Let me begin by stating unequivocally that I don’t by any means consider myself to be a full-fledged Ufologist. Until
very recently, I’ve never systematically investigated a contemporary UFO sighting or debriefed an abductee. Much of
my concern with the UFO phenomenon has come from a lifetime of studying world mythology and folklore, and the
extent to which it appears to have been strongly colored, if not actually engendered, by the perception of and/or
interaction with alien beings, from New Guinea to ancient Mesoamerica and Mesopotamia
I’m also very much interested in the extent to which what I call the “war of the gods” theme, which is well nigh
universal, may reflect the “collateral damage” caused by a devastating colonial war between two high-tech alien
civilizations for hegemony over this planet some 8,000 or 9,000 years ago
But the forgoing might be the subject of a subsequent presentation. To introduce the subject at hand, I should tell
you that I’ve had three personal experiences that appear to have involved UFOs, in addition to the one that’s the
focus of this talk. In 1937, four years before my family moved to Hermosa Beach, when we lived in the Highland Park
district of Los Angeles, I saw what I later came to think of as a “flying French horn.”
Although I was supposed to be taking an afternoon nap, it was a bright day, the curtains of my nursery window were
open, and I was definitely wide awake during the thirty seconds or so it took the strange craft to pass slowly—and
soundlessly—across my field of vision. I never mentioned what I’d seen to my parents, and it apparently didn’t cause
any stir in the neighborhood. (And, no, I don’t think I was abducted, but who knows for sure? Maybe someday I’ll be
brave enough to undergo hypno-regression. . . .) Of course, this event occurred a decade before the expressions
“UFO” and “Flying Saucer” came into existence, so I had no frame of reference.
More recently, in May of 1990, off the southern tip of Baja California, I watched a bright point of light perform exotic,
right-angle maneuvers over the ocean at approximately 3:00 a.m. It was clearly not a plane or a helicopter.
And in 2003, while driving north on the I15 north of Lake Ellsinore in Southern California on a bright summer
afternoon I watched a curious, doughnut shaped object emerge from behind a hill, move west across the highway at
a slow speed, and then simply vanish. It was only evident for about ten seconds. My wife also glimpsed it fleetingly
after I called her attention to it. I should add that few other motorists appeared to notice the peculiar object,
although a couple of cars did slow down appreciably shortly after it disappeared.
But the sighting I’m concerned with here, what has come be known as the “Battle of Los Angeles,” was witnessed by
over a million other people in Southern California in the wee hours of February 25, 1942, less than three months after
Pearl Harbor.
very recently, I’ve never systematically investigated a contemporary UFO sighting or debriefed an abductee. Much of
my concern with the UFO phenomenon has come from a lifetime of studying world mythology and folklore, and the
extent to which it appears to have been strongly colored, if not actually engendered, by the perception of and/or
interaction with alien beings, from New Guinea to ancient Mesoamerica and Mesopotamia
I’m also very much interested in the extent to which what I call the “war of the gods” theme, which is well nigh
universal, may reflect the “collateral damage” caused by a devastating colonial war between two high-tech alien
civilizations for hegemony over this planet some 8,000 or 9,000 years ago
But the forgoing might be the subject of a subsequent presentation. To introduce the subject at hand, I should tell
you that I’ve had three personal experiences that appear to have involved UFOs, in addition to the one that’s the
focus of this talk. In 1937, four years before my family moved to Hermosa Beach, when we lived in the Highland Park
district of Los Angeles, I saw what I later came to think of as a “flying French horn.”
Although I was supposed to be taking an afternoon nap, it was a bright day, the curtains of my nursery window were
open, and I was definitely wide awake during the thirty seconds or so it took the strange craft to pass slowly—and
soundlessly—across my field of vision. I never mentioned what I’d seen to my parents, and it apparently didn’t cause
any stir in the neighborhood. (And, no, I don’t think I was abducted, but who knows for sure? Maybe someday I’ll be
brave enough to undergo hypno-regression. . . .) Of course, this event occurred a decade before the expressions
“UFO” and “Flying Saucer” came into existence, so I had no frame of reference.
More recently, in May of 1990, off the southern tip of Baja California, I watched a bright point of light perform exotic,
right-angle maneuvers over the ocean at approximately 3:00 a.m. It was clearly not a plane or a helicopter.
And in 2003, while driving north on the I15 north of Lake Ellsinore in Southern California on a bright summer
afternoon I watched a curious, doughnut shaped object emerge from behind a hill, move west across the highway at
a slow speed, and then simply vanish. It was only evident for about ten seconds. My wife also glimpsed it fleetingly
after I called her attention to it. I should add that few other motorists appeared to notice the peculiar object,
although a couple of cars did slow down appreciably shortly after it disappeared.
But the sighting I’m concerned with here, what has come be known as the “Battle of Los Angeles,” was witnessed by
over a million other people in Southern California in the wee hours of February 25, 1942, less than three months after
Pearl Harbor.
THE BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES by C. Scott Littleton
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An Eyewitness Account of the Mysterious Object that “Attacked” the Los Angeles Basin in the Wee Hours
of February 25, 1942, plus a Ufological Assessment, Sixty-Four Years after the Fact
of February 25, 1942, plus a Ufological Assessment, Sixty-Four Years after the Fact
C. SCOTT LITTLETON is a
Professor of
Anthropology, Emeritus,
at Occidental College,
Los Angeles, CA.
He applies his
anthropological
knowledge to speculate
about an alien dissident
falling in love with her
abductee in his new
novel, Phase Two.
He is also author or editor
of such scholarly books
as:
From Scythia to Camelot:
A Radical Reassessment
of the Legends of King
Arthur, the Knights of the
Round Table, and the Holy
Grail
Shinto: Origins, Rituals,
Festivals, Spirits, Sacred
Places
Mythology: The
Illustrated Anthology of
World Myth and
Storytelling
The New Comparative
Mythology: An
Anthropological
Assessment of the
Theories of Georges
Dumezil
Eastern Wisdom: An
Illustrated Guide to the
Religions and
Philosophies of the East
(Henry Holt Reference
Book)
The Sacred East:
Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, Daoism,
Shinto
Understanding Shinto:
Origins, Beliefs,
Practices, Festivals,
Spirits, Sacred Places
His website is
faculty.oxy.edu/yokatta/
and his email is
yokatta@oxy.edu.
Professor of
Anthropology, Emeritus,
at Occidental College,
Los Angeles, CA.
He applies his
anthropological
knowledge to speculate
about an alien dissident
falling in love with her
abductee in his new
novel, Phase Two.
He is also author or editor
of such scholarly books
as:
From Scythia to Camelot:
A Radical Reassessment
of the Legends of King
Arthur, the Knights of the
Round Table, and the Holy
Grail
Shinto: Origins, Rituals,
Festivals, Spirits, Sacred
Places
Mythology: The
Illustrated Anthology of
World Myth and
Storytelling
The New Comparative
Mythology: An
Anthropological
Assessment of the
Theories of Georges
Dumezil
Eastern Wisdom: An
Illustrated Guide to the
Religions and
Philosophies of the East
(Henry Holt Reference
Book)
The Sacred East:
Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, Daoism,
Shinto
Understanding Shinto:
Origins, Beliefs,
Practices, Festivals,
Spirits, Sacred Places
His website is
faculty.oxy.edu/yokatta/
and his email is
yokatta@oxy.edu.
| Copyright © 2009 JFS |
At that time, especially in
communities like Hermosa
Beach, California, where we’d
moved in the spring of 1941
to a house that directly faced
the beach, the threat of
invasion was still palpable, and
a great many folks—including
the military—still expected us
to be bombed in the near
future. For that reason, the
whole of Santa Monica Bay
communities like Hermosa
Beach, California, where we’d
moved in the spring of 1941
to a house that directly faced
the beach, the threat of
invasion was still palpable, and
a great many folks—including
the military—still expected us
to be bombed in the near
future. For that reason, the
whole of Santa Monica Bay
from Malibu to Palos Verdes was soon ringed with
anti-aircraft batteries and searchlight brigades.
The guns banged away almost every night,
shooting at targets that were towed across the
sky over the ocean by specially designed planes.
The targets would be pinpointed by the
searchlight beams, which also illuminated the
exploding shells. It was a grand show that usually
lasted about half an hour and rarely if ever
continued much after 10:00 p.m.
At first, we kids would watch the action with great
fascination, but after a few nights in early January
the noise of the guns and the exploding shells
soon became routine, as predictable as the sound
of the waves in the winter. Most people learned to
sleep through the cacophony with few problems.
Indeed, it gave us a sense of security; our brave
anti-aircraft gunners would quickly save us from
any attempts by the nasty Japanese to penetrate
our airspace.
anti-aircraft batteries and searchlight brigades.
The guns banged away almost every night,
shooting at targets that were towed across the
sky over the ocean by specially designed planes.
The targets would be pinpointed by the
searchlight beams, which also illuminated the
exploding shells. It was a grand show that usually
lasted about half an hour and rarely if ever
continued much after 10:00 p.m.
At first, we kids would watch the action with great
fascination, but after a few nights in early January
the noise of the guns and the exploding shells
soon became routine, as predictable as the sound
of the waves in the winter. Most people learned to
sleep through the cacophony with few problems.
Indeed, it gave us a sense of security; our brave
anti-aircraft gunners would quickly save us from
any attempts by the nasty Japanese to penetrate
our airspace.
In any case, the early evening of February 24 was unremarkable. The guns fired a few practice rounds and then fell
silent well before 10:00 p.m. I remember going to bed shortly thereafter, reading for a few minutes by the light of a
small flashlight I kept hidden under my pillow, and then falling asleep.
Around 3:15 a.m., I awoke to the sound of what I initially assumed was distant thunder. But as I came fully awake, I
realized that the guns were firing again. At first, I thought they were simply doing another drill, though it seemed
awfully late. Moreover, there was something about the rate and intensity of the bombardment that just didn’t seem
right, especially after I glanced at my clock.
silent well before 10:00 p.m. I remember going to bed shortly thereafter, reading for a few minutes by the light of a
small flashlight I kept hidden under my pillow, and then falling asleep.
Around 3:15 a.m., I awoke to the sound of what I initially assumed was distant thunder. But as I came fully awake, I
realized that the guns were firing again. At first, I thought they were simply doing another drill, though it seemed
awfully late. Moreover, there was something about the rate and intensity of the bombardment that just didn’t seem
right, especially after I glanced at my clock.
My small bedroom, which was directly over our front door, faced
south, and thus my view of the ocean was oblique. However, the
sky, or what I could see of, it was filled with blinding searchlights
and the bright flashes of exploding rounds. I was, of course,
thoroughly familiar with both, thanks to all the target practice I’d
witnessed. But heretofore, the searchlights and the explosions
had always been well out over the ocean and for the most part
invisible from my bedroom windows, at least when I was in bed.
This time everything seemed much closer.
I soon heard my parents talking in the hall, and poked my head
out. My father, who was an air raid warden, looked worried and
said it didn’t make any sense. He tried to get through by phone to
Civil Defense headquarters, but there was no answer (we later
learned that the alert had been called at 2:25 a.m., although
nobody had bothered to get the word out to local air raid
south, and thus my view of the ocean was oblique. However, the
sky, or what I could see of, it was filled with blinding searchlights
and the bright flashes of exploding rounds. I was, of course,
thoroughly familiar with both, thanks to all the target practice I’d
witnessed. But heretofore, the searchlights and the explosions
had always been well out over the ocean and for the most part
invisible from my bedroom windows, at least when I was in bed.
This time everything seemed much closer.
I soon heard my parents talking in the hall, and poked my head
out. My father, who was an air raid warden, looked worried and
said it didn’t make any sense. He tried to get through by phone to
Civil Defense headquarters, but there was no answer (we later
learned that the alert had been called at 2:25 a.m., although
nobody had bothered to get the word out to local air raid
wardens). So, he put on his gear, and went outside to see what was happening.
He soon returned, looking even more worried, and told my mother to get me, my paternal grandparents, who lived
with us at the time, and my recently widowed maternal grandfather, who’d been staying with us for a couple of
weeks, down to the basement bomb shelter my father had begun building in the afternoon of December 7, ASAP.
Normally, my maternal grandfather was slower than the Second Coming of Christ in his personal habits, that is, in
dressing, shaving, etc. But when my father said, “Mr. Hotchkiss, I think this may be the real thing,” he was down in
the basement in thirty seconds flat!
As you can imagine, I was equal parts scared and excited and desperately wanted to know what was going on. By
this time, my father was back on the street and, belatedly, over the continuing gunfire, we heard the air raid siren
finally begin to wail. My mother escorted her in-laws and father down to shelter, which consisted of two small dressing
rooms protected by cartons of beach sand stacked in the open basement on either side, and I followed along, despite
the fact that I was eager to poke my head outside and watch “the real thing.”
My mother felt the same way. As she said later, after about ten minutes in such cramped quarters—the benches upon
which we sat also contained survival items such as a first-aid kit, water bottles, and some canned food—and
surrounded by the halitosis exuded by the older generation, she was ready to brave a Jap bomb or two. Indeed, our
first thought was that an enemy squadron was overhead, as we began to hear the roar of aircraft engines over the
din of the barrage. But they later turned out to our own pursuit planes.
When she exited the basement through the door that led to the beach, I followed close behind her. Although my
mother was, of course, apprehensive about my safety, at the same time she understood why I was dying to see what
was going on and let me stay.
The two of us stood side by side in front of the house, huddling together in the chill night air and staring up into the
sky. The planes we’d heard were not in sight, but what captured our rapt attention was a silvery, lozenge-shaped
“bug,” as my mother later described it, that was clearly visible in the searchlight beams that pinpointed it. Although it
was a clear, moonlit night, no other details could be discerned, despite the fact that, when we first saw it, the object
was hanging motionless almost directly overhead. Its altitude is hard to estimate, especially after all these years, but I’
d guess that it was somewhere between 4,000 and 8,000 feet. This may explain why we didn’t see the orange glow
reported by several eyewitnesses in Santa Monica and Culver City, where the object was apparently much lower. (One
witness suggests that this glow may simply have been the reflection of shell bursts against the object’s “silvery”
body.)
He soon returned, looking even more worried, and told my mother to get me, my paternal grandparents, who lived
with us at the time, and my recently widowed maternal grandfather, who’d been staying with us for a couple of
weeks, down to the basement bomb shelter my father had begun building in the afternoon of December 7, ASAP.
Normally, my maternal grandfather was slower than the Second Coming of Christ in his personal habits, that is, in
dressing, shaving, etc. But when my father said, “Mr. Hotchkiss, I think this may be the real thing,” he was down in
the basement in thirty seconds flat!
As you can imagine, I was equal parts scared and excited and desperately wanted to know what was going on. By
this time, my father was back on the street and, belatedly, over the continuing gunfire, we heard the air raid siren
finally begin to wail. My mother escorted her in-laws and father down to shelter, which consisted of two small dressing
rooms protected by cartons of beach sand stacked in the open basement on either side, and I followed along, despite
the fact that I was eager to poke my head outside and watch “the real thing.”
My mother felt the same way. As she said later, after about ten minutes in such cramped quarters—the benches upon
which we sat also contained survival items such as a first-aid kit, water bottles, and some canned food—and
surrounded by the halitosis exuded by the older generation, she was ready to brave a Jap bomb or two. Indeed, our
first thought was that an enemy squadron was overhead, as we began to hear the roar of aircraft engines over the
din of the barrage. But they later turned out to our own pursuit planes.
When she exited the basement through the door that led to the beach, I followed close behind her. Although my
mother was, of course, apprehensive about my safety, at the same time she understood why I was dying to see what
was going on and let me stay.
The two of us stood side by side in front of the house, huddling together in the chill night air and staring up into the
sky. The planes we’d heard were not in sight, but what captured our rapt attention was a silvery, lozenge-shaped
“bug,” as my mother later described it, that was clearly visible in the searchlight beams that pinpointed it. Although it
was a clear, moonlit night, no other details could be discerned, despite the fact that, when we first saw it, the object
was hanging motionless almost directly overhead. Its altitude is hard to estimate, especially after all these years, but I’
d guess that it was somewhere between 4,000 and 8,000 feet. This may explain why we didn’t see the orange glow
reported by several eyewitnesses in Santa Monica and Culver City, where the object was apparently much lower. (One
witness suggests that this glow may simply have been the reflection of shell bursts against the object’s “silvery”
body.)
In any case, anti-aircraft shells were bursting all around the mysterious craft.
The noise was almost deafening. And each time a bright red flash occurred, the
acrid odor of cordite became more pronounced. Shrapnel was also falling on the
beach, and my mother and I backed up against the house to avoid being
struck. (The next day we kids salvaged boxes of the stuff off the sand and
turned them in for scrap.)
However, between shell bursts, the craft emitted no sound whatsoever. Nor
was it acting aggressively.
As we watched, open mouthed, the object, apparently none the worse for the
The noise was almost deafening. And each time a bright red flash occurred, the
acrid odor of cordite became more pronounced. Shrapnel was also falling on the
beach, and my mother and I backed up against the house to avoid being
struck. (The next day we kids salvaged boxes of the stuff off the sand and
turned them in for scrap.)
However, between shell bursts, the craft emitted no sound whatsoever. Nor
was it acting aggressively.
As we watched, open mouthed, the object, apparently none the worse for the
plethora of rounds directed at it, began to move slowly to the southeast, descending over Redondo Beach, where we
lost sight of it. Indeed, either our gunners were absurdly inept, despite all the practice they’d had in recent weeks, or
it was invulnerable to attack. Years later I read that over 1,400 rounds were fired at the object that evening. The
official tally, from the Army’s after-action report, is 1430 rounds, but this figure is probably way too low. Could the
Japs have come up with some secret weapon that deflected flack? The thought was scary to the max!
The object later appeared over San Pedro and Long Beach before finally disappearing over the ocean somewhere off
southern Orange County or northern San Diego County.
Shortly after my mother and I lost sight of it we once again heard the unmistakable sound of aircraft engines. By
then the bombardment had almost petered out, and several Army Air Corps interceptors, P-38s that were probably
based at Mines field (today the site of Los Angeles International Airport), approached from the northeast and buzzed
off to the southeast, apparently chasing the object.
At that point, it was almost 4:00 a.m. Precisely how long we’d stood there is anybody’s guess, though I suspect that
the whole episode, that is, from our leaving the shelter to meeting my father as he returned to house after both the
object and the chase planes had disappeared, lasted about twenty-five minutes.
As I recall, the firing ceased shortly thereafter (the “all clear” didn’t actually sound until 7:30 a.m.), but nobody went
to bed that night. The next morning’s edition of the Los Angeles Examiner, the local Hearst newspaper, which I still
have tucked away safely, came out with a screaming, banner headline: “Air Battle Rages over Los Angeles,” followed
by “One Plane Reported Downed on Vermont Avenue by Gunfire” in smaller type. This, of course, seemed at the time
to be pure fantasy, typical Hearst yellow journalism, as no bombs fell, nor, apparently, was any plane, Japanese or
otherwise, shot down anywhere in Southern California that night. However, in retrospect, the Examiner seems to
have been right about one thing. As we’ll shortly see, there’s compelling evidence to support the contention that at
least one of our planes did in fact crash (or crash-land) on South Vermont Avenue that morning
But what precisely had we witnessed?
At first, it was widely suspected that a high-altitude, carrier-based Japanese observation plane had strayed over the L.
A. area. Or perhaps one of our own military planes was the culprit—although no 1942-vintage airplane was capable of
standing still in the air. The one thing we did learn after the war was that neither the Japanese nor our own military
have an “official” record of any of their aircraft flying over the L.A. basin that fabled evening. Even the presence of our
pursuit planes, which was absolutely certain, has been denied. Of course, all concerned could be lying—though the
probability of such a lie persisting for over sixty years is remote. That is, assuming what we saw was a terrestrial craft.
lost sight of it. Indeed, either our gunners were absurdly inept, despite all the practice they’d had in recent weeks, or
it was invulnerable to attack. Years later I read that over 1,400 rounds were fired at the object that evening. The
official tally, from the Army’s after-action report, is 1430 rounds, but this figure is probably way too low. Could the
Japs have come up with some secret weapon that deflected flack? The thought was scary to the max!
The object later appeared over San Pedro and Long Beach before finally disappearing over the ocean somewhere off
southern Orange County or northern San Diego County.
Shortly after my mother and I lost sight of it we once again heard the unmistakable sound of aircraft engines. By
then the bombardment had almost petered out, and several Army Air Corps interceptors, P-38s that were probably
based at Mines field (today the site of Los Angeles International Airport), approached from the northeast and buzzed
off to the southeast, apparently chasing the object.
At that point, it was almost 4:00 a.m. Precisely how long we’d stood there is anybody’s guess, though I suspect that
the whole episode, that is, from our leaving the shelter to meeting my father as he returned to house after both the
object and the chase planes had disappeared, lasted about twenty-five minutes.
As I recall, the firing ceased shortly thereafter (the “all clear” didn’t actually sound until 7:30 a.m.), but nobody went
to bed that night. The next morning’s edition of the Los Angeles Examiner, the local Hearst newspaper, which I still
have tucked away safely, came out with a screaming, banner headline: “Air Battle Rages over Los Angeles,” followed
by “One Plane Reported Downed on Vermont Avenue by Gunfire” in smaller type. This, of course, seemed at the time
to be pure fantasy, typical Hearst yellow journalism, as no bombs fell, nor, apparently, was any plane, Japanese or
otherwise, shot down anywhere in Southern California that night. However, in retrospect, the Examiner seems to
have been right about one thing. As we’ll shortly see, there’s compelling evidence to support the contention that at
least one of our planes did in fact crash (or crash-land) on South Vermont Avenue that morning
But what precisely had we witnessed?
At first, it was widely suspected that a high-altitude, carrier-based Japanese observation plane had strayed over the L.
A. area. Or perhaps one of our own military planes was the culprit—although no 1942-vintage airplane was capable of
standing still in the air. The one thing we did learn after the war was that neither the Japanese nor our own military
have an “official” record of any of their aircraft flying over the L.A. basin that fabled evening. Even the presence of our
pursuit planes, which was absolutely certain, has been denied. Of course, all concerned could be lying—though the
probability of such a lie persisting for over sixty years is remote. That is, assuming what we saw was a terrestrial craft.
In recent decades several Ufologists have suggested that it
might have been one of the largest mass UFO sightings in
history, as it involved well over a million people. Only the
sightings over Mexico City in the mid 1990s exceed it in
terms of the total number of percipients.
To be sure, no one suggested this theory at the time, as it
wasn’t until five years later, in 1947, after civilian pilot
Kenneth Arnold’s landmark sighting of nine “flying
might have been one of the largest mass UFO sightings in
history, as it involved well over a million people. Only the
sightings over Mexico City in the mid 1990s exceed it in
terms of the total number of percipients.
To be sure, no one suggested this theory at the time, as it
wasn’t until five years later, in 1947, after civilian pilot
Kenneth Arnold’s landmark sighting of nine “flying
saucers” over Mt. Rainer in June of that year, that the notion that UFOs from other planets might be invading our
skies became widespread—although if the theory that a crash retrieval occurred at Cape Giradeau, MO, in 1941 is
correct, it’s quite possible that the government had at least a modicum of knowledge about the phenomenon by 1942.
Several years ago, I joined forces with Ufologist Frank Warren, who’s been fascinated by this event for many years—
although he’s of course much too young to have observed it personally. With the help of well-known Navy photo-
analyst and UFO investigator, Dr. Bruce Maccabee, Frank and I have pretty well determined the craft’s path before it
appeared in the sky over Hermosa Beach. It was initially observed by several residents of the Pacific Palisades rising
over the Santa Monica Mountains around 2:45 a.m. From there, it seems to have moved southeast across Santa
Monica and West L.A. in the direction of the Baldwin Hills, which separate Culver City from Inglewood and the flatlands
to the south.
skies became widespread—although if the theory that a crash retrieval occurred at Cape Giradeau, MO, in 1941 is
correct, it’s quite possible that the government had at least a modicum of knowledge about the phenomenon by 1942.
Several years ago, I joined forces with Ufologist Frank Warren, who’s been fascinated by this event for many years—
although he’s of course much too young to have observed it personally. With the help of well-known Navy photo-
analyst and UFO investigator, Dr. Bruce Maccabee, Frank and I have pretty well determined the craft’s path before it
appeared in the sky over Hermosa Beach. It was initially observed by several residents of the Pacific Palisades rising
over the Santa Monica Mountains around 2:45 a.m. From there, it seems to have moved southeast across Santa
Monica and West L.A. in the direction of the Baldwin Hills, which separate Culver City from Inglewood and the flatlands
to the south.
A Los Angeles Times reporter living in the San Gabriel
Valley, a dozen miles or so to the east, had been
alerted to what was happening by colleagues at the
paper. He jumped in his car and began driving west as
rapidly as he could toward the sound of the guns,
arriving at the northern edge of the Baldwin Hills, in
the vicinity of Jefferson and La Cienega, in time to
photograph the object as it rose over the ridge line. I
should add that there’s been some debate over
exactly where the Times reporter took his famous
picture. Some have held that he caught the object
flying over Palos Verdes. But all indications point to a
spot on the ridgeline just east of where La Cienega
Blvd. cuts through it.
I’ve investigated this aspect of the matter and am
pretty sure that I’ve found the spot, despite the fact
that the terrain has changed significantly in the last
sixty-odd years as the area has become more and
more developed.
This image, which was published in the Times on
February 26, is the only picture we have of the craft,
at least to date. As you can see, it’s caught in the
beams of several searchlights and is surround by
white dots created by exploding shells.
Valley, a dozen miles or so to the east, had been
alerted to what was happening by colleagues at the
paper. He jumped in his car and began driving west as
rapidly as he could toward the sound of the guns,
arriving at the northern edge of the Baldwin Hills, in
the vicinity of Jefferson and La Cienega, in time to
photograph the object as it rose over the ridge line. I
should add that there’s been some debate over
exactly where the Times reporter took his famous
picture. Some have held that he caught the object
flying over Palos Verdes. But all indications point to a
spot on the ridgeline just east of where La Cienega
Blvd. cuts through it.
I’ve investigated this aspect of the matter and am
pretty sure that I’ve found the spot, despite the fact
that the terrain has changed significantly in the last
sixty-odd years as the area has become more and
more developed.
This image, which was published in the Times on
February 26, is the only picture we have of the craft,
at least to date. As you can see, it’s caught in the
beams of several searchlights and is surround by
white dots created by exploding shells.
Several residents who lived just north of the hills in
question saw the object clearly. From their reports, it was
round with a slight hump in the middle of the top, that is,
its dorsal side. A similar configuration can be seen in on
one of the Mexico City UFOs. Moreover, a woman named
Katie, who observed it from the window of her home in
the Baldwin Hills, recalled that in addition to having a
hump it was huge, elliptical, and glowing bright orange,
although my mother and I failed to spot either the hump
or, as I indicated a moment ago, the possibly reflective
orange glow. Indeed, I strongly suspect that what we saw
was the object’s ventral, or “belly” side, which at that
altitude was simply glowing white. In any case, as the
Times image clearly indicates, the anti-aircraft barrage had
begun, and the searchlights were following it steadily.
question saw the object clearly. From their reports, it was
round with a slight hump in the middle of the top, that is,
its dorsal side. A similar configuration can be seen in on
one of the Mexico City UFOs. Moreover, a woman named
Katie, who observed it from the window of her home in
the Baldwin Hills, recalled that in addition to having a
hump it was huge, elliptical, and glowing bright orange,
although my mother and I failed to spot either the hump
or, as I indicated a moment ago, the possibly reflective
orange glow. Indeed, I strongly suspect that what we saw
was the object’s ventral, or “belly” side, which at that
altitude was simply glowing white. In any case, as the
Times image clearly indicates, the anti-aircraft barrage had
begun, and the searchlights were following it steadily.
From the width of the light beams at the point they reached the object], plus the knowledge that at least one of
them came from a searchlight battery in Manhattan Beach, some ten miles away (the others appear to have come
from Inglewood or El Segundo), Frank Warren has concluded that it must have been considerably larger, that is,
around 800 feet in length, and I agree with this estimate.
After crossing the Baldwin Hills, the object appears to have turned westward toward El Segundo—directly over the
aircraft plants located there, including Douglas, North American, and Lockheed, which makes one wonder if the craft
was specifically interested in them.
When it reached the coast, it rose to a higher altitude and slowly followed the edge of the ocean due south to the
point where we first saw it. Then, as I indicated earlier, it veered southeastward over Redondo Beach, blithely
ignoring everything we were throwing at it, and soon disappeared from sight behind the town’s low hills.
However, we can now tentatively pick it up over Redondo. Another possible eyewitness, who claims to have lived in
Redondo Beach and to have been five years old at the time, has recently come to my attention. He—I’ve yet to
discover his name—says that he recalls watching the craft descend as it passed slowly over his family home on
Irena Street, which is about a mile back from the ocean. The man also claims that his father at first thought it was
coming in for a landing, perhaps at the nearby Lomita airstrip, and that the latter and several neighbors jumped
into a pickup truck and tried to follow the object. But apparently it soon regained altitude and passed over the
Palos Verdes Hills to the south. He also recalls noting that the “stern” of the craft was rectangular, with rounded
edges, ands very thick.
While this account, gleaned from the Internet, is extremely shaky, and there are reasons to question some other
assertions made by the same “eyewitness,” the fact that my mother and I lost sight of the object as it descended
in the direction of Redondo Beach does lend some credence to this report.
As I said, it’s now pretty certain, from eyewitness accounts collected years after the fact, that something did in fact
crash-land on South Vermont Avenue that morning, and that it was almost certainly an American pursuit plane,
forced down either by the object itself or by “friendly fire.”
them came from a searchlight battery in Manhattan Beach, some ten miles away (the others appear to have come
from Inglewood or El Segundo), Frank Warren has concluded that it must have been considerably larger, that is,
around 800 feet in length, and I agree with this estimate.
After crossing the Baldwin Hills, the object appears to have turned westward toward El Segundo—directly over the
aircraft plants located there, including Douglas, North American, and Lockheed, which makes one wonder if the craft
was specifically interested in them.
When it reached the coast, it rose to a higher altitude and slowly followed the edge of the ocean due south to the
point where we first saw it. Then, as I indicated earlier, it veered southeastward over Redondo Beach, blithely
ignoring everything we were throwing at it, and soon disappeared from sight behind the town’s low hills.
However, we can now tentatively pick it up over Redondo. Another possible eyewitness, who claims to have lived in
Redondo Beach and to have been five years old at the time, has recently come to my attention. He—I’ve yet to
discover his name—says that he recalls watching the craft descend as it passed slowly over his family home on
Irena Street, which is about a mile back from the ocean. The man also claims that his father at first thought it was
coming in for a landing, perhaps at the nearby Lomita airstrip, and that the latter and several neighbors jumped
into a pickup truck and tried to follow the object. But apparently it soon regained altitude and passed over the
Palos Verdes Hills to the south. He also recalls noting that the “stern” of the craft was rectangular, with rounded
edges, ands very thick.
While this account, gleaned from the Internet, is extremely shaky, and there are reasons to question some other
assertions made by the same “eyewitness,” the fact that my mother and I lost sight of the object as it descended
in the direction of Redondo Beach does lend some credence to this report.
As I said, it’s now pretty certain, from eyewitness accounts collected years after the fact, that something did in fact
crash-land on South Vermont Avenue that morning, and that it was almost certainly an American pursuit plane,
forced down either by the object itself or by “friendly fire.”
According to one account, it was immediately hauled away on a
flat-bed truck under a tarp, as the military apparently didn’t
want the public to know that it had shot down one of its own
plans. However, the witness in question caught a glimpse of
the markings on the fuselage before it was covered up. They
clearly indicate that it was one of ours. (What happened to the
pilot is unknown.). I should add here that add Frank Warren
tells me that he’s come across an eyewitness account of
another possible plane crash that morning, this time in
Hollywood somewhere. Again, the downed aircraft seems to
have been hauled off almost immediately on a flat-bed truck.
The witness claims to have seen “Japanese letters” on the
fuselage, although this is extremely doubtful. The Japanese
used Arabic numbers on all of their WWII planes, and he may
simply have assumed that it was a Japanese plane, and then
perceived the rest of what he saw in terms of that
assumption. If a second plane did crash in Hollywood
somewhere, it was also almost certainly one of ours.
It’s recently been suggested, on the basis of what in my
opinion is some pretty shaky evidence that the craft itself
ultimately crashed in the ocean off San Diego and was
recovered by Navy divers.
This might possibly explain its apparent descent over Redondo
Beach. Perhaps the object had in fact been wounded by the
intense anti-aircraft fire and, after nearly crashing into
Redondo Beach, eventually lost control, and went into the sea.
Yet another recent assertion, equally shaky, is that it landed
more or less intact on San Clemente Island, in those days a
Navy bombing range, and was commandeered by either the
Navy or the Marine Corps, presumably along with its
occupants, assuming they survived the landing. If there’s any
validity to these theories, the military may already have had a
flat-bed truck under a tarp, as the military apparently didn’t
want the public to know that it had shot down one of its own
plans. However, the witness in question caught a glimpse of
the markings on the fuselage before it was covered up. They
clearly indicate that it was one of ours. (What happened to the
pilot is unknown.). I should add here that add Frank Warren
tells me that he’s come across an eyewitness account of
another possible plane crash that morning, this time in
Hollywood somewhere. Again, the downed aircraft seems to
have been hauled off almost immediately on a flat-bed truck.
The witness claims to have seen “Japanese letters” on the
fuselage, although this is extremely doubtful. The Japanese
used Arabic numbers on all of their WWII planes, and he may
simply have assumed that it was a Japanese plane, and then
perceived the rest of what he saw in terms of that
assumption. If a second plane did crash in Hollywood
somewhere, it was also almost certainly one of ours.
It’s recently been suggested, on the basis of what in my
opinion is some pretty shaky evidence that the craft itself
ultimately crashed in the ocean off San Diego and was
recovered by Navy divers.
This might possibly explain its apparent descent over Redondo
Beach. Perhaps the object had in fact been wounded by the
intense anti-aircraft fire and, after nearly crashing into
Redondo Beach, eventually lost control, and went into the sea.
Yet another recent assertion, equally shaky, is that it landed
more or less intact on San Clemente Island, in those days a
Navy bombing range, and was commandeered by either the
Navy or the Marine Corps, presumably along with its
occupants, assuming they survived the landing. If there’s any
validity to these theories, the military may already have had a
fair amount of evidence in hand by the times of the Roswell crash in 1947, in addition to any it might have garnered
prior to 1942.
prior to 1942.
As far as civilian casualties were concerned,
there was only a handful. According to the
Times, five people died from heart attacks
and automobile accidents, and there were
some injuries from falling shrapnel. There was
also some minor property damage, again
there was only a handful. According to the
Times, five people died from heart attacks
and automobile accidents, and there were
some injuries from falling shrapnel. There was
also some minor property damage, again
mostly from shrapnel. Yes, there were a great many jangled nerves that morning, but the overall impact of the
event was slight compared to other disasters—earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.—the region has experienced over the
years.
Although there’s never been a definitive, “official” explanation of this episode, a great many unofficial ones have
been advanced over the years, including an errant barrage balloon that had lost its tether over one of the El
Segundo aircraft plants, a lost Army weather balloon (shades of Roswell!), or an off-course private pilot, perhaps in
a vintage Piper Cub—although civilian aircraft had been firmly banned from the skies over Southern since the
outbreak of the war. It’s even been suggested that the whole thing was caused by a flock of high-flying sea birds.
But none of these explanations comes anywhere close to being satisfactory. Indeed, from most reports, as well as
the Times photograph, the object appears to have been a huge, glowing, saucer-shaped object with a distinct
protuberance on its dorsal side. To be sure, unlike the witnesses who observed it in at a much lower level in Culver
City and the Baldwin Hills, my mother and I saw only a bright, shimmering lozenge caught in the glare of the
searchlights.
Nevertheless, despite the Redondo Beach man’s atypical—and perhaps skewed—recollection (after all, he claims to
have been five year-old at the time), what we saw, together with the majority of the descriptions Frank and I have
collected, as well as the object caught in the Times reporter’s photograph, all jibe closely with literally tens of
thousands of eyewitness accounts of UFOs in this country and elsewhere that have come to light in the course of
the last six decades. (For a magisterial account of that history, I heartily recommend a book that I’m sure many
readers are already familiar with: Richard M. Dolan’s UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a Cover-
up 1941-1973, the second edition of which was published by Hampton Roads in 2002.)
The aspect of this episode that clinches the extraterrestrial theory here, at least in my opinion, is the fact that the
object was able to resist the impact of over 1,400 rounds of high explosive, antiaircraft shells. No contemporary
aircraft, let alone any World War II planes, could have withstood that barrage. I suspect that the object was
surrounded by an electromagnetic force field of some sort, which deflected the shells and caused them to explode
harmlessly. This EMF field could perhaps have caused our planes to lose control and crash when they flew too close
to it.
To be sure, in the postwar era, after we’d obtained the technology to build sophisticated air-to-air rockets from
captured German scientists, it was another story. At that point, it appears that we did have the capability to shoot
down UFOs, at least occasionally, which in part explain the spate of UFO crashes—including, perhaps, the ones at
Roswell and Aztec—in the late 1940s and early 1950s. But not in 1942.
That the whole business has been covered up by the government for the past sixty-four years seems almost
certain. Indeed, most Ufologists are convinced that a similar cover-up has been in place regarding the Roswell crash
since 1947, to say nothing of what’s been going on at Area 51. Perhaps they—that is, the government—had a
model based on their response to the February, 1942, incident that it brought to bear in hushing up later episodes.
Or perhaps they’ve simply been in denial for the past six decades. Extremely doubtful, but remotely possible.
Maybe someday the truth about the “Battle of Los Angeles” will finally come out, along with the truth about so
many other anomalous phenomena that so many people all over the world have seen—and continue to see—in the
sky, both before and after 1942. Then again, it just may prove to have been a remarkably flack-resistant barrage
balloon that our gunners simply couldn’t bring down. But I certainly wouldn’t bet a bundle on that possibility!
In sum, in light of the evidence, that is,
• The object’s purposeful, intelligently controlled flight pattern;
• Its invulnerability to an intense anti-aircraft barrage;
• Its size (perhaps 800 feet in diameter);
• Its bright white (and, in some accounts, orange) glow, which was evident even in the searchlight beams;
• Its configuration (oval, with a protuberance on the dorsal side);
• Its probable EMF impact on our pursuit planes that flew too close;
• And the absence of any post-war Japanese record of one of their planes being over Los Angeles that night,
I submit that the most efficient explanation for the object that triggered the “Battle of Los Angeles” in the early
morning hours of February 25, 1942, is that it was a genuine, honest-to-God, unidentified flying object that came
from beyond this planet. In other words, I’m convinced that what I witnessed that night when I was eight years-old
from in front of 2500 Strand in Hermosa Beach was a classic UFO episode, one that must be ranked among the
most important episodes in the history of this remarkable phenomenon, if only because it was witnessed by more
than a million anxious Southern Californians, all of whom prayed—successfully, as it turned out—that it was not the
harbinger of a Japanese attack.
event was slight compared to other disasters—earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.—the region has experienced over the
years.
Although there’s never been a definitive, “official” explanation of this episode, a great many unofficial ones have
been advanced over the years, including an errant barrage balloon that had lost its tether over one of the El
Segundo aircraft plants, a lost Army weather balloon (shades of Roswell!), or an off-course private pilot, perhaps in
a vintage Piper Cub—although civilian aircraft had been firmly banned from the skies over Southern since the
outbreak of the war. It’s even been suggested that the whole thing was caused by a flock of high-flying sea birds.
But none of these explanations comes anywhere close to being satisfactory. Indeed, from most reports, as well as
the Times photograph, the object appears to have been a huge, glowing, saucer-shaped object with a distinct
protuberance on its dorsal side. To be sure, unlike the witnesses who observed it in at a much lower level in Culver
City and the Baldwin Hills, my mother and I saw only a bright, shimmering lozenge caught in the glare of the
searchlights.
Nevertheless, despite the Redondo Beach man’s atypical—and perhaps skewed—recollection (after all, he claims to
have been five year-old at the time), what we saw, together with the majority of the descriptions Frank and I have
collected, as well as the object caught in the Times reporter’s photograph, all jibe closely with literally tens of
thousands of eyewitness accounts of UFOs in this country and elsewhere that have come to light in the course of
the last six decades. (For a magisterial account of that history, I heartily recommend a book that I’m sure many
readers are already familiar with: Richard M. Dolan’s UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a Cover-
up 1941-1973, the second edition of which was published by Hampton Roads in 2002.)
The aspect of this episode that clinches the extraterrestrial theory here, at least in my opinion, is the fact that the
object was able to resist the impact of over 1,400 rounds of high explosive, antiaircraft shells. No contemporary
aircraft, let alone any World War II planes, could have withstood that barrage. I suspect that the object was
surrounded by an electromagnetic force field of some sort, which deflected the shells and caused them to explode
harmlessly. This EMF field could perhaps have caused our planes to lose control and crash when they flew too close
to it.
To be sure, in the postwar era, after we’d obtained the technology to build sophisticated air-to-air rockets from
captured German scientists, it was another story. At that point, it appears that we did have the capability to shoot
down UFOs, at least occasionally, which in part explain the spate of UFO crashes—including, perhaps, the ones at
Roswell and Aztec—in the late 1940s and early 1950s. But not in 1942.
That the whole business has been covered up by the government for the past sixty-four years seems almost
certain. Indeed, most Ufologists are convinced that a similar cover-up has been in place regarding the Roswell crash
since 1947, to say nothing of what’s been going on at Area 51. Perhaps they—that is, the government—had a
model based on their response to the February, 1942, incident that it brought to bear in hushing up later episodes.
Or perhaps they’ve simply been in denial for the past six decades. Extremely doubtful, but remotely possible.
Maybe someday the truth about the “Battle of Los Angeles” will finally come out, along with the truth about so
many other anomalous phenomena that so many people all over the world have seen—and continue to see—in the
sky, both before and after 1942. Then again, it just may prove to have been a remarkably flack-resistant barrage
balloon that our gunners simply couldn’t bring down. But I certainly wouldn’t bet a bundle on that possibility!
In sum, in light of the evidence, that is,
• The object’s purposeful, intelligently controlled flight pattern;
• Its invulnerability to an intense anti-aircraft barrage;
• Its size (perhaps 800 feet in diameter);
• Its bright white (and, in some accounts, orange) glow, which was evident even in the searchlight beams;
• Its configuration (oval, with a protuberance on the dorsal side);
• Its probable EMF impact on our pursuit planes that flew too close;
• And the absence of any post-war Japanese record of one of their planes being over Los Angeles that night,
I submit that the most efficient explanation for the object that triggered the “Battle of Los Angeles” in the early
morning hours of February 25, 1942, is that it was a genuine, honest-to-God, unidentified flying object that came
from beyond this planet. In other words, I’m convinced that what I witnessed that night when I was eight years-old
from in front of 2500 Strand in Hermosa Beach was a classic UFO episode, one that must be ranked among the
most important episodes in the history of this remarkable phenomenon, if only because it was witnessed by more
than a million anxious Southern Californians, all of whom prayed—successfully, as it turned out—that it was not the
harbinger of a Japanese attack.
Unfortunately, the
probability that the object in
question reflected something
far more profound than that
has only begun to surface
after the great majority of
those who saw it have
passed on to their rewards.
probability that the object in
question reflected something
far more profound than that
has only begun to surface
after the great majority of
those who saw it have
passed on to their rewards.
However, Frank Warren and I are hot on the trail of several more key eye-witnesses and/or their progeny, as well
as some additional photographs. So please stay tuned!
as some additional photographs. So please stay tuned!
| TODAY IS |
