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Japanese Fugo or Fire Balloons of WW II 25
Japanese Fugo or Fire
Balloons of WW II
Continued from Page 24
Nobody believed the balloons could
have come directly from Japan. It was thought
that the balloons must be coming from North
American beaches, launched by landing parties
from submarines. Wilder theories speculated
that they could have been launched from
German prisoner of war camps in the U.S., or
even from Japanese-American internment
centers.
Some of the sandbags dropped by the
fusen bakudan were taken to the Military
Geology Unit of the United States Geological
Survey for investigation. Working with the
Military Intelligence Service, the researchers of
the Military Geological Unit began microscopic
and chemical examination of the sand from the
sandbags to determine types and distribution of
diatoms and other microscopic sea creatures,
and its mineral composition. The sand could not
be coming from American beaches, nor from
the mid-Pacific. It had to be coming from Japan.
The geologists ultimately determined that the
sand had been taken from the vicinity of
Ichinomiya. Aerial reconnaissance then located
two of the hydrogen production plants nearby,
which were soon destroyed by bombing.
Press coverup
The bombs caused little damage, but their
potential for destruction and fires was large. The
bombs also had a potential psychological effect
on the American people. The U.S. strategy was
to keep the Japanese from knowing of the
balloon bombs' effectiveness.
In 1945 Newsweek ran an article titled
"Balloon Mystery" in their January 1 issue, and
a similar story appeared in a newspaper the next
day.
The Office of Censorship then sent a
message to newspapers and radio stations to ask immediately, and Elsie died as Archie used his
them to make no mention of balloons and hands to extinguish the fire on her clothing.
balloon-bomb incidents. They did not want the Joan Patzke survived the initial blast, but died
enemy to get the idea that the balloons might be later. A bomb disposal expert guessed that the
effective weapons or to have the American bomb had been kicked. These are the only
people start panicking. Cooperating with the known deaths caused by the balloon bombs.
desires of the government, the press did not They are the only known deaths in the
publish any balloon bomb incidents. Perhaps as contiguous U.S. as the result of enemy action
a result, the Japanese only learned of one during World War II and the only civilian
bomb's reaching Wyoming, landing and failing casualties on American soil after the US entry
to explode, so they stopped the launches after into the war.
less than six months. Military personnel arrived on the scene
The press blackout in the U.S. was lifted within hours, and saw that the balloon still had
after the first deaths to ensure that the public snow underneath it, while the surrounding area
was warned, though public knowledge of the did not. They concluded that the balloon bomb
threat could have possibly prevented it. had drifted to the ground several weeks earlier,
and had lain there undisturbed until found by
Abandonment the group.
Elsie Mitchell is buried in the Ocean
With no evidence of any effect, General Kusaba View Cemetery in Port Angeles, Washington. A
was ordered to cease operations in April 1945, memorial, the Mitchell Monument, is located at
believing that the mission had been a total the point of the explosion, 110 kilometers (68
miles) northeast of Klamath Falls in the
fiasco. The expense was large, and in the
Mitchell Recreation Area. It was listed in the
meantime the B-29s had destroyed two of the
National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
three hydrogen plants needed by the project.
The last fire balloon was launched in Several Japanese civilians have visited the
April 1945. monument to offer their apologies for the deaths
that took place here, and several cherry trees
Single lethal attack have been planted around the monument as a
symbol of peace.
On May 5, 1945, a pregnant woman Post–World War II
(Elsie Winters Mitchell, born February 26,
1919)[30] and five children were killed when
they discovered a balloon bomb that had landed The remains of balloons continued to be
in the forest of Gearhart Mountain in Southern discovered after the war. Eight were found in
Oregon. Archie Mitchell was the pastor of the the 1940s, three in the 1950s, and two in the
Bly Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. 1960s. In 1978, a ballast ring, fuses, and
barometers were found near Agness, Oregon,
He and his pregnant wife Elsie drove up to
and are now part of the collection of the Coos
Gearhart Mountain with five of their Sunday
Historical & Maritime Museum.
school students (aged 11–14) to have a picnic.
They had to stop at this spot near Bly, Oregon, The remains of a balloon bomb were
due to construction and a road closing. Elsie and found in Lumby, British Columbia, in October
the children got out of the car at Bly, while 2014 and detonated by a Royal Canadian Navy
Archie drove on to find a parking spot. As Elsie ordnance disposal team.
and the children looked for a good picnic spot, The Canadian War Museum, in Ottawa,
they saw a strange balloon lying on the ground. Ontario, has a full, intact balloon on display.
Fact is stranger than fiction! []
There were two explosions; the boys were killed