<P> The United States military air campaign waged against Japan began in earnest in mid-1944 and intensified during the war 's last months . While plans for attacks on Japan had been prepared prior to the Pacific War , these could not begin until the long - range B - 29 Superfortress bomber was ready for combat . From June 1944 until January 1945 , B - 29s stationed in India staged through bases in China to make a series of nine raids on targets in western Japan , but this effort proved ineffective . The strategic bombing campaign was greatly expanded from November 1944 when bases in the Mariana Islands became available as a result of the Mariana Islands Campaign . These attacks initially attempted to target industrial facilities using high - altitude daylight `` precision '' bombing , which was also largely ineffective . From February 1945 , the bombers switched to low - altitude night firebombing against urban areas as much of the manufacturing process was carried out in small workshops and private homes : this approach resulted in large - scale urban damage . Aircraft flying from Allied aircraft carriers and the Ryukyu Islands also frequently struck targets in Japan during 1945 in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan scheduled for October 1945 . During early August 1945 , the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were struck and mostly destroyed by atomic bombs . </P>
<P> The United States military air campaign waged against Japan began in earnest in mid-1944 and intensified during the war 's last months . While plans for attacks on Japan had been prepared prior to the Pacific War , these could not begin until the long - range B - 29 Superfortress bomber was ready for combat . From June 1944 until January 1945 , B - 29s stationed in India staged through bases in China to make a series of nine raids on targets in western Japan , but this effort proved ineffective . The strategic bombing campaign was greatly expanded from November 1944 when bases in the Mariana Islands became available as a result of the Mariana Islands Campaign . These attacks initially attempted to target industrial facilities using high - altitude daylight `` precision '' bombing , which was also largely ineffective . From February 1945 , the bombers switched to low - altitude night firebombing against urban areas as much of the manufacturing process was carried out in small workshops and private homes : this approach resulted in large - scale urban damage . Aircraft flying from Allied aircraft carriers and the Ryukyu Islands also frequently struck targets in Japan during 1945 in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan scheduled for October 1945 . During early August 1945 , the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were struck and mostly destroyed by atomic bombs . </P>
what two japanese cities were bombed in ww2
what two japanese cities were bombed in ww2
Hiroshima Nagasaki
Hiroshima Nagasaki