XXI Bomber Command

XXI Bomber Command was a United States Army Air Forces strategic bombing formation that played a pivotal role in the final air offensive against the Empire of Japan during World War II. Activated in 1944, it was the primary operational component of the Twentieth Air Force, conducting a relentless campaign of high-altitude precision and devastating low-altitude incendiary raids from bases in the Mariana Islands. Under the command of Curtis LeMay, its operations, including the Bombing of Tokyo and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were instrumental in compelling Japan's surrender.

History

The command was established on 1 March 1944 at Smoky Hill Army Air Field in Kansas, specifically to employ the new, long-range Boeing B-29 Superfortress against the Japanese home islands. It was initially part of the Second Air Force for training before being assigned to the Twentieth Air Force, which reported directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C.. The command's headquarters moved to the Central Pacific Area in late 1944, establishing itself first on Saipan and later at Harmon Field on Guam. Its creation and deployment were central to the United States strategy of bypassing heavily defended island chains and striking the Japanese industrial heartland directly from the captured Mariana Islands.

Organization

XXI Bomber Command controlled several very heavy bombardment wings, each comprising multiple groups and squadrons. Its primary subordinate units included the 73d Bombardment Wing, based on Saipan; the 313th Bombardment Wing, operating from Tinian; and the 314th Bombardment Wing, stationed on Guam. This structure allowed for the coordinated deployment of hundreds of B-29s. The command's operations were closely integrated with the efforts of the Twentieth Air Force's other component, the XX Bomber Command, which operated from China and India in the China Burma India Theater before being dissolved.

Operations

Initial high-altitude precision bombing missions against targets like the Nakajima Aircraft Company plant in Tokyo and the Mitsubishi engine works in Nagoya proved disappointing due to jet stream winds and cloud cover. In a radical tactical shift, Curtis LeMay ordered a switch to low-altitude nighttime incendiary raids. This culminated in the devastating firebombing of Tokyo on 10 March 1945, which caused unprecedented destruction. Subsequent raids systematically firebombed major cities including Osaka, Kobe, and Nagoya, and mined Japanese harbors and inland waterways during Operation Starvation. The command's 509th Composite Group, operating from Tinian, executed the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

Aircraft

The command operated almost exclusively the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, a revolutionary Heavy bomber with a pressurized cabin, remote-controlled gun turrets, and a formidable payload capacity. These aircraft were modified for their specific missions, with some configured for precision bombing using the Norden bombsight and others stripped of defensive armament to carry maximum incendiary bomb loads for low-level attacks. The specialized Silverplate B-29s of the 509th Composite Group, such as Enola Gay and Bockscar, were modified to deliver atomic bombs. The long range of the B-29 was critical for the 1,500-mile round-trip missions from the Mariana Islands to Japan.

Commanders

The command's first commander was Brigadier General Haywood S. Hansell, an advocate of daylight precision bombing who led the initial operations. In January 1945, he was replaced by Major General Curtis LeMay, who radically changed tactics to the highly effective low-level incendiary campaign. LeMay's aggressive leadership defined the command's most destructive and decisive period. The command was inactivated on 16 July 1945, with its personnel and equipment absorbed directly by its parent Twentieth Air Force headquarters as the bombing campaign reached its climax.

Category:Commands of the United States Army Air Forces Category:Bomber commands of the United States Army Air Forces Category:Military units and formations established in 1944 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945