Near Ellsworth in Sheridan County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Japanese Balloon Bombs
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 2, 2021
1. Japanese Balloon Bombs Marker
During World War II the Japanese built some nine thousand hydrogen-filled, paper balloons to carry small bombs to North America, hoping to set fires and inflict casualties. The first was launched November 3, 1944. The balloons rose to about 30,000 feet, where winds aloft transported them across the Pacific Ocean.
On February 22, 1945, Kenneth Hamilton, living on a nearby ranch, observed a balloon floating eastward. It looked like “an orange ball with the sun shining on it… As we were watching, it turned into a cloud of smoke and went to the ground.” The balloons carried timing devices to release the bombs and then destroy the envelope. Alliance Army Air Field officials recovered a valve and pieces of shroud lines where the balloon came down.
Parts of five balloon bombs were recovered in Nebraska from a total of 285 balloon bomb incidents reported across North America. Although the balloon bombs proved ineffective as military weapons, they caused six fatalities and a few minor fires in the United States. Only after the war was their story revealed.
Erected 2015 by Nebraska Tourism Commission; Nebraska State Historical Society; and Senator LeRoy J. Louden and Area Donors. (Marker Number 505.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space
this page online
Location. 42° 15.106′ N, 102° 13.745′ W. Marker is near Ellsworth, Nebraska, in Sheridan County. Marker is on Mari Sandoz Sandhills Trail (State Highway 27) 15 miles north of State Highway 2, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located in a pull-out on the east side of the highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ellsworth NE 69340, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Mari Sandoz, 1896-1966 (approx. 8˝ miles away); Spade Ranch (approx. 13˝ miles away).
Also see . . .
1. Fu-Go Balloon Bomb (Wikipedia). The Japanese fire balloon was the first ever weapon possessing intercontinental range. The Japanese balloon attacks on North America were at that time the longest ranged attacks ever conducted in the history of warfare. The Japanese expected 10% (around 900) of the bombs to reach America, which is also what is currently believed by researchers. About 300 balloon bombs were found or observed in America. Canada and Mexico reported balloon sightings
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 2, 2021
2. Japanese Balloon Bombs Marker
Looking east from Nebraska Highway 27.
2. Japanese Balloon Bombs. The balloons weren't designed to navigate themselves and that's part of the wonder of this Japanese offensive. The ballons would rise to the sky, from the beaches of Japan, and follow the Jet Stream all the way to the United States. The United States government went to extraordinary measures to keep information on the Japanese balloon bombs out of the media. The United States knew that Japan could only measure its success based on media reports. And giving them that type of intelligence information could cause them to refine the balloons to be more accurate and deadly. (Submitted on September 3, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 3, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 3,936 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 3, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
