thumb|A birds-eye view over the Ningyōchō district of Nihonbashi following Operation Meetinghouse On the night of 9–10 March 1945, 334 B-29s took off to raid with 279 of them dropping 1,665 tons of bombs on Tokyo. The bombs were mostly the E-46 cluster bomb which released 38 napalm-carrying M-69 incendiary bomblets at an altitude of . The M-69s punched through thin roofing material or landed on the ground; in either case they ignited 3–5 seconds later, throwing out a jet of flaming napalm globs. A lesser number of M-47 incendiaries were also dropped: the M-47 was a jelled-gasoline and white phosphorus bomb which ignited upon impact. In the first two hours of the raid, 226 of the attacking aircraft unloaded their bombs to overwhelm the city's fire defenses. The first B-29s to arrive dropped bombs in a large X pattern centered in Tokyo's densely populated working class district near the docks in both Koto and Chūō city wards on the water; later aircraft simply aimed near this flaming X. The individual fires caused by the bombs joined to create a general conflagration, which would have been classified as a firestorm but for prevailing winds gusting at . Approximately of the city were destroyed and some 100,000 people are estimated to have been killed. A grand total of 282 of the 339 B-29s launched for "Meetinghouse" made it to the target, 27 of which were lost due to being shot down by Japanese air defenses, mechanical failure, or being caught in updrafts caused by the fires.
thumb|a birds-eye view over the ningyōchō district of nihonbashi following operation meetinghouse on the night of 9–10 march 1945 334 b-29s took off to raid with 279 of them dropping 1665 tons of bombs on tokyo the bombs were mostly the e-46 cluster bomb which released 38 napalm-carrying m-69 incendiary bomblets at an altitude of  the m-69s punched through thin roofing material or landed on the ground; in either case they ignited 3–5 seconds later throwing out a jet of flaming napalm globs a lesser number of m-47 incendiaries were also dropped the m-47 was a jelled-gasoline and white phosphorus bomb which ignited upon impact in the first two hours of the raid 226 of the attacking aircraft unloaded their bombs to overwhelm the city's fire defenses the first b-29s to arrive dropped bombs in a large x pattern centered in tokyo's densely populated working class district near the docks in both koto and chūō city wards on the water; later aircraft simply aimed near this flaming x the individual fires caused by the bombs joined to create a general conflagration which would have been classified as a firestorm but for prevailing winds gusting at  approximately of the city were destroyed and some 100000 people are estimated to have been killed a grand total of 282 of the 339 b-29s launched for "meetinghouse" made it to the target 27 of which were lost due to being shot down by japanese air defenses mechanical failure or being caught in updrafts caused by the fires