Japan’s Fantasy: Attempting to Bomb the U.S. Mainland with Balloons in World War II

What was the final outcome?

After Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, the U.S. Congress narrowly approved a war plan against Japan and officially declared war, igniting the Pacific War.

Facing overwhelming American power, the Japanese soon realized the enormity of their mistake.

Japan’s military forces were quickly decimated in the Pacific War. The U.S. military, with unstoppable momentum, pushed towards Japan, frequently conducting air raids using their aircraft’s altitude advantages.

Desperate to inflict some pain on Americans and curb their arrogance, the Japanese sought a way to retaliate.

However, Japan lacked both the military strength and geographical advantages compared to the U.S.

The U.S. east coast is 3,700 kilometers away from any islands, with Pearl Harbor guarding the choke point. This made air raids extremely difficult. The only possible invasion route for Japan was from the Aleutian Islands.

But even if Japan invaded from the Aleutians, the U.S.’s strategic depth of 7,000 kilometers would be out of Japan’s reach.