Battle of Los Angeles
On February 24–25, 1942, the U.S. Army fired more than 1,400 anti-aircraft shells over Los Angeles after radar operators and ground observers reported unidentified objects; five civilians died in the chaos, and no enemy aircraft or debris was ever recovered.
On February 24–25, 1942, the U.S. Army fired more than 1,400 anti-aircraft shells over Los Angeles after radar operators and ground observers reported unidentified objects; five civilians died in the chaos, and no enemy aircraft or debris was ever recovered.
Brief
On February 24–25, 1942, the U.S. Army fired more than 1,400 anti-aircraft shells over Los Angeles after radar operators and ground observers reported unidentified objects; five civilians died in the chaos, and no enemy aircraft or debris was ever recovered. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox called it a 'false alarm' the next day. The 1983 U.S. Office of Air Force History attributed the trigger to 'war nerves' and a lost weather balloon. An AP photograph of searchlight beams converging on an unidentified shape ran on front pages nationwide.
Metadata
- Date
- 1942-02-25
- Year
- 1942
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
- Region
- United States
- Status
- confirmed
- Tag
- civilian claim
- Primary
- The WWII Mystery Behind the 1942 Battle of Los Angeles
- Source type
- article
- Sources
- 2
Key Points
- On February 24–25, 1942, the U.S. Army fired more than 1,400 anti-aircraft shells over Los Angeles after radar operators and ground observers reported unidentified objects; five civilians died in the chaos, and no enemy aircraft or debris was ever recovered.
- Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox called it a 'false alarm' the next day.
- The 1983 U.S. Office of Air Force History attributed the trigger to 'war nerves' and a lost weather balloon.
- An AP photograph of searchlight beams converging on an unidentified shape ran on front pages nationwide.
Most Interesting
- The 1983 U.S. Office of Air Force History attributed the trigger to 'war nerves' and a lost weather balloon.
- On February 24–25, 1942, the U.S. Army fired more than 1,400 anti-aircraft shells over Los Angeles after radar operators and ground observers reported unidentified objects; five civilians died in the chaos, and no enemy aircraft or debris was ever recovered.
- An AP photograph of searchlight beams converging on an unidentified shape ran on front pages nationwide.
Timeline
- 1942-02-25 · Encounter
On February 24–25, 1942, the U.S. Army fired more than 1,400 anti-aircraft shells over Los Angeles after radar operators and ground observers reported unidentified objects; five civilians died in the chaos, and no enemy aircraft or debris was ever recovered.
- 2025 · Source record
The WWII Mystery Behind the 1942 Battle of Los Angeles is the preferred source material attached to this encounter.
Sources
- Battle of Los AngelesWikipedia, 2024
- The WWII Mystery Behind the 1942 Battle of Los AngelesMilitary.com, 2025