Page "Eareckson Air Station" Paragraph 26

Additional aircraft and personnel reductions occurred in 1945 and almost all air bases other than Alexi Point, Shemya and Davis in the Aleutians were reduced to caretaker status.

Weather hampered missions over the winter, although new B-24Js were received by the 404th Bomb Squadron and longer-range P-38L Lightnings were received by the 54th Fighter Squadron.

Along with the mission against the Kuriels, the P-38s were assigned the mission of shooting down Japanese bomb-carrying Fire balloons which were launched from Japan along great circle routes near the Aleutians.

The balloons were designed to carry incendiary bombs over the United States and start fires in the Pacific Northwest.

Although they floated above 38, 000 feet, several were shot down, and one landed on Amchatka where intelligence personnel recovered it for inspection.