The Bombing of Japan
U.S.
Operation Meeting House
On March 9-10 1945 Operation Meeting House was launched and was known as the most destructive air raid in history. The mission was carried out by the newly commissioned B-29 Super-fortress that were able to fly just above the defenses launched from the Mariana Islands they soon began strategic bombing runs in urban areas. The super-fortresses dropped incendiary bombs on the flammable wooden houses. There were over 100,000 dead and over 1,000,000 injured and homeless.
Doolittle Raid
April 18 1942 B-25 Mitchell's launched from the USS Hornet in retaliation of Pearl Harbor they were ordered to attack Yokohama and Tokyo then fly on Japanese airfields in China. The raid did little to the Japanese war capability but was a huge propaganda victory for the U.S. But the attack was launched prematurely and none of the planes reached their designated airfields.
Operation Matterhorn
The first plan was for the B-29s to be launched from China to attack strategic targets including Japan Itself. But before it happened strategists found that if the Mariana Islands were closer to japan an could be defended more easily. As soon as allied forces gained control of the islands they set the plan into action sending the bombers in, 90% of the bombs dropped came from the infamous B-29's.
Over the hump
To be able to get supplies and planes to the forces in china the planes had to fly over the Himalayan mountains also called the hump. Over 350,000 Chinese built four staging bases for nearly 200 bombers and escort to land and refuel before reaching the front lines. This system was the way the very first attack on the Japanese islands happened.