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24 Japanese Fugo or Fire Balloons of WW II

Japanese Fugo or Fire

Balloons of WW II

Continued from Page 23

Initial tests took place in September
1944 and proved satisfactory; however, before
preparations were complete, B-29s began their
raids on the Japanese home islands. The attacks
were somewhat ineffectual at first but still
fueled the desire for revenge sparked by the
Doolittle Raid.
The first balloon was released on
November 3, 1944. Major Takada watched as
the balloon flew upward and over the sea: "The
figure of the balloon was visible only for several
minutes following its release until it faded away
as a spot in the blue sky like a daytime star." A
few balloons carried radiosonde equipment
rather than bombs. These balloons were tracked
by direction finding stations in Ichinomiya,
Chiba, in Iwanuma, Miyagi, in Misawa, suppression personnel, Firefly relied upon the and an American public in panic, declaring
Aomori, and on Sakhalin to estimate progress 555th as well as conscientious objectors. The casualties in the thousands.
toward the United States. operation also unified fire suppression Hayfork is a small community in
The Japanese chose to launch the communications among federal and state northern California about 40 miles (64 km) west
campaign in November; because the period of agencies. The influx of military personnel, of Redding. On February 1, 1945 a Japanese
maximum jet stream velocity is November equipment, and tactics shaped how the United bombing balloon was spotted by several local
through March. This limited the chance of the States Forest Service approached fire residents drifting over the Trinity National
incendiary bombs causing forest fires, as that suppression in the post War period. Forest area and slowly descending. No one
time of year produces the maximum North By early 1945, Americans were knew what it was, but an alert forest ranger
American Pacific coastal precipitation, and becoming aware that something strange was called the military authorities at the Presidio of
forests were generally snow-covered or too going on. Balloons had been sighted and San Francisco and reported it. Meanwhile, the
damp to catch fire easily. On November 4, 1944 explosions heard, from California to Alaska. balloon came to rest atop a 60-foot (18-meter)
a United States Navy patrol craft discovered one Something that appeared to witnesses to be like dead fir tree in the forest near a local road. In the
of the first radiosonde balloons floating off San a parachute descended over Thermopolis, next few hours several people gathered in the
Pedro, Los Angeles. National and state agencies Wyoming. A fragmentation bomb exploded, and area to gaze up at the strange object.
were placed on heightened alert status when shrapnel was found around the crater. A P-38 Shortly after dark there was a
balloons were found in Wyoming and Montana Lightning shot a balloon down near Santa Rosa, tremendous blast. The balloon's gas bag
before the end of November. California; another was seen over Santa disappeared in a fireball and the balloon's
The balloons continued to arrive in Monica; and bits of washi were found in the undercarriage came crashing to the ground. No
Oregon, Kansas, Iowa, British Columbia, streets of Los Angeles. one was hurt. Forest rangers kept the curious
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, the Yukon, In February and March 1945, P-40 well back from the fallen debris until Army
Northwest Territories, Washington, Idaho, fighter pilots from 133 Squadron, Royal personnel arrived. Upon examination, it was
South Dakota, Nevada (including one that Canadian Air Force Western Air Command found to be a Japanese bombing balloon with
landed near Yerington that was discovered by operating out of RCAF Patricia Bay (Victoria, four incendiary bombs and one high explosive
cowboys who cut it up and used it as a hay tarp, British Columbia), intercepted and destroyed bomb still aboard and the bomb releasing
another by a prospector near Elko who two fire balloons,[23] On February 21, Pilot mechanism still very much intact. It later
delivered it to local authorities on the back of a Officer E. E. Maxwell While shot down a proved to be one of the most intact bombing
donkey, and another was shot down by U.S. balloon, which landed on Sumas Mountain, in balloons yet to fall into American hands. As was
Army Air Forces planes near Reno). In all, Washington State. On March 10, Pilot Officer J. usual in instances of this sort, the local people
seven fire balloons were turned in to the Army Gordon Patten destroyed a balloon near were told what it was and were asked to keep
in Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Northern Mexico, Saltspring Island, British Columbia. secret what they had seen.
Michigan, and even the outskirts of Detroit. On March 10, 1945, one of the last paper
Fighters scrambled to intercept the balloons, but balloons descended in the vicinity of the Allied investigation
they had little success; the balloons flew very Manhattan Project's production facility at the
high and surprisingly fast, and fighters Hanford Site. This balloon caused a short circuit Despite their low success, the authorities were
destroyed fewer than 20. in the power lines supplying electricity for the worried about the balloons. There was the
American authorities concluded the nuclear reactor cooling pumps, but backup chance that they might get unlucky. Much
greatest danger from these balloons would be safety devices restored power almost worse, the Americans had some knowledge that
wildfires in the Pacific coastal forests. The immediately. the Japanese had been working on biological
Fourth Air Force, Western Defense Command Two paper balloons were recovered in a weapons, most specifically at the infamous Unit
and Ninth Service Command organized the single day in Modoc National Forest, east of 731 site at Pingfan in northeast China, and a
Firefly Project of 2,700 troops including 200 Mount Shasta. Near Medford, Oregon, a balloon carrying biowarfare agents could be a
paratroopers of the 555th Parachute Infantry balloon bomb exploded in towering flames. The real threat.
Battalion with Stinson L-5 Sentinel and Navy found balloons in the ocean. Balloon
Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft. These men were envelopes and apparatus were found in Montana (Continued on Page 25)
stationed at critical points for use in fire- and Arizona, and inside Canada in
fighting missions. The 555th suffered one Saskatchewan, in the Northwest Territories, and For the very best radio programming from the
fatality and 22 injuries fighting fires. in the Yukon Territory. Eventually, an Army world of the paranormal and the science of
Through Firefly, the military used the fighter managed to push one of the balloons parapsychology without the sensationalism
United States Forest Service as a proxy agency around in the air and force it to ground intact, and getting to the truth, listen to
to combat FuGo. Due to limited war time fire where it was examined and filmed. Japanese www.xzbn.net - The ‘X’ Zone Radio Show
propaganda broadcasts announced great fires