Japanese fire balloons flew over Nev. in WW II

It was nine days ago when millions of Americans were glued to their TV sets to watch a runaway Army blimp streak across the skies of Maryland and Pennsylvania.

The 243-foot craft that had torn loose from its 6,700-foot tether at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland eventually crashed into a clump of trees after its four-hour, 150-mile wind-powered journey.

Army officials are now investigating what went wrong with the blimp, the centerpiece of its $2.7 billion experiment called JLENS (short for Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System) which utilizes the unmanned, helium-filled blimps to detect and track potential threats from enemy cruise missiles, planes, drones, ships and ground vehicles by the use of radar and other electronics.

The JLENS testing is among the latest U.S. military and civilian experimentation of blimps and balloons that began on Jan. 9, 1783, when the first manned flight of a balloon occurred. Piloted by a Frenchman named Jean-Pierre Blanchard, the balloon rose about 5,800 feet over Philadelphia. It landed safely in New Jersey.

Among the observers was Gen. George Washington, who was to become the first U.S. president six years later.

The initial U.S. military experiments with balloons began in 1861, when the Union Army launched tethered balloons from the ground and a converted coal barge moored in a river (the latter was the nation’s first aircraft carrier) to observe and photograph Confederate troop positions and movements during the Civil War.

During both World Wars, the Army and Navy used blimps and balloons as observation platforms, particularly to detect German submarines and ships. “Barrage” balloons which were tethered to the ground by heavy metal cables also were utilized to intercept low-flying enemy aircraft flying over allied cities.

In Nevada, other Western states and Canada during World War II, the Japanese released an estimated 9,300 hydrogen-filled incendiary balloons to create panic, havoc and psychological damage. Launched from the Japanese mainland and flown to North America via the eastward jet stream, these “fire balloons” were intended to start fires amidst cities, forests and farmland.

The devices consisted of the balloons themselves, which were made of paper and silk, and five bombs suspended in a cluster from each balloon.

The balloons, of which about 350 made it across the Pacific, landed in Nevada, California, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and several Canadian provinces. Several of the balloons flew as far as Alaska, Michigan, Texas and northern Mexico.

The only recorded deaths from the fire bombs were of a family of six who were picnicking in Southern Oregon. Dozens of fires were caused by the fire bombs released from the balloons, but the the blazes were quickly put out and the damage was minimal.

In 1944 and early 1945, six of the balloons flew into Nevada near Reno, Pyramid Lake, Massacre Lake in northern Washoe County, Jiggs in Elko County, Indian Springs 44 miles north of Las Vegas, and Yerington.

The balloon over Reno never dropped its fire bombs and was shot down by military aircraft. The balloons that flew to Pyramid Lake, Massacre Lake and Indian Springs fell to he ground when the winds subsided and caused little or no damage. The balloon that fell near Yerington landed in a clump of trees on a Lyon County ranch. The rancher put the balloon in the back of his pickup ruck and delivered it to the commanding officer of the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot.

The balloon which fell harmlessly to the ground near Jiggs was discovered by a prospector who bundled it up, placed it on the back of his mule and took it to the sheriff in Elko.

Balloons also were used during the 14 atmospheric atomic and nuclear tests conducted between 1951 and 1962 at the Nevada Test Site at Frenchman Flat in northern Clark County. The testing recorded the blast effects of the bombs on “Doom Towns” constructed by the U.S. military that included buildings, houses, bridges and even mannequins dressed in the latest fashions.

In some cases, the bombs were suspended from balloons before they were dropped or set off above the so-called doom towns. Most recently, balloons have been sent aloft from Nevada by Google for its “Project Loon” experiments that involve Google’s goal to bring Internet access to large swaths of the nation that have little or no Internet connectivity.

The project was unveiled five months ago, and Google said at the time it was experimenting with balloons flying about 12 miles above the earth. During the initial testing, the balloons were released from a site near Carlin in Elko County. High altitude testing of Project Loon also has been conducted from the airport at Winnemucca.

The test balloons, according to Google, are made of plastic, are 45 feet wide and carry solar panels and advanced electronics. One of the trial balloons sent aloft from Winnemucca crashed into power lines in south-central Washington state, damaging a power pole and temporarily cutting off electricity near Yakima.

It’s been 232 years since the advent of balloon experiments in the U.S. that began with the 1783 flight over Philadelphia witnessed by George Washington, and that testing continues unabated to this day.

David C. Henley is Publisher Emeritus.