Ngisho noma ukuhlaselwa kokuqala kwezindiza ePearl Harbor ngamaJapane kwenzeka ngoDisemba 7, 1941, kulandelwa ukuhlasela kwesibili ngalolo suku, kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuthi lokhu kuhlasela kwakungesona isikhathi sokuqala amaJapane eqhumisa amabutho aseMelika. Ukuhlasela kokuqala kwaqala amahora ngaphambi kwalokho futhi kwakuhilela umkhumbi-ngwenya.
Ukuhlasela bekungaphansi komhlaba futhi kwenzeke ngamagagasi amabili: elilodwa ngo-1:30AM nelinye ngo-5AM. Lokhu kuhlasela okubili kuphumele ekucekeleni phansi kwemikhumbi eyisithupha, okuhlanganisa nomkhumbi kawoyela kanye nombhubhisi. Nokho, umonakalo awubanga mubi njengoba wawuzokwenzeka kamuva ePearl Harbor.
I-Los Angeles Air Raid - imfihlakalo eyinqaba yeMpi yaseLos Angeles
Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ngemva kwePearl Harbor, iMelika yayisemaphethelweni, ikakhulukazi ngasogwini olusentshonalanga. Wonke umuntu wayehlola isibhakabhaka nolwandle ngenxa yokwesaba okunye ukuhlasela kwamaJapane. Eqinisweni, umkhumbi-ngwenya waseJapane wawuhlasele indawo yamafutha yase-Ellwood eduze kwaseSanta Barbara ngoFebhuwari ka-1942.
Kamuva kuleyo nyanga, ukushuba kwesimo kwaqhuma kwaba ukuhayiza okugcwele. Ibhaluni lesimo sezulu le-AWOL libangele ukwethuka kwasekuqaleni. Ngemva kwalokho, kwaqhunyiswa amalangabi esibhakabhakeni ebusuku, ukuze kukhanyiselwe izinsongo ezingase zibe khona noma kubonise ingozi. Abantu babona amalangabi njengabahlaseli abengeziwe, futhi inqwaba yomlilo wezindiza ngokushesha yagcwala ubusuku bonke.
Ngosuku olulandelayo, izakhamizi zaseLos Angeles kubikwa ukuthi ziphoqelekile ukuthi zigqoke imaski yegesi. Umsebenzi waqhubeka ubusuku obuningana. Ekugcineni, okuwukuphela kwabalimala kulo lonke udaba kwaba izisulu ezintathu zesifo senhliziyo nabathathu bashona ngenxa yomlilo obungane. Azikho izindiza zaseJapane ezitholakele, futhi amaJapane kamuva aphika ukuthi ayenalutho emoyeni eduze kwaseLos Angeles ngaleso sikhathi.
I-Navy ekuqaleni yamemezela yonke le ndaba njenge-alamu engamanga, kodwa ngemva kosuku, uMnyango Wezempi, wethula uhlangothi lwezempi lwendaba, wathi okungenani indiza eyodwa kanye nezinhlanu ezingaziwa zaziphezu kwedolobha ngalobo busuku.
Leyo yindaba esemthethweni, okungenani. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakunezimangalo zokufihlwa kanye nenqwaba yezinkolelo-mbono zasendle. Lesi sigameko sasiyiminyaka emihlanu ngaphambi kombiko wesoso elindiza lika-Kenneth Arnold owavusa i-UFO craze yase-US, kodwa lokhu ngezinye izikhathi kuchazwa ngokuphindaphindiwe njengokunye kokubonwa kokuqala okukhulu kwe-UFO.
“Abantu ababengaphandle ngalobo busuku bafunga ukuthi kwakungeyona indiza noma ibhaluni - kwakuyi-UFO. Yantanta, yashibilika. Futhi kuze kube namuhla, akekho ongachaza ukuthi lo mkhumbi wawuyini, kungani izibhamu zethu ezilwa nezindiza zingakwazanga ukuwushaya - kuyimpicabadala engakaze ixazululwe.” —UBill Birnes, Isazi se-UFO, Umshicileli we-UFO Magazine
“Siphume sonke sayibuka. Sabona okuthile, kodwa kwakungeyona into eqinisekile. Kwakubonakala sengathi into ezungeza kancane kancane... ngangimi eduze kwesikhulu sami, sathi, 'Kubukeka sengathi indiza kimi.'”—Isikhulu EsesePhethe Umhlalaphansi.
Amaphephandaba ngaleso sikhathi ayecabanga ukuthi yonke le nto yayihlelwe ukuze kutholakale ukwesekwa kwempi ngokubangela ukwethuka. Imibiko yezempi enezindebe eziqinile ayenzanga lutho ekudambiseni ukukhathazeka - uphenyo olugcwele lomphakathi alwenziwa kwaze kwaba yiminyaka engu-40 kamuva.
Amazwi wokugcina
Umphumela we-Great Los Angeles Air Raid kwaba ngesinye seziqephu eziyindida nezingachazwa emlandweni wamasosha ase-US. Ukuthi bekuyisigameko sangempela noma ukufihlwa ngamasosha kuseyindaba ecatshangelwayo.
Ngakho-ke, indaba yeMpi yaseLos Angeles ingenye efihliwe, futhi iqiniso elingemuva kwayo lingase lingaziwa. Okwaziwayo ukuthi lesi sigameko senzeke, nokuthi sibe nomthelela omkhulu kubantu baseLos Angeles.
