This is an exceptional image, which says so much about the superior state of American air power in the CBI as the war progressed.
In this image, a bridge somewhere in southwest China, Indochina, or Burma, is bombed by American B-25s, running in very fast at almost tree-top level (notice the perspective of the camera, which is very close to the ground level), with bombs dropping in the river around the bridge. Three to four splash sites can be seen. The bombers come in so fast and unexpectedly that people on the bridge are caught unprepared, as in the blown up image below, where men (either workers or Japanese soldiers) can be seen frantically fleeing from the bridge, a bomb in mid-air above them.
At this point in the war, American air power almost completely dominated Japanese air power in many parts of the CBI. Depending on the specific area, often the Japanese were simply not able to put planes into the air, from the lack of usable air bases, planes, fuel and crews. The domination of the Americans in the air, and relative powerlessness of men on the ground are shown so clearly in the image, where the Americans bomb without serious threat from defensive airplanes, the men on the ground do not even have warning of the approaching Americans, and the bridge has seen attempts at camouflage (second image below) with straw tied to it, and even trees on top of the bridge towers---This would be a project requiring significant effort, but plainly completely futile, and the most poignant evidence of agonizing powerlessness that the men on the ground faced against American planes which could come at will.
This bombing shows no obvious damage in a subsequent image here. For a separate example of the dominance of American air power, see here.
