In late 1944, the Japanese army started launching 9,000 unmanned bomb-carrying balloon throughout the Pacific to bombard the West Coast.
Most of the balloon bombs fell harmlessly within the ocean, however just a few landed within the Northwest, setting off just a few minor forest fires. Only about 300 balloon bombs landed within the U.S. Canada, and Mexico.
Of the recognized places of balloon bomb landings, just one was reported in San Diego County, in line with Ross Coen, a historical past professor and the writer of “Fu-Go: The Curious History of Japan’s Balloon Bomb Attack on America.”
A neighborhood rancher named Everett Campbell and considered one of his ranch fingers noticed a pear-shaped balloon land close to his Julian ranch on Jan. 31, 1945, in line with Coen.
The Julian balloon touchdown got here after the federal government’s Office of Censorship had ordered a media blackout of any news in regards to the balloons.
The news blackout stayed in impact till May 5, 1945, when a mom and 5 kids had been killed in Oregon when a balloon bomb they dragged from the woods exploded. Details remained categorised till the warfare ended.
From The San Diego Union, Friday, Aug. 17, 1945
Enemy Balloon Found in S.D. County Studied
At least one and probably two of the hundreds of bomb-carrying paper balloons the Japanese are believed to have despatched in opposition to the United States fell in San Diego county. Relaxation of censorship permitted this disclosure right here for the primary time yesterday.
In addition, no less than two of the balloons are believed to have handed over the county, carried farther east by the identical winds that the enemy cleverly calculated would transport the gas-filled paper luggage from Japan throughout hundreds of miles of Pacific ocean to the continental United States.
One balloon was recovered intact within the neighborhood of Cedar Creek, six miles southwest of Julian, final Jan. 31. A fisherman discovered it and the system was studied in flip by the federal bureau of investigation and the workplace of naval intelligence.
SECOND BAG LOST
The different balloon was seen flying low over El Capitan dam. It rose, nevertheless, earlier than supposedly falling within the tough mountain space past Descanso. It is believed to be nonetheless there. A search failing to search out it was deserted.
Neither of the balloons did any obvious injury. A block of picric acid, considerably bigger than a pound of butter and probably supposed to destroy the system to forestall research of its intricate equipment, was discovered on the Cedar Creek balloon.
The balloon that fell in Cedar creek was described as having a bag 33 toes in diameter, composed of three-ply laminated rice paper, which may be very robust and retains gasoline higher than material. The management mechanism and bomb load had been carried in a “skirt” suspended by paper rope strands. The bag was crammed with inflammable gasoline.
The bomb mechanism was managed by barometers and an electrical battery, actuating a sequence of switches that operated when the balloon descended to a decided altitude. At every descent ballast luggage had been dumped because the balloon crossed the ocean. The closing sequence of descents dropped incendiary bombs, of which there have been 4, and an anti-personnel bomb. Usually the balloons additionally carried a demolition cost supposed to destroy the system on the finish.
The balloons usually traveled at an elevation of 30,000 to 40,000 toes. Most of them fell within the northern elements of the Pacific coast.
STORM WIND BLAMED
Belief that the balloons had been blown this fashion by a storm that swept the ocean areas off San Diego final winter additionally was expressed. About that point a number of others had been sighted over this space however no different landings had been reported.
One reportedly got here down within the ocean not far north of San Diego and others landed at Van Nuys and Saticoy.
Navy planes chased no less than one of many balloons over the San Diego mountains and into Arizona.
Aerial technique in grounding the balloons that had been noticed was to fly near them in planes and by air disturbance drive them to earth.
OFTEN MISTAKEN
Many climate balloons had been mistaken right here for Japanese balloons, particularly after army authorities instituted a word-of-mouth marketing campaign warning the general public of the potential risks related to the equipment. Six individuals who tampered with a balloon close to Lakeview, Ore., had been killed by the explosion.
San Diego gave the impression to be out of the principle “invasion” line of the balloons and it was felt right here that solely people who got here within the wake of the January storm reached southern California.
Results of F.B.I. and navy research of the Cedar Creek balloon—one of many few that landed in such excellent situation—had been positioned within the extremely secret class till the warfare ended.