Battle of Los Angeles
Less than three months after Pearl Harbor, a radar contact off the coast triggered a blackout and hours of anti-aircraft fire over Los Angeles, though no enemy aircraft were found.
- Date
- 24-25 February 1942
- Location
- Los Angeles, California · United States
- Witnesses
- Military, Civilian, Multiple
- Evidence
- Radar, Photo, Official documents
What was reported
Following a radar detection, air-raid sirens sounded and coastal anti-aircraft batteries fired over a thousand rounds into the night sky. A widely reproduced Los Angeles Times photograph shows searchlights converging on a point in the sky. Several civilian deaths were attributed to the incident's accidents and heart attacks.
Official and public statements
Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox told reporters the event was a false alarm caused by 'jittery nerves'. The official history The Army Air Forces in World War II attributed the alarm to meteorological balloons and wartime tension.
References
Source: Wikipedia