The barrage began just after 2 AM, following reports of an unidentified object over the city. For nearly two hours, gun crews blasted the sky, yet no wreckage or enemy aircraft were ever found. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox famously dismissed the event the next day as a case of 'war nerves,' a false alarm fueled by the recent attack on Pearl Harbor just months earlier and the real fear of a West Coast invasion. A 1983 U.S. Air Force historical study concluded the most likely culprit was a los

Barrage balloons were a common sight across the UK in 1940 – but what were they for? RAF Balloon Command played an important role in the Battle of Britain. By 1945 33,000 RAF and Women’s Auxiliary Air Force personnel operated over 3000 balloons, to protect strategic locations and cities. https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/our-history/anniversaries/battle-of-britain #DetectAndDefend | Royal Air Force

How Effective Were Barrage Balloons in World War II? | War History Online