On February 25, 1942, at about 2:30 in the morning, the people of Los Angeles were jolted awake by the sound of air-raid sirens. The city was ordered to blackout and prepare for an attack. Searchlights sprang to life, frantically scanning the sky above the city for enemy aircraft. Finally, the lights converged on a single object. As frightened citizens stepped on to their porches and lawns to get a glimpse of the target, the sky erupted with hundreds of explosions of fire, smoke and steel. The Battle of Los Angeles had begun.