The surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945, formally marked the conclusion of World War II after five years of anarchy in Europe and Asia. Germany had previously surrendered on May 8 following the collapse of German Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s (1889-1945) Third Reich. Allied commanders felt relief as it became clear that the planned ground invasion of Japan in the autumn of 1945 would no longer be necessary.  The deployment of atomic weapons developed at Los Alamos, New Mexico, ushered in a new era in which world destruction became hauntingly real. America’s use of the bombs remains controversial, but President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) remained firm in his position that the bomb was needed to end the worst war the planet had seen. Detractors of Truman will point out that Japan would have been defeated without the use of atomic weapons. Of course, we will never know this for certain but the story of the air raids across Japan which included firebombs and the use of the atomic bombs “Fat Man” and “Little Boy”, is interesting and removes any doubt that Japan would lose the war. Author James M. Scott explores this controversial subject and the man whose name sent chills down the spines of enemies, Gen. Curtis E. LeMay (1906-1990).

Before continuing, I want to issue a disclaimer to readers sensitive to descriptions of death and warfare. This book is not easy to read and if you believe that America should never have used atomic weapons, then it may not be for you. And though the author neither condemns or condones the use of either weapon, it is a case study on how Air Force commanders analyzed the failure to cripple Japan, and the lessons learned to inflict maximum devastation on the “Land of the Rising Sun”. But before we arrive at Japan’s doorstep, the author revisits the air campaign in Europe which played a crucial role in Germany’s defeat. The bombings of Dresden and Hamburg are discussed, and readers familiar with each event know that following each air raid, the German people realized increasingly that an overwhelming victory was an illusion. As to when they knew the war was lost is hard to pinpoint, but Operation Gomorrah on July 10, 1943, was a wake-up call. The advance of the Soviet Red Army in 1945 signaled that the end was near, and on April, 30 Hitler lived his last moments buried in his underground bunker before committing suicide. Germany had lost the war, but Japan continued to resist and the grim reality of mass casualties in a ground invasion was hard to accept. But everything changed when LeMay was given free rein to go after Japan. On a side note, LeMay had served in the European Theater and was re-assigned to the Pacific in 1944.

“Tokyo,” LeMay declared, “would be our target—the primary target, the secondary target, and the only target.”

Curtis E. LeMay is one of most controversial military figures in American history, and rightfully so. To some he is seen as a war criminal without feeling who would stop at nothing until victory was secure, but to others he was the person needed to conduct difficult orders which required a cold detailed analysis. The truth about LeMay lies in between both and contrary to his stern appearance, he did have a soft side. Snippets of his letters back home to wife Helen (1908-1992) and daughter Patricia Jane LeMay Dodge (d. 2016) reveal the effects of the war on the LeMay family. But on the outside to those who served under him, he was as tough as they came. Although Scott provides a good discussion of his life, the biographical data is brief in comparison to the larger story at hand which is the crux of the book. Readers who are interested in LeMay’s life will enjoy Warren Kozak’s ‘LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis Lemay‘, which is a good biography of the famous aviator. Here, the story focuses on defeating Japan, and LeMay was determined to bring the empire to its knees. And this is where the story takes a darker turn as the air raids increase and the bombs become more severe in nature. 

As I read the book, I personally did not have difficulty with the subject matter and was aware of LeMay’s role in World War II. I expected a grim picture to emerge as the firebombing campaigns set Tokyo and other cities ablaze. In fact, it is a raw and unfiltered look into the final stages of the war and the destruction from the air raids masterminded by LeMay and his subordinates who ensured that the B-29 bomber earned a place in military history. But as one would expect, it is impossible to finish a book such as this without the issue of morality coming up. The post-bombing descriptions are graphic, but they drive home the brutality of war. And they also force us to confront whether LeMay was morally wrong for his successes. Surely, Japan was brutal to its Asian neighbors and had attacked the United States first, but what occurred under LeMay’s watch disturbed even the most seasoned military veterans. One one point, LeMay issues an interesting statement which makes it clear that if the Allies had lost, he knew his life would be over. But despite the firebombing raids, Japan still refused to surrender. Unbeknownst to Japan, in early summer 1945, LeMay is briefed on a new weapon at Los Alamos and its fate is sealed. 

The remainder of the book following the revelation of the atomic weapons focuses on the plans drawn up to drop the two bombs on Japan. It is not a discussion of the planning or work at Los Alamos. Organizational issues are discussed as LeMay’s squads prepare for the drops. And when they happen, the impact of what transpires can be felt while reading. Scott heightens the suspense as America unleashes weapons that changed history. On the ground, the result is swift, deadly, and catastrophic. And for many years afterwards, Japanese men, women and children would continue to suffer from the effects of the bombs. But they had the intended effect, and the emperor soon realized that destruction was in store if Japan did not surrender. In hindsight we know that it did but in August 1945 after the second bomb was dropped, military officials waited on edge for confirmation that Japan was waiving the white flag. That moment soon arrives and the announcement by the emperor is included in the book, bringing the narrative closer to its conclusion. 

After I finished the book, I sat for a few minutes deep in thought. I had my own questions about LeMay’s actions but also reminded myself that America was at war. And had Japan continued to fight, commanders in the Pacific were ready to drop more atomic weapons which would have resulted in complete destruction for Japan. And a ground war would have resulted in over one million casualties. The air raids were horrific, but they did bring the war to an end. Finally, every military has its own LeMay, that commander who can detach feelings from the mission at hand to ensure maximum carnage and victory. Throughout his life he  never regretted his actions and felt that it had to be done. There is an old saying that “war is hell”. It is but there are lessons to be learned so that the same mistakes are not repeated by future generations. And war also contains warnings not to be ignored. In successfully engineering Japan’s defeat, LeMay vindicated the late Captain William Lendrum “Billy” Mitchell (1879-1936) who warned that air defense was being overlooked at America’s peril. Mitchell was a fierce advocate for air power and his relentless drive to convince Washington earned him a court-martial. But in December 1941, his warnings came back to haunt the country when the Japanese military attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. World War II is a part of the past, but it should never be forgotten. The war claimed millions of lives and left millions homeless and refugees as they wandered about in cities left in ruins. But the war also provided pivotal moments in the lives of those who served and survived such as the late Gen. Curtis E. LeMay. Highly recommended.

“I had to select a man for the job who had experience, knowledge, judgment, but who was also cold as steel when it came to sending out his missions. I selected Curt LeMay.” —GEN. HAP ARNOLD NOVEMBER 7, 1948

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TQ2RRFQ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company (September 6, 2022)