When Six Americans Were Killed By a ‘Balloon Bomb'

A balloon used for warfare by the Japanese resulted in the only Americans to die on U.S. soil from enemy action in during World War II.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, May 05, 2022 at 10:36 AM ET

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In 1944, the Japanese military tried to instill panic in the U.S. by launching thousands of bombs carried across the Pacific by means of hydrogen-filled balloons. [Courtesy: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Japanese Fu-Go balloon bombs were incendiary devices launched by Japan during WWII, designed to travel across the Pacific on hydrogen balloons to instill panic and start forest fires in the U.S.
Thousands of these balloons were launched, but only an estimated 900 reached the U.S., with most landing harmlessly in remote areas, and the U.S. media censoring news of their arrival to prevent panic.
On May 5, 1945, a balloon bomb tragically killed a pregnant woman and five children in Oregon, marking the only deaths on U.S. soil from enemy action during World War II.

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May 5, 2022, marks the 77th anniversary of the deaths of six Americans, the only Americans to die on U.S. soil from enemy action in World War II. They were killed by a Japanese Fu-Go, also known as a balloon bomb.

Fear, Panic and Forest Fires

In 1944, the Japanese military tried to instill panic in the U.S. by launching thousands of bombs carried across the Pacific by means of hydrogen-filled balloons. The bombs were designed primarily as incendiary devices. The target was the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Because they were made of paper, it was believed the balloon bombs would explode and burn, leaving no trace. According to Japanese documentation, it was thought the fires would pull resources away from the military and the stealthy nature of the balloon bombs would unnerve and terrify the populace.