General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Operation "Fugo"
Posted by:
Tom Iwanski
()
Date: October 17, 2001 01:31PM
<HTML>Hi all,
I've looked into this topic quite a bit. An interesting book that gives a firsthand account of the building of the balloons can be found in "Japan at War, an Oral History". Young girls from the Lily corps were pressed into service building the balloons, which were constructed of rice glue and paper. One of these girls gives an account of the terrible working conditions and hunger under which she and others suffered. She also speaks of eating the rice glue, which was then watered down to make up the difference. The watered down glue was thought to be one reasons many of the balloons broke apart in their flight across the Pacific.
The rationale behind the balloons was to spread panic. There was also a tactical goal of starting uncontrollable wildfires in the forests of America's Pacific Northwest. Niether goal was achieved by the balloons.
The balloons carried three bombs, two incendiary and one high explosive. I believe the fire bombs were 75lbs each and the HE was either 100 or 125 lbs.
As has been stated, the only casualties were a picnicing family who stumbled onto an HE bomb that had not detonated on initial impact. Sorry Oliver, no reports of cows being killed.
The mechanisms of the balloons were fairly primitive, but they did manage to do their job on many occasions. I live in Colorado and interviewd a farmer who lives just 20 miles to the north who's farm was bombed by one of these contraptions. He was just fifteen, but recounts how an incendiary bomb exploded about a quarter mile from where he was standing. The Feds came out immediately to investigate. They forbade the press from reporting the event. The next year this farmer was driving the family tractor in through a weed covered field when the rear wheel dropped into the small blast crater left by the HE bomb. He still has fragments of the casing that he found at the site.
They were primitive, but it's nonetheless amazing to think of a balloon made of paper and rice glue being able to deliver its payload halfway around the world.
Regards,
Tom</HTML>
I've looked into this topic quite a bit. An interesting book that gives a firsthand account of the building of the balloons can be found in "Japan at War, an Oral History". Young girls from the Lily corps were pressed into service building the balloons, which were constructed of rice glue and paper. One of these girls gives an account of the terrible working conditions and hunger under which she and others suffered. She also speaks of eating the rice glue, which was then watered down to make up the difference. The watered down glue was thought to be one reasons many of the balloons broke apart in their flight across the Pacific.
The rationale behind the balloons was to spread panic. There was also a tactical goal of starting uncontrollable wildfires in the forests of America's Pacific Northwest. Niether goal was achieved by the balloons.
The balloons carried three bombs, two incendiary and one high explosive. I believe the fire bombs were 75lbs each and the HE was either 100 or 125 lbs.
As has been stated, the only casualties were a picnicing family who stumbled onto an HE bomb that had not detonated on initial impact. Sorry Oliver, no reports of cows being killed.
The mechanisms of the balloons were fairly primitive, but they did manage to do their job on many occasions. I live in Colorado and interviewd a farmer who lives just 20 miles to the north who's farm was bombed by one of these contraptions. He was just fifteen, but recounts how an incendiary bomb exploded about a quarter mile from where he was standing. The Feds came out immediately to investigate. They forbade the press from reporting the event. The next year this farmer was driving the family tractor in through a weed covered field when the rear wheel dropped into the small blast crater left by the HE bomb. He still has fragments of the casing that he found at the site.
They were primitive, but it's nonetheless amazing to think of a balloon made of paper and rice glue being able to deliver its payload halfway around the world.
Regards,
Tom</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Operation "Fugo"
|
Torlef | 10/17/2001 06:58AM |
|
Re: Operation "Fugo"
|
oliver | 10/17/2001 07:43AM |
|
Re: Operation "Fugo"
|
walter M | 10/17/2001 06:44PM |
|
Re: Operation "Fugo"
|
kurt | 10/17/2001 10:46AM |
|
Re: Operation "Fugo"
|
Tom Iwanski | 10/17/2001 01:31PM |
|
Re: Operation "Fugo"
|
Rainer Kolbicz | 10/17/2001 06:35PM |
|
Re: Operation "Fugo"
|
Yuri IL'IN | 10/29/2001 02:52AM |