Peshtigo Firestorm-- Part 6: Firebombing Japan

From Facts and Detals "Fire Bombing Attacks on Tokyo and Japan in World War II.

The U.S. Army carefully studied the Peshtigo Firestorm in Wisconsin in 1871 before they commenced firebombing of Axis cities in Germany.

During the spring and summer of 1945, the U.S. Army Air Force destroyed nearly every major Japanese city.  Early raids were daytime and high altitude with many bombs missing their targets.Later these changed to low-level, night-time raids that used hundreds of B-29 bombers that dropped bombs with napalm and other incendiary chemicals.

--GreGen

The Peshtigo Firestorm-- Part 5: The Japan Firebombins

Tokyo and sixty other Japanese cities were firebombed by the United States during the war.  despite how deadly they were, the wasn't much American criticism at the time because most felt "they  had it coming" after Pearl Harbor.

E. Bartlett Kerr's book "Flames Over Tokyo:  The U.S. Army Air Force's Incendiary Campaign Against Japan 1944-1945" discusses the origins, development, planning and implementation of this campaign.

There are also other books that discuss it.

On November 7, 1941, General George C. Marshall, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, instructed his aides to develop contingency plans for "general incendiary attacks to burn up the wood and paper structures of the densely populated Japanese cities."

--GreGen

The Peshtigo Firestorm-- Part 4: Dresden

Using information from the Peshtigo Firestorm, Allied bombing had become very proficient at creating firestorms in their attacks.  They knew of the right combination of wind, fuel and incendiary devises as well as drought conditions.

They applied it to the attack on Dresden, Germany.  Over 1,000 Allied planes dropped 3.900 tons of bombs and incendiary devices.  Over 1,600 acres of the city centre were destroyed and civilian deaths were put at between 22,700 and 25,000, though many sources say many more died.

--GreGen

The Peshtigo Firestorm, 1971-- Part 2: The Peshtigo Paradigm

I have been writing about the Peshtigo Firestorm's relationship to the Civil War in my Saw the Elephant: Civil War Blog this past month.  Occurring in 1871, there were many Civil War veterans involved in it.

But, this calamity was studied for use in World War II.

"Those responsible for planning the U.S. tactics in World War II would seek to understand how to create firestorm conditions using the information gathered from Peshtigo and other studies.

Peshtigo was not only the first documented firestorm but it was the only firestorm to destroy seventeen towns, and when Chicago is included in the Peshtigo Paradigm, the only firestorm to destroy towns, forests and a major American city."

--GreGen

The Peshtigo Firestorm of 1871-- Part 1 To Create An Air Attack

From the "Firestorm At Peshtigo" book by Denise Gess and William Lutz.

I finished reading this book about a huge fire at Peshtigo, Wisconsin, on October 8, 1871, that killed between 1,500 and 2,500 people.  Peshtigo is near Green Bay.  It is largely unknown, though, although ranked as one of the biggest United States natural disasters (see Cooter's History Log for today) because it took place the same day as the Great Chicago Fire, which killed considerably fewer people.

The Peshtigo Firestorm came up again as World War II loomed.  In 1941, the U.S. military began gathering as much information about Peshtigo as they could to "determine how to create the most devastating incendiary attacks on enemy cities possible."

--GreGen

Incendiary Bombs Sent to DeKalb in 1942

From the May 17, 2017, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

Incendiary bombs have been received in DeKalb to be used in demonstrations in the various classes of training in the Civilian Defense Council work.

"It is expected that there will be a demonstration for the auxiliary policemen this evening, if the weather permits and there will also be one for the air wardens on Friday night."

Big Boom, Big Fire.  --GreGen