herakles
05-09-2008, 22:09
I discovered this strange facet of WW2 only recently and was fascinated by it. If you've not heard of the Fugos before, read on.
Using balloons in war is hardly new. One recalls the reconnaissance balloons used in WW1 for instance. During WW2, the Japanese had the idea of releasing balloon bombs that would float across the Pacific to the USA, carried by the Jet stream. Once over land, they would release their bombs hopefully to cause devastation. Some 9300 were released and about 300 are known to have reached the USA and Canada. A similar but less developed idea was used by the British in 1942-44.
Japan released the first of these bomb-bearing balloons on November 3, 1944. They were found in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Michigan and Iowa, as well as Mexico and Canada. The last one was launched in April 1945. The last known discovery of a functional fire balloon in North America was in 1955 - its payload still lethal after 10 years of corrosion. A non-lethal balloon bomb was discovered in Alaska in 1992.
The Fugo was made of mulberry paper and inflated with hydrogen. As a paper weapon it came under much ridicule by the USA. Here are its' specifications:
A sphere about 100 ft. in diameter with a volume of 19,000 cubic ft. of Hydrogen
Lifting capacity 800 lbs at sealevel and 400 lbs at 32,000 ft.
Armament: 5 5 or 12 kg. Thermite bombs and 1 15 kg. High Explosive Anti-personnel bomb.
Most of the bomb's paper was made by schoolchildren.
The balloon bombs were released from Japan in the winter months when the jet stream is the strongest. They popped up to altitude (20,000 to 40,000 ft.) and if they were lucky into the stream. They travelled along in an easterly direction crossing the Pacific at around 200 mph in the jet stream.
In daytime they would ride at the maximum altitude but as time wore on they would sink. At night they would collect dew and become heavy. Below a set height the altimeter would cause a set of blow plugs (charges that released the ballast) to fire releasing the sand bag ballast. The lost of weight would cause the balloon to pop back up to altitude. This continued till all the sand bags were gone.
The last ballast was the armament. Thermite bombs were armed and dropped in the last positions on the ring. Anti-personnel bombs were also used. After all the ballast was gone a picric acid block blew up destroying the gondola. A fuse was lit that was connected to a charge on the balloon itself. The hydrogen and air mixture burned the balloon envelope up as a large orange fireball.
In fact, this attack proved useless. The only casualties caused were to a group of 6 picnickers when the kids found one and moved it. Some Fugos set off forest fires. One landed on power lines and this temporarily stopped plutonium production at the nearby nuclear plant.
Their potential for harm was however huge. The Americans were so concerned about them causing fear and panic in the population that they created a complete news blackout about them. Because of this, the Japanese decided the experiment had failed and stopped sending them. As well, B-29s had destroyed two of the three hydrogen plants needed by the project.
When first discovered, it was feared that the balloons were carrying bacteria or chemicals.
Even today, an occasional deflated balloon is found in inaccessible terrain.
(with help from Wiki)
Using balloons in war is hardly new. One recalls the reconnaissance balloons used in WW1 for instance. During WW2, the Japanese had the idea of releasing balloon bombs that would float across the Pacific to the USA, carried by the Jet stream. Once over land, they would release their bombs hopefully to cause devastation. Some 9300 were released and about 300 are known to have reached the USA and Canada. A similar but less developed idea was used by the British in 1942-44.
Japan released the first of these bomb-bearing balloons on November 3, 1944. They were found in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Michigan and Iowa, as well as Mexico and Canada. The last one was launched in April 1945. The last known discovery of a functional fire balloon in North America was in 1955 - its payload still lethal after 10 years of corrosion. A non-lethal balloon bomb was discovered in Alaska in 1992.
The Fugo was made of mulberry paper and inflated with hydrogen. As a paper weapon it came under much ridicule by the USA. Here are its' specifications:
A sphere about 100 ft. in diameter with a volume of 19,000 cubic ft. of Hydrogen
Lifting capacity 800 lbs at sealevel and 400 lbs at 32,000 ft.
Armament: 5 5 or 12 kg. Thermite bombs and 1 15 kg. High Explosive Anti-personnel bomb.
Most of the bomb's paper was made by schoolchildren.
The balloon bombs were released from Japan in the winter months when the jet stream is the strongest. They popped up to altitude (20,000 to 40,000 ft.) and if they were lucky into the stream. They travelled along in an easterly direction crossing the Pacific at around 200 mph in the jet stream.
In daytime they would ride at the maximum altitude but as time wore on they would sink. At night they would collect dew and become heavy. Below a set height the altimeter would cause a set of blow plugs (charges that released the ballast) to fire releasing the sand bag ballast. The lost of weight would cause the balloon to pop back up to altitude. This continued till all the sand bags were gone.
The last ballast was the armament. Thermite bombs were armed and dropped in the last positions on the ring. Anti-personnel bombs were also used. After all the ballast was gone a picric acid block blew up destroying the gondola. A fuse was lit that was connected to a charge on the balloon itself. The hydrogen and air mixture burned the balloon envelope up as a large orange fireball.
In fact, this attack proved useless. The only casualties caused were to a group of 6 picnickers when the kids found one and moved it. Some Fugos set off forest fires. One landed on power lines and this temporarily stopped plutonium production at the nearby nuclear plant.
Their potential for harm was however huge. The Americans were so concerned about them causing fear and panic in the population that they created a complete news blackout about them. Because of this, the Japanese decided the experiment had failed and stopped sending them. As well, B-29s had destroyed two of the three hydrogen plants needed by the project.
When first discovered, it was feared that the balloons were carrying bacteria or chemicals.
Even today, an occasional deflated balloon is found in inaccessible terrain.
(with help from Wiki)