The Lookout Air Raid
Encyclopedia
The Lookout Air Raids were minor, but historic, World War II
events that occurred in the mountains of Oregon
, several miles outside Brookings
.
On September 9, 1942, a Japanese
Yokosuka E14Y
floatplane
launched from a Japanese submarine and dropped two incendiary bombs with the intention of starting a forest fire. Thanks to a group of fire lookout
s and favorable weather conditions the damage done by the attack was minor. The attack was the first time the continental United States was bombed by an enemy aircraft.
On Wednesday morning, September 9, 1942, the I-25
, under the command of Lieutenant Commander
Meiji Tagami, surfaced west of Cape Blanco
. The submarine launched a "Glen" Yokosuka E14Y
floatplane, flown by Warrant Officer
Nobuo Fujita
and Petty Officer
Okuda Shoji
, with a load of two incendiary bombs of 76 kilograms (167.6 lb) each.
Howard "Razz" Gardner spotted and reported the incoming "Glen" from his fire lookout tower on Mount Emily
in the Siskiyou National Forest. Razz said he could hear the engine of the airplane and it had sounded like the backfiring of a Model-T.
Although Razz did not see the bombing, he saw the smoke plume and reported the fire to the dispatch office. He was instructed to hike
to the fire to see what suppression he could do. Dispatch also sent USFS Fire Lookout Keith V. Johnson from the nearby Bear Wallow Lookout Tower.
The two men proceeded to the location and were able to keep the fire under control. Only a few small scattered fires were started because the bombs were not dropped from the correct height. The men stayed on scene and worked through the night keeping the fires contained. In the morning, a fire crew
arrived to help. A recent rain storm had kept the area wet, which helped the fire lookouts contain the blaze.
, the area commander announced, "The Western Defense Command is investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery on Sept. 9 of fragments of what appears to have been an incendiary bomb. These fragments were found by personnel of the United States Forestry Service near Mt. Emily nine miles northeast of Brookings, Or. Markings of the bomb fragments indicated that the missile was of Japanese origin."
The floatplane carried two bombs. Both were dropped, according to the Japanese records, but no trace has yet been found of the second bomb. Fujita and his observer made a second attack on September 29, again causing only negligible damage.
, was invited back to Brookings. Before he made the trip the Japanese government
was assured he would not be tried as a war criminal
. In Brookings Fujita served as Grand Marshal for the local Azalea Festival. At the festival, Fujita presented his family's 400-year old samurai sword to the city as a symbol of regret. Fujita made a number of additional visits to Brookings, serving as an "informal ambassador of peace and friendship". Impressed by his welcome in the United States, in 1985 Fujita invited three female students from Brookings to Japan. During the visit of the Brookings-Harbor High School
students to Japan, Fujita received a dedicatory letter from an aide of President Ronald Reagan
"with admiration for your kindness and generosity." Fujita returned to Brookings in 1990, 1992 and 1995. In 1992 he planted a tree at the bomb site as a gesture of peace. In 1995, he moved the samurai sword from the Brookings City Hall into the new library's display case. He was made an honorary citizen of Brookings several days before his death on September 30, 1997, at the age of 85. In October 1998, his daughter, Yoriko Asakura, buried some of Fujita's ashes at the bomb site.
Oregon°N conflict=yes°W
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
events that occurred in the mountains of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, several miles outside Brookings
Brookings, Oregon
Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which...
.
On September 9, 1942, a Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
Yokosuka E14Y
Yokosuka E14Y
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
launched from a Japanese submarine and dropped two incendiary bombs with the intention of starting a forest fire. Thanks to a group of fire lookout
Fire lookout
A fire lookout is a person assigned the duty to look for fire from atop a building known as a fire lookout tower. These towers are used in remote areas, normally on mountain tops with high elevation and a good view of the surrounding terrain, to spot smoke caused by a wildfire.Once a possible fire...
s and favorable weather conditions the damage done by the attack was minor. The attack was the first time the continental United States was bombed by an enemy aircraft.
Air raids
Japanese submarine I-25
was a B1-Type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served in World War II, took part in the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and carried out the only aerial bombing on the continental United States during wartime; during the so-called Lookout Air Raid; and the Bombardment of Fort Stevens, both...
, under the command of Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Meiji Tagami, surfaced west of Cape Blanco
Cape Blanco (Oregon)
Cape Blanco is a prominent headland on the Pacific Ocean coast of southwestern Oregon in the United States, forming the westernmost point in the state. It contests with Cape Alava in Washington for the title of westernmost point in the contiguous United States...
. The submarine launched a "Glen" Yokosuka E14Y
Yokosuka E14Y
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
floatplane, flown by Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
Nobuo Fujita
Nobuo Fujita
was a Warrant Flying Officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy who flew a floatplane from the long-range submarine aircraft carrier , and conducted the only wartime aircraft-dropped bombing on the continental United States of America, which became known as the Lookout Air Raid...
and Petty Officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
Okuda Shoji
Okuda Shoji
Petty Officer Shoji Okuda, served as an aerial observer in the Imperial Japanese Navy on a floatplane Yokosuka E14Y that was launched from a long-range submarine aircraft carrier, the I-25....
, with a load of two incendiary bombs of 76 kilograms (167.6 lb) each.
Howard "Razz" Gardner spotted and reported the incoming "Glen" from his fire lookout tower on Mount Emily
Mount Emily
Mount Emily is a mountain in the Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. It is located in southern Curry County in the extreme southwest corner of the state, near Brookings, approximately from the Pacific Ocean and from the California state line.-Bombing during World War...
in the Siskiyou National Forest. Razz said he could hear the engine of the airplane and it had sounded like the backfiring of a Model-T.
Although Razz did not see the bombing, he saw the smoke plume and reported the fire to the dispatch office. He was instructed to hike
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
to the fire to see what suppression he could do. Dispatch also sent USFS Fire Lookout Keith V. Johnson from the nearby Bear Wallow Lookout Tower.
The two men proceeded to the location and were able to keep the fire under control. Only a few small scattered fires were started because the bombs were not dropped from the correct height. The men stayed on scene and worked through the night keeping the fires contained. In the morning, a fire crew
Wildland fire suppression
Wildfire suppression refers to the firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts in wildland areas requires different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated areas...
arrived to help. A recent rain storm had kept the area wet, which helped the fire lookouts contain the blaze.
Aftermath
A full investigation was launched by the FBI, which resulted in locating several bomb fragments. The story was reported in several newspapers on September 10, 1942. Lieut. Gen. John L. DeWittJohn L. DeWitt
John Lesesne DeWitt was a general in the United States Army, best known for his vocal support of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II....
, the area commander announced, "The Western Defense Command is investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery on Sept. 9 of fragments of what appears to have been an incendiary bomb. These fragments were found by personnel of the United States Forestry Service near Mt. Emily nine miles northeast of Brookings, Or. Markings of the bomb fragments indicated that the missile was of Japanese origin."
The floatplane carried two bombs. Both were dropped, according to the Japanese records, but no trace has yet been found of the second bomb. Fujita and his observer made a second attack on September 29, again causing only negligible damage.
Postwar
Twenty years later, the floatplane's pilot, Nobuo FujitaNobuo Fujita
was a Warrant Flying Officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy who flew a floatplane from the long-range submarine aircraft carrier , and conducted the only wartime aircraft-dropped bombing on the continental United States of America, which became known as the Lookout Air Raid...
, was invited back to Brookings. Before he made the trip the Japanese government
Politics of Japan
The politics of Japan is conducted in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, where Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government. Japanese politics uses a multi-party system. Executive power exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Diet, with...
was assured he would not be tried as a war criminal
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
. In Brookings Fujita served as Grand Marshal for the local Azalea Festival. At the festival, Fujita presented his family's 400-year old samurai sword to the city as a symbol of regret. Fujita made a number of additional visits to Brookings, serving as an "informal ambassador of peace and friendship". Impressed by his welcome in the United States, in 1985 Fujita invited three female students from Brookings to Japan. During the visit of the Brookings-Harbor High School
Brookings-Harbor High School
Brookings-Harbor High School is a public high school located in Brookings, Oregon, United States.- Attendance :Brookings-Harbor High School serves the city of Brookings and the surrounding area, including the community of Harbor. The school's attendance as of April 2009 is approximately 661 students...
students to Japan, Fujita received a dedicatory letter from an aide of President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
"with admiration for your kindness and generosity." Fujita returned to Brookings in 1990, 1992 and 1995. In 1992 he planted a tree at the bomb site as a gesture of peace. In 1995, he moved the samurai sword from the Brookings City Hall into the new library's display case. He was made an honorary citizen of Brookings several days before his death on September 30, 1997, at the age of 85. In October 1998, his daughter, Yoriko Asakura, buried some of Fujita's ashes at the bomb site.
See also
- Attacks on North America during World War IIAttacks on North America during World War IIThe American Theater of World War II was a minor area of operations mainly due to the continent's geographical separation from the central theaters of conflict in Europe and Asia...
- Bombardment of Fort StevensBombardment of Fort StevensThe Bombardment of Fort Stevens occurred in June 1942, during early months of the Pacific War. An Imperial Japanese submarine fired on the United States military installation, Fort Stevens which was protecting the Oregon side of the Columbia River's Pacific entrance.-Bombardment:The Japanese...
- Operation KOperation Kwas a Japanese naval operation in World War II, intended as a reconnaissance of Pearl Harbor and disruption of repair and salvage operations following the surprise attack on December 7, 1941. It culminated on March 4, 1942, with an unsuccessful attack carried out by two Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying...
External links
- Los Angeles Times news story of September 15, 1942
- Trail Dedication at Japanese Bombing Site Set - U.S. Forest Service
Oregon°N conflict=yes°W