Over the course of the bombing raid, american planes dropped an estimated 2,000 tons of explosives on the city, creating a massive firestorm which killed countless numbers of civilians. More people were killed in the indiscriminate firebombing of march 10 than in the immediate aftermath of the dropping of the atomic bomb on hiroshima. Operation meetinghouse, or the firebombing of tokyo mar 9 by phershberger when we think about world war ii and the use of nuclear bombs, we almost immediately consider the destruction of hiroshima and nagasaki. Firebombing is a bombing technique designed to damage a target, generally an urban area, through the use of fire, caused by incendiary devices, rather than from the blast effect of large bombs. If that went over your head, think of it like spanish moss vs kudzu. The man who wont let the world forget the firebombing of tokyo. B29 bombers flew over tokyo in the dead of night, dumping massive payloads of cluster bombs. American fire bombing and atomic bombing of japan in. Two particularly notable raids were the coventry blitz on 14 november 1940, and the blitz on london on the night of 29 december30 december 1940, which was the most destructive raid on london during the. This chapter assesses and compares the impact and historical significance of the firebombing and atomic bombing of japanese cities in the history of both war and disaster.
Please compare the atomic bomb with the firebombing. The tokyo firebombing raid was a relatively slow compared to an atomic bomb, massivelydistributed attack. This paper will discuss the firebombing of tokyo, the dropping of the atomic bombs and lastly the surrender of japan. What is true about the firebombing of tokyo answers. Seventy years ago today, us forces firebombed tokyo to force the japanese to an early surrender in the dying months of world war ii. The atomic bombs of hiroshima and nagasaki have dominated the retelling of wwii history, but as a single attack the bombing of tokyo in. This day in history the firebombing of tokyo continues. Overall, 1,700 tons of bombs were dropped, 16 square miles were burned, and 100,000 people lost their lives. In the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki, the ussbs estimated that. The focus is on the human and social consequences of the bombings, and their legacy in international law and the history of warfare and historical memory in the long twentieth century.
They are not, even in the case of the bombing of japan, strictly equivalent from the point of view of their effects or their outcomes. Strategic bombing survey, field report covering air raid protection and allied subjects tokyo n. Firebombing of tokyo on the night of march 9, 1945, u. I found many of his fellow veterans ironically conflicted. In the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki, the ussbs estimated that 125,000 japanese ci. The united states detonated two nuclear weapons over the japanese cities of hiroshima and nagasaki on august 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, with the consent of the united kingdom, as required by the quebec agreement. The fire raids were ordered by general curtis lemay, who some see as the bomber harris of the pacific war, in response to the difficulty b29 crews had in completing pinpoint strategic bombing over japanese cities. On august 6th, an atomic bomb called little boy was dropped on the city of hiroshima. The firebombing of tokyo killed more people than the atomic bombs at hiroshima or nagasaki. The fall of imperial japan in pictures, 1945 on monday, august 6, 1945, a mushroom cloud billows into the sky about one hour after an atomic bomb was dropped by american b29 bomber, the enola gay, detonating above hiroshima, japan. In popular usage, any act in which an incendiary device is used to initiate a fire is often described as a firebombing. In fact, the entire xxist bomber commands conventional weapons offensive was deadlier and more destructive by several orders of magnitude than the two atomic bombings. Airforce conducted the largest single firebombing in history over tokyo which killed at least 100,000 residents and injured up to one million people. Please compare the atomic bomb with the firebombing techniques widely used.
Tokyo wwii firebombing, the single most deadly bombing raid in. Another factor in the firebombing of tokyo was the problem of b29 bombing inaccuracy at high altitude over japan. In march 1945, over 100,000 civilians were killed, and another 1 million left homeless, when b29s dropped a firebomb assault on the city. This raid, known as operation meetinghouse, caused incredible destruction, killing.
Was the firebombing of tokyo and japan a war crime answers. The atomic bombings have also had more time to embed themselves in the collective conscience of postwar memories, as survivors began to share. Nov 20, 2016 one atomic bomb delivery was far cheaper than one firebombing raid. Operation meetinghouse, or the firebombing of tokyo. The atomic bombings have also had more time to embed themselves in.
Aug 08, 2005 marine4life27 said so apparently you havent heard that after the second bomb was dropped and japan surrendered we searched a japanese ship that had plutonium on it and was headed for hiroshima. On the night of 910 march 1945, the united states army air forces usaaf conducted a devastating firebombing raid on tokyo, the japanese capital city. When the united states launched a bombing operation over japan on mar. Although most casualties of the tokyo firebombing were civilians, they. The united states declared war on japan the day after their surpriseattack bombing of pearl harbora date which will live in infamy, in the words of president franklin roosevelt.
The committee for the compilation of materials on damage caused by the atomic bombs in hiroshima and nagasaki, hiroshima and nagasaki. The idea of area bombing, or as some cynically state, city killing, was a new concept to warfare, with the aim of destroying large areas, indiscriminate of populationindustryetc. Under cloud of virus, few mark 75th anniversary of tokyo. More people were brutally burned alive in march 1945 than the 2 atomic bombs in aug 1945. The death toll of that air raid alone was higher than the total number of people killed by all the other 92 urban firebombing raids on japan during the war. Get an answer for please compare the atomic bomb with the firebombing techniques widely used throughout world warr ii. When thinking of the deadliest air raids in all of human history, the atomic bombs dropped on hiroshima and nagasaki during the second world war are usually the first incidents that come to mind, or perhaps the firebombing of dresden, which also took place during wwii. Alongside the two atomic bombings, the firebombing of tokyo. Mar 06, 2012 on march 9, 1945, b29 bombers in the u. This attack was codenamed operation meetinghouse by the usaaf and is known as the great tokyo air raid in japan. But few in the united states are aware that the attack even took place.
He had lost his brother two months after pearl harbor and had trained for four years to drop bombs on the enemy. American fire bombing and atomic bombing of japan in history. The firebombing in tokyo or 2bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki. Aug 30, 2000 why, then, is the atom bombing demonized when the march 9, 1945, firebombing of tokyo, which killed 85,000 japanese in one night, is not. More people died that night from napalm bombs than in the atomic strikes. From their base at saipan american superfortresses have been making the trip of 1,500 miles to bomb tokyo. The firebombing campaign, coupled with the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki, are believed to have killed more than 1 million japanese civilians between march and august of 1945. Asia tokyo firebombing survivors recall most destructive air raid in history. Today marks the seventieth anniversary of the american firebombing of tokyo, world war iis deadliest day. The tokyo raid involved hundreds of b29 bombers arriving and attacking over the course of several hours. The bombing of tokyo, tokyodaikushu was a series of firebombing air raids by the united states army air forces during the pacific campaigns of world war ii.
Is there any estimate casualties between those two events. There are several important differences between the effects of firebombing and atomic bombing. This paper assesses the impact and historical significance of us firebombing and atomic bombing of japan in world war ii and its subsequent. The three main instances of incendiary warfare in wwii began in hamburg in 1943 and followed by dresden and tokyo in 1945.
Firebombing knocked out half of the factories in kobe and was part of one of the biggest attacks in the war. The atomic bombs of hiroshima and nagasaki have dominated the retelling of wwii history, but as a single attack the bombing of tokyo in march 1945 was more destructive. Firebombing on par with the tokyo raid spread a moderate chance of death over a large area. There is a subtle technical difference mixed in here. Like everyone else in the chinaburmaindia theater, he was mightily frustrated. The atomic bombing of hiroshima killed less japanese. Few americans have even heard of it, and few japanese like to dwell on it. In late february 1945, over 300 b29s began a nightattack on the city of tokyo. The atomic bombing of hiroshima killed less japanese civilians than the firebombing of tokyo a few weeks earlier. The raids left a fifth of tokyo smouldering under an expanse of charred bodies. This paper assesses the impact and historical significance of us firebombing and atomic bombing of japan in world war ii and its subsequent legacy. The ethical justification of dropping these bombs is still under deliberation. The idea of area bombing, or as some cynically state, city killing, was a new concept to warfare, with the aim of destroying large areas, indiscriminate of. Thenandnow pictures reveal the night 100,000 died in massive us firebomb attack on tokyo.
The physical, medical and social effects of the atomic bombing new york. The air raid of 910 march 1945 was one of the most destructive bombing raids in history. Atleast we only had to drop the first 2 of the 23 atomic bombs we had scheduled to manufacture and drop on japan in 1945. Mar 02, 2020 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 nagasaki. The bombing of tokyo was one of the first major moments leading up to an allied victory. The b29 that dropped the atomic bomb on hiroshima, pp.
However, the nuclear bombs used a new technology which allowed the bomb to be detonated before impact as opposed to exploding at impact. Three days later, a second atomic bomb called fat man was dropped less than 200 miles away in nagasaki, japan. The firebombing campaign that lemay and the americans used had explosions as the bombs hit the earth. Jan 20, 2014 he considers us consideration of use of the atomic bomb in all of these, noting us plans to drop an atomic bomb on tokyo when more bombs became available by the end of august, if japan had not yet surrendered. An estimated 100,000 people perished in the firebomb raid on tokyo in the night of march 910, 1945. As an aside, the reason that more people died in the tokyo firebombings than the atomic bombings of hiroshima or nagasaki is not because firebombing is more deadly than, or even as deadly as, atomic bombings. Operation meetinghouse, which was conducted on the night of 910 march 1945, is regarded as the single most destructive bombing raid in human history. After the war, while hiroshima and nagasaki became symbols of japans suffering and the peace movement, the great tokyo air raid was virtually excluded from public discourse. More people were killed in the tokyo firebombing of march 910 than in the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki five months later. Dec 01, 2016 this paper reflects on the meaning of the atomic age and the nature of u. I heard from so many people that firebombing in tokyo killed more than 2 nuke together in one night. Were firebombing and other conventional bombing techniques. By dawn, more than 100,000 people were dead, a million were homeless, and 40 square kilometers of tokyo were burned to the ground. Tokyo wwii firebombing, the single most deadly bombing.
The full fury of firebombing and napalm was unleashed on the night of march 9 10, 1945 when lemay sent 334 b29s low over tokyo from the. Which event was worse, the dropping of the atom bombs on. Early in world war ii many british cities were firebombed. The conventional wisdom that the hiroshima bomb saved 500,000 or a million. The bombs dropped there were not the standard explosive types used in many other bombing campaigns these, instead, were incendiary bombs. The atomic bombs of hiroshima and nagasaki have dominated the retelling of wwii history, but as a single attack the bombing of tokyo was more destructive. Aerial view of tokyo following the war the 500pound e46 chemical incendiary bomb clusters, each containing thirtyeight m69 bomblets filled with napalm which was in turn ignited by white phosphorous.
Why is it that the 911 attacks on america are considered acts of terrorism but a plane bombing raid on tokyo after the dropping of two atomic bombs isnt. The bombing of tokyo, tokyodaikushu was a series of firebombing air raids by. Firebombing in braunschweig, germany, 15 october 1944 charred remains of japanese civilians after a bombing of tokyo. Air force began dropping incendiary bombs on the city of tokyo. More people died that night from napalm bombs than in the atomic strikes on hiroshima and nagasaki. What gets left out of this debate was the bombing of tokyo that occurred before the atomic bombs were dropped. Pearl harbor or no pearl harbor, the bombing of tokyo on august 14, 1945, was a despicable act worse than the firebombing of tokyo, worse than hiroshima, and worse than nagasaki. Lemay, therefore, decided that blanket bombing raids on cities to undermine the morale of civilians were an appropriate response.
Atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki wikipedia. Yet it remains one of the forgotten horrors of the second world war. This article has reflected on the political dynamics that lie behind the differential treatment of the firebombing and atomic bombing of japan in both japan and the united states, events that brought disaster to the japanese nation, but also contributed to ending a bitter war and paved the way for the rebirth of a japan stripped of its empire. Tokyo firebombing survivors recall most destructive. The atomic bombs dropped in world war ii spread a very high chance of death over a relatively small area. Alongside the two atomic bombings, the firebombing of tokyo remains obscure. Invariably the storytelling turned to a comparison of the firebombing raids with the atomic bomb missions. The man who wont let the world forget the firebombing of. In the single deadliest air raid of world war ii, 330 american b29s rain incendiary bombs on tokyo, touching off a firestorm that kills upwards of 100,000 people, burns a quarter of the. Were firebombing and other conventional bombing techniques more. Whether this act or the atomic bombs can be considered a war crime is pretty much up to interpretation. Even before the hiroshimanagasaki bombing, american air force general curtis lemay boasted that american bombers were driving them japanese back to the stone age.
How many people would have died if an atomic bomb had been dropped on tokyo in early 1945, instead of firebombs. Mar 10, 2018 the firebombing of tokyo was the first major bombing operation of this sort against japan. General curtis lemay was leading this air strike by the americans. Early in the morning, the b29s dropped their bombs of napalm and magnesium incendiaries over the packed residential districts along the sumida river in eastern tokyo. The 1945 firebombing of tokyo was the single deadliest air raid in history jul 28, 2017 stefan andrews when we think of how world war two came to an end, we recall the atomic bombs dropped on the japanese cities of hiroshima and nagasaki. The mortality rate per square mile for firebombing was considerably less than the world war ii atomic bombs. A total of 267,171 buildings were destroyed, a quarter of all of the buildings in tokyo. The mass graves under the cherry blossom 70 years on, the fire bombing of tokyo remains the deadliest bombing campaign in history survivors commute near an incendiary bombed.
Great tokyo air raid was a war crime the japan times. The bombing raid that killed more than nagasaki and the world forgot. As with dropping the atomic bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki, the firebombing of tokyo has remained controversial since the end of world war ii. Hiroshima restricted data the nuclear secrecy blog. The b29 had been created to fly higher than any other plane. Pictures show how tokyo recovered 70 years after firebomb. Mar 27, 2012 by dawn, more than 100,000 people were dead, a million were homeless, and 40 square kilometers of tokyo were burned to the ground. 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 nagasaki. Mar 22, 2020 the firebombing of tokyo was an american bombing raid on the japanese city of tokyo which occurred on the night of 9 march, 1945. The bombing of tokyo, often referred to as the firebombing, was conducted by the united states army air forces during the pacific campaigns of world war ii.
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