The full history of how the United States targeted and destroyed the Japanese capital from the air, in a ten-month long campaign by the US Army Air Force and the US Navy.
In November 1944, the US Army Air Force launched a 111-plane B-29 strike against Tokyo, the first raid since the morale-boosting Doolittle Raid of 1942. From then until August 13, 1945, the United States would attack Tokyo 25 times, 20 from B-29s based in the Marianas and five from US Navy carrier task forces. The campaign included the single deadliest air raid in human history, when around 100,000 people were killed by the firestorm created by the Operation Meetinghouse raid of March 10, 1945.
This book, the first to examine the full history of the United States’ air campaign against the greatest target in Japan, looks at the USAAF’s and US Navy’s efforts to use air power to eliminate Tokyo’s strategic value to the Empire. It considers how the campaign developed from daylight bombing to firebombing and anti-ship mining, and finally how the target was handed over to the US Navy, whose carrier-based bombers and fighter-bombers continued to strike Tokyo during July and August 1945.
Using specially commissioned battlescenes, strategic maps and diagrams, this volume presents a detailed picture of how Tokyo was vanquished from the air.
By:
Mark Lardas
Illustrated by:
Edouard A. Groult
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Volume: 40
Dimensions:
Height: 248mm,
Width: 184mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781472860354
ISBN 10: 1472860357
Series: Air Campaign
Pages: 96
Publication Date: 02 July 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction Chronology Attacker's Capabilities - America's growing reach - Aircraft - Facilities and infrastructure - Weapons and tactics Defender's Capabilities Guarding the Empire's heart - Aircraft - Facilities and infrastructure - Weapons and tactics Campaign Objectives The high-stakes target - Allied objectives and plans - Japanese objectives and plans The Campaign To destroy a capital -Opening salvos: November 1–January 9, 1945 -Frustration, faltering, and the Navy’s in: January 27 to March 4, 1945 -The first fire raid: March 9–10, 1945 -Aircraft factory raids: April 1–12, 1945 -Returning to incendiary raids: April 13–16, 1945 -Water and fire: May 5 to 29, 1945 -To the end: June–August, 1945 Aftermath and Analysis -Surviving aircraft Bibliography Index
Mark Lardas has been fascinated by things related to the sea and sky his entire life. From building models of ships and aircraft as a teen, his maritime interest led him to study Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, but his interest in aviation led him to take a job on the then-new Space Shuttle program. Over the next 30 years he worked as a navigation engineer on the Shuttle program. Currently he works developing commercial aircraft systems as a quality assurance manager. He has written extensively about aircraft and warships and is the author of more than 40 books, all related to military, naval or maritime history.
