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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dr. Id who wrote (135927)	6/7/2004 8:01:27 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

All I know is that when you are proven to be disingenuous and incorrect, you twist the argument and deflect. And, when you're REALLY nailed, you resort to name-calling. If you were more subtle, you'd be dangerous. I guess that means you don't possess the simple skills necessary to "google" the answer as to why the US resorted to fire-bombing in Japan.. It has to do with the Jet Stream and wind velocity at high altitudes over Japan.. As far as the situation in Japan goes, it is clear that the Americans did change strategy. They changed strategy in Europe but never completely admitted that they were doing so. In Japan it was more of a clear break. It simply proved impossible to do effective military targeting in Japan for two reasons. First, the cloud cover was even worse than it was in Europe. And second, the winds, the jet stream winds over Japan, made it impossible for bombers to hold formation at altitude. Which meant that they were getting blown all over the sky and they couldn't execute bombing in the way that they had done in Europe. Hap Arnold was getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in the Japanese theater. He was anxious for the B-29 to have an impact on the war, he was anxious for the Air Force to make a contribution to the end of the war, and here was a perfect opportunity. And yet very little was happening in terms of being able to erode the Japanese capacity or will to fight. So he brought in a new commander, Curtis LeMay, and I think LeMay understood from the beginning that he was being brought in to find a way to make strategic bombing work in Japan. pbs.org You see.. the B-29 had been designed to perform radar bombing, and operate at altitudes that few piston interceptors (or anti-aircraft artillery) could reach. They didn't necessarily need to see the target.. The radar would accomplish that. But they couldn't accurately bomb with those high winds. So they went low-level and used incendiary bombs. But there was also the command influence from DC, where people were getting nervous about the lack of results from bombing in Japan. So they brought in Curtis LeMay to achieve those results. ieer.org And I'm glad that I make you laugh.. Laughter is a good thing.. I just wish I possessed a streak of cruelty in me that would permit me to laugh at your intellectual laziness. Do you approach your particular speciality with the same ruthless disregard for facts and logic? Hawk