On October 28, 1943, an alleged experiment known as the “Philadelphia Experiment” was an eerie Conspiracy Theory that a United States (U.S) Navy destroyer was involved in a grotesque military experiment that involved the creation of new naval technology for the use in World War II. One of the theories about the experiment would give many nightmares from the disturbing details of what might have truly happened on that navy ship that day. It was detailed that after the experiment was conducted the crew members who were in that ship were left insane, some with a mysterious illness, while some were sealed to the metal of the ship alive, with limbs being stuck to the metal (Corbeil 2). Let us explore different stories as to what truly happened or if it even happened at all.
The first conspiracy of the Philadelphia Experiment will be regarding the invisibility of the USS Eldridge to enemy radar. It was said that the U.S Government wanted to use their research and studies of invisibility for warfare purposes during World War II (Conspiracy 1). This research led to the start of what is now the conspiracy theory of the Philadelphia Experiment, also nicknamed “Project Rainbow.” “Rumor aboard the ship was that the generators were designed to power a new kind of magnetic field, that would make the warship invisible to enemy radar” (How the 3). The purpose as to why this was wanted to be accomplished, was for the invisibility of the USS Eldridge to be invisible to enemy radars. An example being one of our deadly enemies at the time, the Germans.
Conspiracy Theory: The Philadelphia Experiment | Ipl.Org. https://www.ipl.org/essay/Conspiracy-Theory-The-Philadelphia-Experiment-PK2LJHQBGXPT. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021.
Corbeil, Shannon. “This Is the Truth Behind WWII’s Creepy Philadelphia Experiment.” Military.Com, 13 Sept. 2021, https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/05/04/truth-behind-wwiis-creepy-philadelphia-experiment.html.
“How the Philadelphia Experiment Worked.” HowStuffWorks, 6 Feb. 2015, https://people.howstuffworks.com/philadelphia-experiment.html.
Philadelphia Experiment. http://public2.nhhcaws.local/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/p/philadelphia-experiment.html. Accessed 22 Nov. 2021.
