Battle of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles refers to a significant and perplexing event that occurred during World War II, specifically in the early hours of February 25, 1942. Following an incident where a Japanese submarine attacked an oil facility near Santa Barbara, California, unusual aerial phenomena were reported over Los Angeles. This prompted an air raid alert, leading to a blackout and the mobilization of air-raid wardens. Military forces fired antiaircraft artillery at what they believed were enemy aircraft, illuminated by searchlights, but no confirmed enemy planes were ever identified.
The barrage caused property damage and resulted in civilian casualties, including deaths attributed to heart attacks linked to the stress of the situation. In the aftermath, the government attributed the incident to heightened anxiety and "war nerves." The true identity of the aerial objects remains unknown, with theories ranging from weather balloons to potential extraterrestrial origins. Ultimately, this incident highlights the intense atmosphere of fear and uncertainty during wartime, as well as the challenges of communication and interpretation in crisis situations.
Battle of Los Angeles
The Event Incident in which sightings of unidentified aircraft, presumed to be part of Japanese attacks, prompted antiaircraft fire
Date February 24-25, 1942
Place Los Angeles, California
After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the American public feared that Japan would next attack the mainland United States. Less than three months after the United States entered World War II, residents of Los Angeles awoke one night to air sirens and antiaircraft fire. The cause of the incident remains unexplained.
On February 23, 1942, a Japanese submarine fired on an oil production facility near Santa Barbara, California, and reportedly was heading toward Los Angeles. On the night of February 24 and early morning of February 25, strange objects appeared above Los Angeles. At 2:25 a.m. on February 25, air-raid sirens were sounded, a blackout was ordered, and air-raid wardens were mobilized. From 3:16 to 4:14 a.m., the military fired antiaircraft guns at supposed objects illuminated by nine searchlight beams. Military aircraft were ordered on standby alert but never took off. At 7:21 a.m., an “all clear” was sounded, and the blackout order was lifted.
The identity of the flying objects has never been determined. Speculation has included weather balloons, blimps, Japanese fire balloons, extraterrestrial vessels, sky lanterns, or unauthorized commercial or private airplanes.
Impact
The artillery damaged several buildings and killed three civilians. Three others died from heart attacks, reportedly due to stress over the incident.
Soon afterward, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox announced that the incident was due to anxiety and “war nerves.” Conflicting reports were written by Army and Navy officers. The public was not told at the time that up to five unidentified airplanes were sighted and that one of these was later recovered off the coast of California. In 1945, Japan denied any involvement in the incident.
Bibliography
Bishop, Greg, Joe Oesterle, and Mike Marinacci. Weird California. New York: Sterling, 2006.
Sword, Terrenz. Battle of Los Angeles, 1942: The Silent Invasion Begins. New Brunswick, N.J.: Inner Light-Global Communications, 2003.