Why Aren’t We Bombing Kilauea?

The 23d Bomb Squadron has a long and storied history marked by incredible achievements and amazing displays of airpower. It is one of the original Aero Squadrons, with more than a century of service. The squadron distinguished itself with valor and heroism throughout the Pacific theatre at legendary battles. They were at Guadalcanal, Leyte, Luzon, New Guinea, and the Solomon’s. Their combat record boasts ArcLight, Linebacker, Desert Storm, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Inherent Resolve. 13 Outstanding and Meritorious Unit Awards, 2 Distinguished Unit Citations, and a Presidential Unit Citation adorn their guidon.

Despite all of that, the unit is most known for bombing a volcano.

On 27 December 1935, the Mauna Loa volcano on the island of Hawaii erupted, threatening the city of Hilo. Six Keystone Bombers of the 23d Bomb Squadron used precision bombing tactics to drop twenty 600-pound bombs in the path of the volcano’s lava flow, thus saving the city of Hilo by diverting the lava away from the city. – Official History of the 23d Bomb Squadron

The volcano bombing is the defining moment in the squadron’s history. It is captured in all of its glory on the unit’s patch. The greatest target struck by this spectacular squadron didn’t end enemy lives, it saved American lives.

It’s an amazing story, except for one problem. It didn’t work. The bombing did not stop or divert the lava flow.

 

Mauna Loa

November 21, 1935, Mauna Loa erupted spectacularly. Five lava flows created rivers of fire all down the surrounding mountainside. But nothing was really at risk; the flows were not threatening. But then in mid-December one of the flows on the north slope unexpectedly broke free and began working its way towards Hilo at a rate of 1 mile per day. Experts expected the lava to reach the city of 15,000 in 20 days.

Thomas Jagger was a Volcanologist and a legend in the field. He knew he needed to find a way to slow or divert the lava flow. Humans have been battling volcanos for thousands of years, with varying degrees of success. But no one had ever bombed a volcano. Thomas Jagger wanted to try, and he needed someone as crazy as him to help.

This is where George S. Patton comes into the story. Yes, that Patton. A Lieutenant Colonel at the time, Patton ran US Army Intelligence on Hawaii. With his support, the Army Air Corps sent 10 Keystone B-3 and B-4 bombers from the 23d Bomb Squadron (the 72d Bomb Squadron participated as well) armed with two, 600-lb bombs each against the encroaching lava flow. Their mission: divert the lava.

20 bombs were dropped. There were 5 direct hits. 14 missed the flow completely (which spurred a ‘spirited conversation’ between the lead bombardier and Patton). 1 bomb was a complete dud, left undiscovered until 1974.

A week later the flow slowed to 1000 feet per day and then sputtered out. Hilo was saved and the 23d Bomb Squadron became the stuff of legends. Thomas Jagger claimed victory.

 

Where’s the Science?

But the story does not end there. Several scientists refuted Jagger’s claims. US Geological Survey geologist Harold Stearns and G.A. Macdonald, and National Park Superintendent, E.G. Wingate countered Jagger, stating there was no scientific data that the bombing had any effect at all on the lava flow. The fact the lava slowed and ultimately stopped was pure coincidence and would have occurred with or without the bombing.  The depth of the lava channel and the height of the flow walls could not be penetrated or affected by the bombs. Nature started the flow, and nature stopped it.

Jagger remained defiant. The flow was significant before the bombing, 1 mile per day. The flow slowed to 1000 ft per day after the bombing. The only logical conclusion was the bombing slowed the flow. Jagger told the New York Times “The experiment could not have been more successful.” Stearns countered, “I’m sure it was just a coincidence.”

The scientific accuracy remained in doubt for decades. However, behind the scenes, the Air Force continued to explore the efficacy of bombing volcanoes. They tried Moana Loa again in 1942, also to no effect. Stearns and Macdonald went out to the lava fields and conducted ground tests, confirming the bombing had no effect on lava viscosity publishing their results in 1946. Substantial testing was done bombing old lava channels in 1975-76 to determine types and fusing of weapons that would actually penetrate lava walls. This data confirmed the size, composition and fusing used in 1935 was incapable of effecting the lava channels. A 1980 scientific paper laid all claims to rest, Jagger was wrong.

 

Kilauea

But it was that paper that answered many more questions about bombing volcanoes, and answers the title question: Why aren’t we bombing Kilauea?

The objective of bombing volcanoes is to deprive the primary flow channel of some or all of its source lava. Testing showed attacking the lava tubes was ineffective. While aerial bombing can create large craters, the width of the channels renders crater size irrelevant. Attacking spatter cones at the source is much more effective means of disrupting the lava supply.

However, vulnerable and bomb-able spatter cones do not always appear. The lava flow that almost destroyed Hilo in 1881 came from a fissure on Moana Loa; no spatter cones formed at all.  In 1935 a spatter cone formed at the upper vent, but not the lower vent. Lava from the upper vent was not threatening Hilo.

The sources of threatening lava currently flowing from Kilauea does not have targetable spatter cones. There does not appear to be any spatter cones at all. Lava is flowing from a series of fissures and shows no signs of slowing down. Kilauea is currently untargetable by aerial bombing. While there are viable methods of diverting lava flow, in this case aerial bombardment is not one of them.

 

Bomber Barons

Today the legendary Bomber Barons are digging themselves out of a typically rough winter in Minot, North Dakota. Recently returned from a historic combat deployment to Operation Inherent Resolve, the Barons are taking some much-deserved rest.  Despite the truth behind their squadron patch, Barons continue to wear it with pride, ready to take on Mother Nature herself in the name of national defense. No target is out of reach for the Bomber Barons, not even a volcano.

 

REFERENCES:

Lockwood, J.P. and Torgerson, F.A., 1980, Diversion of lava flows by aerial bombing – Lessons from Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii. Bulletin of Volcanology, vol. 43-4, pp. 727-741. https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/BF02600367?shared_access_token=gbpO9Q1RsTtwqAmEyx6Xmfe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY57idKTRH6oKY6QVfnC1SjIF6t8_G-od5cQpEUtgmh_Fu-Jj8IgVM0SzkpYtRMwhLIHAbXj8De23PrCQ3YNZOtKayjYH3-B9h107hPTVMI9bsTbFiAWhFexiaRHsFvcez8=

Allyson Chiu, Hawaii’s Volcanoes: How George S. Patton Took on the Lava with Bombs.  The Washington Post. May 17, 2018.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/05/17/hawaiis-volcanoes-how-george-s-patton-took-on-the-lava-and-lost/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.19fb4dc1f4d5

Erik Klemetti. Why Would You Ever Bomb a Volcano? Big Think.  http://bigthink.com/eruptions/why-would-you-ever-bomb-a-volcano

Hawaii Volcano Observatory. Volcano Watch: Did Aerial Bombing Stop the 1935 Mauna Loa Lava Flow?  Hawaii Tribune-Herald. December 3, 2017. http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2017/12/03/features/volcano-watch-did-aerial-bombing-stop-the-1935-mauna-loa-lava-flow/