From Wikipedia.
Also known as The Great Los Angeles Air Raid. This was the setting of the hilarious movie "1941" starring John Belushi as Captain Wild Bill Kelso, Kewpie carrying fighter pilot.
The battle was caused by what was thought to be a Japanese attack just one day after the February 23, 1942, bombardment of Ellwood, California that I wrote about in my previous post. This event tool place over the night of Feb. 24-25th.
People were still unsettled by the attack on Pearl Harbor, just a few months earlier.
It is believed that an errant weather balloon may have started it. Anti aircraft blasts caused further firing thinking it was enemy fire. Some folks even think it was caused by UFOs.
Air raid sirens went on all over Los Angeles County and a total blackout was ordered. At 3:16 AM, the 37Th Coast Artillery Brigade began firing 12.8 pound anti aircraft shells into the air with over 1400 eventually being fired.
Several buildings were damaged and three civilians killed as a direct result. Three more died from heart attacks attributed to the "Attack."
The U.S. Office of Air Force History blamed the event on "war nerves."
Oops! --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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