The Japanese Bombed Oregon.

[fightingquaker13]

Here is a bit of WWII trivia I did not know. Apparently in 1942 the Japanese sent folding sub borne mini-planes to bomb the Oregon coast. It's an interesting article.

http://www.dvice.com/2013-5-8/little-known-wwii-bombing-brookings-oregon

[Solus]

I knew of the bombing as a trivia fact, but not the story detail, particularly the personal details of the Forest Service observers or the Japanese pilot and city involved.

Our first bombing of the Japanese mainland, by Jimmy Doolittle and his raiders, earlier that year seemed to catch more headlines.

[mortdooley]

I didn't know a live pilot flew over the U.S. but I heard that small incendiary bombs were attached to balloons and floated off the coast to start fires.

Most people don't know that there are U-boats sunk in the Gulf of Mexico and off the eastern seaboard.

[alfsauve]

Most people don't know that there are U-boats sunk in the Gulf of Mexico and off the eastern seaboard.

I knew.  I knew.  While my dad wasn't involved with maritime operations, he maintained an emergency evacuation field in Statesboro, GA.   In the event of naval attack on Savannah and Hunter Army Air Field, they would evacuate to dad's base, 80 miles inland.

[TAB]

THey flew actual planes in alaska

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

THey flew actual planes in alaska

They had troops in Alaska.
This is the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.

[Timothy]

They had troops in Alaska.

Specifically the Aleutian island of Attu.

[tombogan03884]

The Island of Kiska as well .
Ever hear of the "Bat bombers" ?
The Japanese attached incendiary bombs to bats, loaded them into balloons with a timed release mechanism and let the prevailing winds do their thing .
Supposedly they did manage to start a couple small fires in the Northwest but nothing significant .

[alfsauve]

Ever hear of the "Bat bombers" ?

Early model drones?  Kinda of like our pigeon guided bombs.

[Big Frank]

The U.S. tried bat bombs but the bats went into hibernation when the plane got cold at altitude. It was a huge failure.