Since World War II, there have been a number of famous air raids that have had a significant impact on the course of history. Here are some notable examples:
1.The Great Bombing of Tokyo (March 9-May 1945): At the end of World War II, the U.S. Army Air Force carried out a series of massive incendiary bombardments on Tokyo, the capital of Japan, the most tragic of which occurred on the night of March 9, 1945, during the "Limei Fire Attack". The airstrike killed more than 100,000 people and severely damaged urban infrastructure and industrial production capacity.
2.Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6 and 9, 1945): This was the only actual use of nuclear ** air raids in human history. The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, causing the devastation of two cities and hundreds of thousands of people**, eventually prompting Japan to announce its unconditional surrender and end World War II.
3.Air Raid on Berlin (1943-1945): The Allies carried out a number of strategic bombings of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany, during World War II, with the aim of weakening its war potential and morale. These air strikes were part of the Allied strategic bombardment of Germany, resulting in the destruction of a large number of civilians** and urban facilities.
4.Doolittle Raid (April 18, 1942): U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle led a fleet of B-25 bombers from an aircraft carrier to launch the first air raid on the Japanese mainland. Although the material damage caused by the air raids was limited, it greatly boosted the morale of the United States and its allies and made the Japanese military realize that the homeland was no longer safe.
5.Air strikes in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1999): During the Kosovo War, NATO carried out 78 days of air strikes against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including a strike on the capital Belgrade, to force the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to cease its military operations in Kosovo.
6.Operation "Decapitation" in the Iraq War (2003): In the early days of the invasion of Iraq, the U.S. military carried out targeted air strikes against the leadership of Saddam Hussein's regime with precision guidance** in an attempt to dismantle the enemy's command structure by eliminating or intimidating senior leaders.
7.Air strikes in Syria (2010s-present): Since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, several international forces have carried out air strikes in Syria, including by the United States and Russia, targeting the terrorist group ISIS and other targets.
These airstrikes have gone down in history because of their scale, impact, or tactical innovation.