Yet another WWII A-bomb & Japan thread

[MacGregor]

Originally posted by Sire Enaique
It may sound a bit provocative, but has anybody here read Grossman's On Killing? on how killing your fellow human gets easier the larger the physical and psychological distance? And on how conditionning the troops not to think of the ennemy as human helps? Allied propaganda didn't describe the Germans as animals, and the purpose of bombing German cities was supposed to be "de-housing" and destroying the population's morale, not killing people - even though that's a highly hypocritical standpoint.

Haven't read it but it intuitively makes sense. Having them shoot at you helps you get over qualms about killing too.

The fire storm bombing tactics were developed and perfected in the ETO. The Brits did most of this since they were reluctant to fly during daylight because of lack of fighter cover, but the US also did it's share with Dresden being the most famous example.
The US developed very percise formulas for bomb loadouts for these firebombing attacks. I think they found the ultimate load out for such a mission was 80% incineration munitions and 20% HE. The HE was found to be necessary in order to kill fire fighters and everyday citizens who may have been trying ot stop the spread of the fires. They were de-housing missions in that a dead civilian needs no housing.

Far more civilians were killed in these fire bombing attacks (both German and Japenese) than were killed by the A-bomb or other "weapons of mass destruction." However, these acts of "mass murder" engender far less outcry than the use of the A-bomb or chem weapons. No one claims the Brits and US were engaging in the "genocide" of the German people even though plans were not only made but also carried out on a fairly large scale. Maybe that's the real question here, "Why is one form of mass killing of civilians more acceptable than others?"

 

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The truth is that we where afraid of invading Japan because the General Staff probably felt that we couldn't win, we probable couldn't win, the Japanese are die hard troops as it is, they would not have let American Advance far as we seen what happened to the Mongols the Japanese launched massive suicide attacks until finally the Kamikaze wave wiped them out.

The truth is that the U.S. have been ruthless in most of the wars we have been in, in the Spanish-American war we went into the Philippines and as a touchier Technique we shoved hoses down POWs throats and pumped them full of water, it was called the water cure, We would also shoot captured POWs with Dum-Dum bullets to inflict mortal wounds. And in Vietnam there were a few as well like My Lai, of course My Lai was not ordered, the Company Commander was Court Marshaled and sentenced to life but only served about 4 years and was "quietly releaced".