From D-Day Forward
Every inch of advancement by US in Europe was due to Army AF effort. By the spring of 1945, German industry had been pulverized. The German oil supplies were bombed out of existence and roads and rail lines were impassable.
Hitler’s cities lay open to pitiless devastation. In fact, the Army AF had done such a great job that by the time the war ended for Germany on 2 May 1945; the US had run out of targets. The exhausted US members battled Germany in the skies for 3 years, had earned their victory and ended the agony of battle.
By mid-1945, the US moved from defeat of Nazi Germany to the battle above Japan. Fire raids gutted Japanese cities, but DID NOT bring Japan to surrender. This meant new US tactics were needed to bring an end to WWII.
They came in the form of bombs–two atomic bombs (nuclear attacks). The US dropped the first bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945. A B-29 named “Enola Gay” carried the first bomb. The bomb was code-named “Little Boy.”
Col Paul Tibbets commanded the plane and aircrew. It was a secret mission as any mistakes could have been disastrous for the world. The atomic bomb was dropped as the plane traveled at 300 miles per hour (MPH).
It produced a massive explosion beyond imagination, turning a normal operating city into what looked like a “boiling pot of tar.” The outcome of the attack was total destruction with nearly 100,000 people dying instantly and a city left in total devastation.
The US dropped the second bomb on Nagasaki, Japan on 9 August 1945. A B-29 named “Bock’s Car” carried the atomic bomb called “Fat Man.” The commander was Col Charles Sweeney, supported by his aircrew.
While the mission had its glitches, it was completed successfully. Nearly 80,000 people died instantly and the city was left in complete destruction.
Japan Surrendered (15 August 1945)
The US celebrated the news of the surrender. The troops were relieved about not delivering more death to Japan and thankful that WWII was over. As a result of this surrender, 300,000 allied lives were saved verses conducting a mainland invasion.
The victory had its spoil as the US lost 13,055 planes and 24,230 aircrew members since 7 December 1941.
Aftermath of WWII
The US mourned their losses, but knew the sacrifice would help future generations. At the time, no enemy on earth stood remotely capable of challenging US air might. The US was the only nation owning the atomic bomb and aircraft to deliver it.
The fight for a separate AF paid off. WWII experiences earned the US the absolute right to have an independent AF. The National Security Act of 1947 took effect on 26 July 1947, and it created the AF on 18 SEPTEMBER 1947 as an independent service of the US military.