We had many U-Boat attacks up and down the East Coast during WWII. There have been many stories printed and books written of the events.
In Virginia Beach people would be sun bathing on the beach and occasionally they would see a supply ship get blown up!
Between VA Beach and the Outer Banks, swimming came to a halt from all the saturation of fuel oil along the beaches and in the sand of the beaches as well!
NC’s Outer Banks was called, “Torpedo Alley”
By July of 1942, 397 ships had been sunk or damaged,
with more than 5,000 people killed.
We had actual hostile attacks on our West Coast mainland by Japanese Balloon Bombs launched from submarines, there were a few plane attacks as well…
February 23, 1942, a Japanese submarine launched a bomb at a Pacific Coast oil refinery in the small town of Goleta near Santa Barbara, California…. A catwalk and a pump house were destroyed… no casualties!
A Japanese submarine surfaced in Oregon’s Columbia River in June 1942. A balloon bomb was launched no casualties and minor physical damage to a baseball field backstop near Fort Stevens.
September 9th and 29th, 1942, Japanese planes attempted to start major forest fires by dropping incendiary bombs near Brookings, Oregon…. both bombing attempts, there were no casualties or major damage thanks to the quick response efforts by fire lookout officers.
From 1944 to 1945, the Japanese launched an estimated 900 “fire balloons” at the American mainland. Japan called the operation, “Fu-Go.”
These fire balloons were made of paper, inflated with hydrogen, and carrying 5-kilogram incendiary bombs. Only 1 of the 900 balloon bombs caused any deaths. Outside Bly, Oregon, the Mitchell family was picnicking in the woods not far from their home.
One of the Mitchell children found a balloon and was trying to get the balloon out of a tree.
The balloon bomb explode, the Mitchell family died: five children and mother.
The people of Bly, Oregon erected a memorial to Mitchell family and stands in the forest near the site of their picnic…
Of the 900 balloon bombs only 300 were found scattered over 17 states far away as Michigan and Iowa.
Ten years post war, over 60 years ago, a balloon bomb was found, and nothing since.
There may be unexploded “Fo-Go”s scattered about and are considered still potentially armed and dangerous.
Pick/*****
The Bombing of Tarnov, Nebraska
During WWII
The Daily Telegram newspaper ( Columbus , Nebraska ). August 16, 1943.
Story by Jerry Penry
Between 4:00 – 4:30 a.m on August 19, 1943, at least two bombers mistakenly thought that the small Nebraska town of Tarnov was their intended target. Although the military kept quiet about the incident, it is probable that the planes were B-17′s from the Sioux City Army Air Field who had assumed that the town was the Stanton Bombing Range which was located approximately twenty-five miles to the northeast.
Eyewitnesses claimed that two planes circled the town at least fifteen times while dropping the bombs as if they never realized their mistake once it had begun. The bombs were of the practice type, otherwise the town would have been obliterated. The southern part of town received the hits with three falling within the business district. One bomb came through the porch roof of a local house. Upon entering the house, the bomb angled into the pantry and went through the floor lodging itself in the dirt below. Six people were in the house including two small children age 5 and 9 who were sleeping in their bedroom just one wall away from the strike, but were unharmed.
The Platte County sheriff was immediately notified who in turn called members of the local Civil Defense team. The area of town where the bombs landed was evacuated until military officials arrived at the scene and took over the investigation. By noon, six bombs had been found. Besides the one that had struck the house, another bomb narrowly missed another house, one struck a sidewalk, one struck a street, and two fell east of the school. One near the school also struck the ground just outside a dance hall that had just hours previously had many people gathered both inside and outside. Two days later a young boy discovered a seventh bomb in a potato patch.
The practice bombs were sand-filled with a small explosive charge, but apparently none detonated. After removing the charge and emptying the sand, the sheriff placed them on display at his office in Columbus. Two days later the military promptly came and removed them from his office and took them to the base at Sioux City.
Perhaps for investigation purposes and also disciplinary measures, the military placed a white sheet in the location where each bomb was found and then photographed the site from the air. Tarnov then became famous as the small Nebraska town that got bombed during WWII.
http://www.nebraskaaircrash.com/events/tarnov.html
Forwarded by
Dan Sorkin
All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.
…Steven Wright
