Filled with photographs and diagrams, it traces both the technological and political development of the program and documents its effects on america. Nevertheless, within a few months, japan surrendered. Elsye mitchell almost didnt go on the picnic that sunny day in bly, oregon. The japanese air force come out of the balloon society and little is mentioned of it during the war. The japanese balloon bomb, in all its terrible splendor. Specific places where the balloon bombs dropped their cargo 4. A chandelier, part of a japanese balloon bomb recovered near milton, sask. If you are not enthralled by the japanese effort into these balloon bombs, you soon will be. What fascinates people is the fugo balloons eerie crossing, 34,000 feet above the pacific, covering 60007000. The project named fugo called for sending bombcarrying balloons from japan to set fire to the vast forests of america, in particular.
June 1, 1945 seattle times a minister, still dazed by the shock of seeing his wife and five church children killed by a japanese balloonborne bomb a month ago may 5, had war department approval friday to tell of the tragic picnic in southern oregon. This us navy photo shows a japanese balloon that had failed to detonate after landing on u. The japanes e used them to determine the possibility of th e b omb carry ing bal loons reaching the united states. Taking advantage of the easterly winds, the japanese created fireballoon bombs that would drift across the pacific, carried by hydrogen power, and explode over the western united states.
Japanese attacks and allied countermeasures on the pacific coast in world war ii corvallis. For reverend archie mitchell, the spring of 1945 was a season of change. By mere chance, johnston became a rare eyewitness to the littleknown world war ii japanese balloon bomb attack against the u. The date was november 5, 1944 and the first of many japanese balloon bombs had just been recovered. More than 42 years after a japanese balloon bomb killed five children and a pregnant woman on a church picnic in southern oregon, seven of the japanese women who made the balloon. Throughout the years, japans balloon bombs have continued to be discovered. The japanese bombed michigan during world war ii using.
Japanese balloon bombs reach texas in wwii texas history. Only 284 were found in north america, though researchers believe perhaps 1,000 made it across the pacific. The subject matter came up when i was cleaning out some files out from the library, and i ran across an article on floating japanese balloon bombs coming down in livonia, katafiasz said. That same day, one of the balloons almost triggered a nuclear catastrophe at hanford, where plutonium was being. Japa nese b omb carry ing balloons were 33 ft 10 m in diameter and, when fully inflated, held about 19,000 cu ft 540 m 3 of hydrogen. Balloon bombs aimed to be the silent assassins of world war ii. The japanese had launched more than 9,300 balloon bombs toward the west. The granddaughter of a world war ii veteran from austin, texas has a wartime memento with a note claiming it is a piece of japanese balloon that floated across the pacific ocean in 1945. Suggest you have students go to a search engine and type. The following news article appeared in the june 1, 1945 edition of the seattle times in regards to the balloon bomb deaths in bly, oregon.
The japanese balloon bomb site plaque was outside carl s. They each carried four incendiaries and one thirtypound highexplosive bomb. This particular story we aired in 2015, so a lot of you may not have heard it. Amazon is a good place to pick up a copy of this fascinating book. Remnants of these balloon bombs were discovered in north america as recently as 2014. Designated by the national register of historic places in 2003, this is the only place on the continental united states where americans were killed by. A fugo or fire balloon was a weapon launched by japan during world war ii. Military unit blows wwiiera japanese balloon bomb to smithereens open this photo in gallery. Wwii saw the development of some zany designs for weapons, such as when the u. Attack of japans killer wwii balloons, 70 years ago.
After opening this book, i read it cover to cover in one sitting. During the war, the japanese developed a rather unorthodox plan to attack american civilians right on their home turf. Japanese vengenance balloon bombs of world war ii j. Not to be left out of the fun, the japanese developed their own oddball weapon. Japanese balloon bomb memorial klamath county, oregon. Japans world war ii balloon bomb attacks on north america provides a comprehensive account of this obscure chapter in modern warfare. Japanese balloon bombs fugo atomic heritage foundation. The goal of the attack was to create panic, forest fires, and show the united states that it could be attacked from afar. How black smokejumpers helped save the american west. The balloons began their three to five day journey from japan at an. Hitching a ride on a jet stream, these weapons from japan could float soundlessly across the pacific ocean to their marks in north.
Japans world war ii balloon bomb attacks on north america. At port arthur they were used for observation of troop movements. The curious history of japans balloon bomb attack on america, university of nebraska press, 2014. The book delves into panic, propaganda, and media censorship in wartime. Six killed in oregon by japanese bomb in lakeview, oregon, mrs. The secret history of japans balloon bombs history hit. It was hoped that the balloons would start forest fires and cause general panic among the population. The japanese launched 9,300 balloon bombs to ride the jet stream across the pacific ocean and hit mainland united states. Baum druggists, which has since gone out of business. On november 3, 1944, japan released fusen bakudan, or balloon bombs, into the pacific jet stream.
With this book i provide a social history of the balloon bombs. Japans world war ii balloon bomb attacks on north america 97808747491. There are dozens of interesting websites describing the japanese balloon bombs. The payload consisted of 36 sandfilled paper bags for use as ballast, 4 incendiary bombs and 1 33pound antipersonnel bomb. This book is an excellent record of this little known part of our nations history. They were part of a last ditch effort by japan to both scare the united states out of the war and to finally avenge the doolittle raid of two years previous. Im an amateur wwii home front historian and have studied the subject since reading robert mikeshs smithsonian institution book japans wwii balloon bomb attacks on north america in the early 1980s. Today we wanted to bring back a story thats, i mean, one of my personal favorite stories that weve done. Elsie mitchell and five neighborhood children are killed while attempting to drag a japanese balloon out the woods. The next book on the subject was bert webers silent siege iii. The curious history of japans balloon bomb attack on. Among these ventures was the attack on sydney harbor by midget submarines, a submarinebased seaplane incendiary bombing of mount emily, near brookings, oregon, and the 194445 launching of 9,000 balloons that dropped explosive and incendiary bombs across the. The japanese figured that the fugo balloon bombs, about 70 to 80 feet high, 30 feet in diameter and filled with hydrogen, would ride eastward on the jet stream, each carrying a couple of incendiary bombs and a 33pound antipersonnel bomb.
More than 9,300 fire balloons were launched by japan over the pacific ocean from late 1944 to early 1945 to drop bombs on a large portion of the u. The balloon would gradually drop as it lost hydrogen and gathered dew. Japanese military leaders deployed these balloon bombs with the hopes of creating panic and widespread media attention, which would allow them to chart courses for future attacks. Japan s bizarre wwii plan to bomb the continental u. As part of the backandforth attacks of world war ii, the imperial japanese army launched balloon bombs silent windborne devices designed to wreak havoc on the cities and woodlands of the. Japanese officials were later interviewed to say that it was discontinued around april, 1945 due to a scarcity of hydrogen and trees needed for construction of the balloons. Fugo explores world war ii japanese balloon attacks on us. Overall photograph of japanese balloon inflated with apparatus properly suspended. They were intended to follow the jet stream to the pacific northwest of the us.
In 1944, during world war ii, japan launched a top secret project, nearly two years in the making, to send thousands of balloon bombs called fugo weapons to the united states. But a few officers, both japanese and american, wrote memoirs after the war and those accounts proved invaluable. In 1945, a japanese balloon bomb killed six americans, five of them children, in oregon. It was a very well written book on the wwii japanese balloon bombs. The victims of a freefloating japanese bombing during wwii are remembered by this stone monument. To date, only a few hundred of the devices have been found and most are still unaccounted for. Forty years later, the decision to fold a thousand paper cranes would unite the japanese and american civilians who were involved in and affected by this incident. The dastardly contraption was one of thousands of balloon bombs launched toward north america in the 1940s as part of a secret plot by japanese saboteurs. The locally famous dundee dell restaurant is adjacent. One was found as recently as october 2014 in the mountains of british colombia. In 1945, a japanese balloon bomb killed six americans. The curious history of japans balloon bomb attack on america. Japans world war ii balloon bomb attacks on north america by. Fugo explores world war ii japanese balloon attacks on us uw.
A couple of weeks ago, i was reading a book about various attempts by japan to attack the u. Incredible journey of a japanese balloon bomb ltaflight. You write that the balloon designers were enthralled with the prospect that bombs would rain down on the americans, who would have no idea where they had come from. During wwii, japan developed an unexpected weapon to use against the u. Japanese edition the history behind the cloud atlas.
During world war ii, the japanese launched 9,300 balloon bombs. Japanese balloon bombs in 1944, during world war ii, japan launched a top secret project, nearly two years in the making, to send thousands of balloon bombs called fugo weapons to the united states. Like ashcroft, many people are intrigued by the japanese balloon bomb. However, the building was renovated a few years ago, and now houses a subway sandwich shop and an ecreamery ice cream shop. In november, 1944, the japanese began launching unmanned bombcarrying balloons, which travelled on prevailing winds across the pacific ocean to north america.
Japan s latest weapon, the balloon bombs were intended to cause damage and spread panic in the continental united states. In 1945, a japanese balloon bomb claimed the lives of the only people killed on the continental u. Attack of japan s killer wwii balloons, 70 years ago. These devices began showing up across the country, mainly in the northwest. The mitchell monument marks the spot near bly, oregon, where six people were killed by a japanese balloon bomb during world war ii. Japans bizarre wwii plan to bomb the continental u. The balloon bombs were possibly viewed as a means of exacting some revenge for the extensive us bombing of japanese cities, which were particularly vulnerable to incendiary attacks. The satus pass balloon didnt have bombs, but still had some of its ballast bags.
The japanese have been using balloons in war since the 1800s. The way the balloon bombs worked was that they were inflated with enough hydrogen so that they rose to a height where they could be carried by the jet stream to american soil, somewhere in the range of 20,000 to 40,000 feet above sea level. Discover japanese balloon bomb memorial in klamath county, oregon. Military unit blows wwiiera japanese balloon bomb to. Near the end of world war ii, in an attempt to attack the united states mainl. Just a few months ago a couple of forestry workers in lumby, british columbia. The balloons measured about 33 feet 10 m in diameter and 70 feet 21 m from the top of the balloon. Those who forget the past are liable to trip over it.
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