History 102/ Section W04

The use of strategic bombing in the Pacific Theater during World War II, led to the favor of the allied forces and the end of the war

The military uses different tactics in times of war, to ensure that it captures and disables the enemy. Strategic bombing enables the elimination of the enemy’s capability to continue with the war. Strategic bombing targets areas such as industrial plants and their effects might not be felt immediately. During the Second World War, the US and the UK used strategic bombings, although they had different approaches. The US believed that strategic bombing was the most effective way to fight in the pacific. The use of airpower seemed more effective and less costly than an invasion. Moreover, the US was concerned that the Soviet Union would enter the pacific theater, and enforces its power, something that the US opposed (Murrin et al. 705). However, different factions of the government were opposed to the use of bombs, as it would result to the death of civilians. They suggested the use of bombs on military installations or manufacturing sites, as this would result to a minimum number of casualties.

Japan had engaged on an expansion mission in Asia, with the intent of reducing overcrowding at home, and gaining raw materials for its industries. It fought against China and other surrounding regions. Japan used terror bombings in China, but it did not develop its strategy to include strategic bombing. Their weaponry was inferior to that used by the American forces, and it was weak against fighter defenses. However, they were effective against the Chinese because they targeted unarmed civilians. They would drop bombs on densely populated regions, leading to massive losses of people. The Japanese had experienced pilots, and they depended on their expertise to fight in the war. They engaged in successful speed and surprise attacks, the attack they had employed at Pearl Harbor. They had managed to attack and occupy the Philippines, Malaya, Guam, and Wake.

Many people wanted to see an end to the war, and this compelled president Truman to issue orders to continue with the strategic bombing. President Truman had solicited the support of top scientists from around the country in building a bomb based on the late atomic research, which was tested on 16 July 1945 (Murrin et al. 705). On 6 August 1945, the US soldiers dropped bombs in Hiroshima. This was followed by another bombing in Nagasaki three days later. Both bombs resulted to massive loss of life and property. More than one hundred thousand people died in the two cities. Japan had experienced severe losses because of the bombings. Moreover, its weapons did not match those of the allied forces.

The B-17 Flying Fortress used by American forces on the pacific was probably the first strategic bomber. It had a bomb load of four thousand pounds, and a range of two thousand miles. The initial models were not particularly accurate when bombing because of the smaller tails. Its successor, the B-24 liberator, had a bomb load of two bomb bays, each measuring four thousand pounds, and it had more fuel capacity. This bomber was more accurate than its predecessor was, and it had more speed. Many of the B-24 bombers were used in the pacific theater, where the forces used them for patrolling and tactical bombing. The B-29 Superfortress was the first bomber to reach the Japanese empire. It had a bomb load of five thousand pounds at high altitude and twelve thousand pounds at medium altitude. The bomber had a bomb load of twenty thousand pounds at low altitude. This was a significant improvement from the other bombers in terms of bomb capacity. The bombers started by carrying out bombing raids during the day, but this did not achieve the intended results because of the weather conditions. The capture of the Mariana Islands enabled the Americans to reach most of the empire. The B-29 Superfortress was only used in the pacific theater and was used in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. The first B-29s were used in the Tokyo raids, and they lead to the death of more than eighty thousand people. The number of casualties in the raids was more than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings combined.

The civilians lost their morale and will after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. They had maintained their will since the Tokyo bombings, but the August bombings made them lose their will and resolve for the war. The civilians lost their morale for they saw that the allied forces were capable of destroying every city in the country using the air raids. They also began realizing the limited nature of their government compared to the allied forces. They were aware that their government was not in a position to retaliate attacks from the allied forces. The Japanese were loyal to the emperor, and they were willing to continue fighting. However, these factors worsened the morale of the Japanese civilians and the soldiers (Vego IR 77). Japan had suffered economic devastation because of continued bombing over a short period. Thus, although some of the people might have been willing to continue fighting, they had to face reality for they realized they were incapacitated. The US had managed to achieve the aim of strategic bombing, which was to incapacitate the enemy to the point of surrender. On 15, August, Japan surrendered, and this marked the end of the Second World War.

The use of bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a continuation of the US strategy of bombing cities in Japan. The only difference this time was the fact that the bombs were atomic, and they caused more damage to the people. The US had started bombing cities earlier on in 1944. In the beginning, the number of civilians killed was greater than the number of soldiers involved in the war. In March 1945, the Tokyo firebombs ended up killing more than one hundred thousand people. Although most people speak of the devastation caused by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs, the Tokyo fire bombings caused more immediate deaths and devastation (Grayling 89).

The US continued its attacks on Japan by attacking ports and bombing cities, and forcing Japan to surrender unconditionally (Murrin et al. 703-704). Despite this, Japan did not surrender at this time, and it continued with its resolve to fight. This changed after the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The use of strategic bombing caused massive loss of life. However, those who did it believe that it shortened the war, which could have caused more death and devastation, had it continued (Grayling 115). The bombings led to the favor of the allied forces because of it saved many of their lives. The entry of America into the war meant increased probability of victory among the allied forces. The US was in a more advantageous position because of the labor resources and weaponry it possessed. Many allied soldiers had died fighting in the pacific theater. The use of the bombs and the ultimate surrender of the Japanese forces meant that no more soldiers would have had to lose their lives fighting in the war.

America’s decision to employ strategic bombing in the pacific theater followed the success of the same strategy in Europe. Strategic bombing in Germany limited the nation’s army supply, and encouraged the army to disperse people and materials. This decentralization and distribution of production dented the army’s resolve and altered the distribution of resources. It led to the damage of property and infrastructure such as railway lines, roads, and waterways. It also led to the disruption of electricity and other fuel, which were necessary for the continuation and success of the war. The strategy meant that the country focused less on the war, as it dispersed some of the labor resources to deal with the restoration of infrastructure (Vego IR 73-IR 74).

The use of strategic bombing on the pacific theater followed a similar path but its consequences were highly devastating. This is because of the dense concentration of industries in the Japanese cities. Japan’s industries and aircraft production facilities were not dispersed around the country. A single attack on an area would lead to massive loss of property. Using strategic bombing in 1944 led to a decrease in the production and supply of raw materials. Japan could not get the materials it needed from different parts of the country and the surrounding regions because the allied forces had destroyed its infrastructure, and all manner of transportation. The supreme commander of the allied forces occupied Japan on august 28, a few days after Japan’s surrender. Japanese officials signed the Japanese instrument of surrender on September 2, and this action ended the Second World War officially

Many have criticized strategic bombing because of moral and ethical concerns. Strategic bombings ended up targeting and killing civilians. It did not incorporate the use of soldiers who had been trained and equipped for war. Many people viewed strategic bombing as unnecessary in ending the Second World War. They figured Japan was seeking a peace treaty with the allied forces. The country had suffered enough losses because of its long involvement in wars, as it embarked on an expansion mission and because of the urban bombings that had taken place in some of its cities. The country did not have enough resources to keep on fighting. Japanese leaders were in favor of ending the war although they did not have a clear idea of how to go about it. Some favored a diplomatic move aimed at persuading the Soviet Union to mediate between Japan and the allied forces as Japan sought a peace agreement. At that time, the Soviet Union was not at war with Japan and had already signed an agreement of neutrality. Others favored one last attempt of war. They proposed the idea of fighting a decisive battle that would cause many casualties among the allied forces, which would mark the end of the war. The country was not able to implement any of these measures because of the attacks. The US and the other allied forces insisted on unconditional surrender.

The use of strategic bombing on civilian was not necessary. Some of the leaders in the US government advocated for demonstration bombs. They argued that this would scare the Japanese into surrendering. Others advocated for the dropping of bombs in areas that were not densely populated, to avoid the loss of civilian lives. Initially, the president had ordered the dropping of bombs in areas that would only affect the soldiers and not women and children, as this would act as a warning (Grayling 252). Some of those who objected to area bombings argue that precision bombing would have been effective. They argue that attacking an industry was much better than attacking a whole city. The bomb attacks on Hiroshima paved the way for the Soviet Union to attack Japan on its puppet state of Manchuria, in China. The Soviet Union killed many Japanese soldiers. In less than a week, beginning August 6, Japan suffered devastating losses at home and on occupied territory. Although the war ended officially after signing the surrender documents, peace did not start immediately. There were many Japanese soldiers in the territories that Japan had occupied. These soldiers refused to accept defeat and surrender, and they continued fighting, though not in large scale. The end of the war did not bring peace in China even after Japan was defeated. There was internal fighting, and people continued losing lives (Tillman 250-260).

The use of strategic bombing did not begin in the pacific theater, and neither did it end there. People had dropped bombs from the air in 1849, in Italy using balloons. In 1911, Libya used the same strategy, but it used planes instead of balloons. Europe used the air bombs during the First World War, although it achieved minimal success. The technology was not developed at the time, and the people were not as experienced. Many people were concerned about the effects and possibilities of the air bombs, because they realized the potential they had to cause massive chaos. This led to the development of principles that would protect civilians by limiting the use of air bombs. The principles set out guidelines and discouraged the use of aerial bombardment for the purpose of terrorizing civilians and injuring non-combatants, and destroying private property that was not used for military purposes

The decision by the United States to use strategic bombing in the Tokyo raids and the bombings, in Nagasaki and Hiroshima was therefore, in question. Many of the people who lost their lives in the war were not military and were not involved in the war. Most of them were civilians who happened to be working in the industries. America and the allied forces did not seem to consider that Japan was tired from the war efforts, having exhausted all its resources. They did not seem to consider the peace agreements and treaties that Japan was considering making with the surrounding nations. Strategic bombing might have resulted to the end of the Second World War, but it led to severe damage and loss of life in one country, than in most places where the war took place.

Many arguments abound concerning the effectiveness of strategic bombing in ending the Second World War. Some argue that the implementation of strategic bombing led to the immediate end of the war because of Japan’s decision to surrender soon after the bombings in Hiroshima. The cold war started after the Second World War. Therefore, although the use of strategic bombing was influential in ending the Second World War, it initiated another war and caused discord among various groups.

Works Cited:

Grayling, A. C. Among the Dead Cities: Was the Allied Bombing of Civilians in WWII a Necessity Or a Crime? United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006. Print

Murrin, M. John et al. Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People: Since 1863. New York, NY: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print

Tillman, Barrett. Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, 1942-1945. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2010. Print

Vego, N. Milan. Joint Operational Warfare Theory and Practice and V. 2, Historical Companion. Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 2009. Print

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