General Curtis LeMay initiated major changes in the bombing
procedures of Japan switching to incendiary bombs, at low
altitude, at night, wanting more accuracy and reducing the
defensive firepower of the B-29 to increase the bomb load. It
was decided to bomb the four principal Japanese cities, Tokyo,
Osaka, Kobe and Nagoya, at night from altitudes between 4,000
feet and 9,000 feet. Up to now 25,000 feet had been considered
9, 1945 a strong wind had been rattling the panes in the doors
and windows all day. For the past few nights single B-29s had
appeared over the sky, without dropping any bombs but flying
very low and setting off the searchlights and anti-aircraft
fire. A lot people on the ground had the uneasy feeling that
something was due to happen. The copilot of Z Square 8 of the
500th Bomb Group, Lt Robert Copeland, made this diary entry, “We
briefed this morning for another trip to Tokyo. We'll take off
at 1835 tonight and hit there in the morning at 0115 approx.
We're going in at between 7,000 and 7,8