Battle Of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles, also called the Great Los Angeles Air Raid, was a military incident that occurred in the early morning hours of February 24–25, 1942, when US Army anti-aircraft artillery units opened fire on unidentified targets over Los Angeles, California. No enemy aircraft were confirmed, no aircraft were shot down, and the incident was officially attributed to war nerves and possibly a misidentified meteorological balloon. Five civilians died — three in traffic accidents during the blackout and two of heart attacks. The event has persisted in UFO research as a possible early case of military response to an unidentified craft.
| Date | 1942-02-24 |
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Background
The incident occurred fewer than three months after the Attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), when American war anxiety on the Pacific Coast was at its peak. On February 23, 1942, a Japanese submarine had shelled an oil refinery near Santa Barbara — the first continental US attack since the War of 1812 — heightening alert levels across the region.
The Incident
At approximately 2:25 a.m. on February 25, 1942, air raid sirens sounded across Los Angeles and a blackout was ordered. Anti-aircraft batteries commenced firing around 3:16 a.m. and fired approximately 1,400 rounds over about one hour. Multiple searchlights tracked targets in the air. No enemy aircraft were found; none were shot down. The all-clear was sounded at 7:21 a.m.
Secretary of War Henry Stimson initially suggested the incident may have involved up to 15 aircraft. The Navy Department subsequently attributed the firing to war nerves. The War Department's formal explanation cited a misidentified weather balloon.
The LA Times Photograph
The Los Angeles Times published a photograph on February 26, 1942, showing searchlight beams converging on an apparent saucer-shaped object in the sky. The photograph is widely believed to have been significantly retouched to enhance the illuminated convergence point, and does not clearly show a structured craft in the original. The image nonetheless became iconic in early UFO research.
Historical Reception
The case entered UFO culture as a potential early example of military engagement with an anomalous craft. The UAP Gerb host credits the case with introducing him to UFO research as a child but does not find it compelling evidence of non-human craft on its own, noting that a prosaic explanation is likely.