** World War II Pacific strategic bombing campaign B-29








World War II: Pacific Bombing Campaign--The B-29


Figure 1.--Japan with wood and paper cities were the country most vulnerable to strategic bombing. But at the time the Japanese lunched the Pacific War no country had a bomber with tghe range of reaching the Home UIslands. The difficulty Japan had in bombing the Nationalist strongholds in China did not include the Japanese to consider the danger from not existent bombers. The American B-17 and B-24s which could reach Germany from bases in Britain did not have ranges which could be used to reach Japan. An entirely new plane was needed. That plane was the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Boeing submitted the prototype for the B-29 in 1939, before the United States had even entered World War II. The B-29 was the most advanced aircraft propeller aircradt used in World War II. It was also the most expensive weapons system of the War. Production lines for the new B-29 Superfortress began operating (early-1944). The United States seized the Marianas Islands (June-July 1944). Within a few months bases like this in Guam were beginning the bombardment of the Home Islands. Japan began the first strategic nombing campaign in histoty by bombing China (1931). The Americam bombing of Japan ended the War.

Among the new American aircraft was the B-29 Superfortress. The American B-17 and B-24s which could reach Germany from bases in Britain did not have ranges which could be used to reach Japan. An entirely new plane was needed. That plane was the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Boeing submitted the prototype for the B-29 in 1939, before the United States had even entered World War II. The B-29 was the most advanced aircraft propeller aircradt used in World War II. It was also the most expensive weapons system of the War, costing more than even the Manhattan Project. It had had many sophisticated features. The guns could be fired by remote control. The crew areas were pressurized and connected by a long tube passing over the bomb bays. The B-29 was rushed into production so fast that testing had not yet been completed. The Army Air Force established modification centers where last-minute changes could be made without slowing production lines. The most remarkable aspect of the B-29, however. was its range. It had a range of 2,850 miles and a cruising speed of 358 mph at 32,000 feet. The bomb load was 20,000 tons. Production lines for the new B-29 Superfortress began operating (early-1944). We are not sure how the Japanese learned of the B-29. Details may have been published in newspapers. They seem to have learnened by early 1944. The response was to plan an offense in China and to prepare plans to commit the fleet in the defense of the Marianas. This would be the first appearance of the Imperial Fleet in force since the Solomons campaign. They were right to be concerned. The B-29 proved to be the most effective weapon system of World War II and it arrived just at the time in the War that America seized bases that brought the Japanese Home Islands into range. An estimated 90 percent of the bombs dropped on Japan would be dropped by the B-29s (147,000 tons).







CIH -- WW II







Navigate the CIH World War II Section:
[Return to Main Pacific Strategic Bombing Campaign ]
[Return to Main World War II fixed-wing aircraft page]
[Return to Main Asian air campaign]
[Return to Main World War II Pacific campaign page]
[Return to Main World War II air campaign page]
[Biographies] [Campaigns] [Children] [Countries] [Deciding factors] [Diplomacy] [Geo-political crisis] [Economics] [Home front] [Intelligence]
[POWs] [Resistance] [Race] [Refugees] [Technology] [Totalitarian powers]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Return to Main war essay page]
[Return to CIH Home page]




Created: 2:39 AM 1/26/2019
Last updated: 2:39 AM 1/26/2019