No one died at Ellwood, but three deaths in traffic accidents and two deaths from heart attacks were associated with the Battle of Los Angeles the following night. A sincere but mistaken submarine sighting, an Office of Naval Intelligence warning, air-raid sirens, and a possible meteorological balloon all fed the alarm. The 37th Coast Artillery Brigade and other defenders fired more than 1,400 rounds at unconfirmed targets, while interceptor aircraft remained on the ground to avoid the anti-aircraft barrage. Fear, fragmented information, and poor coordination turned a materially minor coastal raid into a dangerous civil-defense crisis.
Notable Point · 46:33-56:35
Ellwood and the Battle of Los Angeles
The Ellwood raid primed defenders for the Battle of Los Angeles, when confused warnings and mass anti-aircraft fire caused casualties without a confirmed enemy aircraft.