Battle of LA 1942 (classic case)

I'm sure you all know about this but I would like to bring it up for discussion.

February 25th 1942: An air raid siren shattered the peaceful sleep of the residents, and volunteer Air Raid Wardens grabbed their gear, and headed to the streets, affecting a total blackout. Army's 37th Coast Artillery Brigade swung into action, lighting up the clear, black skies with their massive spotlights. What they saw was beyond belief. With the Japanese planes still flying in their nightmares, another menacing flying machine was now right on top of them.
This is actual footage and the radio report of the event:

and the radio report without the annoying music:


First radio reports said that the army was firing at possibly a blimp. This is due to the fact that the term "flying saucer" was not introduced until 1945.

The day after the military released information that it was a weather balloon other reports claimed the event didn't even happen (anyone living in LA during '42 can tell you something DID happen). Obviously we can dismiss the weather balloon theory since the Army fired over 15,000 anti-aircraft rounds (a lot of them direct hits) and nothing seemed to stop the machine.

[edit on 26-7-2008 by Aron1138]

Originally posted by Aron1138
other reports claimed the event didn't even happen (anyone living in LA during '42 can tell you something DID happen).

My mom was a young child when this happened she told me this story long before it became part of the UFO lore that and the one about a Japanese sub off of the California coast that fired a few rounds into some local oil facility[ Unrelated ]

I've read other reports were a few deaths happened as a result of that night a few of them fear related heart attacks and some from falling rounds that returned to earth and there was a fair bit of damage from the falling rounds fired almost straight up into the sky, They had to go someplace rounds just don't desapear.

At the time nobody had little grey guys or UFO's on their mind.
Pearl Harbor was fresh in everybody's mind they all thought
Japs.




[edit on 26-7-2008 by SLAYER69]

reply to post by Aron1138


It definately was not a blimp. This is the first time I heard the actual report. Thank you for posting this.
This is one of the rumored saucer retrieval sites.

[Regarding the air raid over Los Angeles it was learned by Army G2 that Rear Admiral Anderson...recovered an unidentified airplane off the coast of California...with no bearing on conventional explanation. This Headquarters has come to the determination that the mystery airplanes are in fact not earthly and, according to secret intelligence sources, they are in all probability of interplanetary origin.” General George C. Marshall memo to the President, March 5, 1942. ]
Its a mystery that will never be solved

I have always been interested in this case; because it happend before 1947, before Roswell. Also because many people have never heard of this incident.

[This is the memo that links the UFO crashes with the Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942, since it occurred only three days earlier.] [ www.majesticdocuments.com... ]Could this document be fake?Yes but why waste the time and effort?

so why has this story just slipped away. it is one of the best UFO stories we have and it seems like it would have been a bigger deal. even if it was confirmed japanese planes or something, doesnt it seem like this story faded away pretty easily when you think of the 'fairy tales' that have survived much longer and spread much farther. why do people let stuff like this fade in memory instead of pique their curiosity?

It's an interesting incident. It is mentioned in several histories of WWII, but is passed off as, understandably, war jitters. Afterall, a huge war was on, and it wasn't looking too good for the goodguys.

It, the incident, proved that the Pacific Coast was vulnerable to attack.

reply to post by seagull


The photo is worth a thousand words! Just looking at the negative clearly shows a disc. This is one of the top ten cases out there.
It was a weather balloon! Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!! Oh the government is serious on that answer?

reply to post by kidflash2008


I've never run across anything even resembling a good picture of whatever it was.

Weather balloon? Unlikely. It's an unknown, and since it disappeared into the unknown, it's likely to stay that way.

reply to post by seagull


Sorry, I was being sarcastic about the government's explanation of what it was. You can definately see the saucer in the negatives and the rumor is the shot a disc down and used the navy to pick it up. This is one of the better reports because they have the radio, film and photograph from the newspaper itself.

reply to post by kidflash2008



I actually did catch the sarcasm...lol. I'm slow, but not that slow...

From the sounds of it, you've caught a bug to investigate this sighting, or whatever it was. Good luck. Do let us know, what if anything you find out.

try

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Does anyone have a current photo and of the same angle of the foothills in that black and white original? It would be interesting to see the possible size of that object using todays structures as a measuring tool.

This is interesting. I was just looking this up on Youtube last night, since I had seen it a few years ago and was interested in reviewing the footage.


Great videos!


Peace and Love

Yes definately interesting weather that night, its also in the L.A. times back then.

Once again man freaking out he is not alone. The Pearl Harbor thing didn't help matters.

Casing shells left from the anti-aircraft rounds.

Good case, there is a video you can watch live of it.

reply to post by dobsonion2



These documents are very interesting and each is written in it's own independent style. For instance FDR's contains one typo which is not uncommon for him. Also the Oppenheimer/Einstein letter is VERY interesting but is it real? It also contains common typos:

"Lets assume that magnesium silicates on the moon
may exist and contain up to 13 per cent water. Using energy
and machines brought to the moon, perhaps from a space station,
the >>rooks

Originally posted by re22666
so why has this story just slipped away. it is one of the best UFO stories we have...

i think you pretty much just answered your own question lol