Bombing of Tokyo
Early on March 9, Air Force crews met on the Mariana Islands of Tinian and
Saipan for a military briefing. They were planning a low-level bombing attack on
Tokyo that would begin that evening, but with a twist: Their planes would be
stripped of all guns except for the tail turret. The decrease in weight would
increase the speed of each Superfortress bomber-and would also increase its bomb
load capacity by 65 percent, making each plane able to carry more than seven
tons. Speed would be crucial, and the crews were warned that if they were shot
down, all haste was to be made for the water, which would increase their chances
of being picked up by American rescue crews. Should they land within Japanese
territory, they could only expect the very worst treatment by civilians, as the
mission that night was going to entail the deaths of tens of thousands of those
very same civilians
Saipan for a military briefing. They were planning a low-level bombing attack on
Tokyo that would begin that evening, but with a twist: Their planes would be
stripped of all guns except for the tail turret. The decrease in weight would
increase the speed of each Superfortress bomber-and would also increase its bomb
load capacity by 65 percent, making each plane able to carry more than seven
tons. Speed would be crucial, and the crews were warned that if they were shot
down, all haste was to be made for the water, which would increase their chances
of being picked up by American rescue crews. Should they land within Japanese
territory, they could only expect the very worst treatment by civilians, as the
mission that night was going to entail the deaths of tens of thousands of those
very same civilians