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National Air and Space Museum Archives
US Army Air Force Japanese Propaganda Leaflet
Summary
- Collection ID:
- NASM.2016.0017
- Creators:
-
United States. Office of War Information
- Dates:
-
1944
- Languages:
-
Japanese,English.
- Physical Description:
-
0.05 Cubic feet1 folder
- Repository:
Propaganda moved to the air during the Second World War. Leaflets bearing Japanese characters, like the one in this collection, were airdropped by US pilots in enemy-controlled territories of the Southwest Pacific with the intention to reduce the morale of their soldiers.
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of a 4 by 6.5 inch airborne propaganda leaflet issued by the United States in 1944 and dropped over the Japanese-held territories in New Guinea and the Philippines. This leaflet is written in a traditional Japanese writing system - used by the privileged class at this time - and attempted to discourage enemy soldiers. Also included in this collection is the biography of Second Lieutenant Hubert J. Frank, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator pilot with the 65th Bombing Squadron assigned to the 43rd Bombardment Group of the Fifth Air Force, who helped scattered hundreds of these leaflets.
Arrangement
Arrangement
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Military aircrafts released leaflets, flyers, and other smaller paper items to promote agendas and persuade audiences. This distribution, usually scattered in the air over conflict zones, reached combatants and civilians. Often these materials were also dropped in conjunction with air strikes. In the Second World War, both the Allies and Axis utilized airborne leaflet propaganda as a method of psychological warfare to demoralize their enemy, undermine their authority, and induce surrender. In the Southwest Pacific theatre, the US pilots airdropped hundreds of propaganda leaflets over Japan as well as other territories controlled by the Japanese.
Administration
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Jon Frank, Gift, 2016, NASM.2016.0017
Processing Information
Arranged and described by Patricia Williams, 2016. Encoded by Jessamyn Lloyd and revised by Amara Pugens, 2022.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access.
Preferred Citation
US Army Air Force Japanese Propaganda Leaflet, NASM.2016.0017, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Related Materials
Related Materials
US Army Air Force Japanese Propaganda Leaflets [Sylvan], NASM.2016.0018.
Keywords
Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
---|---|---|---|
Aeronautics | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Propaganda | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
World War, 1939-1945 | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Leaflets | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Biographies | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
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