logo
episode-header-image
May 2019
34m 8s

The Attack of the Japanese Balloon Bombs

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Picture this: It's late 1944, and you, like thousands of other people on the west coast of North America, have noticed bizarre, jellyfish-like objects floating through the sky. You call the local authorities, maybe even the Air Force, only to be ignored. You don't see anything about this in the papers or on the radio. You are in the midst of a real-world conspiracy of silence -- until, that is, the bombs begin to explode. Listen in to learn more about the attack of the Japanese balloon bombs.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Oct 9
The Dumbest Mobster Ever Tried To Steal Ruby Slippers
There are few pieces of film history more iconic than Dorothy's magic ruby slippers from 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Yet, at first, the studio had no idea how valuable these would become. The multiple pairs of slippers languished in obscurity until costume department worker named Ke ... Show More
40m 23s
Oct 7
The Ridiculously Disturbing History of North Korea
As one of the most isolated countries on the planet, it's no surprise the Democratic People's Republic of Korea remains mysterious in the modern day. So, how did it become a thing? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the bizarre origin story of the "Hermit Kingdom," a t ... Show More
48m 25s
Oct 4
CLASSIC: The Forty Elephants: London’s All-Female Jewel Thieves
For at least 200 years, part of London’s criminal underground was ruled by a gang of brilliant, all-female jewel thieves. In this week's classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the rise and fall of the notorious Forty Elephants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati ... Show More
42m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
Balloons of World War II
We’ve gotten requests to talk about the balloon bombs that Japan used to target North America during World War II. But these were not the only balloons in use during the war, or the first balloons used for military purposes. Research: Barnett, Glenn. “Another Way to Bomb Germany. ... Show More
39m 36s
Oct 2019
Qu'est-ce que le projet Fugo ?
À la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, l'archipel nippon est visé par les bombardements américains. Pour répondre à cette menace, les Japonais mettent au point un projet d'attaque des États-Unis, au moyen de ballons porteurs de bombes... Voir Acast.com/privacy pour les informati ... Show More
2m 7s
Nov 2020
SYMHC Classics: The Night Witches
This episode from 2015 covers the Night Witches, an all-female bombing regiment in the Soviet Air Force. Flying biplanes meant for dusting crops and training new recruits, they dropped 23,000 tons of bombs on German forces in WWII. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www. ... Show More
24m 37s
Apr 2021
Strange News: Czech Billionaire Dies in Helicopter Crash, UFO Produces No Sonic Boom, A Darkness From Space is Eating Nearby Stars
The wealthiest man in the Czech Republic just died in an Alaskan helicopter crash. Declassified files reveal a UFO appeared to break the sound barrier without creating a sonic boom. Scientists have confirmed that, just 153 light-years away, an unknown ...thing appears to be eatin ... Show More
51m 58s
Mar 2022
Hour 3: Tactical Nukes
Some light conversation on nuclear annihilation on a Ask Dr. Jesse Friday. North Vietnam 1967 or Tower of London 1597? The Spanish Inquisition. The bombing of mainland Japan. Sports help prepare you for war. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com ... Show More
38m 41s
Apr 2020
Episode 27: Museums Creep Each Other Out, The Navy Films UFOs, and People Get Killed by Meteors
Museums are trying new, innovative ways to engage the public during the pandemic. The Navy has finally, formally released UFO footage, and researchers have found the world's first proven case of death by meteor. Join Ben Bowlin for more Strange News Daily, and share your stories ... Show More
13m 45s
Aug 2020
The atomic bombs dropped on Japan
The USA dropped its first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6th 1945. Three days later a second atomic bomb was detonated over Nagasaki. The explosion was bigger than the blast at Hiroshima and killed 70,000 people. Louise Hidalgo introduces recordings from ... Show More
8m 58s
Mar 2020
Oklahoma City Bombing | 19
25 years ago, on April 19, 1995, the face of terrorism in the United States changed forever when Timothy McVeigh detonated a 5-ton truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building. 168 people were killed in the blast, including 19 children who attended a daycare centre on the ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2019
The Bell Island Boom - 1 - The Event
When one imagines the setting for a story involving experimental weapons, international espionage, unexplained aerial anomalies, and cold war anxieties...  they probably aren’t picturing a tranquil island in Newfoundland. But, there is no imagining about it, Bell island, Newfound ... Show More
31 m
Jul 2023
Oppenheimer: What If America Never Dropped the Atomic Bomb?
The new Oppenheimer movie has everyone asking questions about the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 - were two bombs necessary? Would the war have ended without it? Was there an ulterior motive? Would the Americans have dropped a third if they had it? At the end of WWII, the ... Show More
43m 51s