In the 1900's, transportation and weapons became important for the different wars that the United States were involved in. Planes were one of the most significant inventions in the 20th century. Being able to fly from place to place was a new lifestyle for America's military. In World War II, military planes were a huge part of the war, and without them, many things that happened, would not have happened. As America was getting involved with Japan, they needed a more powerful plane. That plane that they needed was known as the B-29 Superfortress. The B-29 had a greater impact on Japan than any other plane because of the amount of destroyed resources in Japan, the most destructive firebomb in history, and the dropping of the first atomic bomb. The United States needed an enormous bomber plane that could carry out the plans that air force wanted. There were two main focuses for sending the B-29’s over to the Pacific. Author James Lee Cate said,”...the plan was aimed at two objectives currently sponsored by President Roosevelt: to speed up the war against Japan and to bolster the morale of the Chinese.” Air company, Boeing, and American Air Force designed the B-29 Superfortress in 1939. Boeing had come up with a huge project in making these big bombers. The new bomber plane was unlike any plane at the time. At 99 feet long and with a wingspan of 141 feet, the B-29 had a top speed of 365 miles per hour. Its range was about 5, 830 miles and it could hold a crew of ten men. The B-29 had fast speed, good range, as well as carrying big bombs. The Air Corps needed a plane exactly like this. This bomber was also the heaviest plane to date because it was equipped with bombs and defensive weapons. Being able to hold many bombs because of its... ... middle of paper ... ...October 2010. Accessed May 20, 2014.http://www.airforcemag.com/magazinearchive/pages/2010/october%202010/1010atomic.aspx. Keith, Wheeler. Bomber Over Japan. Alexandria: Time Life Books, n.d. Kennedy, Hickman “World War II: Boeing B-29 Superfortress.” Military History. Accessed May 18, 2014. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/militaryaircraft/p/b29.htm. The History Channel. “Firebombing of Tokyo.” Accessed May 20, 2014. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/firebombing-of-tokyo. “The Story of the “Billy Mitchell Group” 468 H-Bomb Group – from the C.B.I. to the Marianas.” Accessed May 18, 2014. http://www.468thbombgroup.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=6E13hH%2B%2Bd2E%3D&tabid=95&mid=490. Thomas, Searle. “'It Made a Lot of Sense to Kill Skilled Workers': The Firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945.” The Journal of Military History 66, no. 1 (Jan. 2002): 113,114.
By the end of World War I the world was beginning to realize the ability air combat presented. When World War II started planes became much more effective. Though still fabric covered, the aircraft were faster and more agile than the variants used in the Great War. In 1938, the first year of the Second World War, Curtiss unveiled their P-40 Warhawk. This aircraft was one of the best of its time and laid the foundation for modern aircraft engineering. But by 1940 the German Luftwaffe had begun to develop faster, long-ranged fighter-bombers. All current Allied aircraft could not keep up with the long range of the B-17 bombers who needed escort. In 1940, North American Aviation received an order from Britain requesting another shipment of
Web. 2014 -. Haulman, Daniel L. “The Tuskegee Airmen in Combat.” Air Power History 57.3 (2012): pp.
Miles, Rufus E. Jr. “Hiroshima: The Strange Myth of Half a Million American Lives Saved.” International Security (1985): 121-140.
In 1945, the United States was facing severe causalities in the war in the Pacific. Over 12,000 soldiers had already lost their lives, including 7,000 Army and Marine soldiers and 5,000 sailors (32). The United States was eager to end the war against Japan, and to prevent more American causalities (92). An invasion of Japan could result in hundreds of thousands killed, wounded and missing soldiers, and there was still no clear path to an unconditional surrender. President Truman sought advice from his cabinet members over how to approach the war in the Pacific. Although there were alternatives to the use of atomic weapons, the evidence, or lack thereof, shows that the bombs were created for the purpose of use in the war against Japan. Both the political members, such as Henry L. Stimson and James F. Byrnes, and military advisors George C. Marshall and George F. Kennan showed little objection to completely wiping out these Japanese cities with atomic weapons (92-97). The alternatives to this tactic included invading Japanese c...
Although WW II ended over 50 years ago there is still much discussion as to the events which ended the War in the Pacific. The primary event which historians attribute to this end are the use of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although the bombing of these cities did force the Japanese to surrender, many people today ask “Was the use of the atomic bomb necessary to end the war?” and more importantly “Why was the decision to use the bomb made?” Ronald Takaki examines these questions in his book Hiroshima.
The P-51 Mustang is regarded by many sources as the greatest fighter plane ever created. With the technological advancements this plane achieved, to it’s service record, to it’s importance in winning World War Two, the Mustang is truly one of the greats. The Mustang played a key role in long range bomber support and saved countless bomber crew’s lives, and pilots loved to fly it. The P-51 had the most aerial victories of any American fighter in World War Two and it was flown by some of America’s top aces. The P-51 was a beast of a fighter plane
The United States of America’s use of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has spurred much debate concerning the necessity, effectiveness, and morality of the decision since August 1945. After assessing a range of arguments about the importance of the atomic bomb in the termination of the Second World War, it can be concluded that the use of the atomic bomb served as the predominant factor in the end of the Second World War, as its use lowered the morale, industrial resources, and military strength of Japan. The Allied decision to use the atomic bomb not only caused irreparable physical damage on two major Japanese cities, but its use also minimized the Japanese will to continue fighting. These two factors along
In John Hersey's book, Hiroshima, he provides a detailed account of six people and how the bombing of Hiroshima affected their lives. John Heresy felt it was important to focus his story on six individuals to create a remembrance that war affects more than just nations and countries, but actual human beings. Moreover, the book details the effect the bomb had on the city of Hiroshima. “Houses all around were burning, and the wind was now blowing hard.” (Hersey, 27).
One of, if not the most influential part, of allowing the bombs to drop is because of the mentality of the Japanese military and the pull they had in politics. As Maddox stated, “[t]he army, not the Foreign Office controlled the situation” (Maddox, pg. 286). Although Japan had an influential leader in regards to their emperor, the military wanted to and would have engag...
At the height of the Cold War, Northrop Grumman wanted to develop what was to be the most advanced bomber ever to be conceived by any country. The B-2 Spirit was first to be developed in order to replace the force of aging B-52 Stratofortresses that have been in service since the early 1950s. Along with the B-1 Lancer, a low level, supersonic, nuclear strike bomber; The B-2 was first thought out to be a challenge to the Russian Tu-60 Blackjack.
Haulman, Dr. Daniel L. "Tuskegee Airmen-Escorted Bombers Lost To Enemy Aircraft." Thesis. Air Force Historical Research Agency, 2008. Print.
World War II was one of the deadliest military conflicts in history. There were many different battles that took place within this war; some more important than others. World War II began once Germany’s new dictator, Adolf Hitler, decided that he wanted to gain power for Germany and for himself. One of Hitler’s first moves in power was invading Poland on September 1, 1939. Many other countries became involved in this war because of the alliance system. The two sides during this war were the Allies and Axis powers. German, Italy and Japan were on the Axis powers; France, Britain, and the United States were on the Allies. Germany first began with the Blitzkrieg tactic meaning “lightning war”. This tactic is based on speed, surprise and was the most popular tactic. It is set up with military forces based around tanks which are supported by planes and infantry. The Blitzkrieg tactic lead to air wars with airplanes between countries. All of the countries were allowed to participate in the air wars but the four main countries were United States, Japan, Britain, and Germany. During the 1920’s and 1930’s airplanes grew in size and structure giving them more power, and making planes more effective. Planes made it easier to drop bombs, or plan attacks. All of these countries fought over air superiority. Air superiority is the position in which the air force has control over all of the air warfare and air power of the opposing forces. Germany began with air superiority but they lost it when Britain defeated them at the Battle of Britain. Gaining control over the air is a very big advantage because it is easier to plan an attack on an opposing country. All of the countries relied on their aircrafts during this war. The issue about the use of...
On February 14, 1942 Lt. General J. L. DeWitt, “commanding general of the Fourth Army and the Western Defense Command[i]” recommended to the War Department, the “evacuation[ii]” of Japanese living along the Pacific coast, deemed a Military Zone. About 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, many of those people American citizens, living on the West Coast and Southern Arizona were removed from their homes to locations of the government’s choosing. The very term “evacuation” is misleading to say the least because it suggests that the Japanese were being relocated to protect their safety. The excuses cited by the military were to establish “broad civil control, anti-sabotage, and counter-espionage measures.[iii]” The reasons given to justify “evacuation” suggested that the Japanese were a threat to the nation and not the nation a threat to the Japanese.
Even though Japan attacked the US directly, the primary focus of the war was the threat of Germany. The United States Army Air F...
"Was the Atomic Bombing of Japan Justifiable?" The Pacific War 1941-43. Web. 10 June 2010.