The War on Our Shore
Radiolab
The History of Japan's Aircraft Carriers
The Japanese chose to deliver bomb payloads by balloon due to the limitations of their navy after the Doolittle raid. The raid, which took place in April 1942, was a surprise attack by the United States Navy on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. While the physical damage caused by the raid was minimal, it shocked the Japanese and made them realize that their homeland could be invaded. As a result, the Japanese issued an order to find a way to bomb America. However, their navy was too stretched to execute a raid like Doolittle's. Instead, they turned to using balloons, as they did not have aircraft carriers that could reach the US mainland. This choice was influenced by the fact that Japan's main islands are located on the east coast of Honshu, making it possible to launch balloons towards the US using the wind.
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