What was the most damaging air attack of World War II?

The most destructive air attack of World War II was not the atomic bombing of Hiroshima but the firebombing of Tokyo by 279 Superfortress bombers on March 9-10, 1945.

Over 1,650 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on the city, raising a massive firestorm and killing from 80,000 to 120,000 people.

The bombing represented a new tactic by American General Curtis LeMay, who was unsatisfied with the results of “precision bombing” of military targets and wanted to switch to night attacks on cities with firebombs.