Battle of Los Angeles

February 4, 1942

Many documentaries have been made on it, and countless movies have been based on it; even the acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg satirized the phenomenon in his own unique way. Furthermore, thousands of individuals witnessed the actual events unfold right before their eyes, adding to the intrigue and mystery surrounding the incident. The “Battle of Los Angeles” — sometimes referred to as “The Great Los Angeles Air Raid” — took place over the sprawling City of Angeles in the early hours of 25th February 1942, but we still don’t know the complete truth behind the sudden and chaotic events that transpired that fateful night.

The incident occurred at a time when the Pearl Harbour attacks of December 1941 were still very much etched in people’s minds, particularly on the west coast of the United States, where memories of that tragic day lingered heavily. To say that the country was on edge would have been a massive understatement indeed. As war raged violently in Europe – a conflict in which the United States was on the brink of becoming heavily embroiled and engaged – nobody seemed to know exactly where the next enemy strike would occur, or from which direction it might come. The atmosphere was charged with tension and uncertainty, as fear gripped the nation.

So when the rapidly growing and increasingly vibrant metropolis of Los Angeles was unexpectedly plunged into an eerie and absolute darkness, due to the swift approach of a strange and unidentified craft moving silently in from the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, the widespread panic that ensued among the residents and officials alike is indeed very understandable. As is perhaps the ongoing debate surrounding this mysterious event, with extensive investigations and thorough research that have taken place in the months since the baffling incident first transpired.

That something very strange and utterly inexplicable happened that fateful evening is beyond any doubt or argument. What exactly it was that precipitated the military's chaotic firing into the dark sky and transformed the town’s unsuspecting citizens into frightened and utterly helpless onlookers, remains a deeply perplexing question that is still yet to be fully answered and examined in depth.

Just after 3 am, residents of Los Angeles were abruptly awoken to the alarming sound of air sirens blaring and the unsettling rattle of automatic gunfire echoing through the still night air. The entire city was shrouded in complete darkness, save for the stark flashes of guns being discharged, illuminating the chaos, and the searchlights that roamed wildly across the night sky, casting eerie shadows. This frightening blackout continued relentlessly until just after 7 am, and by the time the intense events finally came to a conclusion, over two thousand rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition had been fired into the pitch-black sky.

It seemed to most observers that the intense firing was aimed at something mysterious and unusual in the sky, although no visible damage appeared to have been inflicted on the strange object. The bursts of gunfire went on for an extended period of around an hour before the seemingly impenetrable object calmly made its way from the Santa Monica area and then mysteriously disappeared into the distance. Many witnesses also recounted seeing and hearing American fighter planes soaring through the night sky, yet the US military firmly refutes that any of their aircraft were airborne during that time, insisting that their response was strictly from the ground only.

Several tragic fatalities were recorded that fateful evening – all of them civilians – with the causes of death ranging from heart attacks induced by panic to severe car crashes that occurred on the darkened, blacked out roads, and even instances of falling shrapnel from above.

There was very little mention of the incident in the press and the media at the time, which left many puzzled and seeking answers. Although it was reported on initially, the subsequent coverage quickly faded into the background, and very few witness statements were considered credible. This was particularly disheartening, especially given that these witnesses were among the best situated to tell the world what they truly saw that day.

Or perhaps still fresh in the government’s minds was the widespread and intense reaction of many people to the infamous 1938 fictional radio broadcast titled “The War of the Worlds.” This shocking event resulted in a mass panic that ultimately convinced thousands of American citizens that they were being attacked by a devastating alien invader from another world. The fear and chaos that ensued during that time undoubtedly left a lasting impression on public perception regarding extraterrestrial threats.

If the mysterious object that was actively engaged by the American military forces in February 1942 was indeed an unknown craft, potentially originating from another world no less, would the public announcement of this groundbreaking revelation as an irrefutable cold fact induce a similar wave of panic and anxiety among the American people? This is especially concerning when considering that their best efforts were ultimately not sufficient to bring the strange object crashing to the ground in a resounding defeat, leaving them with many unsettling questions and fears regarding the implications of such an extraterrestrial presence in their skies.

Although the eventual official story issued by authorities at the time was that the mysterious object in question was nothing more than a simple barrage balloon that had inexplicably come loose and drifted into the area, many individuals and witnesses profoundly disagreed with this somewhat convenient version of events. This skepticism was especially true for those who firmly believe they had the opportunity to observe the object up close on the night in question, leading to significant disbelief and heated discussion surrounding the official narrative that many felt was insufficient to explain their experiences.

One of those witnesses, a dedicated volunteer air raid warden named Katie, stated that after being abruptly awoken by a disturbing telephone call from her air raid supervisor, she looked out of her window and saw a truly huge object “hovering” ominously over her house. She claimed she had a remarkably clear view of the craft and that it emitted a “lovely pale orange” glow as it remained completely motionless in the vast expanse of the night sky.

She also vividly recalled seeing multiple groups of American fighter planes bravely attempt to engage the mysterious object. However, each time they approached, they were forced to retreat, which left her both perplexed and intrigued. She stated, “They were shooting at it, but it didn’t seem to matter!” This phrase encapsulated the frustration and disbelief surrounding the event.

Another witness, the retired anthropology professor C. Scott Littleton, was only thirteen years old at the time of the remarkable incident. His father, who served as an air raid warden during that tense period, was firmly convinced that the actions occurring were indeed real and worthy of serious attention. Littleton claimed with vivid recollection that the craft he observed had a distinct oval shape, describing it specifically as “like a lozenge.” Furthermore, he recounted that he witnessed anti-aircraft shells exploding “all around it!” creating a scene that was both awe-inspiring and deeply unsettling.

Littleton, much like Katie, also reported that he distinctly witnessed a series of American fighter planes closely trailing the unusual and mysterious object as it gracefully made its way towards the coastal area of Redondo Beach. After a brief moment of observation, the enigmatic object suddenly vanished from view, leaving both witnesses intrigued and puzzled by its sudden disappearance.

He also casts his doubts on the official explanation of it being a simple balloon that became untethered and subsequently floated all the way to the Santa Monica area. According to the retired professor, the only location that typically housed such floating tethered balloons was in the vicinity of El Segundo. This suggests that it would have had to float northward toward the Santa Monica Mountains, where the object was distinctly observed, and then veer off in a completely different direction to where it was ultimately last seen. Not the normal movements of a balloon by any stretch of the imagination, and certainly raises questions about the nature of the object in question.

While the various witness statements from that memorable evening in 1942 essentially describe what we would recognize today as a UFO, is it possible that the strange craft reported in numerous accounts was actually part of a secretive US military training exercise rather than an extraterrestrial phenomenon?

We can pretty much rule out the possibility of it being a Japanese craft. Aside from the fact that their official records make no mention of any such mission involving unidentified aerial phenomena, it is highly probable that they would have chosen to attack rather than simply observe if they were indeed in such a position that fateful evening.

Perhaps it is also worth bearing in mind that a little over a decade later, and only a relatively short distance away in the vast Nevada desert near the bustling city of Las Vegas, the military conducted numerous significant nuclear tests. Although they did inform the public to be aware of these tests and their potential implications, there was considerable debate originally as to whether or not the citizens should be informed at all. Might it be that the startling events in Los Angeles in the early months of 1942 – assuming they were an undeclared military exercise of some kind – clearly demonstrated just how easily public panic can ensue in the face of uncertainty and fear?

Or might the military’s response that fateful night have indeed been genuine, and the mysterious craft hovering above them was regarded – rightly or wrongly – as a legitimate and pressing threat? Assuming for a moment this was the case, perhaps it would have been too politically and psychologically embarrassing for the United States military to admit that their armed forces proved to be of no use against such an enigmatic and potentially invading craft.

It seems, however, that a large issue lies in the treatment of the numerous witnesses, who testified at the time to the media outlets involved. Many of their detailed statements were either disregarded or simply not reported on at all. As a result, these valuable accounts are now absent from the historical record, which ultimately complicates ongoing research and investigation into the incident significantly. Perhaps, at the same time, this course of action, or lack thereof, conveniently hands the US military a golden opportunity to shape the narrative and history of this event according to its own preferences and agenda.