The LA Times’ photos[ref]UCLA/LA Times/Larry Harnisch/latimes.com/Daily Mirror[/ref] of the 1942 “Battle of Los Angeles” are beautiful, iconic – and retouched.

The Times published this story at least twice, on February 26, 1942; and three years later on October 29, 1945. Both newspaper reports showed a retouched photo of the event: the 1942 version had a darkened landscape and sky; both the landscape and the lights in the sky were enhanced in the 1945 photo.

the February 26, 1942 photo:

the October 29, 1945 photo:

The Battle of Los Angeles

February 25, 1942
Los Angeles Times

Explosions stabbing the darkness like tiny busting stars… Searchlight beams poking long crisscross fingers across the night sky…. But the objects in the sky slowly moved on, caught in the center of the lights like the hub of a bicycle wheel surrounded by gleaming spokes.

Like lethal firecrackers, the antiaircraft blasted above, below and seemingly right on the target in the tenacious beams. Other shots fell short, exploding halfway up the long climb. Tracers sparked upward like Roman candles.

…The target inched along high overhead, flanked by the cherry-red bursts. And the householders shivered in their robes, their faces set, watching the awesome scene.[ref]Marvin Miles, LA Times Aviation Correspondent[/ref]

The Battle of Los Angeles Events

02:25pm: Alarm sirens installed in the event of a Japanese air raid are started, as flying objects are seen and announced in the sky off the city. A blackout is declared and the anxious and even terrified inhabitants follow the instructions by turning all the lights off.

03:16pm: Anti-aircraft guns open fire on the unidentified flying objects coming from the ocean, and projector beams are searching the sky. There seems that at least 2 different types of machines are flying over LA. Witnesses observe small objects flying at high altitude, of red or silver plated color, moving in formation at high speed, and untouched by the AAA salvos. Their pace is an estimated 29000 km/h. There is also a larger object which remains stationary for some time, then, when lightened by the projectors above Culver City, starts to move at a constant speed of 100 km/h in the direction of the Santa Monica cost, and later southwards in direction of Long Beach, where it goes out of sight. This large object has been touched by many AAA projectiles, according to the reports. The anti aircraft defence continues to shoot at UFOS.

04:14: There is a cease-fire, 1430 6 kilogram shells have been used. No bomb has been dropped by the unknown flying objects, and none of them could be shot down. [ref]Patrick Gross/UFOs at Close Sight “Los Angeles, February 25, 1942”[/ref]

Alarm sirens installed in the event of a Japanese air raid are started, as flying objects are seen and announced in the sky off the city. A blackout is declared and the anxious and even terrified inhabitants follow the instructions by turning all the lights off.

Anti-aircraft guns open fire on the unidentified flying objects coming from the ocean, and projector beams are searching the sky.

Witnesses observe small objects flying at high altitude, of red or silver plated color, moving in formation at high speed, and untouched by the AAA salvos.

[ref]UFO Casebook[/ref]