Cataclysm : General Hap Arnold and the defeat of Japan / Herman S. Wolk.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Roosevelt and Arnold -- Planning for the defeat of Japan -- Arnold forms the Twentieth Air Force -- Arnold places LeMay in command -- June 1945: a meeting at the White House -- Arnold, Potsdam, and the atomic bomb -- Who was Hap Arnold?

The B-29 long-range bombing campaign against the Japanese home islands dictated unprecedented organization and command; hence, Arnold established the Twentieth Air Force, commanded by himself from Washington and reporting directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This new type of bombing offensive-distinct in command, organization, range, and weapons from the European experience-also called for exemplary operational combat leadership in the field. Here Arnold excelled in his command of the AAF, relieving a long-time colleague (Hansell) in favor of a hard-nosed operator (LeMay). This crucial move was a turning point in the Pacific war. Although the Soviet declaration of war on Japan was a factor in the Japanese surrender, it was the atomic bomb that politically shocked the Japanese to capitulation. Arnold, the architect of the bombing offensive, emphasized that Japan was already defeated in the summer of 1945 by the bombing and blockade and that it was not militarily necessary to drop the atomic bomb.

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