The Strange Story About How Wyoming Was Bombed During World War II Is A Little-Known Piece Of History

This story may seem stranger than fiction, and those who discovered a balloon bomb falling from the sky would probably agree.

When the object landed, it was discovered to be a Japanese Fu-Go Balloon Bomb. Though the Japanese launched 9,300 of these bombs, only about 300 made it to land, and the Thermopolis bomb was the first to reach the United States.

These massive balloons had to carry more than 1,000 pounds across the ocean, which was no easy task for technology at the time. The fact that any of them made it here, to begin with, is an impressive feat!

The goal of the mission was to cause panic and fear in the United States, but a media blackout meant that these landings and explosions went unreported. In fact, the Japanese only ever learned of the landing in Wyoming!

There were six casualties caused by one of the balloons when it was discovered in an Oregon forest and exploded. After that, the public was warned to stay away from the objects, but the stories were still scarce.

In fact, these balloon attacks were the longest ranged assaults in the history of warfare, and it wasn't until 1982 (during the Falkland Islands War) that the distance was topped.

Luckily for the Wyoming miners and most Americans, the Fu-Go Balloon attacks were largely unsuccessful, and the campaign lasted just about six months.