▁equipment , ▁and ▁ord n ance . ▁Last ly , ▁K obe ' s ▁low ▁water ▁supply , ▁consisting ▁of ▁only ▁three ▁res er voir s , ▁and ▁its ▁poor ▁fire f ight ing ▁equipment ▁created ▁a ▁very ▁fire - pr one ▁environment . ▁ ▁Bomb ing ▁ra ids ▁ ▁February ▁ 4 ▁ra id ▁After ▁tri als ▁on ▁the ▁Japanese ▁Village ▁set ▁on ▁the ▁D ug way ▁Pro ving ▁Gr ounds , ▁Curt is ▁Le May ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Forces ▁ordered ▁the ▁B - 2 9 ▁bom bers ▁to ▁drop ▁inc endi ary ▁bomb s ▁to ▁burn ▁Japan ' s ▁mostly ▁wood - and - paper ▁houses , ▁in ▁an ▁" ex perimental " ▁car pet ▁bomb ing ▁against ▁K obe ▁on ▁February ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁ ▁March ▁ 1 6 / 1 7 ▁ra id ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 6 / 1 7 , ▁ 3 3 1 ▁American ▁B - 2 9 ▁bom bers ▁launched ▁a ▁fire b omb ing ▁attack ▁against ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁K obe , ▁Japan . ▁ ▁This ▁ra id ▁was ▁executed ▁by ▁all ▁three ▁wings ▁of ▁the ▁XX I ▁Bom ber ▁Command , ▁namely ▁the ▁ 7 3 rd , ▁ 3 1 3 th , ▁and ▁ 3 1 4 th ▁bomb ard ment ▁wings . ▁It ▁was ▁flow n ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁La Ver ne ▁Sau nd ers , ▁who ▁was , ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁recuper ating ▁in ▁Walter ▁Re ed ▁General