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Bombing Japanese Convoy During Ichigo

In these three images, we see a small town in Guangxi Province, SW China, being bombed by American B-25 bombers. In the succession of images we see the progress of the bombing.   In the first image, just as the first bombs hit, one can see a few trucks of a Japanese convoy sparsely about the town, and a few people milling or running around (see blown up image below). Most likely these are exclusively Japanese soldiers, as usually Chinese civilians would flee towns in front of the Japanese whenever they coul

In these three images, we see a small town in Guangxi Province, SW China, being bombed by American B-25 bombers. In the succession of images we see the progress of the bombing.

In the first image, just as the first bombs hit, one can see a few trucks of a Japanese convoy sparsely about the town, and a few people milling or running around (see blown up image below). Most likely these are exclusively Japanese soldiers, as usually Chinese civilians would flee towns in front of the Japanese whenever they could, especially during Ichigo (in comparison, see a densely populated village and KMT convoy accidentally being bombed here).  Mostly likely this town is virtually or completely empty of Chinese civilians.  By the third image a large section of the town is engulfed in explosions.

These images vividly illustrate the ability of Americans to attack Japanese ground forces, in some regions of the CBI, virtually at-will later in the war, with Japanese ground forces simply powerless to protect themselves, or even to get early warning of the approach of the American planes, given the weakness of their Japanese air forces and limits of their radio networks and spies. Simply put, despite the discipline and willpower the Japanese troops were known for, they must have suffered appalling and demoralizing losses in the face of the frequent American air attacks. (For another example of the dominance of American air power, see here.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trucks and soldiers of a Japanese convoy sparsely spread around a small town in Guangxi province, China, during WWII.  Notice the bombs falling in the upper left corner.
Trucks and soldiers of a Japanese convoy sparsely spread around a small town in Guangxi province, China, during WWII.  Notice the bombs falling in the upper left corner.
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Eugene T. Wozniak Collection
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