How the US won ww2 without invading Japan?

How the US won ww2 without invading Japan?

The U.S. would have to firebomb 64 Japanese cities, capped off by the two atomic bombs in August 1945, to end World War II. That happened without an invasion of the Japanese mainland.

Who replaced LeMay?

How did General Curtis LeMay plan to attack Tokyo?

LeMay decided to attack Tokyo by night at low altitude, stripping his bombers of guns and armor to accommodate a larger bomb load. On March 9, 1945, using a strategy pioneered by RAF Bomber Command, LeMay sent pathfinder aircraft ahead to mark the target area with napalm bombs.

What was the problem with strategic bombing?

Enemy morale The proponents of strategic bombing between the world wars, such as General Douhet, expected that direct attacks upon an enemy country’s cities by strategic bombers would lead to a rapid collapse of civilian morale so that political pressure to sue for peace would lead to a rapid conclusion.

How many Japanese troops defended Okinawa?

Japanese Army Waits Japan’s 32nd Army, some 130,000 men strong and commanded by Lt. Gen. Mitsuru Ushijima, defended Okinawa. The military force also included an unknown number of conscripted civilians and unarmed Home Guards known as Boeitai.

What did Curtis LeMay do?

Curtis LeMay (1906-1990) was a United States Air Force general. LeMay is known for designing and implementing the systematic strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific Theater during World War II. By 1944, he had been promoted to major general and given responsibility for all air operations against Japan.

Was Tokyo nuked?

Tokyo was hit by incendiaries on 25 February 1945 when 174 B-29s flew a high altitude raid during daylight hours and destroyed around 643 acres (260 ha) (2.6 km2) of the snow-covered city, using 453.7 tons of mostly incendiaries with some fragmentation bombs.

Was strategic bombing necessary?

The purpose of strategic bombing was not only to undermine industrial production but also to demoralize the population. Thus, civilian populations became the targets of many bombing missions. The United States had already used conventional bombing raids to devastate civilian centres in both Germany and Japan.

What was the main reason why Rolling Thunder failed in the end?

It did not persuade the North Vietnamese to quit the war, nor did it stop Hanoi’s infiltration of troops and equipment into South Vietnam. From beginning to end, Rolling Thunder was hampered by a policy of gradual escalation, which robbed air strikes of their impact and gave North Vietnam time to recover and adjust.

What did General LeMay do in the war?

LeMay commanded subsequent B-29 Superfortress combat operations against Japan, including massive incendiary attacks on 67 Japanese cities and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

What did LeMay do for Operation Meetinghouse?

LeMay studied mission reports for Operation Meetinghouse and scrutinized reconnaissance images as he did so many times before leading bombing squadrons on daring missions over bases in Germany and North Africa.

How did George Lemay become a bomber pilot?

LeMay became a pursuit pilot with his first duty station at Selfridge Field with the 27th Pursuit Squadron. After having served in various assignments in fighter operations, LeMay transferred to bomber aircraft in 1937.

Why was LeMay impressed by the explosion of the Hiroshima bomb?

Though criticized by rival Navy commanders, LeMay was impressed by the explosion he saw. It strengthened his conviction that nuclear weapons had the power to destroy entire societies, and that, to be used, there must be an effective delivery method.