The Philadelphia Experiment

According to legend, on October 28, 1943, the U.S. Navy conducted an experiment to make the destroyer escort USS Eldridge invisible to radar. The experiment allegedly went wrong, causing the ship to become invisible, teleport to Norfolk, Virginia, and return, with devastating effects on the crew.

The Alleged Events

The story claims the Navy, using technology based on Einstein’s unified field theory, attempted to bend light around the ship to make it invisible. Instead, the ship and crew became invisible, were transported 200 miles to Norfolk and back, and some crew members were fused with the ship’s metal structure.

Survivors allegedly suffered psychological trauma, spontaneous invisibility, and were eventually either killed or committed to psychiatric hospitals.

Origin of the Story

The story emerged through letters from Carl Allen (also known as Carlos Allende) to author Morris Jessup in 1955. Allen claimed to have witnessed the experiment from a nearby ship.

No evidence supports Allen’s claims. The Eldridge’s deck logs show it was not in Philadelphia at the time. Crew members denied the experiment occurred.

Possible Basis

Some researchers suggest the legend may be a garbled version of actual Navy experiments with degaussing (demagnetizing ships to avoid magnetic mines) or early stealth technology experiments that were classified.

Assessment

The Philadelphia Experiment is almost certainly a hoax or fantasy. No credible evidence supports it. However, it has become part of UFO and conspiracy culture, inspiring books, films, and persistent belief in government cover-ups.