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Started By
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70 Years Ago Today, the U.S. Army Air Corps Made Tokyo Howl
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:43 pm
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:43 pm
15
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:44 pm to Darth_Vader
And they deserved it.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:45 pm to Geaux8686
wish we'd do this to the Middle East
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:45 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
The hundreds of aircraft each carried several tons of incendiaries for a combined total of about 700,000 bombs
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:46 pm to Darth_Vader
Syria needs an anniversary special.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:47 pm to Darth_Vader
My Grandfather was a bombardier on a B-29 - 40th BG, 25 BS. At that time, operated out of Tinian. Flew on a B-29 named "Monsoon."
Great post, Darth!
Great post, Darth!
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:47 pm to Spaceman Spiff
quote:
My Grandfather was a bombardier on a B-29 - 40th BG, 25 BS. At that time, operated out of Tinian. Flew on a B-29 named "Monsoon."
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:50 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
The first B-29s to arrive dropped bombs in a large X pattern centered in Tokyo's densely populated working class district near the docks in both Koto and Chuo city wards on the water; later aircraft simply aimed near this flaming X. Fourteen B-29s were lost
nice strategy. aim for the burning x
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:52 pm to Darth_Vader
That night was worse than either of the A-bombs.. They should be thankful we didn't incinerate the entire country.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:52 pm to tigerinthebueche
quote:
wish we'd do this to the Middle East
This!
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:55 pm to DawgCountry
quote:
The first B-29s to arrive dropped bombs in a large X pattern centered in Tokyo's densely populated working class district near the docks in both Koto and Chuo city wards on the water
One thing about Japan at that time is they had a lot of their war production outsourced into people's homes. Instead of having a lot of big factories that made things, a lot of their war materials were made in literally thousands of little workshops in people's homes. Their thinking here was this "decentralization of production" would deny the U.S. big easy targets to go after. The U.S. countered this move by simply bombing everyfrickingthing.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:56 pm to boom roasted
quote:
Fire tornadoes.
That's actually a real thing. And from what I've read of survivors of the one that happened in Dresden, probably about one of the most terrifying things a person could ever experience.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:57 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
One thing about Japan at that time is they had a lot of their war production outsourced into people's homes. Instead of having a lot of big factories that made things, a lot of their war materials were made in literally thousands of little workshops in people's homes. Their thinking here was this "decentralization of production" would deny the U.S. big easy targets to go after. The U.S. countered this move by simply bombing everyfrickingthing.
Not that it wasn't war and war is hell and everything, but man, that's a lot of civilian dead. This is awful.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 1:01 pm to LoveThatMoney
quote:
Not that it wasn't war and war is hell and everything, but man, that's a lot of civilian dead. This is awful.
It truly is. Even when combined with the A-bomb tolls, still a small number compared to the civilian and military casualties that would havc resulted from a US invasion of Japan.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 1:03 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
One thing about Japan at that time is they had a lot of their war production outsourced into people's homes. Instead of having a lot of big factories that made things, a lot of their war materials were made in literally thousands of little workshops in people's homes. Their thinking here was this "decentralization of production" would deny the U.S. big easy targets to go after. The U.S. countered this move by simply bombing everyfrickingthing.
frickIN A!!! no concerns abut colateral damage, no political correctness, no whiny news reporter bitching about how brutal or Draconian the bombing was. Just good old fashion hell on earth with no discrimination! We should take a lesson and return to those "values".
Posted on 3/9/15 at 1:05 pm to Team Vote
quote:
quote: Not that it wasn't war and war is hell and everything, but man, that's a lot of civilian dead. This is awful. It truly is. Even when combined with the A-bomb tolls, still a small number compared to the civilian and military casualties that would havc resulted from a US invasion of Japan.
Great point. The government of Japan was training the civilian population to carry out suicide attacks against US forces when the invasion finally came. They were even teaching school children to carry out mass "banzai" attacks armed with nothing but sharpened bamboo spears. The death toll for the Japanese people would have been far worse had we invaded than it was from the bombings.
This post was edited on 3/9/15 at 1:07 pm
Posted on 3/9/15 at 1:05 pm to Darth_Vader
My Grandfather used to tell me a lot of war stories. He said that at first, everyone hated it when LeMay took over. Before LeMay arrived, most - if not all - of the bombing was at high altitude (above 20K). Once LeMay took over, he lowered the altitude to less than 10K, often times down to 5K.
He told of one story when they were doing a night mission and the Japanese Nicks (Ki-45) would come at them head on. Since he was the bombardier, he sat up front. Said it was some really scary shite watching the tracers come at and into the airplane.
He also told of a mission where his plane came back with 408 holes, with one crew member dead and another severly wounded.
He was with the group from the beginning (they started in the CBI theater before moving to Tinian). Had some crazy stories about that, too.
He told of one story when they were doing a night mission and the Japanese Nicks (Ki-45) would come at them head on. Since he was the bombardier, he sat up front. Said it was some really scary shite watching the tracers come at and into the airplane.
He also told of a mission where his plane came back with 408 holes, with one crew member dead and another severly wounded.
He was with the group from the beginning (they started in the CBI theater before moving to Tinian). Had some crazy stories about that, too.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 1:07 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
The death toll for the Japanese people would have been far worse had we invaded than it was from the bombings
Not to mention ours...
Posted on 3/9/15 at 1:10 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
Great point. The government of Japan was training the civilian population to carry out suicide attacks against US forces when the invasion finally came. They were even teaching school children to carry out mass "banzai" attacks armed with nothing but sharpened bamboo spears. The death toll for the Japanese people would have been far worse had we invaded than it was from the bombings.
Man, the Japanese were crazy during WWII. Absolutely fanatical. As were the Russians and the Germans. You have to step back and think, "this is how far a man will go to destroy another man." Truly breathtaking in its horror.
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