The WWII Battle of LA: The Night America Shelled an Empty Sky
In the early hours of February 25, 1942, Los Angeles erupted into chaos. Air raid sirens wailed, searchlights swept the sky, and anti-aircraft batteries unleashed more than 1,400 shells at what thousands believed was a Japanese air attack. Witnesses reported seeing enemy aircraft overhead. The Army expected wreckage by morning. They found nothing. The so-called Battle of Los Angeles was likely triggered by a weather balloon, with gunners mistaking illuminated smoke from their own shells for enemy planes. Yet the panic had real consequences. Five people died in the confusion, and the fear…
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