According to a pilot of the 498th Bombardment Group on Saipan, “a dead silence” followed the news that they would be hitting Tokyo at night. But when the briefers told them that they would fly over the heart of Tokyo at altitudes of between 5,000 and 7,000 feet, “a huge gasp was then heard from the crew members.”64 Compared to past missions, that was nearly 5 miles closer to the ground.
