As you enjoy a walk through the Dundee business district, you may notice an interesting plaque that describes an event in which a Japanese balloon bomb exploded above the Harte Block. The explosion took place above the intersection of 50th and Underwood Avenue on April 18, 1945.
The bomb was part of an experimental Japanese offensive in the final months of World War II. They launched over 9,000 hoping that they would cause widespread panic and media attention which, in turn, would allow them to chart a course for future attacks. Nearly 300 of those balloons made it as far as the United States. Several made it as far inland as Nebraska including Schuyler, Burwell, Chadron and Omaha.
The bomb floating over Dundee was still high in the sky when it exploded. Lighting up the night sky, it caused several people in the neighborhood to step out and investigate. They didn’t see anything unusual at the time so many chalked it to up fireworks or a car backfiring. By the next morning, it was obvious that it was something more ominous. The remnants were said to have landed near the house of Herman Dansky at 5124 Underwood Ave.
The government kept it secret until after the war ended a couple weeks later. The U.S. didn’t want the Japanese to know how far inland some of the bombs made it. Fortunately, most of the attacks including the one in Dundee caused no damage, however, one in Oregon resulted in the death of a woman and five children. The Dundee-Memorial Park Association installed its plaque in 1992 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of WWII.
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