The Philadelphia Experiment: WWII's Invisibility Hoax

On October 28, 1943, conspiracy theorists claim the US Navy made a destroyer vanish into thin air at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. According to the legend, the USS Eldridge disappeared in a green fog, teleported to Norfolk Virginia 200 miles away, and crew members were fused into the ship's metal walls. This was allegedly the Philadelphia Experiment—Project Invisibility using Einstein's unified field theory to win World War II.

The truth? The Navy was conducting "degaussing"—making ships undetectable to German magnetic torpedoes, not literally invisible. The entire conspiracy traces back to Carl Allen, a man with documented psychiatric illness who wrote elaborate letters to a ufologist. Yet the story captivated America, inspiring books, movies, and decades of speculation.

What happens when wartime whispers of "invisible ships" transform practical military strategy into paranormal legend? Join us as we investigate America's most persistent conspiracy theory and discover why we're so drawn to the impossible. This is the Philadelphia Experiment.

Discover the truth behind the conspiracy. New episodes every Tuesday.

Show Notes:

On an October night in 1943, witnesses at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard claimed to see the impossible: a US Navy destroyer enveloped in green fog, vanishing from sight before reappearing miles away. Crew members were allegedly fused into the ship's metal walls. The government was experimenting with invisibility to win World War II. Or so the story goes.

This is the Philadelphia Experiment—one of America's most enduring conspiracy theories, and a perfect case study in how wartime secrecy, mental illness, and our fascination with the impossible can create legends that outlive the truth.

Timeline:

1943 (October 28): Alleged date of the Philadelphia Experiment at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

1943 (Actual): US Navy conducting degaussing experiments to protect ships from German magnetic torpedoes

1955: Carlos Miguel Allende (Carl Allen) begins writing letters to ufologist Morris Jessup describing the "experiment"

1957: US Navy Office of Naval Research receives annotated copy of Jessup's book with bizarre notes about extraterrestrial technology

1959: Morris Jessup found dead in apparent suicide, fueling conspiracy theories of government cover-up

1965: Vincent Gaddis publishes "Invisible Horizons," documenting the conspiracy theory

1978: "Thin Air" novel published by Simpson and Burger

1979: Charles Berlitz publishes "The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility," presenting story as fact

1984: Hollywood film "The Philadelphia Experiment" dramatizes the story

1994: Astrophysicist Jacques Vallée publishes "Anatomy of a Hoax" in Journal of Scientific Exploration

1994: Edward Duggan, Navy veteran (1942-1945), writes clarifying letter explaining degaussing

1999: USS Eldridge veterans reunion confirms ship never made port in Philadelphia

2012: Second film adaptation released

Key Locations

Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania: Alleged location of the experiment (though USS Eldridge was actually in the Bahamas on its shakedown cruise at this time)

Norfolk, Virginia: Location where USS Eldridge allegedly teleported (200+ miles from Philadelphia). In reality, ships regularly traveled between these ports via Chesapeake and Delaware Canal—a discrete WWII route to avoid German submarines.

New Kensington, Pennsylvania: Hometown of Carl Allen (Carlos Allende), the man who originated the conspiracy theory through letters

Key Figures:

Carl Allen / Carlos Miguel Allende: The originator of the Philadelphia Experiment conspiracy theory. A man with documented psychiatric illness who wrote elaborate letters to Morris Jessup claiming to have witnessed the experiment from the SS Andrew Furuseth. Later admitted to lying about some claims.

Morris K. Jessup: Astronomer, ufologist, and science fiction writer who received Allende's letters and became entangled in the conspiracy. Found dead in 1959 in apparent suicide, though conspiracy theorists claim government involvement.

Dr. Franklin Reno: Allegedly applied Einstein's unified field theory to the experiment (no verified documentation exists)

Edward Duggan: US Navy veteran (1942-1945) who clarified in 1994 that the Navy was conducting "degaussing" experiments, not invisibility tests

Jacques Vallée: Astrophysicist and ufologist who published "Anatomy of a Hoax" investigating the Philadelphia Experiment claims

Al Bielek: One of many people who later claimed to have participated in the experiment, stating his memories returned after watching the 1988 film (no evidence supports these claims)

What Actually Happened: Degaussing Explained

The US Navy was indeed experimenting with making ships "invisible"—but not to the human eye or radar. They were making ships invisible to German magnetic torpedoes through a process called degaussing.

The Real Technology:

• German U-boats used magnetic torpedoes that detected the metal hulls of Allied ships
• Degaussing involved wrapping ships in large electrical cables and running high-voltage charges through them
• This neutralized the ship's magnetic signature, making it "invisible" to magnetic detection
• The process was crucial to protecting Allied vessels in the Battle of the Atlantic

How the Confusion Started:

• Navy personnel discussing "invisible ships" (invisible to torpedoes, not sight)
• Whispers passed through civilian dockworkers and military personnel
• Stories distorted through retelling (like the telephone game)
• Carl Allen transformed practical military technology into paranormal narrative

Why USS Eldridge Couldn't Have Been There:

• Ship wasn't commissioned until August 27, 1943
• During alleged October experiment, USS Eldridge was on shakedown cruise in the Bahamas
• Ship's complete WWII action logs available on microfilm—no Philadelphia port visits
• 1999 USS Eldridge veterans reunion confirmed ship never docked in Philadelphia

The Cultural Impact

Books:

• 1965: "Invisible Horizons: True Mysteries of the Sea" by Vincent Gaddis
• 1978: "Thin Air" by George E. Simpson and Neil R. Berger (novel)
• 1979: "The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility" by Charles Berlitz and William L. Moore (presented as factual)

Films:

• 1984: "The Philadelphia Experiment" directed by Stuart Raphael (time travel dramatization)
• 2012: "The Philadelphia Experiment" (remake)

Why It Endures: The Philadelphia Experiment taps into several powerful psychological drivers:

• Government secrecy during wartime (we know classified projects existed)
• Einstein's unified field theory (real science, mysterious to public)
• World War II's "anything to win" mentality made extreme experiments plausible
• The impossibility is the appeal—time travel and teleportation capture imagination
• Conspiracy theories give simple explanations to complex historical periods

Sources

1. Vallée, Jacques. "Anatomy of a Hoax: The Philadelphia Experiment Fifty Years Later." Journal of Scientific Exploration, vol. 8, no. 1, 1994, pp. 47-71. [Analysis debunking the conspiracy]
2. Goerman, Robert A. "Alias Carlos Allende: The Mystery Man Behind the Philadelphia Experiment." Fate Magazine, October 1980. [Investigation of Carl Allen's psychiatric history]
3. Berlitz, Charles, and William L. Moore. The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility. Grosset & Dunlap, 1979. [Primary source popularizing the conspiracy theory]
4. USS Eldridge (DE-173) Official WWII Action Reports. National Archives and Records Administration. Microfilm available. [Complete deck logs and action reports contradicting conspiracy timeline]
5. Degaussing: Protection Against Magnetic Mines and Torpedoes. US Navy Historical Center. [Technical documentation of actual Navy degaussing programs]
6. "Einstein's Unified Field Theory." Physics texts and academic sources on electromagnetic theory. [Background on the legitimate scientific theory misapplied in conspiracy]
7. Newspaper Archives: Philadelphia Inquirer coverage of 1999 USS Eldridge veterans reunion. [Veterans confirming ship never ported in Philadelphia]
8. Duggan, Edward. Personal correspondence published in ufology journals, 1994. [Navy veteran clarifying degaussing vs. invisibility]

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