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The soldier who launched the weather balloon reported that the 3" guns were firing at the balloon he launched, but they were missing it and apparently didn't shoot it down immediately. Eventually the balloon, if it wasn't shot down quickly enough, would have reached an altitude beyond the maximum ceiling the 3" guns could reach.
originally posted by: Xcathdra
If the object was a balloon or dirigible then it should have easily been brought down when the firing started. Where is the wreckage?
At 0306 a balloon carrying a red flare was seen over Santa Monica and four batteries of anti-aircraft artillery opened fire, whereupon “the air over Los Angeles erupted like a volcano.” From this point on reports were hopelessly at variance.
I immediately reported to our regimental commanding officer, Colonel Ray Watson, that the guns were firing at our balloon and that there were no aircraft in sight
Watson sent out the order that none of the 203rd’s 3-inch guns were to fire, then notified the Flower Street Control Room of what was happening. Astonishingly, the order came back from Flower Street to shoot down the balloon.
said Timm, ‘I was summoned. I was told to keep my mouth shut, and that there had been seven Japanese planes up there. I was also told that if I repeated my story about shooting at a balloon and not enemy planes, I would be put behind bars.