Editing Napalm (section)

=== World War II ===
[[File:Napalm Bombing of Brunei Bay, Borneo.jpg|thumb|Results of a 9 July 1945 napalm strike by a [[United States Army Air Forces|United States Army Air Force]] on a Japanese outpost off the coast of the island of [[Borneo]]]]
The first use of napalm in combat was in August 1943 during the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]], when American troops, using napalm-fueled [[flamethrower]]s, burned down a wheat field where German forces were believed to be hiding.<ref name=":1" /> Napalm incendiary bombs were first used the following year, although the exact date and battle are disputed.{{Efn|Claimed dates including a 15 February air raid on [[Pohnpei]],<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> a 6 March air raid on Berlin,<ref name="Berlin" /><ref name="bfbs">{{Cite web |date=2021-08-02 |title=What Is Napalm And Is It Still Used In Warfare? |url=https://www.forcesnews.com/technology/weapons-and-kit/what-napalm-and-it-still-used-warfare |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=BFBS Forces News}}</ref> and a 18 July air raid on [[Tinian]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shaw |first1=Henry I. Jr. |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofusmarin03usma |title=Central Pacific Drive |last2=Nalty |first2=Bernard C. |last3=Turnbladh |first3=Edwin T. |publisher=US Marine Corps |year=1966 |series=[[History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II]] |volume=3 |location=Washington D.C. |oclc=927428034 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>}}

Two-thirds of napalm bombs produced during WWII were used in the [[Pacific War]]. Napalm was often deployed against Japanese fortifications on [[Saipan]], [[Iwo Jima]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]], where deeply dug-in Japanese troops refused to surrender.<ref name="Berlin">{{Cite book |last1=Kebler |first1=Brooks E. |url=https://archive.org/details/chemicalwarfares00kleb |title=The Chemical Warfare Service: Chemicals in Combat |last2=Birdsell |first2=Dale |publisher=United States Army |year=1966 |editor-last=Conn |editor-first=Stetson |location=Washington D.C. |pages=159-163, 630-635 |lccn=66-60001 |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Following a shortage of conventional [[thermite]] bombs, General [[Curtis LeMay]], among other high-ranking servicemen, ordered [[air raids on Japan]] to start using napalm instead.<ref>
{{Cite book |last=De Chant |first=John A. |title=Devilbirds: The Story of United States Marine Corps Aviation in World War II |publisher=Harper & Brothers Publishers |year=1947 |location=New York |page=155 |oclc=698844424}}</ref> A 1946 report by the National Defense Research Council claims that 40,000 tons of [[M69 incendiary|M69]]s were dropped on Japan throughout the war,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bauer |first1=E.E. |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD0221598.pdf |title=Fire Warfare, Incendiaries and Flame Throwers |last2=Bogrow |first2=Alexander |last3=Engisch |first3=G.W. |last4=Haworth |first4=M.D. |last5=Hulse |first5=S.M. |last6=Keevil |first6=C.S. |last7=Knox |first7=W.T. |last8=McMillen |first8=E.L. |last9=Messing |first9=R.F. |publisher=National Defense Research Council |year=1946 |editor-last=Ewell |editor-first=Raymond H. |location=Washington D.C. |editor-last2=Newhall |editor-first2=Robert M. |last10=Mysels |first10=K.H. |last11=Reed |first11=C.E. |last12=Stanbury |first12=G.R.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Wellerstein |first=Alex |author-link=Alex Wellerstein |date=August 30, 2013 |title=Who Made That Firebomb? |url=http://blog.nuclearsecrecy.com/2013/08/30/who-made-that-firebomb |access-date=September 12, 2020 |website=RESTRICTED DATA: The Nuclear Secrecy Blog}}</ref> damaging 64 cities and causing more deaths than the [[atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Doan-Nguyen |first=Ryan H. |date=2023-02-16 |title=Napalm, Birthed in Harvard's Basement |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/2/16/napalm-scrut/ |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=The Harvard Crimson}}</ref>

German fortifications and transportation hubs were targeted with napalm during both [[Operation Overlord]] and the [[Battle of the Bulge]], sometimes in conjunction with artillery.<ref name="Berlin" /> During the [[Allied siege of La Rochelle]], napalm was dropped on the outskirts of the [[Royan pocket]], inadvertently killing French civilians.<ref>{{cite book |author=Zinn |first=Howard |author-link=Howard Zinn |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JGLkwCNI7sIC |title=The Zinn Reader: Writings on Disobedience and Democracy |publisher=Seven Stories Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-1-888363-54-8 |location=New York |pages=267–281 |chapter=The Bombing of Royan |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JGLkwCNI7sIC&pg=PA267 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

The [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) used napalm to a limited extent in both the Pacific War and the European Theater.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=McCue |first1=Paul |author-link1=Paul McCue |title=SAS Operation Bulbasket: Behind the Lines in Occupied France, 1944 |last2=Baker |first2=Max |publisher=Pen and Sword Books |year=1990 |isbn=978-1-4738-1795-1 |location=Barnsley |pages=104}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=McKinstry |first=Leo |author-link=Leo McKinstry |url=https://archive.org/details/hurricanevictoro0000mcki/mode/2up |title=Hurricane: Victor of the Battle of Britain |date=2011 |publisher=John Murray |isbn=978-1-84854-341-6 |location=London |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>