Effect of Strategic Bombing on Kobe

Pre-attack.

City map.

Firebreak map. These firebreaks could help if the fire was small, but if the fire got large it created its own wind and the fires could then leap the firebreaks.

Types of construction.

Pre-attack

Population density.

The attack.

Physical damage map.

Damage.

The attack.

Damage.

Power consumption went down.

Do did gas production and consumption.

Damage

Industrial production went down.

As did shipbuilding.

Damage.

Aircraft production went down.

Damage.

Labor and production both went down.

Kobe's harbor was never really used much during the war.

Like other cities, they started a firebreak program.

Kobe lost around 200,000 people leaving the city during the war.

Kobe's urban area had two large shipyards.

Air attacks on Kobe.

There was a lot of industrial damage.

Over half the roof area suffered damage during the attacks.

Precision aerial bombing on aircraft plants.

The firebreaks didn't work.

Little rebuilding or repair took place.

Kobe lost over half its population during the war.

Defense measures proved inadequate.

There was almost no training for auxiliary defense forces.

The huge factories had ineffective defense measures.

Recovery measures didn't work.

The food problem was major.

An actual Japanese report.



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