Conventional Bombing Damage To Japanese Cities In WW2

During World War II, conventional bombing raids inflicted devastating damage on Japanese cities. Major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama, and Kobe were all targeted. The first United States Army Air Force (USAAF) raid on Japan’s homeland was the Doolittle Raid on April 18, 1942. This was a one-off operation with sixteen B-25 Mitchells launched from the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. Minimal damage occurred but it shocked the Japanese people and was a morale booster for American citizens.

B-29 Superfortress Range

Development of the B-29 Superfortress kicked the door open for the USAAF to systematically bomb Japan. With a range of 1,500 miles, it completed the first major raid since the Doolittle Raid on June 15, 1944. This raid flew out of China which proved to be a logistical challenge. However, it was the captured of Guam and Tinian that truly brought the Japanese mainland within range of the B-29, Superfortress. Logistically the islands were strategically better as the originating points. Bombing raids from these islands began in late 1944.

Damage Extent

Twenty-eight Japanese cities suffered more than 50 percent damage due to conventional bombing. Due to construction technique many Japanese cities were very susceptible to fire bombings which were used later in the war. The main reason for the bombing raids on Japanese cities was to weaken the country’s industrial capacity and morale. To achieve this, bombers would drop high explosives, incendiary bombs and napalm, targeting industrial and residential areas. The goal of the raids was to cause as much destruction as possible, in the hope of eventually forcing Japan to surrender. It is estimated that 500,000 Japanese citizens died in the bombing raids and another 5,000,000 were made homeless.

The most common type of raid was area bombing. This involved dropping large numbers of bombs over a wide area to create a blanket of destruction. The firebombing of Tokyo on the night of March 9-10, 1945, is one of the most well-known examples of area bombing. In this raid, nearly 300 B-29 Superfortress bombers dropped some 1,700 tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs, destroying an estimated 16 square miles of the city. High explosive bombs were used first to blow out windows and followed up with the incendiary bombs. Finally delayed fused high explosives were also included to deter firefighting efforts.

Other, less destructive, types of bombing were also used. Precision bombing, for example, involved targeting specific military and industrial sites, rather than entire cities. This was done using smaller, more agile aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang, the A-20 Havoc, and the B-25 Mitchell.

The conventional bombing of Japanese cities was a major factor in the eventual surrender of Japan. These raids, along with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, had a devastating effect on the morale of the Japanese people, and forced the government to accept the terms of the Allies.