Lesson 31 WW II: The Pacific Total War Maps.com US Strategy Roll back defensive perimeter Isolate Japan Destroy industrial power, will Building B-29s Bell Aircraft (Bell Bomber, Marietta) ( 16:39 ) Birth of the B-29 Bell Bomber Plant Air Force Plant 6 c 1943 Today Dobbins ARB Bombing of Japan Guam Tinian Saipan Strategic Bombers Comparison of Bombers B-17 B-29 B-29 Superfortress Click image for details B-29 Superfortress The Beginning of the end for Japan Joltin Josie, the Pacific Pioneer First B-29 into Saipan Bombing of Japan LeMay Takes Command Bombing of Japan Propaganda Leaflet "Unfortunately, bombs have no eyes. So, in accordance with America's humanitarian policies, the American Air Force, which does not wish to injure innocent people, now gives you warning to evacuate the cities named and save your lives." Bombing of Japan Tokyo Fire Raid 9-10 March 1945 Low-level tactics (5-8,000 ft., at night) 270 B-29s dropped 1,700 tons of bombs 16 sq. mi. of Tokyo destroyed 100,000 people died Damage to Japanese Cities Bombing of Japan Damage to Japanese Cities Air War Against Japan October August 1945 ( 13:10 ) The Air Force Story Chapter 24 Iwo Jima Strategic Importance Deny its use to Japanese interceptors Provide base for US escort fighters Serve as emergency field for damaged B-29s Iwo Jima Initial Landing, 19 Feb 1945 Iwo Jima 23 Feb 1945 Taken at the cost of 7,000 Marines & sailors Feb Mar 1945 Iwo Jima To the Shores of Iwo Jima ( 19:07 ) Iwo Jima Battlefront series 1 of 3 ( 7:01 ) (documentary) Okinawa Major staging area for invasion of Japan April-June 1945 Okinawa Large amphibious operation Okinawa USS Franklin USS Laffey Kamikaze a manned airborne guided missile. * * Dr. Donald D. Chipman SourceSource Kamikaze (Divine Wind) USS Essex 25 November dead, 29 wounded Video Clip - 1:33 Kamikaze The war with Japan had been reenacted in the game rooms at the Naval War College by so many people and in so many different ways, that nothing that happened during the war was a surprise... absolutely nothing except the kamikaze tactics toward the end of the war; we had not visualized these. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz ( ) US Pacific commander, WW II Source Kamikaze Cost to the Allies 45 ships sunk * 288 damaged Over 4,000 sailors killed Over 5,000 sailors wounded Numbers vary widely with sources Of 2,550 Kamikaze sorties, 18.6% caused damage * * US Strategic Bombing Survey, Pacific War Maps.com US Strategy Roll back defensive perimeter Isolate Japan Destroy industrial power, will Invade Operation Downfall US Military Academy Special Attack Units Preparing for the invasion of the Home Islands Suicide Aircraft Ohka (Cherry Blossom) Essentially a flying torpedo (2,600 lb. Warhead) Nicknamed Baka (idiot) by GIs Suicide Aircraft Nakajima Ki-115 Cheap, easily manufactured aircraft Design specifically for Kamikaze mission Suicide Submarines Kaiten (Reverse the Destiny) One-man submarine Essentially a manned torpedo Suicide Submarines Kaiten Length: 55 ft Displacement: 18 tons Warhead: 3,300 lbs. Suicide Submarines Kairyu (Sea Dragon) Over 500 under construction at wars end Two-man submarine Suicide Boasts Shinyo (Seaquake) One man Approx 500 lb. of explosives Over 9,000 built Air War Against Japan October August 1945 ( 13:10 ) The Air Force Story Chapter 24 ( 16:39 ) Birth of the B-29 The A-Bomb: Development & Deployment Next: End