We keep reading over and over again about the atomic bombs dropped on two
Japanese cities, but it wasn't until I read The Gods of Heavenly Punishment
that I learned about how our airforce firebombed Tokyo. Because a bombing
attempt in March 1942 failed to create the anticipated damage, an architect
was commissioned to build a "Hapanese village" so that it could be test
bombed in the US in order to ensure that this time, the bombing would be
effective. The plan was clearly to kill as many civilians as possible.
Americans believed that the bombing took place in order to shorten the war.
This was the same excuse provided for the dropping of two atomic bombs a few
months later after Japan had actually surrendered. But one of the
motivations of General LeMay was to prove the enduring usefulness of the
Airforce
so that it wouldn't be disbanded after the war. I did verify the information
from the novel about deaths and injuries and found the following
information on the internet.
Donald L. Miller, citing Knox Burger, stated that there were "at least
100,000" Japanese deaths and "about one million" injured. The Operation
Meetinghouse firebombing of Tokyo on the night of 9 March 1945 was the
single deadliest air raid of World War II, greater than Dresden, Hiroshima,
or Nagasaki as single events.
Miriam
Donald L. Miller, citing Knox Burger, stated that there were "at least
100,000" Japanese deaths and "about one million" injured. The Operation
Meetinghouse firebombing of Tokyo on the night of 9 March 1945 was the
single deadliest air raid of World War II, greater than Dresden, Hiroshima,
or Nagasaki as single events.
Donald L. Miller, citing Knox Burger, stated that there were "at least
100,000" Japanese deaths and "about one million" injured. The Operation
Meetinghouse firebombing of Tokyo on the night of 9 March 1945 was the
single deadliest air raid of World War II, greater than Dresden, Hiroshima,
or Nagasaki as single events.
