What is the only US city to be bombed by airplanes during WW2?
On July 5 1943 B-17 bombers on a training run dropped bombs on the city. The pilots had become disoriented on the night time training and because it had similar lights, mistook the town square for their target. Because they were using practice bombs, which had a smaller explosive charge, damage was minimal and there were no injuries. The town, which has a sense of humor, has a plaque and several imitation bombs as a remembrance of the event. They invited the pilots for a 50 anniversary celebration but they were too embarrassed to attend.
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107 Comments
Bill Coe
What about the bombing attacks on Brookings, Oregon. U Boat I-25 would later make history again when it executed the first-ever bombing of the continental United States by an enemy aircraft. In what became known as the Lookout Air Raids, I-25 returned to the Oregon coast in September 1942 and launched a Yokosuka E14Y floatplane. After flying to a wooded area near Brookings, Oregon, the floatplane dropped a pair of incendiary bombs in the hope of starting a forest fire. Thanks to light winds and a quick response from fire patrols, the bombing failed to have its desired effect, as did a second bombing over Brookings later that month.
wok
I agree Bill Coe the first-ever bombing of the continental United States by an enemy aircraft. In what became known as the Lookout Air Raids, I-25 returned to the Oregon coast in September 1942 and launched a Yokosuka E14Y floatplane. After flying to a wooded area near Brookings, Oregon, the floatplane dropped a pair of incendiary bombs in the hope of starting a forest fire
billyboy915
My partner grew up in Boise City and his dad was commended for alerting the military of their error by blacking out the city lights, thus preventing further damage by the evening bombardment!
mikehutch
Hawaii was not a state in 1945. Cyndy Davis,
Cyndy Davis
Claudia Calvert, wish I had seen your answer before I wrote my comment.. that part escaped me. duh!
Cyndy Davis
Why am I not seeing any comments that mention Pearl Harbor, Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the question was us city... not continental us city and again no part of the question says by friendly fire or enemy fire. So wouldn't Pearl Harbor be the biggest and most well know bombing attack?
corporateaircraft
This was not an enemy binning but an accident. The Aleutian Islands were bombed and invaded.
mtgyrene
Miles City, Montana was bombed during the war, trying to break an ice jam on the Yellowstone River.
jerryltaylor
I know they were not bombs from planes, but I am surprised no one mentioned the Japanese balloon bombs that made it to the United States during WWII.
Jim Adams
If you meant friendly fire you should have said friendly fire or accidentally. BTW plenty of little towns were accidentally bombed in Florida by Army Air and Navy planes during training missions because they were near the impact range located in NE Fla. every so often construction crews in Jacksonville are unearthing unexploded ordinance.
mlphilpot
Interesting, very interesting
Claudia Calvert
Debbie Hall, Hawaii wasn't a U.S. state til 1959.
Lynne Zeman
The town "had a sense of humor"? I don't know if I could have been that magnanimous.
Julie Allen
Bill Coe, That was in a wooded area not on a city.
arthurherrforth
Fred Conner, I remember learning this fascinating piece of history in high school. The Japanese sent many incendiary balloon bombs to the Pacific Northwest. Thank God the vast majority of them failed to start catastrophic Forrest fires. And thank God the Japanese, and the Nazis, didn't have the time to build their long range bombers and unleash them on the US.
robert karel
Lisa Rodrigues, Pearl Harbor was a Naval Base, the Japanese were bombing a military base.
robert karel
Caren Rounthwaite, Continental US city.
robert karel
Caren Rounthwaite, The Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor, a military installation so the Japanese weren’t necessarily looking to bomb a US city.