A fake rooftop town built to hide Boeing’s factory from Japanese air strikes

Mar 13, 2018 7:10 PM

Yoda1PositivityStar

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At first glance, this looks like an ordinary day in a small village with people enjoying the sun outside

But underneath this ‘peaceful town’ was a big military secret: a Boeing factory

During WWII, the U.S. Army designed a whole neighborhood to throw off possible air attacks

On the roof of Boeing Plant 2, camouflage trees and structures were shorter than a person

Trees were made of chicken wire and feathers

A street sign plays off the fake neighborhood at the corner of “Synthetic Street” and “Burlap Boulevard”

Suzette Lamoureaux and Vern Manion examine one of the miniature bungalows in the “Boeing Wonderland”

Structures that look like cars from overhead are parked along a fake street

An aerial view of the camouflage on top of Boeing Plant 2 shows that the “streets” were aligned with real residential neighborhoods nearby

Joyce Howe, and behind her Susan Heidreich, walking over the camouflaged Boeing Plant 2

Boeing plant aerial photo taken from around 5000 feet. This was taken in either 1944 or 1945

Thousands of Boeing workers gather in front of Boeing Plant 2 for ceremonies marking the changeover from B-17 to B-29 production on April 10, 1945

The first B-52A is rolled out at Boeing’s Seattle plant on March 18, 1954. In order to clear the hangar doorway, the plane’s 48-foot-high tail had to be folded down

Boeing Plant 2. 5000th celebrations

Boeing Plant 2. B-17G Flying Fortress cockpits under construction

B-17F production line, Boeing Plant 2, July 14 1942

“Rosie the Riveter” at work at Boeing Plant 2

Here’s how it looks like now

Sauce: https://www.boredpanda.com/boeing-fake-rooftop-town-world-war-seattle

Hiding plane from sight

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Should've just bought a bunch of these and laid them on the roof. Prob would have saved a ton of time/money:

8 years ago | Likes 321 Dislikes 0

My grandfather worked there. He told great stories about it.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I want to go Godzilla through there

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Boom. I work here. Crazy how the factory actually produced clouds it was so big.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

They did something similar at the Hanford site where they refined uranium used for The Bomb. Except they just made it look like more desert

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

@ilookfuckingcool

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Same thing in Long Beach. Just last week I showed about 15 co-workers this and none of them had heard about it. 1/2

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

2/2 I stumbled upon this about 10 years ago. Why hasn't a documentary been made about it? If I had the $ and knew the right people I would.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Similar things were done to the Lockheed plant.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

this is in seattle! yay!

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Japanese pilot: "Man it must suck for all those people living right next to an active runway."

8 years ago | Likes 19 Dislikes 0

"Let's not bomb them, they have it pretty hard already"

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Unless they knowingly moved there and then complain about noise anyway... in which case, bomb the hell out of 'em!

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I used to occasionally catch the bus outside Boeing when I lived in Seattle. It was really awkward when they were picketing by the road.

8 years ago | Likes 30 Dislikes 0

So the Renton plant then or the Everett one?

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Neither. It was on Pacific Highway, towards downtown.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Cool. I lived by the Everett one for a long time. Couldn’t go anywhere during shift change.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

these are amazing

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Wait, this was in America? First the Japanese would have to reach America. I never heard of their bombers ever doing that.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

They dropped bombs in the state of Oregon. Just as easy as hitting Pearl Harbor. Put planes on aircraft carriers.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Didn't you see "1941" where a Jap sub destroyed the boardwalk ferris wheel screaming "Horrywood!"

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Did they actually expect them to strike that deep or to have spies over head?

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

The Japanese did drop bombs in the state of Oregon. Certainly Seattle could have been hit too.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Deep? On the west coast, on the same ocean as the Japanese?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Used to build Kenworth trucks there in the 70s-80s the fake town was gone but they had pictures of it around the factory

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

"Pay no mind to the neighborhood situated in what is clearly a miltary/industrial area"

8 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Giant bombers coming out of someones garage might have been a give-away though.

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

It's.... a... bea-utiful day in the neigh-bor-hood... *wink*

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Wait isn't masking a military target as a civilian one a war crime?

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Only if it's an actual operational area that civilians live in. Like storing rockets in a working school, etc.

8 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

ah ok, thanks

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Well that answers the question of why they didn't let people live there. Like homeless people lol

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

This stuff works. When Rommel invaded Egypt, Brits had a guy mask the harbor at Alexandria against night bombing. He used a lot of lights.

8 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

During WWI, the french made a "fake Paris" against zeppelin

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Good idea. Japanese would’ve figured it out though.

8 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

If this plant was in Mainland USA, first the Japanese bombers would need to be able to reach us. Fortunately they never reached that point.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

But they didn't... obviously

8 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 1

They ran out of time and soldiers

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

"Trees were made of chicken wire and feathers" those poor birds

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

For those people who go sick of scrolling up and down to compare... https://imgur.com/nsV6wR8

8 years ago | Likes 16 Dislikes 0

Great, now I have to scroll left and right?!

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

All women making the things. Fuck ya

8 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 2

1) You know that the wars were a huge impetus for both woman's sufferage, women's right and women's rights int he workplace right? I mean

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

2) yes, sure fuck year, but also, it was kind of a massive thing beyond just fuck yeah.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Pretty sure everyone knows that. Its basic history thats taught in school

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

then why comment on it in a way that implies you think it's abnormal?

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

What

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Good thing the "neighborhood" didn't have a Target store.

8 years ago | Likes 1042 Dislikes 5

And all the smart bombs in ww2.....

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 8

8 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

This took far too long to get. Bravo.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Pfft. take your upvote

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Walmarts only

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Pfft. That just makes it more likely to be bombed.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Oh I see what you did there

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

be funny if they did, and thats where they kept all their POWs

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Funny how?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I have a fairly warped sense of humor when it comes to things that definitely wouldnt happen anyway.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Painted right on the roof, too, FFS. For the less confident pilots. :)

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Ha, that is even closer to the airport than the Target near Pittsburgh International.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 97 Dislikes 0

If I worked that day, I would have left on the spot.

8 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

I've watched this about 30 times. What's actually going on here? Did it fall on its own, or get hit?

8 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

They might over stocked the shelves causing them to give out, saw it happen to candy on pegs the whole section fell over.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

And that’s how my grandma lost her hearing riveting those B17’s together.

8 years ago | Likes 295 Dislikes 2

It’s too bad PPE wasn’t really in fashion yet

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

My pop pop lost his sense of smell when they were testing gasses on the soldiers. He was in the air force.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

(1/2) Her service is greatly appreciated. I'm sorry about the side effects due to her contributions. I just hope she knows what she did for

8 years ago | Likes 154 Dislikes 4

(2/2) this country. She's as much of a hero as anyone in uniform. From a US Marine (ret.)

8 years ago | Likes 146 Dislikes 5

Army asshole here, I agree with my crayon eating friend here. Ooah brother (or sister). To original commentator: your grams is awesome

8 years ago | Likes 43 Dislikes 0

“Army asshole here, I agree with my crayon eating friend here”

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Air Force vet here, as always, thanks for her service. The real tragedy is that she was building planes for the war to end all wars.

8 years ago | Likes 22 Dislikes 0

I'm sure the 'ear protection' the government was handing out was a couple cotton balls. 1/

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Like the women painted watches with glo-in-dark radioactive paint. Told to lick their brushes to keep them pointy. Cancers later occurred.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Pathetic working conditions back then: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium_Girls

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Random person from Germany here. Please tell her her service is greatly appreciated, here as well.

8 years ago | Likes 61 Dislikes 4

Cool! My grandmother was a news reporter in Washington, always told me how she typed the lists of the day's casualty reports for printing

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Well now the Japanese know! Thanks for revealing our secrets, traitor.

8 years ago | Likes 18 Dislikes 0

Why do those Americans build neighborhoods right next to a runway? Definitely not a hidden military base. - Japanese probably

8 years ago | Likes 352 Dislikes 8

It wasn't so much to hide the fact that airplanes were there, but more to hide the factory from getting destroyed which would be devastating

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I have a place that has a runway very close to the town. It's a good place to fly in.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I'm sure it seems more likely that they have an emergency run way, than an entire base under a neighborhood. Probably tohigh a risk to bomb.

8 years ago | Likes 27 Dislikes 0

Because both sides didn't hit civilian targets on more than a few occasions...

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Because strategic bombing wasn't a strategy used by all sides to demoralize their enemies

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Not saying it wasn't done for a reason, shit the allies wrecked entire German towns, just saying high risk is maybe the wrong concern.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I know what you were saying

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Welcome to San Diego

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

I think you mean Whales Vagina.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I don’t speak German

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The runway would have been a target anyway, though less so than a factory. The effectiveness of the camouflage was never really tested.

8 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

Not YET!

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

It's much easier and faster to repair concrete than a highly advanced factory full of hundreds of invaluable bombers

8 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

It's not like carpet bombing wasn't a thing back then either.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

The japanese never really employed a heavy bomber capable of that type of air raid.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Guess where I lived as a child? Yep, in a neighborhood right up against the airport. Great commute for my dad. Those neighborhoods were 1/2

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

bought out by the airport and torn down many many years ago. Just fenced off woods and fields now. 2/2

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I live next to a not-at-all hidden military base and houses go right up to the fences in some parts.

8 years ago | Likes 136 Dislikes 2

Except for a few (IE Groom Lake) there's not much to hide. Even Groom Lake you can see a lot on Google maps, but there's still that whole

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

shady shit on that family that lived on the heights around it

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

So true. My parents live in one..

8 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 0

That's what the military with a hidden military base and houses go right up to the fences in some parts would say!!!

8 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Correct!

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0