In the mid-1960's a newly installed radar warning system mistook the rising of the moon as a massive missile attack by the Soviets.


(A) rising of the moon as a massive missile attack by the Soviets

(B) rising of the moon for a massive Soviet missile attack

(C) moon rising to a massive missile attack by the Soviets

(D) moon as it was rising for a massive Soviet missile attack

(E) rise of the moon as a massive Soviet missile attack

Mistook X for Y is the correct idiom.

Elim everything but B and D.

D: awkward and illogical. The radar system mistook the rise of the moon, not exactly the moon itself.

Only two close answers are A & B

(A) rising of the moon as a massive missile attack by the Soviets
--Mistook X as Y is incorrect use of idiom.
(B) rising of the moon for a massive Soviet missile attack
-- Correct. Idiom Mistook/Mistake X for Y is correctly used here.

Hence choice (B) is the answer.
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I am not an expert but I’d like to share my thoughts:
“The rising of the moon” is a noun phrase in which the noun is “the rising” and “of the moon” is a prepositional phrase that modifies the noun.
“The moon rising” is also a noun phrase in which the noun is “the moon” and the present participle “rising” modifies the noun.

The intended comparison is between the event of rising (of the moon) and the attack (of the Soviet missile). I think about the word “attack” and gets that it is an action that is abrupt at first and then progressive. This non-static nature is also seen in the word “rising”. Thus, "rising" and "attack" are in perfect parallel to each other.

If we use “moon rising”, the comparison is now between the moon and the attack -> not convey the intended meaning.
Hope that helps!

Posted from my mobile device
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