Pearl Harbor (December 1941)
Pearl Harbor
The most infamous use of war planes was by the Japanese in 1941, when a group of their ‘Kamikaze’ (translates to ‘Divine Wind’) crashed into Pearl Harbor, killing over 2,000 US personal and crippling 188 planes. The attack decimated the Americans pacific fleet, giving the Japanese a huge advantage during the war. This act leads the Americans to declare war on the Japanese and enter into WWII.
The most infamous use of war planes was by the Japanese in 1941, when a group of their ‘Kamikaze’ (translates to ‘Divine Wind’) crashed into Pearl Harbor, killing over 2,000 US personal and crippling 188 planes. The attack decimated the Americans pacific fleet, giving the Japanese a huge advantage during the war. This act leads the Americans to declare war on the Japanese and enter into WWII.
Ploesti Oil Refinery Attack
Bombing Raid on Ploesti, 1943
The oil refinery at Ploesti was a major source of fuel for the Germans war effort, so it was a natural target for the enemies of Germany. It was theorized that if the refinery could be destroyed or put offline that the Germans war machine would grind to a halt, allowing for the allies to make the fatal blow that they had been hoping would present itself for years. A large group of B-52 American bombers took off from Bengasi, an airbase in Libya. They flew across the ocean to Greece, and then headed for the refinery. The bombers were loaded with munitions and extra fuel, and had a hard time staying aloft. As they neared Ploesti, none of them expected the heavy resistance that would lead to the carnage that would be called ‘Black Sunday’. The planes were picked up by German radar almost as soon as they took off, due to the de-ciphering of their communication code. The crews had lost the element of surprise, and as they approached the refinery, the heavy German defenses opened fire, downing 53 aircraft and killing or abandoning 530 American pilots and crew members. It is known as one of the deadliest operations in all of WWII.
The oil refinery at Ploesti was a major source of fuel for the Germans war effort, so it was a natural target for the enemies of Germany. It was theorized that if the refinery could be destroyed or put offline that the Germans war machine would grind to a halt, allowing for the allies to make the fatal blow that they had been hoping would present itself for years. A large group of B-52 American bombers took off from Bengasi, an airbase in Libya. They flew across the ocean to Greece, and then headed for the refinery. The bombers were loaded with munitions and extra fuel, and had a hard time staying aloft. As they neared Ploesti, none of them expected the heavy resistance that would lead to the carnage that would be called ‘Black Sunday’. The planes were picked up by German radar almost as soon as they took off, due to the de-ciphering of their communication code. The crews had lost the element of surprise, and as they approached the refinery, the heavy German defenses opened fire, downing 53 aircraft and killing or abandoning 530 American pilots and crew members. It is known as one of the deadliest operations in all of WWII.
The Tokyo Fire Raid (March )
The Tokyo Fire Raids
In the spring of 1945, 334 B-29 Super fortress planes were sent to the Japanese city of Tokyo to drop fire bombs and other incendiary devices on the city, turning the tightly packed wood houses into a blazing inferno. The new plane could fly high above the enemies’ range, so the anti-aircraft guns couldn’t touch them. This however, decreased accuracy, so the planes flew over the city at night, so as to avoid enemy fire and poor accuracy. As they flew overhead, the crews of the planes dropped the incendiary devices (Napalm, Fire Bombs, and Bombs) into the city, instantly setting the wooden houses alight, and causing the fire to spread incredibly fast, burning most of the city and its outlying area within a matter of hours. It burnt an estimated area of over 17 square miles, and is reported to have killed anywhere from 80,000-200,000 Japanese citizens, more than the atomic bomb drops to follow in later years.
In the spring of 1945, 334 B-29 Super fortress planes were sent to the Japanese city of Tokyo to drop fire bombs and other incendiary devices on the city, turning the tightly packed wood houses into a blazing inferno. The new plane could fly high above the enemies’ range, so the anti-aircraft guns couldn’t touch them. This however, decreased accuracy, so the planes flew over the city at night, so as to avoid enemy fire and poor accuracy. As they flew overhead, the crews of the planes dropped the incendiary devices (Napalm, Fire Bombs, and Bombs) into the city, instantly setting the wooden houses alight, and causing the fire to spread incredibly fast, burning most of the city and its outlying area within a matter of hours. It burnt an estimated area of over 17 square miles, and is reported to have killed anywhere from 80,000-200,000 Japanese citizens, more than the atomic bomb drops to follow in later years.