Overshadowed by the controversy and destruction of the atomic bombings, few have ever heard of the Firebombing of Tokyo, one of the most destructive acts of war in human history. In the Pacific theater of World War II, after establishing airfields in the Mariana Island chain, the 21st Bomber Command began its strategic bombardment campaign of the Japanese mainland. When daytime, high-altitude precision bombing failed to produce results, Curtis LeMay and the USAAF switched to low-level, nighttime incendiary bombing raids. This is the story of the Firebombing of Tokyo (an incendiary bombing raid more destructive than the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, and comparable to the bombing of Hiroshima), and the firebombing campaign that followed it. -------Video Chapter Timestamps----------------------------------------------------- 0:00 - Intro 1:50 - Bases in Saipan and the Marianas 2:50 - Precision Bombing Campaign 4:04 - Precision Bombing Failures 5:20 - Changing Tactics 8:25 - Firebomb
Hide player controls
Hide resume playing