The , also known as the , on the night of August 14, 1945, was part of the

strategic bombing Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in total war with the goal of defeating the enemy by destroying its morale, its economic ability to produce and transport materiel to the theatres of military operations, or both. It is a systematica ...

campaign waged by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

against military and civilian targets and population centers during the Japan home islands campaign in the closing stages of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. This was reportedly the farthest-range and also the last bombing mission in World War II, coming only hours before Japan announced its surrender.

Background

The town of Tsuchizaki was a major port on the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

coast, railway nexus, and an important center for

oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefie ...

fed by nearby oil fields. The town was incorporated into the neighboring city of Akita on April 1, 1941. Despite its military significance, it had not been attacked during the initial stages of the strategic bombing campaign, partly due to its remote location.

Air raid

On August 14, 1945, the night before the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...

, a force of 134

B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...

bombers from the

USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

315th Bombardment Wing launched a major

bombing A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanica ...

attack on the coastal part of the city. The bombers arrived over target without opposition at 2230 hours on the night of August 14, and dropped a total of 7,360 100-kg and 4,687 50-kg bombs, with the final bomber departing the target area at 0330 on the morning of August 15. The bombs completely destroyed the oil refinery belonging to

Nippon Oil , formerly , or NOC or ''Shin-Nisseki'' (新日石) is a Japanese petroleum company. Its businesses include exploration, importation, and refining of crude oil; the manufacture and sale of petroleum products, including fuels and lubricants; and ...

(the current JX Nippon Oil & Energy Co) and adjacent port facilities, and the resulting fire spread to the neighboring town. The estimated civilian casualties were more than 250 people killed, and an estimated 200 were severely injured. Japanese government site Tsuchizaki 1945

References

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Notes

External links

Pacific War Chronology
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akita Akita (city)

Akita is a Japanese name and may refer to: Places * 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid * Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan * Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan * Akita, Kumamoto, ...

Japan in World War II

1945 in Japan History of Akita Prefecture

Japan–United States military relations

Background

Air raid

See also

References

Notes

External links