It was not Hiroshima or Nagasaki, but in many ways, including lives lost, it was just as horrific.
On March 10, 1945, U.S. B-29 bombers flew over Tokyo in the dead of night, dumping massive payloads of cluster bombs equipped with a then-recent invention: napalm. A fifth of Tokyo was left a smoldering expanse of charred bodies and rubble.
Today, a modest floral monument in a downtown park honors the spirits of the 105,400 confirmed dead, many interred in common graves.
It was the deadliest conventional air raid ever, worse than Nagasaki and on par with Hiroshima. But the attack, and similar ones that followed in more than 60 other Japanese cities, have received little attention, eclipsed by the atomic bombings and Japan’s postwar rush to rebuild.
This combo of two photos shows initial destruction and reconstruction after the March 10, 1945 Tokyo firebombing. The top photo taken on March 19, 1945 shows an incendiary bombed-devastated Azuma Bridge area after the firebombing. The bottom photo taken 70 years later on March 7, 2015, shows people walk on Azuma Bridge in Tokyo. (AP Photo/The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, Eugene Hoshiko)
This combo of two photos shows initial destruction and reconstruction after the March 10, 1945 firebombing. The top photo taken on March 19, 1945 shows incendiary bomb-devastated area of Kameido district after Tokyo firebombing, seen from Kameido Tenjin Bridge. The bottom photo, taken 70 years later on March 7, 2015, shows people walk at Kameido District seen from the bridge in Tokyo. The B-29s flew much lower on March 10, in the dead of the night, dumping massive payloads of incendiary bombs on both residential areas and military targets. (AP Photo/The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, Eugene Hoshiko)
This combo of two photos shows initial destruction and reconstruction after the March 10,1945 firebombing. The top photo taken on March 19, 1945 shows an incendiary bomb-devastated area and Sumida-gawa Bridge after Tokyo firebombing. The bottom photo taken 70 years later on March 7, 2015, shows trains run over Sumida-gawa Bridge with Japan’s tallest building “Tokyo Skytree” in Tokyo. (AP Photo/The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, Eugene Hoshiko)
This combination of two photos shows initial destruction and reconstruction after the March 10, 1945 firebombing. The top photo taken on March 19, 1945 shows survivors commute through destroyed Nakamise shopping street after Tokyo firebombing. The bottom photo taken 70 years later on March 7, 2015, shows a visitor prays toward Sensoji Temple at the start of the Nakamise shopping street in Asakusa district in Tokyo. (AP Photo/The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, Eugene Hoshiko)
This combo of two photos shows initial destruction and reconstruction after the March 10, 1945 firebombing. The top photo taken on March 19, 1945 shows an incendiary bomb-devastated Azuma Bridge after Tokyo firebombing. The bottom photo taken 70 years later on March 7, 2015, shows a man walks near Azuma Bridge in Tokyo. (AP Photo/The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, Eugene Hoshiko)
This combo of two photos shows initial destruction and reconstruction after the March 10, 1945 firebombing. The top photo taken on March 19, 1945 shows survivors commute near an incendiary bombed Kamiya Bar, left, and Matsuya Asakusa department store, right after Tokyo firebombing. The bottom photo taken 70 years later on March 7, 2015, shows commuters walk past still-in-use Kamiya Bar and Matsuya department store in Asakusa district in Tokyo. (AP Photo/The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, Eugene Hoshiko)
This combo of two photos shows initial destruction and reconstruction after the March 10, 1945 firebombing. The top photo taken on March 19, 1945 shows an incendiary bomb-devastated Matsuya Asakusa department store, seen from Azuma Bridge after Tokyo firebombing. The bottom photo taken 70 years later on March 7, 2015, shows Matsuya department store partially is seen among newer buildings in Tokyo. (AP Photo/The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, Eugene Hoshiko)
Text from the AP news story by Elaine Kurtrenbach and Mari Yamaguchi.
Spotlight is the blog of AP Images, the world’s largest collection of historical and contemporary photos. AP Images provides instant access to AP’s iconic photos and adds new content every minute of every day from every corner of the world, making it an essential source of photos and graphics for professional image buyers and commercial customers. Whether your needs are for editorial, commercial, or personal use, AP Images has the content and the expert sales team to fulfill your image requirements. Visitapimages.com to learn more.
Written content on this site is not created by the editorial department of AP, unless otherwise noted.
AP Images is the world’s largest collection of historical andcontemporary photos. AP Images provides instant access to AP's iconic photos and adds new content every minute of every day from every corner of the world, making it an essential source of photos and graphics for professional imagebuyers and commercial customers. Whether your needs are for editorial, commercial, or personal use, AP Images has the content and the expert sales team to fulfill your image requirements. Visit apimages.com to learn more.
View more posts
One thought on “Tokyo 1945 Firebombing Then and Now”
AP Images Blog 
Reblogged this on Machina Speculatrix.
LikeLike