<i>The &quot;79 fighter planes&quot; claim doesn&#x27;t pass the sniff test to me either. Remember that two months after this, the Japanese didn&#x27;t even bother sending fighters to even try to intercept the planes that bombed Hiroshima (for example).</i><p>The first proposition is a reasonable explanation for the second. If you&#x27;re not willing to lose 79 fighters, then don&#x27;t engage a B-29.