On the night of July 9, 1945, 135
USAAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers of the
21st Air Division and
314th Air Division attacked the city of Gifu from the south, via
Lake Biwa and
Sekigahara. The bombing commenced at 23:34, with primary aiming point being the intersection of
Japan National Route 248 with Gifu Prefectural Road 54. Due to the flat topography of the city and ideal weather conditions, the incendiary bombing created a
firestorm which destroyed most of the center of the city, including the Gifu Prefectural Office,
Gifu Station, and numerous other train stations and factories. The attack concluded at 0:20 AM the following morning. In total, 421.4 tons of E-46 and 477.4 tons of E-47
incendiary bombs were dropped on the city. Efforts by citizens and civil defense authorities to extinguish the
napalm-filled bomblets using traditional water bucket brigades contributed to the casualties and extent of damage. Due to the topography of Gifu city center and the weather conditions at that time, the damage per bomb dropped was huge. The affected area was around six square kilometers. The air raid killed 818 civilians, and injured 1059, with 20,363 homes destroyed, rendering 100,000 people effectively homeless. A year after the war, the
United States Army Air Forces's
Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific War) reported that 74 percent of the city had been destroyed. ==See also==