Papav66
09-04-2008, 20:06
During WW2 the Japs planned to attack the West Coast of America using bombs flown over the Pacific by balloon. This ingenious idea was the result of years of research into higher level winds and balloon construction.
The finished weapon of war was a paper balloon carrying a device that could jettison ballast, drop a bomb & even blow itself up if things went awry on the 60 hr journey.
They have now produced a programme on this called On a Wing and a Prayer, telling the story of this forgotten onslaught which was covered up the Americans to the extent that five children were blown up in a forest in Oregon because they had no idea there were bombs in the area.
They showed a film on the history channel last month but if you missed it there's a good website here with trailer:
www.onawindandaprayer.com
Fortunately damage was slight, but they reckon that there are still somewhere in the region of 600 balloons to be found!
The finished weapon of war was a paper balloon carrying a device that could jettison ballast, drop a bomb & even blow itself up if things went awry on the 60 hr journey.
They have now produced a programme on this called On a Wing and a Prayer, telling the story of this forgotten onslaught which was covered up the Americans to the extent that five children were blown up in a forest in Oregon because they had no idea there were bombs in the area.
They showed a film on the history channel last month but if you missed it there's a good website here with trailer:
www.onawindandaprayer.com
Fortunately damage was slight, but they reckon that there are still somewhere in the region of 600 balloons to be found!