Did anyone else know about this? The plan was "to have kamikaze pilots infest California with disease. Planes loaded with plague-infected fleas would take off from a submarine and contaminate San Diego." (James Bradley, Flyboys). Those Spirit Warriors would've stopped at nothing.
There were many ideas like that which did not come to fruition. Personally I don't think the flea thing would work well in the US. The population density is too high and the hygene habits are pretty good.
After reading the articles I too find it somewhat hard to see if how the Japanese could have, in any way carried out their plan.
Anyone familiar with the rice bombs? I believe they were actually succesful in killing one American family.
Do you mean the rice paper balloon bombs? They were launched in 1945 and used the jet stream. The one family you mention was killed in Oregon - as I recall, they were on a church outing.
I have seen the so-called damage at least with the memorials here in southern Oregon. One up in the hills to the east of the coastal town of Brookings and the other paper ballon took on the air currants and flew over my town towards the SE towards Bly about 100 miles east of me. A pastor and his familie were having a picnic up in the hills and the kids went after the ballon unsuspecting , killed everyone except the minister. Memorial in place of this very tragic event E
There was a segment about them on a History Channel program. Very interesting. Sort of off topic but do you fellas over in the U.K. get the History Channel?
I've been following the story of something similar in Britain. Apparently, around 1943 the RAF tried something similar in southern England. The plan was to release balloon-borne butterfly bombs and let them drift over to the Continent. However, the wind changed and they all drifted into a nearby village. Two schoolboys were killed before the bomb disposal boys got there, and a few other people were injured. Miller, I don't have Sky-just 'council telly' , so I can't get HC any more. We also have the UK History Channel, which is no relation.
From looking at the listings of History Channel vs Uk History - Uk History looks like a superior channel and it's free! Check it out on the link below. Not sure if you can get this in the US UK's moving to digital TV and with a settop box you can get many free channels via your normal TV ariel, although I did need to get a new ariel! Sad thing is loads of channels are shopping, "lifestyle", etc, although UK History is a bright point among them. Uk History
Well it looks like it did work on China. BBC News : Thursday, 25 January, 2001, 16:54 GMT Japan's wartime military ''bombed'' a Chinese city with bubonic plague carrying fleas, triggering a serious outbreak of the disease, a doctor has told a Tokyo court. Bacteriologist Huang Ketai said at least 109 people had died from the plague in Ningbo in November and December 1940. The disease broke out just days after Japanese warplanes dropped fleas over the city centre, the court heard. Dr Huang was giving evidence at a case in which 180 Chinese are demanding compensation and an apology from Japan for the deaths of their relatives during World War Two. The plaintiffs believe their family members were killed in biological experiments and acts of brutality carried out by Japan's notorious Unit 731. Dr Huang said the fleas, a kind not native to the region, were infected with "plague with artificially intensified toxicity", which he added only Unit 731 could do. Houses burned Lawyers for the plaintiffs say the fleas were dropped by air in a mixture with wheat. "Obviously, the outbreak was deliberately created," Dr Huang added. "It perfectly matches the area and the timing of the Japanese military's wheat dumping." The bubonic plague is normally spread by fleas on rats, but only one dead rat was found, he added. Also unusual was the fact that the outbreak was confined to such a small area. Dr Huang said infected houses, hospitals and other buildings in Ningbo were burned and had to be left untouched for decades. 'Japan should apologise' The lawsuit, filed in 1999, claims at least 2,100 people were killed in germ-bombings and other biological experiments by the unit and its affiliates. After decades of denial, Japan has now admitted that Unit 731 did exist, but it has refused to confirm its activities. Xuan Wang, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said they were demanding Japan admit it carried out biological warfare and apologise. They are also asking for 10m yen ($86,670) each in compensation for the "mental suffering [caused by] biological warfare". The hearing at the Tokyo District Court is expected to continue for months. "I have devoted almost my entire life to the flea bombing probe," Dr Huang said in comments quoted by AP news agency. "Japan's government should at least apologise and compensate for our sufferings."
