Bombing of Hamamatsu in World War II
The was part of the strategic bombing campaign waged by the United States of America against military and civilian targets and population centers of the Empire of Japan during the Japan home islands campaign in the closing states of World War II. Background. The city of Hamamatsu was a target for air raids by the United States Army Air Forces on several occasions during the Pacific War. In addition to strategic bombing, Hamamatsu was also subject to tactical air raids launched by United States Navy carrier-based aircraft, and was bombarded by United  States and Royal Navy warships on July 29, 1945. Hamamatsu, in addition to being a major transportation hub on the Tōkaidō Main Line railway connecting Tokyo with Osaka, had several targets of military significance. It was the location of armaments factories, including Shōwa Yakuhin, Nakajima Aircraft Company, and Suzuki Motors. It was also the location of the Hamamatsu Flight School of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force and a major military air field. Hamamatsu was also situated on the main flight route from Saipan to either Nagoya or Tokyo and was thus often assigned as a secondary target. In 1945 , Hamamatsu city had an estimated population of 166,346 people. A year after the war, the United States Army Air Forces's Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific War) reported that 60.3 percent of the city had been totally destroyed.