Los Angeles Air Raid
FEBRUARY 25, 1942 >> LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

The raid began on the 24th when lights and flares near defense plants led to a four hour alert starting at 7:18 PM. At 2:15 AM radar picked up an unidentified target 120 miles out to sea. Ten minutes latter, on the 25th, air raid sirens sounded over Los Angeles. A black out was put into effect and at 3:16 AM anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) batteries began firing at UFOs believed to be Japanese bombers and searchlights chased them across the sky.

Two distinct types of aircraft appeared to be taking part in the raid. Witnesses saw fast moving, high flying small objects, red or silver in color, that flew in formation and appeared to dodge through the AAA fire at speeds of 18,000 MPH. The large object tracked on radar seemed to glow according to witnesses and remained stationary for some time. It moved inland and was caught in searchlights over Culver City where it was photographed and proved impossible to shoot down. It then moved at 60 MPH to the coast at Santa Monica and the south toward Long Beach before being lost from sight. The AAA ceased at 4:14 AM against the smaller UFOs. The flights of the objects could only be described as erratic according to witness accounts.

The entire raid lasted for 58 minutes and consumed 1430 12.8 pound shells. The blackout was lifted at 7:21 AM. No bombs were dropped on Los Angeles and no aircraft were shot down. The only damage was from shells falling on buildings. Three people died of heart attacks caused by panic.