Ufologists are convinced that one of the events of 1942 was the first example of an attack by earthlings on an alien spacecraft. What happened?
It took several months after the United States entered World War II in 1941 (the reason was the attack of Japan on Pearl Harbor). Strange events began on February 24, 1942. US naval intelligence reports have reported that in the next 10 hours we can expect a Japanese offensive.
The fact is that in the vicinity of the defense zones began to notice a lot of flashes and flashing lights in the sky. It was believed that this is Japanese technology. The local population was warned about the danger at 7 am, but reassured at 22:23. The panic resumed on February 25 at 2:25 am, when air attack sirens sounded all over Los Angeles.
The military took up a defensive position and at 3:16 am the 37th coastal artillery brigade began to fire at something in the sky with a machine gun. In the course went anti-aircraft shells (the number exceeded 1,400 shells). Artillery fire lasted until 4:14 am, after which they announced that there was no danger.
Soldiers manned anti-aircraft weapons in New York.
The shelling of an unknown object led to the fact that several local buildings and vehicles were destroyed due to shell fragments. Anti-aircraft fire killed 5 civilians and three more died in a car accident caused by the panic of shelling. Of course, the news of the Japanese attack spread all over the country and excited both the public and the media. Who were the Americans aiming at? A few hours after the incident, the Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, held a press conference. He stated that there was no attack. The reason for the attack was the false alarm and nervousness of the military. A day later, they added that perhaps the enemy agents used airplanes or special equipment to cause panic in Los Angeles. This is one of the tactics of psychological warfare.
However, the media did not want to accept such an explanation. Too much the military tried to hush up this topic, refused to give further comments and blocked access to information sources. There was an opinion about censorship and someone's desire to forget about what happened as soon as possible.
Interestingly, in a report for 1949 about an event in Los Angeles, they wrote that that night the military saw a meteorological balloon in the sky, launched at 1:00. It was he who attracted the attention of artillery fire, and then panic made everyone else connect.
Anti-aircraft searchlights from the Second World War.
However, no trace of this ball or any other knocked mechanism was left. Therefore, there are several opinions. Some believe that the Japanese really attacked the Americans or decided to scare them. But then why did the military lie about the fact that they simply lost their nerve? Perhaps they really shot down some dangerous technology, which they decided not to spread? The second option is being actively discussed among ufologists and UFO hunters. The reports wrote that the day before the shelling in the sky saw a lot of strange lights. Perhaps in 1942 a group of UFOs flew over Los Angeles. Moreover, the military could bring down the ship, quickly hide all the evidence and potential victims (aliens). That would explain why the government tried so hard to close the question.
Man removes the effects of fiery actions.
This idea became especially popular because of a photograph published on February 26, 1942 in the Los Angeles Times. The picture shows the bright spotlights focused on a supposedly alien spacecraft. But it is important to note that the photo was heavily modified before publication due to retouching. True ufologists it does not bother.
Since there was no official investigation, the question of the attack on Los Angeles remains open to this day.
