Existing comment:
The Destruction of Japan's Cities:
In March 1945, cities across Japan exploded in flames as American B-29s began a relentless firebombing campaign. The first big firebomb raid struck Tokyo on March 9-10. Bombs from more than 300 planes incinerated 16 square miles of the city, killing nearly 100,000 civilians. Throughout the spring of 1945, the bombing continued. In April alone, over 117,000 tons of bombs were dropped. The raids burned out 180 square miles and more than 60 cities, leaving 8.5 million people homeless. At least 300,000 people were killed.
Millions of civilians died during air raids in World War II. Japan had bombed Chinese civilians during the 1930s and Germany bombed British cities early in the war. The British retaliated in kind. America had resisted the idea of bombing civilian areas. But with time, attitudes hardened. What once had been unthinkable became a deliberate policy.
As the firebombing continued, carrier-based aircraft were also striking key industrial sites in Japan. Offshore, American warplanes and submarines had choked off Japanese supply lines. Some thought these measures might end the war without an American invasion of Japan. But before this question could be answered, an unexpected event upended the debate and changed the world forever. |