Dundee Bombed in World War II
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
Marker Inscription
Dundee Bombed in World War II. In the sky over 50th and Underwood, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on April 18, 1945. The incendiary device flared brightly in the night, but caused no damage. The Japanese military hoped the device would create an incident, which if reported, would allow them to chart a course for other weapons. However, news of the bomb was kept secret until the day after Japan surrendered. Presented by the Dundee-Memorial Park Association May, 1992 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World War II.
Erected by Dundee-Memorial Park Association
The Story
On the night of April 18, 1945, a Japanese balloon bomb drifted silently across the Pacific and exploded in the sky over the Omaha neighborhood of Dundee, near 50th and Underwood. The incendiary flared brightly but did no damage. Japan had launched thousands of these unmanned 'Fu-Go' balloons hoping to spark fires and panic across North America; U.S. officials suppressed all news of them so the enemy could never gauge their aim. Word of the Dundee blast stayed secret until the day after Japan surrendered.
Why it matters
The balloon bombs were the only weapons of World War II to reach the American heartland, and Dundee's near-miss is a rare reminder that the home front was not entirely beyond the war's reach.
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Related events
- · Japanese balloon bomb attack, April 18, 1945
Themes & tags
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