Air attacks in Japan
When the United States develop a plan of the air campaign against Japan before the Pacific War, annexation of the Allied bases in the Western Pacific in the first few weeks of conflict Pacific indicate that the new air strikes began in mid-1944 after Boeing B-29 Superfortress ready to be deployed to the battlefield.
Matterhorn surgery involves removal of the planes B-29 are based in India to the base around Chengdu, China, in preparation for the attack strategic targets in Japan. That effort failed to meet the desired strategic objectives of the framers of the plan because of the logistical, mechanical difficulties bombers, the vulnerability of the preparation base in China, and a long distance towards the cities in Japan.
Air Force Brigadier General, United States Army (USAAF) Haywood S. Hansell determined that Guam, Tinian, and Saipan in the Mariana Islands suitable as base B-29, but it was still controlled by the Japanese. The strategy was changed to conform to the air war, and recaptured the islands between June and August 1944. Some of the air base was built, and B-29 flown from the Mariana Islands in October 1944. The bases can be supplied by a cargo ship without a hitch. XXI Bomber Command started the Japanese attack mission on 18 November 1944.
An earlier attempt to bomb Japan from the Mariana Islands as ineffective as the B-29 in China. Hansell continued operation of high-altitude bombing precise targeting an important industrial and transport networks even though this tactic does not have a major impact. This attempt failed because of logistical difficulties with distant bases, technical problems experienced by new and advanced aircraft, the weather was not very friendly and enemy resistance.
Substitute Hansell, Major General Curtis LeMay, commander of operations in January 1945 and initially still continuing bombing tactics exact same unsatisfactory results anyway. The attack was initially targeting industrial facilities is important, but most of the Japanese production process is done in small workshops and houses. Under pressure from the USAAF's headquarters in Washington, LeMay switch tactics and decided that bombing urban fuel low level in Japan is the only way to destroy their production capabilities; switching from right to bombardment bombing the area with bomb fuel.
Like most strategic bombing in World War II, the USAAF attack goal in Japan is to destroy the enemy's war industries, kill or cripple civilians employed by the industry of war, and demoralize civilians. Civilians involved in the war effort through various activities such as the construction of the fort and the production of munitions and other war material factories and workshops are considered as combatants legally and worth attacking.
Over the next six months, XXI Bomber Command under LeMay bombed 67 Japanese cities. Bombing of Tokyo, or Operation Meetinghouse, dated March 9 to 10 killed about 100,000 people and destroyed the urban area of 16 square miles (41 km2) and 267 000 buildings in a single night. The operation was the deadliest bombing during World War II. A total of 20 B-29 was shot down by flak cannons and warplanes. In May, 75% of the bombs dropped bombs designed to burn fuel "paper town" of Japan. In mid-June, the six largest cities in Japan have been decimated. The end of the fighting on Okinawa in the give the Allies the opportunity to utilize the air base that is located closer to the main islands of Japan. Bombing campaign was improved. The plane, flying from the aircraft carrier Allies and the Ryukyu Islands routinely targeting targets in Japan throughout 1945 ahead of Operation Downfall. The bombing shifted to smaller towns inhabited by 60,000 to 350,000 inhabitants. By Yuki Tanaka, U.S. bombed more than a hundred cities in Japan. The attacks also deadly.
Japanese military was unable to stop the Allied invasion and civil defense preparations Japan is not strong enough. Fighter planes and anti-aircraft guns difficult to target Japanese bombers fly very high. Since April 1945, Japan had to face the best interceptor fighter United States stationed guards at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In it, the Air Force Imperial Japanese Army and Air Force Imperial Japanese Navy stopped the Allied air attack fighter that still remains before the invasion. In mid-1945, Japan reduced the frequency of ambushes B-29 reconnaissance in Japan to save fuel. In July 1945, Japan hoard 1,156,000 US barrels (137,800,000 l; 36,400,000 US gal; 30,300,000 imp gal) avgas for preparation penyerbua