The Information War in the Pacific, 1945(Hmm is this True?)

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/docs/v46i3a07p.htm ^ | Josette H. Williams

[ventanax5]

"Read this carefully as it may save your life or the life of a relative or friend. In the next few days, some or all of the cities named on the reverse side will be destroyed by American bombs. These cities contain military installations and workshops or factories which produce military goods. We are determined to destroy all of the tools of the military clique which they are using to prolong this useless war. But, unfortunately, bombs have no eyes. So, in accordance with America's humanitarian policies, the American Air Force, which does not wish to injure innocent people, now gives you warning to evacuate the cities named and save your lives. America is not fighting the Japanese people but is fighting the military clique which has enslaved the Japanese people. The peace which America will bring will free the people from the oppression of the military clique and mean the emergence of a new and better Japan. You can restore peace by demanding new and good leaders who will end the war. We cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked but some or all of them will be, so heed this warning and evacuate these cities immediately."

[ventanax5]

On August 1, 1945, five days before the bombing of Hiroshima, the U.S. Army Air Force dropped one million leaflets over Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and 33 other Japanese cities warning that those cities were going to be destroyed within a few days and advising the residents to leave to save their lives. One side of the leaflet had a photo of five U.S. bombers unloading bombs and a list of the targeted cities. The other side had the text. The English version of the leaflet is included in an article at the CIA website, “The Information War in the Pacific, 1945,” by Josette H. Williams. OWI stands for Office of War Information:

[garjog]

“the American Air Force”

You ask if this is true. I remember that we didn’t have an “air force” at that time I think. Didn’t they just call it the army? That could be a details that challenges the credibility of the document.

Some of you out there must know if I am right.

[Prokopton]

You ask if this is true. I remember that we didn’t have an “air force” at that time I think.

At that time it was called the U.S. Army Air Forces.

[Tennessee Nana]

It was called the Army Air Force until 1947

[xero]

The United States Army Air Corps

[Nathan _in_Arkansas]

Also known as Army Air Corps

[ansel12]

The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) from 1926 to 1941, which in turn was the forerunner of today’s United States Air Force (USAF). Although abolished as an organization in 1941, it existed as a branch subordinate to the USAAF from 1941 to 1947.

[KrisKrinkle]

We had the Army Air Corps, which about 1941 became the Army Air Force which in 1947 was broken out of the Army to become the US Air Force.

[RS]

This Japanese soldier stationed in Hiroshima says they were dropped the day before -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4741541.stm

[Celtman]

I remember that we didn’t have an “air force” at that time I think. Didn’t they just call it the army?

Officially, it was the Army Air Corp before 1947.

[RS]

“That could be a details that challenges the credibility of the document.”

Since this is a translation to English of the original Japanese on the card, I would expect that the term Air Force ( or perhaps Air Power ) would be a better translation then the somewhat strange term “ corps “

[Prokopton]

Officially, it was the Army Air Corp before 1947.

The U.S. Army Air Corps was re-designated as the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1941.

[blu]

Are you asking if we warned the Japanese before we bombed them?

[chardonnay]

Ya, so why didn’t we do this in Iraq?

[Dan Cooper]

Wouldn’t this have translated from Japanese? Maybe the current translators just used the current name for whatever Japanese term that was used.

[DakotaRed]

I believe there was about six months warning coming from us before we entered Iraq. Of course, Saddam didn’t think it would actually happen and we didn’t use as much force as we could have, but the rest of the world knew what was coming and the anti-war left was livid over all the talking and saber rattling, as they said.

[Eastbound]

"Officially, it was the Army Air Corp before 1947."

I believe you're right. Immortalized in song:

' . . . we live in fame or go down in flame,
Nothing can stop the Army Air Corp.'

[no-to-illegals]

War is a Monster. I read, once upon a time, the people of Hiroshima, and Nagasaki were told by word of mouth and radio (those left alive), and the people of Japan were told via radio broadcast that he devastation of a new weapon had been visited upon the United States’ cities similar to the devastation after (I believe the names were) Fat Man and Little Boy had been dropped. Propaganda is / was a chief weapon, as in any War. Japan was realizing the devastation one plane could deliver. The moral of Japan’s people needed a boost, per the continue the War effort supporters. War is a Monster, but to Win a War, terrible things must be done. Thankfully, Japan opted to surrender, and the War supporters were not successful.

[Fiji Hill]

The song “The Army Air Corps” was written in 1939 and was a hit record for Alvino Rey & His Orchestra, with the King Sisters, in 1943.

[gbs]

Cause they and the whole world knew we were coming. No big secret!

[Lancey Howard]

One interesting aspect of the atomic bombings of Japan is the fact that we experimented with uranium on Hiroshima and with plutonium on Nagasaki. I once read that the incidence of leukemia was significantly higher in Hiroshima versus Nagasaki during the 15 years following the bombings. Then I read somewhere else that that was a myth.

[tophat9000]

You ask if this is true. I remember that we didn’t have an “air force” at that time I think.

The average Japanese civilian at the time wound not care about the formal title we use for our forces but just know them by the genric "American Army, Navy, Air Force"....

This is no different then us in not using the formal title for there forces

[Mike Darancette]

FWIW: Until 1947 it was called the “United States Army Air Force”.

[Eastbound]

Yup, I knew, but forgot. I used to sing it. thanks.

[caveat emptor]

Sorry for hi-jacking this post, but....

The purpose of the bombs was not to "punish" people but to stop the war. To intensify the shame Gray insists we feel, he seems willing to fiddle the facts. The Hiroshima bomb, he says, was dropped "without any warning." But actually, two days before, 720,000 leaflets were dropped on the city urging everyone to get out and indicating that the place was going to be (as the Potsdam Declaration has promised) obliterated.
...snip...

The invasion was definitely on, as I know because I was to be in it. When the atom bomb ended the war, I was in the Forty-fifth Infantry Division, which had been through the European war so thoroughly that it had needed to be reconstituted two or three times. We were in a staging area near Rheims, ready to be shipped back across the United States for refresher training at Fort Lewis, Washington, and then sent on for final preparation in the Philippines. My division, like most of the ones transferred from Europe, was to take part in the invasion of Honshu.

From an article THANK GOD FOR THE ATOM BOMB, by Paul Fussell, author of a book by the same name.

[ought-six]

I know that we dropped leaflets warning of the imminent destruction of certain cities, and telling the people to evacuate. The leaflet contained a list of cities to be bombed. After the first city on the list was hit, there was no discernible evacuation from any of the other cities. After the second city was hit, there was scattered and isolated evacuation of other cities. After the third city on the list was hit, the Japanese seemed to get the message, as evacuation picked up exponentially. The bombings were incendiary in nature, creating tremendous firestorms. It was part of General Curtis LeMay's strategic bombing campaign.

[goldfinch]

I scanned the whole article and did not see any factual errors. In the WWII time-frame, the Air Force was part of the Army and was called the Army Air Force. The United States did drop leaflets warning citizens in cities that were bombed. On a quick first reading, I would say this article is indeed true.

[Grut]

The bombings were incendiary in nature, creating tremendous firestorms. It was part of General Curtis LeMay's strategic bombing campaign.

As a point of interest, LeMay said in "Mission With LeMay" that the firebombing campaign stopped only because they ran out of incendiary bombs (IIRC, in May or early June): he speculated that if they hadn't run out, the war might have ended before the atomic bombs were used.

[Beckwith]

Correction — It was the U. S. Army Air Corps until 1947 — the U. S. Air Force was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947.

[USMCVet]

This is an excellent article and illustrates some of the many facets of the efforts finally beat the Japanese and ended the Pacific War.

The only disconcerting thing about this particular set of responses is the painfully low level of education of the American public these days about the war and many other things:

- Of course this article is accurate; most people know about the critical role the seizure of the Marianas had for the bombing campaign against Japan. The other supporting facts within the article are also accurate - so why would anyone doubt its accuracy?

- We had our usual chorus of twits that didn't know that the title for our air forces at that time of the war was the "U.S. Army Air Forces"... And subordinate units - such as the Tenth Air Force - were referrred to as air forces.

- The word is "corps" not "corp" as in the French word for body. What are they teaching in school these days?

[CHEE]

The old Army Air Corps song as I remember it from WWII (very popular):

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun;
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,
At ‘em boys, Give ‘er the gun! (Give ‘er the gun now!)
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
Off with one helluva roar!
We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!
Nothing’ll stop the U.S. Air Corps

I think the current version of the USAF replaces “Corps” with “Force”.

[iopscusa]

Dropping the A bombs saved a Million US casualties and we gave them explicit warnings as opposed to our enemies attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Japanese were well aware of this weapon and the Nazi’s were trying to get the makings of the bomb to Japan when the European war was closing...do you think the Japanese would warn an enemy before they would use this weapon?
Shoulda used them during the Korean War

[Calpernia]

We did.

[mad_as_he$$]

We did.

[Calpernia]

http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Lists/Current%20Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=164
COALITION FORCES DROP LEAFLETS IN SOUTHERN IRAQ

2/23/2003

SOUTHWEST ASIA – Coalition aircraft dropped informational leaflets over southern Iraq today.Coalition forces dropped leaflets at approximately 3:45 p.m. EST at several locations near Umm Qasr, Safwan and Al Faw. All locations are situated on and around the Al Faw Peninsula, located approximately 290 miles southeast of Baghdad. The Coalition dropped a total of 180,000 leaflets over the locations.The types of leaflets dropped today referred Iraqis to radio frequencies where Coalition forces are broadcasting information about United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441, United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s reign and other topics. To see a picture of the leaflets dropped today, along with radio scripts broadcast recently, follow the links below.

[ken21]

the thing that strikes me odd about the paragraph is the syntax,

a bit complex.

the receivers are emotionally charged, so simple sentences would work easier.

[lentulusgracchus]

I once read that the incidence of leukemia was significantly higher in Hiroshima versus Nagasaki during the 15 years following the bombings. Then I read somewhere else that that was a myth.

Interesting. Although there are a couple of points:

• The Hiroshima bomb was delivered squarely on target, while the Nagasaki bomb, because of cloud cover, was delivered inaccurately and landed in the outskirts of the city, some five miles from the target. Much of the city of Nagasaki remained intact, and its inhabitants were much less affected.
• The radiotoxicity effects would be only indirectly tied to the original fissionable materials used, and more directly tied to the variety and proportions of fission products injected into the bombs' fallout -- this would include the radiation types and intensity, which last would also be related to range effects, and in turn carry us back to the first point above, the aimpoint accuracy discrepancy.

[mware]

I too believe it was called the US Army Air Force. Obviously their were Navy and Marine fighter planes too.

[Calpernia]

Arabic Version

Gallary of Leaflets

[A.A. Cunningham]

Leaflets Dropped On Cities In Japan

Leaflets dropped on cities in Japan warning civilians about the atomic bomb, dropped c. August 6, 1945

TO THE JAPANESE PEOPLE:
America asks that you take immediate heed of what we say on this leaflet.

We are in possession of the most destructive explosive ever devised by man. A single one of our newly developed atomic bombs is actually the equivalent in explosive power to what 2000 of our giant B-29s can carry on a single mission. This awful fact is one for you to ponder and we solemnly assure you it is grimly accurate.

We have just begun to use this weapon against your homeland. If you still have any doubt, make inquiry as to what happened to Hiroshima when just one atomic bomb fell on that city.

Before using this bomb to destroy every resource of the military by which they are prolonging this useless war, we ask that you now petition the Emperor to end the war. Our president has outlined for you the thirteen consequences of an honorable surrender. We urge that you accept these consequences and begin the work of building a new, better and peace-loving Japan.

You should take steps now to cease military resistance. Otherwise, we shall resolutely employ this bomb and all our other superior weapons to promptly and forcefully end the war.

EVACUATE YOUR CITIES.

ATTENTION JAPANESE PEOPLE. EVACUATE YOUR CITIES.

Because your military leaders have rejected the thirteen part surrender declaration, two momentous events have occurred in the last few days.

The Soviet Union, because of this rejection on the part of the military has notified your Ambassador Sato that it has declared war on your nation. Thus, all powerful countries of the world are now at war with you.

Also, because of your leaders' refusal to accept the surrender declaration that would enable Japan to honorably end this useless war, we have employed our atomic bomb.

A single one of our newly developed atomic bombs is actually the equivalent in explosive power to what 2000 of our giant B-29s could have carried on a single mission. Radio Tokyo has told you that with the first use of this weapon of total destruction, Hiroshima was virtually destroyed.

Before we use this bomb again and again to destroy every resource of the military by which they are prolonging this useless war, petition the emperor now to end the war. Our president has outlined for you the thirteen consequences of an honorable surrender. We urge that you accept these consequences and begin the work of building a new, better, and peace-loving Japan.

Act at once or we shall resolutely employ this bomb and all our other superior weapons to promptly and forcefully end the war.

EVACUATE YOUR CITIES.

Source: Harry S. Truman Library, Miscellaneous historical document file, no. 258.

Front side of OWI notice #2106, dubbed the “LeMay bombing leaflet,” which was delivered to Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and 33 other Japanese cities on 1 August 1945. Office of War Information [OWI] presses were turning out leaflets that revealed the special nature of Hiroshima’s destruction and predicted similar fates for more Japanese cities in the absence of immediate acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam agreement. The Japanese text on the reverse side of the leaflet carried the following warning: “Read this carefully as it may save your life or the life of a relative or friend. In the next few days, some or all of the cities named on the reverse side will be destroyed by American bombs. These cities contain military installations and workshops or factories which produce military goods. We are determined to destroy all of the tools of the military clique which they are using to prolong this useless war. But, unfortunately, bombs have no eyes. So, in accordance with America's humanitarian policies, the American Air Force, which does not wish to injure innocent people, now gives you warning to evacuate the cities named and save your lives. America is not fighting the Japanese people but is fighting the military clique which has enslaved the Japanese people. The peace which America will bring will free the people from the oppression of the military clique and mean the emergence of a new and better Japan. You can restore peace by demanding new and good leaders who will end the war. We cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked but some or all of them will be, so heed this warning and evacuate these cities immediately.” (See Richard S. R. Hubert, “The OWI Saipan Operation,” Official Report to US Information Service, Washington, DC 1946.) By 9 August, more than 5 million leaflets about the atom bomb had been released over major Japanese cities. The OWI radio station beamed a similar message to Japan every 15 minutes.

[Kevmo]

B4L8r

[RightWhale]

why didn’t we do this in Iraq?

Probably did. Probably leafleted them kneedeep.

[William Tell]

ventanax5 quotes the following: "On August 1, 1945, five days before the bombing of Hiroshima, the U.S. Army Air Force dropped one million leaflets over Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and 33 other Japanese cities warning that those cities were going to be destroyed within a few days ..."

Aside from the positive propaganda value of being able to point out that people were warned of this looming destruction, the language also suggests that all 35 cities would be destroyed, naming Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the head of the list.

Someone more knowledgable than I can perhaps clarify just how many bombs were available at the time and when additional bombs could be manufactured.

My recollection is that one bomb was detonated as a test, and the other two that existed were dropped on Japan. Was there an inventory capable of carrying out the explicit threat, or was the destruction of two targets going to be used to create credibility regarding the threat?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Someone more knowledgable than I can perhaps clarify just how many bombs were available at the time and when additional bombs could be manufactured.

My recollection is that one bomb was detonated as a test, and the other two that existed were dropped on Japan. Was there an inventory capable of carrying out the explicit threat, or was the destruction of two targets going to be used to create credibility regarding the threat?

Contemporaneously, of course, it was no part of US interest to let it be known that we had no more A-bombs in inventory after Hiroshima. But much later I read the same thing as you - that we had no more A-bombs at that point, and that that was even true when Truman threatened the USSR with nuclear retaliation in response to their threats to Iran after WWII.

Of course the public arguments about whether the A-bomb should have been used, or used in the way that it was, against Japan, were debated in ignorance of the actual number of A-bombs in US hands in August 1945.

[MosesKnows]

2000 of our giant B-29s

I remembering being told toward the end of WW2 that there were two American names that all Japanese knew, "Babe Ruth" and "B-29".

[Bender2]

Re: (Hmm is this True?)

Yes...

And maybe we need to start dropping like love notes over Iran and Chavezland...

[GATOR NAVY]

We cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked but some or all of them will be...

Neither Hiroshima nor Nagasaki are among the cities listed on the front (not that I'm complaining).

These leaflets were also intended to demoralize the civilian population by pointing out that the US military was so powerful we could even announce where we going to attack and Japanese forces couldn't do anything about it.

[jowi]

The leaflet shown in the CIA article was one of three using the same B29 plane picture and the same message warning of imminent bombing. Different cities were cited (in circles) depending on the B29 run for different missions on different dates. The warning leaflets (#2106 known as the LeMay Bombing Notice) were created to warn of these regular B29 bombing runs using “fire bombs” found to be particularly devastating in the four-hour March 9-10 bombing of Tokyo which destroyed more lives & property than Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. The text of the leaflet was not changed for Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the words “atomic bomb” would have carried no meaning. Station KSAI on Saipan broadcast warnings directly to Japan as well. Lieutenant General N. F. Twining (USA Commanding), in his 12 August 1945 letter of appreciation to the Office of War Information writes under the letterhead of “Headquarters Twentieth Air Force, Office of the Commanding General, APO 234, c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, California.” Maybe they just called themselves “Air Force”??

[jowi]

On the Greenwich Workshop videotape now owned by the Smithsonian, Enola Gay pilot Tibbetts states they cancelled shipment of a third bomb to Tinian in the Marianas when Japanese surrender was announced. The videotape is titled “The Men Who Brought the Dawn,” and shows crews of both planes in personal statements and interviews, as well as original films from Nagasaki and Hiroshima.