Did Japan Attack the Continental US - Fact or Fantasy?

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The complete omnibus edition of my previous series about WWII Japanese attacks on the Continental United States and Canada, 1941-45, with some new material added as well!

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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.

Primary Source: 'The Fujita Plan: Japanese Attacks on the United States and Australia in World War II', by Mark Felton (Pen & Sword: 2006)

Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; San Francisco Public Library; Christian Mehlfuhrer; Frank Schulenburg; United States Air Force; Chase Doak; Cacophony; Chris M Morris

Thumbnail: World of Warships

[MarkFeltonProductions]

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[michaelg.]

Yes, Japan attacked the continental U.S. I saw the 1941 critically acclaimed documentary starring John Belushi.

[angusmacdonald]

My mother was living in Santa Barbara during this attack. She told me how everyone in Santa Barbara was terrified for a day or two that an invasion was imminent.

[mikewithtwoarms]

Fun fact: part of L. Ron Hubbard’s ignominious naval career was commanding a submarine chaser off the coast of Oregon in 1942. One day he ordered his crew to fire depth charges and gun rounds at what he thought were Japanese submarines spotted on sonar. The Navy concluded he had actually fired at a “known magnetic deposit in the area.”

[howardj]

My uncle was a Naval Reserve Chief Petty Officer. BY Dec. 10 he was on his way to Pearl Harbor to engage in the salvage operations. He very rarely talked about his experiences, but one thing he said stands out. "We were lucky they caught our fleet in port. If there was a battle on the high seas, the loss of life would have been horrendous." The battleships were all between the age of 17 and 25 years old. With very limited air defense systems. He told me that some of the equipment he used during the salvage was made in 1888.

[rickhobson]

I am of an age where I still remember what air raid sirens in the US sounded like. But there are still parts of the country where you can hear the sound. Sirens are still used for tornado warnings in the center of the country, and for tsunami warnings along the coasts. An eerie wail for sure! Thank you again for an excellent spisode, Dr. Felton!

[dukemanca]

Perfect surprise on a day home sick. A Mark Felton productions video! Thanks !

[SlapShotRegatta]

A 60 minute video by Dr. Felton on WWII? Like the History Channel of old! It's going to be a good day.

[adamhauskins]

The shell hole at fort Steven's in Astoria oregon is well marked and visiting the area is well worth it

[olnoname]

Amazing video! I live in Northern Colorado, and I remember reading a story a few years ago from a local journalist about two Balloon Bombs that landed in a family's farm field right outside My town. One of the bombs apparently detonated and destroyed the farmers tractor. The second bomb was buried on impact and exploded underground. Its remains were found after the war. Later I heard another story of a Sheriff in Kansas who was called about an incoming Balloon bomb near a small town. Upon arrival, he heroically grabbed on to the Gondola which was close to landing and rode with it to prevent it from reaching the citizens. He then managed to make it come to a complete stop. From there He had his Deputies turn it over to the FBI and War Department to have it disposed of. Many People in the United States really don't know how close the war actually came to their own communities! Thank you and I look to forward to more of your videos.

[nathangreer]

My grandfather was an eyewitness to the "Battle of LA", working at the Vultee aircraft production facility.

[psinclair]

Dr. Felton--I live in Louisiana, where U-boat attacks on oil tankers in 1941-42 soaked our coast in spilled crude and sent many oil workers to their deaths during the Battle of the Atlantic. I wonder if you've ever looked into German submarine activity in the Gulf of Mexico in the early months after the U.S. entry into the war? Many thanks for all that you do!

[russwoodward]

Mom was building aircraft at the Douglas Aircraft Plant in LA then, Dad was on his way to the Samoan Islands on a liberty ship. They later settled in the Northwest. Thanks Dr. Felton.

[barftrooper]

Always a great day with a knowledge content dump from Dr. Felton. Cheers!

[chuckbrown]

“If it was aliens we should commend their forbearance in not vaporizing La La land after such a welcome” soda just shot out my nose!! 😂

[owenmerrick]

My father was very young in Vancouver, BC at the time. He remembers the fear of Japanese invasion, especially with the Aleutians being occupied. The island/coastal ferries were all painted grey and had deck guns installed. The sight of the Japanese battle flag caused some disquiet for many years afterwards, and the shelling at Estevan led to problems as all the lighthouses were ordered turned off. I enjoyed watching this upload, it actually hits close to home! Thank you!

[-DC-]

Same happened to London during the Blitz, An enormous amount of the damage attributed to the Luftwaffe was actually self inflicted by falling Anti Aircraft Fire.

[carguybikeguy]

Oooh! Dr. Felton! Please do a deep dive on coastal defenses along California’s coast. During my (hopefully brief) period of job hunting, I’ve been taking reflective walks at Fort Funston. The bunkers are closed off but the footage you have in this video of Fort Stevens interior has me wondering what it’s like inside Fort Funston’s halls. The coast is eroding and we’re losing some of the lookout bunkers. We’ve lots of interesting forts along the coast and it would be wonderful to have a look at them.

[sactodan]

As a very young reporter at Eureka, CA, Humboldt Times I covered Nobuo Fujito’s visit to Brookings, OR, in 1962. His 1942 bomb had started a small fire on Mount Emily near Brookings and he was invited to the small town to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Fujita’s attack. Some veterans group opposed the visit but he made the trip, was greeted warmly and was taken for a flight over Mount Emily in a light plane.

[Jakal-pwyq]

My uncle, Harold F Willard, was a Submariner stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack. He and a buddy were up on Diamond Head just enjoying the view when everything erupted. They saw the majority of the attack from there. They tried to get back to their sub but the MP's and local police had all the roads closed and were telling people to get back in their homes. He never did get back to his boat until later the next day. I don't recall the name of the sub he was on but I know that he felt guilty about not getting back to his battle stations for years. Rest in peace Uncle Harold, you did your job and you did it well! 💖🇺🇲⚓️💯👍