Scope and Content Note
During World War II, the United States undertook massive aerial attacks against cities and industrial areas in the Pacfic Theater of Operations (PTO) to destroy Japanese military forces. After the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945, the United States Strategic Bombing Survey (USSBS) was ordered by President Harry S. Truman to study the effects of this strategic bombing in the Pacific. Organized in November 1944, the USSBS was assigned two tasks: to establish a basis for evaluating the importance and potential of air power as an instrument of military strategy, and to plan the future development of the armed forces. The USSBS conducted surveys in both Europe (European War reports) and the Pacific (Pacific War reports).