Destruction of a Burmese Village after a Japanese Bombing, ca. 1942

Black and white image of destruction of a Burmese village.

Courtesy of Library of Congress, "There was no military objective in this happy Burmese village. The object of the savage Japanese bombing was to create panic and drive the native population on to the roads and into the jungle," ca. 1942

Description

The black and white photograph shows the destruction caused by a Japanese bombing raid that struck a Burmese village. The caption of the image from the war department stated, "(t)here was no military objective in this happy Burmese village. The object of the savage Japanese bombing was to create panic and drive the native population on to the roads and into the jungle."

Source-Dependent Questions

Describe the geography depicted in the photograph. How did this lead to different tactics than the image from the European theater?
Burma (Myanmar) was a British colony before it was invaded and occupied by Japan. Why would Burma (Myanmar) be significant in World War II?

Citation Information

"There was no military objective in this happy Burmese village. The object of the savage Japanese bombing was to create panic and drive the native population on to the roads and into the jungle," ca. 1942. Courtesy of Library of Congress