Japan sent bombs like this one to drift across the Pacific Ocean during 1944 and 1945 to spread fear across America during World War II.
Following the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and the American retaliation strike on Tokyo by the Doolittle Raiders in April 1942, Japanese leadership began searching for ways to ext end their bombing range across the Pacific Ocean.
Soon, Alaska found itself on the front lines of an unusual, silent, aerial assault. From late 1944 to 1945, Japanese fu-go balloon bombs found their way to the Last Frontier's shores.
The fu-go ("fūsen" is the Japanese word for balloon and "-go" was added to all projects in the Japanese experimental weapons program) was a technological marvel for its time, designed to spread fear and destruction. This first intercontinental weapon in human history was a hydrogen-filled paper balloon about 33 feet in diameter, carrying a payload of incendiary and anti-personnel bombs. The Japanese military hoped these weapons would ignite forest fires, cause panic, and divert American resources from the war effort.
Alaska, due to its proximity to Japan and vast wilderness, became a prime target for these balloon bombs. According to a 1973 study, at least 32 documented sightings or recoveries of these "windship weapons" occurred in Alaska.
Once the U.S. military learned of these balloons, secrecy became the order of the day. Authorities feared Americans would panic if they knew Japan could strike the western states. Alaska Territorial Guard founder Marvin "Muktuk" Marston feared the bombs carried more than explosives.
"Our greatest fear was that the Japanese would use the balloons for germ warfare," he said in a 1961 interview.
Marston instructed the ATG to be on the lookout for these weapons.
"If one should come your way, shoot it down; or, if it is found on the ground, post a guard and let no one go near it. ... This is a confidential matter and if it is published it will aid the enemy," he said.
Nine balloons were shot down over Attu Island in a single day on April 13, 1945, highlighting the potential threat these weapons posed to Alaska's strategic military installations in the Aleutian Islands.
The fu-gos were spotted across a wide swath of Alaska, from the Aleutians to Bethel and even above the Arctic Circle. This spread demonstrated the unpredictable nature of these wind-borne weapons and the challenges they presented to defense efforts.
Residents in Anchorage had a close encounter on June 18, 1945, when a downed balloon was discovered carrying one high-explosive bomb and two incendiary devices. Fortunately, the bombs failed to detonate and were safely disarmed by military personnel. The incident brought the reality of the threat directly to Alaska's urban population – but news of it was kept minimal.
Keeping the existence of balloon bombs secret was part of a broader strategy. By maintaining a media blackout, authorities hoped to deny the Japanese any feedback on the effectiveness of their campaign. This approach may have contributed to Japan's decision to halt the fu-go program, as they had no way to assess its impact.
Despite the potential danger, the campaign proved largely ineffective in Alaska and across North America. The balloons' inability to be guided, combined with the vast and uninhabited territories they drifted over, meant that most caused little damage.
The fu-go campaign left long-lasting effects on Alaska's landscape. Even after the war ended, balloon bomb remnants continued to be discovered. In 1947, two years after the war's conclusion, another bomb was found near Petersburg.
These lingering weapons posed dangers to unsuspecting civilians and served as tangible reminders of the conflict. The fu-go balloon bomb campaign in Alaska during World War II represents a unique chapter in the state's history and highlights Alaska's strategic position as America's northwestern frontier and its role in the broader conflict.
This column features tidbits found while researching Alaska's colorful past for Aunt Phil's Trunk, a five-book Alaska history series written by Laurel Downing Bill and her late aunt, Phyllis Downing Carlson. These books and her latest, "Pioneers From Alaska's Past," are available at bookstores and gift shops throughout Alaska, as well as online at www.auntphilstrunk.com.
