Air raids on Japan

There were many air raids on Japan by Allied aircraft during World War II.

The Home Islands of the Empire of Japan were defended by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. The air defenses included the use of fighter interceptors and anti-aircraft guns.

Air operations involving the Japanese Home Islands may be divided into several stages:

Operations

• Doolittle Raid: attack by 16 USAAF B-25 Mitchells in April 1942
• US air raids on Iwo Jima, Minami Torishima, the Kurils and other outlying islands
• Operation Matterhorn: B-29 air attacks from bases in China, beginning in June 1944
• Carrier air raids on Taiwan and Okinawa
• Land-based bomber raids on Taiwan
• Frequent B-29 air attacks from bases on Saipan and Tinian against major metropolitan areas, including the major bombing campaign against Tokyo
• US and British Pacific Fleet air strikes against the Ryukyu Islands
• Tactical operations by US Navy aircraft against Kyūshū, Shikoku, Honshū and Hokkaidō
• US night raids against Japanese cities
• Soviet air attacks against Japanese forces in Kuriles, Chosen and Kantogun during August-November 1945.
• US nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945)

See also

• Attacks on North America during World War II
• Battle of Britain
• Battle of Berlin (air)
• Battle of Europe (air operations)
• Air raids on Australia, 1942–43
• Italian bombings on Palestine in World War II