The American Bombing Policy of North Borneo in 1945 by Robert McNamara
A critical question that is rarely asked today is why was North Borneo the most bombed former British territory during the Second World War?
What great strategic value did it bring to destroy all the towns and economic hubs in North Borneo in 1945? . These towns that were the economic drivers of North Borneo made live incredibly far more difficult for its innocent civilian population.
The towns themselves were not strategic military targets but were bombed and destroyed none the less due to a change in allied bombing doctrines in early 1945. American and Australian forces bombed and strafed the towns of Sandakan, Keningau, Labuan, Kudat and Jesselton relentlessly for 7 months. By June 1945, every town in North Borneo was either totally destroyed or partially destroyed with a loss of civilian lives.
Robert McNamara gives critical insight into the Bombing doctrine in early 1945 till the end of the war in the Pacific as to the rational of Curtis LeMay who introduced this carpet bombing doctrine and may have been adopted for use in North Borneo.
Was the destructions of North Borneo towns necessary in hindsight? Did it help achieve a final decisive victory over the Japanese and did it contribute to the Japanese surrender or was it simply unnecessary?
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