Fire Effects of Bombing Attacks: The Firebombing and Destruction of Hamburg and Dresden in World War II by Incendiary Attack, Fire Storms, Effectiveness of Barriers, Japanese Fire Bombing

Nonfiction, History, Military, World War II
Cover of the book Fire Effects of Bombing Attacks: The Firebombing and Destruction of Hamburg and Dresden in World War II by Incendiary Attack, Fire Storms, Effectiveness of Barriers, Japanese Fire Bombing by Progressive Management, Progressive Management
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Progressive Management ISBN: 9781301442027
Publisher: Progressive Management Publication: February 6, 2013
Imprint: Smashwords Edition Language: English
Author: Progressive Management
ISBN: 9781301442027
Publisher: Progressive Management
Publication: February 6, 2013
Imprint: Smashwords Edition
Language: English

The great fire attacks on the cities of Germany and Japan were scientifically planned with emphasis placed on the susceptibility of the target and the type and quantity of munitions necessary to produce maximum damage. The lessons learned from these attacks and later from the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki should provide valuable guidance to planners in designing measures to minimize the effects of fire damage to American cities in any future war.

Complete appraisal of the fire damage in German cities may never be made. The best figures for total damage due to high-explosive and incendiary bombs were compiled from aerial surveys made by the British Air Ministry. Although admittedly incomplete, records of the principal attacks on most cities were included. Of the 49 cities studied, 39 percent of the individual dwelling units (2,164,800 out of a total of 5,554,500) were seriously damaged.

Both high-explosive and incendiary bombs were used in the great attacks on German targets by the U. S. Army Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The high-explosive bombs varied in size from 100 to 2,000 pounds (with heavier bombs for special targets). The incendiary bombs varied from 4 to 100 pounds (with some 500-pound bombs used on industrial installations) and were of two general types, namely: (1) Those in which the container was combustible and served as incendiary material, and (2) those in which the case was merely a container capable of placing the incendiary filling at the desired place in the target.

In the principal city attacks the total load of bombs dropped consisted of an approximately equal weight of high explosives and incendiaries. High-explosive bombs deterred firefighting, disrupted communications, broke water-main networks, created road blocks, opened up buildings, broke windows, and displaced roofing. In some places they caused fires, but this was a secondary and relatively minor factor. The incendiaries started most of the fires.

Bomb loads of 1,000 to 2,000 tons were dispatched over German cities in one night. A total of over 7,000 tons was dropped on Hamburg, and an even heavier bomb load was dropped on Dresden in the closing days of the war. In contrast, the heaviest single attack on an English city was 457 tons of incendiary and high-explosive bombs dropped on London on the night of April 16-17, 1941. These figures show that the German attacks on England were relatively light despite the great damage they caused.

Contents: Section I * Fire Warfare in World War II * Fire Warfare on German Cities * The Pattern of German Cities * Characteristics of Fire Storms * Fire Spread * Fire Defense Operations * Casualties * Fire Warfare on Japanese Cities * The Pattern of Japanese Cities * Characteristics of Conflagrations * Fire Spread * Firebreaks * Fire Defense Operations * Casualties * Fire from the Atomic Bomb Attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan * The Pattern of the Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki * Fires Caused by the Atomic Bomb * Fire Defense Operations * Casualties * Section II * Principal Factors Involved in the Fire Susceptibility of American Cities * Factors Having the Greatest Influence on Fire Initiation and Fire Spread * 1. Building Density * 2. Combustibility of Structures * 3. Firebreaks * 4. Size of Target Area * Contributing Factors to Fire Initiation and Fire Spread * 1. Continuity of Combustible Construction * 2. Occupancy Combustibility * 3. Size of Buildings * 4. Topography * Weather Factors * 1. Humidity * 2. Rain and Snow * 3. Wind * Conclusions * Bibliography

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The great fire attacks on the cities of Germany and Japan were scientifically planned with emphasis placed on the susceptibility of the target and the type and quantity of munitions necessary to produce maximum damage. The lessons learned from these attacks and later from the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki should provide valuable guidance to planners in designing measures to minimize the effects of fire damage to American cities in any future war.

Complete appraisal of the fire damage in German cities may never be made. The best figures for total damage due to high-explosive and incendiary bombs were compiled from aerial surveys made by the British Air Ministry. Although admittedly incomplete, records of the principal attacks on most cities were included. Of the 49 cities studied, 39 percent of the individual dwelling units (2,164,800 out of a total of 5,554,500) were seriously damaged.

Both high-explosive and incendiary bombs were used in the great attacks on German targets by the U. S. Army Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The high-explosive bombs varied in size from 100 to 2,000 pounds (with heavier bombs for special targets). The incendiary bombs varied from 4 to 100 pounds (with some 500-pound bombs used on industrial installations) and were of two general types, namely: (1) Those in which the container was combustible and served as incendiary material, and (2) those in which the case was merely a container capable of placing the incendiary filling at the desired place in the target.

In the principal city attacks the total load of bombs dropped consisted of an approximately equal weight of high explosives and incendiaries. High-explosive bombs deterred firefighting, disrupted communications, broke water-main networks, created road blocks, opened up buildings, broke windows, and displaced roofing. In some places they caused fires, but this was a secondary and relatively minor factor. The incendiaries started most of the fires.

Bomb loads of 1,000 to 2,000 tons were dispatched over German cities in one night. A total of over 7,000 tons was dropped on Hamburg, and an even heavier bomb load was dropped on Dresden in the closing days of the war. In contrast, the heaviest single attack on an English city was 457 tons of incendiary and high-explosive bombs dropped on London on the night of April 16-17, 1941. These figures show that the German attacks on England were relatively light despite the great damage they caused.

Contents: Section I * Fire Warfare in World War II * Fire Warfare on German Cities * The Pattern of German Cities * Characteristics of Fire Storms * Fire Spread * Fire Defense Operations * Casualties * Fire Warfare on Japanese Cities * The Pattern of Japanese Cities * Characteristics of Conflagrations * Fire Spread * Firebreaks * Fire Defense Operations * Casualties * Fire from the Atomic Bomb Attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan * The Pattern of the Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki * Fires Caused by the Atomic Bomb * Fire Defense Operations * Casualties * Section II * Principal Factors Involved in the Fire Susceptibility of American Cities * Factors Having the Greatest Influence on Fire Initiation and Fire Spread * 1. Building Density * 2. Combustibility of Structures * 3. Firebreaks * 4. Size of Target Area * Contributing Factors to Fire Initiation and Fire Spread * 1. Continuity of Combustible Construction * 2. Occupancy Combustibility * 3. Size of Buildings * 4. Topography * Weather Factors * 1. Humidity * 2. Rain and Snow * 3. Wind * Conclusions * Bibliography

More books from Progressive Management

Cover of the book Continuities in Four Disparate Air Battles: Ploesti Heavy Bombers in World War II, Berlin Airlift Strategic Airpower, MIG Alley in Korean War, Barrel Roll Airpower Counter-insurgency in Laos by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21st Century: The Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights From The Fukushima Dai-Ichi Accident (Nuclear Power Plant Disaster) by Progressive Management
Cover of the book The Chinese Air Force: Evolving Concepts, Roles, and Capabilities - Hypersonic Vehicle Technology, Aircraft, Reverse Engineering, Threat to Taiwan, PLAAF Air Force Leaders, Airpower by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Armies in Homeland Security: American and European Perspectives - Terrorism, UK Armed Forces, Germany's Military, NATO, Ukrainian, Romania, France, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Soviet Legacy, EU by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Military Planning for a Catastrophic Critical Infrastructure Event: In the Dark, Terminal Blackout: Electric Infrastructure Vulnerabilities and Civil-Military Resiliency, EMP by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board: The First Twenty Years - Hanford, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, From the Manhattan Project to the Cold War, Rocky Flats, Savannah River, Weapons Disassembly by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Nuclear Weapons: Containment of Underground Nuclear Explosions, Seismic Verification of Nuclear Testing Treaties, Environmental Monitoring to Verify Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaties by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Deception: Theory and Practice - Military Deception, Army Doctrine, World War II, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Post Cold War, Surprise, Freedom of Action, Mislead the Target, Subversion, Mental Isolation by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Fire in the City: Airpower in Urban, Smaller-Scale Contingencies (USSC) - Case Studies of Hue 1968, Siege of Beirut 1982, Operation Just Cause 1989, UNOSOM Somalia, Uphold Democracy 1994 by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Civil - Military Relations in Iraq (1921-2006): An Introductory Survey - British Invasion, Golden Shrine, Royal Military College, Qasim Era, President Arif, Ba'ath Party, Iran Invasion, Iraqi Army by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century Guide to Solar Power and Photovoltaics: Green Domestic Power from the Sun - Practical Information about Home Electricity, Water Heating, Panel and Cells, Solar Energy Financing by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century Complete Guide to Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP): Nuclear Weapon Effects (NWE) and the Threat to the Electric Grid and Critical Infrastructure, HEMP, EMI, Microwave Devices by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Hubble Space Telescope Systems Engineering Case Study: Technical Information and Program History of NASA's Famous HST Telescope by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Improving Cybersecurity in the Health Care Industry: Report of the Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force - Risks to Medical Devices and IT Systems, Working in the Open Culture of Health Care by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Learning Technology Adoption: Navy Barriers and Resistance - Naval Student and Faculty Survey Findings and Recommendations to Foster an Innovative Culture and Support Implementation Efforts by Progressive Management
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy