and other places in the early days, bombers could only take off from China to bomb, but in the end it did not have a good effect. It wasn't until MacArthur captured the islands near Mariana that things got a little better. On November 24, 1944, the U.S. military carried out its first air raid on Tokyo after the Doolittle bombing. Since the U.S. military had successfully carried out daytime bombing in the European theater, 88 B29s were ready to carry out precision strikes during the day. However, due to the large fluctuations in the weather in Japan, the original bombing experience did not work well, so only about one-third of the planes were located on target. Only 10 percent of them hit the bomb directly, and only one airfield was slightly damaged. This forced the U.S. military to change its thinking and seek a better strategy for bombing Japan.
At this time, the U.S. military came a fierce man from the sky - Curtis Lemay, after he took office as commander of the bomber force in January 1945, he soon put forward the order to test incendiary bombs for strikes. Since the previous daytime operation had no obvious effect, Li Mei decided to let the soldiers carry out night bombing, so the task of the first incendiary bomb attack on Jingdong was put on the agenda. On February 23, 1945, 174 B29s flew to Tokyo at night, and the napalm dropped burned a large area of land, which made Li Mei even more determined to attack Japan. Although the bombing was a success, Li Mei did not let this stop and carefully analyzed the previous actions, and finally made a resolution that no one could understand.
First of all, he asked the bombers to dismantle almost all of the defenses** in order to carry more incendiary bombs for combat, and also asked the pilots to carry out low-altitude bombing of about 5,000 meters. In the end, in order to reduce the number of troops, Li Mei also asked the bombers to cancel the formation when they carried out the mission, which has achieved a better strike effect. In order to demonstrate his determination to accomplish this mission, he submitted a full plan to take responsibility.
On the night of March 9, 1945, 334 B29s loaded with incendiary bombs took off from ** in preparation for a carpet bombing of Tokyo. At 0:15 on the 10th, two navigation planes took the lead in dropping two flares, followed by a large number of incendiary bombs as indicator targets. Then all the bombers swarmed in, and 2,000 tons of bombing points were poured all over Tokyo. The blazing fire ignited by the incendiary bombs unleashed a terrible whirlwind of fire, and the entire city was drowned in a sea of fire. The inhabitants of Tokyo have nowhere to escape, and even the water in the surrounding rivers is boiled by high temperatures, and the only places that can keep them alive have become purgatory. The crackling of flames mixed with the screams of people resounded in the night sky, and the hearts of the crew soldiers on the bombing mission were extremely excited.
According to later statistics, the bombing of Tokyo burned an area of 41 square kilometers, destroyed a quarter of Tokyo, and fatally hit nearly 20% of the industrial area. The rest of the region was largely not spared, with the bombing destroying all 22 targets and burning some 270,000 buildings. A million people lost everything they had, and nearly 200,000 people of varying degrees **, and it took the Japanese 25 days to clear the ruins. A day after Li May's bombing campaign, 317 bombers visited Nagoya and took out their aircraft manufacturing center. On March 13, the U.S. military bombed Osaka, second only to Tokyo, and burned it down in three hours. Then there were the shipyards in Kobe, and other cities were also hit by incendiary bombs. On May 9 and May 26, the B29 reappeared over Tokyo, and after these two bombings, Tokyo was completely reduced to ruins, and there were no more targets for American forces to attack.
After the end of the fire attack by Li Mei, Japan's industry and other fields were severely damaged, and the morale of the Japanese was seriously reduced, and from then on, they began to consider whether to cease the war. However, the fact is that the Japanese military top brass did not repent until the two atomic bombs were in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and they really realized that they were powerless to resist, and finally had to obediently raise their hands and surrender. Although the Japanese have been asking the U.S. military to apologize for this, they have largely ignored these demands, given that the Japanese have also bombed Chongqing and Chengdu.
"Fury of Fire 1945 U.S. Army Secret Operation Revealed!vividly depicts the devastating bombing of Tokyo by the U.S. military at the end of World War II and its impact on Japan. Through in-depth excavation of historical details, this article shows the cruelty and ruthlessness of the war at that time, as well as the extreme measures taken by the US military.
First of all, the article begins by pointing out the background of the US bombing, especially the US-Japan war triggered by the attack on Pearl Harbor, so that readers have a clearer understanding of the occurrence of the incident. Then, the article described in detail the difficulty of the US military in organizing the bombing of Japan again due to technology, distance and other reasons, until the successful development of the B29 Super Fortress. This narrative makes it easier for readers to understand why the U.S. military resorted to extreme measures, as well as the dilemma they faced.
In introducing General Curtis Lemay, the article vividly portrays his determination and wisdom. Li May's decision to bomb at night and experiment with incendiary bombs demonstrated his decisiveness and innovation in the face of difficulties. Behind these decisions was an in-depth analysis of the effects of previous bombing campaigns and the constant search for more effective bombing strategies. Li Mei's leadership is particularly critical at this historic moment.
In the description of the bombing of Tokyo, the article uses vivid language and vivid descriptions to make the reader feel as if they had experienced the tragic situation of the time like a sea of fire. The description of the whirlwind of fire caused by incendiary bombs and the entire city drowning in raging flames is not only impressive, but also gives a more intuitive sense of the brutality of war. This kind of delicate and nuanced description makes the article more infectious and shocking.
Finally, the article concludes by emphasizing the tremendous impact of the U.S. military offensive on Japan. The destruction of Japan's industrial sector and the decline in Japanese popularity, as well as the final scene of Japan's reluctant surrender, give the reader a deeper understanding of the outcome of this war. In an objective and vivid way, the article shows the impact of war on all parties, and makes people think deeply about the cost and uselessness of war.
Overall, "Fury of Fire: 1945 U.S. Army Covert Operations Revealed!".Through detailed historical records, vivid descriptions and profound analysis, readers have a more comprehensive understanding of this period of history and a deeper understanding of the horror and devastation of war. While revealing the truth of history, this article also reminds people of the horror of war, prompting us to cherish peace more and reflect on the wars and chaos in human history.
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