NOVEMBER 29th 1944 First B-29 Raids On Japan

General MacArthur landing

On November 29, 1944, the United States commenced bombing campaigns against Japan from the Mariana Islands employing B-29 Superfortress bombers. The absence of effective Japanese fighter aircraft capable of engaging the B-29s rendered the Japanese military incapable of defending against the attacks. Initially, the raids were conducted at a moderate pace, but their scale escalated rapidly, resulting in the complete destruction of a substantial portion of Japan’s industrial capabilities by the conclusion of the war.

The bombing of Germany commenced at the outset of the war, whereas the bombing of Japan presented a considerably more arduous challenge due to the substantial distances involved. The inaugural US bombing of Japan occurred during the Doolittle mission, wherein medium bombers were launched from aircraft carriers. The Doolittle mission, executed in 1942, had psychological objectives and was not anticipated to have any substantial strategic impact. The attempt to commence bombing the Japanese home islands was undertaken through Operation Matterhorn. This concept envisioned the deployment of B-29 bombers from bases in India, followed by refueling in China, and subsequently bombing Japan from that location. The base for refueling the aircraft was situated in Chengdu, thereby restricting the range to only southern Japan. Twelve raids were conducted as part of the operation, but the extended distances involved, coupled with the significant challenges in procuring aviation fuel for both India and China, severely curtailed the effectiveness of the raids. Operation Matterhorn was consequently deemed a failure.

The American forces secured control of the Marianas Islands between June and August 1944, and construction crews promptly commenced building six airfields to accommodate B-29 bombers. These airfields were situated merely 1,500 miles south of Tokyo, within the operational range of the B-29. Following a series of practice runs against targets in the Pacific, the inaugural raid against Japan, codenamed Operation San Antonio I, was launched on November 24, 1944. Eleven hundred and eleven B-29 bombers were dispatched to the Musashino aircraft factory on the outskirts of Tokyo. Twenty-four of the aircraft successfully struck their target, while the remainder engaged in attacks on surrounding locations. Notably, only one aircraft sustained loss. The American aircraft flew at excessive speeds and altitudes, rendering it challenging for the Japanese to mount a substantial defense. The air force subsequently conducted a series of precision raids against aircraft and other high-value targets. However, adverse weather conditions and high winds over the targets significantly diminished the effectiveness of many of these raids. The air force experienced a loss rate of approximately 4-5% of its aircraft on most raids due to anti-aircraft fire and mechanical malfunctions.

Following limited initial success, the United States Air Force adopted a new tactic of firebombing Japanese cities. The inaugural attack occurred on March 10th, where 279 bombers dropped 1,665 tons of incendiary bombs on Tokyo. This resulted in the destruction of 16 square miles of the city, accounting for 8% of its urban area. The ensuing fire caused 83,000 fatalities and injured another 40,000 individuals. Over one million people were displaced from their homes, and war production suffered a significant setback.
Following the success of the initial raid, the Air Force continued nighttime fire raids on Japanese cities. These raids persisted, targeting all major cities and resulting in their widespread destruction. Consequently, Japanese war production was severely crippled. While the exact number of Japanese casualties during the raids remains unknown, estimates range from 250,000 to 900,000. In the span of less than a year, a total of 160,800 tons of bombs were dropped on Japan. Tragically, 2,600 bomber crew members lost their lives either in plane crashes or during captivity.