PROJECT 1947 UFO REPORTS - 1945 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Louis, Missouri, POST DISPATCH - 2 January, 1945 Mysterious Foo Fighters, Balls Of Fire, Trail U.S. Night FlyersThought at First to Be Explosive, but None as Yet Has Damaged a Plane A UNITED STATES NIGHT FIGHTER BASE, France, Jan. 2 (AP)American fighter pilots engaged in night missions over Germany report the Nazis have come up with a new secret weapon - mysterious balls of fire which race along beside their planes for miles. Yank pilots have dubbed them foo fighters, and at first thought they might explode, but so far there is no indication that any planes have been damaged by them. Some pilots have expressed belief that the foo fighter was designed strictly as a psychological weapon. Intelligence reports seem to indicate that it is radio-controlled and can keep pace with planes flying 300 miles an hour. Lt. Donald Meiers of Chicago, said there are three types of foo fighters red balls of fire that fly along at wing tip; a vertical row of three balls of fire which fly in front of the planes, and a group of about 15 lights which appear off in the distance like a Christmas tree up in the air and flicker on and off. The pilots of this Beaufighter squadron in operation since September, 1943 find these fiery balls the weirdest thing they have as yet encountered. A foo fighter picked me up recently at 700 feet and chased me 20 miles down the Rhine Valley, Meiers said. I turned to starboard and two balls of fire turned with me. I turned to the port side and they turned with me. We were going 260 miles an hour and the balls were keeping right up with us. On another occasion when a Foo-Fighter picked us up, I dived at 360 miles an hour. It kept right off our wing tips for awhile and then zoomed into the sky. When I first saw the things, I had the horrible thought that a German on the ground was ready to press a button and explode them. But they didn't explode or attack us. They just seem to follow us like will-o-the-wisps. Lt. Wallace Gould of Silver Creek, N. Y., said the lights followed his wing tips for a while and then, in a few seconds, zoomed 20,000 feet into the air and out of sight. Numerous Over Big Cities The pilots agreed that the balls of fire were more numerous over large German cities. Of his first experience with them, Gould said, I thought it was some new form of jet propulsion plane after us. But we were very close to them and none of us saw any structure on the fire balls. Capt. Fritz Ringwald, staff officer from East St. Louis, Ill., went along on a flight after hearing the numerous reports of the foo-fighters. I saw lights off the right and told the pilot, who said, Oh, those are lights on a hill, Ringwald reported, adding, I looked in that direction a few minutes later and then told him, Well, that hill is considerably closer to us now." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Foo-Fighter Seen byEast St. Louisan Among those reporting the appearance of the foo fighter was Capt. Fred B Ringwald, 33-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs A. F. Ringwald, Woodcrest, East St. Louis. A staff officer of the Night Fighters, a volunteer group of the Army Air Corps organized to carry out bombing raids on Germany, Ringwald wrote his parents last week he was operating from a French air base. He was a private pilot before joining the army in September, 1943, and operator of the Crescent Service Station, Tenth and State streets. He took part in the African invasion and has spent a total of 21 months fighting in the European theater. His wife, Mrs Emily Ringwald, joined the Waves last September and is stationed at Stillwater, Ok. FIRE BALLS that fly with American night raiders over Germany, believed to be a new German psychological weapon have been reported by Capt. Fred B. Ringwald, (above) son of Mr and Mrs A. F. Ringwald, Woodcrest, East St. Louis --------------------------------------------------------------------------------WAR DEPARTMENT CLASSIFIED MESSAGE CENTEROUTGOING CLASSIFIED MESSAGE SECRET Military Intelligence Div.Res Unit/SCIEN/WDGBI/S/C NoScien-30 747382 January 1945 Supreme HeadquartersAllied Expeditionary ForcesMain EchelonVersailles, FranceNumber WAR 86184 For G-2 from Bissell WDGBI signed Ulio Press reports red balls of fire accompanying planes in flight termed "Foo Fighters by air personnel. Desire explanation if available. Fnd ORIGINATOR: G-2 INFORMATION: CGAAFOPD JEIA NDD CM-OUT-86184 (Jan 45) DTG 032110Z SECRET Download as .pdf Document The originator of this request for information about "foo fighters" was Clayton Lawrence Bissell. Bissell was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Aviation Section, Signal Reserve on January 12, 1918. During his service in World War I, Bissell was credited with shooting down six aircraft, making him an ace. After serving as the commanding general of the 10th Air Force in India and Burma, Bissell was assigned to the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence in the War Department in January, 1944. The War Department encompassed Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces and Service Troops. It is clear that the sheer amount of public stories about "foo fighters" and mystery "spheres" being reported by allied aviators had led to a request for official information from Bissell and the WDGBI - War Department General Staff, Intelligence (G2) Bissell retired in 1950 with the rank of Major-General. To date, no answer from Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) to Bissell's request has been located. The written numbers probably refer to such messages A1358 and E96722. 1/5 and 2/9 probably refer to paragraphs or parts of the message where the answer is found as paragraph or part 1 of 5 paragraphs or parts. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Providence, R.I. The Providence Journal - 3 January, 1945 JAPS CLAIM ROBOTS WILL BE USED SOON Tokyo Broadcast Says Bomb Will Dominate Skies of PacificWashington, Jan 2(UP)Tokyo claimed today that a Japanese-manufactured robot bomb would make its debut soon giving Japan domination of the skies of the Pacific Ocean. The broadcast beamed to Latin America and recorded by the FCC did not give any weapon, nor did it explain how the Japanese could hope to use them for such distances and against such tiny targets as American Pacific bases offer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spokane, Washington, Spokesmen Review - 9 January, 1945 Japanese Now Use Flying Bomb in China Kunming, China, Jan 6. (Delayed)(UP)The Japanese are using some kind of flying bomb for the air defense of China. Announcing this today, Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault said it had not been determined whether the bombs were launched from planes or the ground. So far they have had not great success. Flyers told of seeing objects following or paralleling the course of American planes. In each case the pilots were able to evade the objects. The Japanese Air Force is incapable of defense and therefore is bound to try to work out something, commented Chennault, Commander of the United States 14th air force. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------TIME Magazine - 15 January, 1945 Foo-Fighter If it was not a hoax or an optical illusion, it was certainly the most puzzling secret weapon that Allied fighters have yet encountered. Last week U.S. night fighter pilots based in France told a strange story of balls of fire which for more than a month have been following their planes at night over Germany.[*] No one seemed to know what, if anything, the fireballs were supposed to accomplish. Pilots, guessing it was a new psychological weapon, named it the "foo-fighter." Their descriptions of the apparition varied, but they agree that the mysterious flares stuck close to their planes and appeared to follow them at high speed for miles. One pilot said that a foo-fighter, appearing as red balls off his wing tips, stuck with him until he dove at 360 miles an hour; then the balls zoomed up into the sky. Skeptical scientists, baffled by the whole affair, were inclined to dismiss the fireballs as an illusion, perhaps an afterimage of light which remained in the pilots's eyes after they had been dazzled by flak bursts. But front-line correspondents and armchair experts had a Buck Rogers field day. They solemnly guessed: 1) that the balls of fire were radio-controlled (an obvious absurdity, since they could not be synchronized with a plane's movements by remote control); 2) that they were created by "electrical induction of some sort"; 3) that they were attracted to a plane by magnetism. The correspondents further guessed that foo-fighters were intended: 1) to dazzle pilots; 2) to serve as aiming points for antiaircraft gunners; 3) to interfere with a plane's radar; 4) to cut a plane's ignition, thus stop its engine in midair. Some scientists suggested another possibility: that the fireballs were nothing more than St. Elmo's Fire, a reddish brush-like discharge of atmospheric electricity which has often been seen near the tips of church steeples, ships' masts and yardarms. It often appears at a plane's wing tips. [*] Last month pilots reported that they had seen mysterious floating silvery balls, apparently another "secret weapon" in daylight flight over Germany. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------NEWSWEEK - 15 January, 1945 Foo-Fighters Lt. Donald Meiers of Chicago was flying a Beaufighter on an intruder mission over Germany. He was braced to meet Nazi planes or anti-aircraft. Suddenly an eerie light split the darkness around his plane. Looking up from his instrument panel, the horrified lieutenant saw two red balls of fire cruising alongside his wingtips. Thinking he had run into a secret anti-aircraft weapon, Meiers tensed and waited for a German on the ground to push a button and blow him up. But the balls merely kept pace with him for a while and then disappeared. That was more than a month ago, one of the first times Allied fighters encountered what they now call "foo-fighters."[*] In addition to the wingtip balls, pilots have reported two other types. One is a group of three smaller balls which fly in front of their planes, the other a group of about fifteen which appear some distance away and flicker on and off. Apparently controlled by radio, the foo-fighters keep formation with the planes, even when they dive, climb, or take evasive action. "But they don't explode of attack us," Meiers said last week. "They just seem to follow us like will-o'-the-wisps." Probably related to the silvery balls seen by daylight pilots (NEWSWEEK, Dec. 25, 1944), the foo-fighters so far apparently baffle intelligence officers. Possibly they are the results of a new anti-radar device which the Germans have developed. On the other hand, they may be the exhaust trails of a smaller model of the radio-controlled Messerschmitt-163, a rocket-propelled flying wing. Day bombers have met the Me163, which has an explosive charge in the nose and is apparently designed to crash into Allied planes. When one pilot closely inspected foo-fighters tagging him, however, he detected nothing but the spheres. [*] The name comes from the "Smokey Stover" comic strip. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SECRET SECRET ?TH: CG, XII TAC Initial Date: 16 Jan 1945 HEADQUARTERS XII TACTICAL AIR COMMAND (ADV) D-C-1 Office of the A/C of S, A-2 APO 374, US Army,16 January 1945 SUBJECT: Night Phenomenon TO : Commanding General, First Tactical Air Force (Prev), APO 374, US Army. Attn: A/C of S, A-2 1. The following is quoted from training and tactical information supplied by the 415th Night Fighter Squadron for the month of December 1944: "We have encountered a phenomenon which we cannot explain; crews have been followed by lights that blink on and off changing colors etc. The lights come very close and fly formation with our planes. They are agitating and keep the crews on edge when they encounter them, mainly because they cannot explain them. It is requested further information be furnished on this subject, such as similar experiences of other night units." 2. Further information is requested. /signed/ LEAVITT CORNING, JR.,Lt. Colonel, G. S. C., A/C of S, A-2. 1st Ind D-B-1 HEADQUARTERS, FIRST TACTICAL AIR FORCE (PROV), AC of S A-2, APO 374, US Army,10 January 1945 TO: AC of S A-2, XII Tactical-Air Command, APO 374, US Army 1. There have been no instances reported as above. 2. Before an investigation can be made it will be necessary to have more complete information, such as colors of the lights, their intensity, size, duration, and at what altitudes seen; also if the lights are observed at any specific hours. Do subject lights cross Allied lines and in what direction are they seen to travel? Also, has it been noted on what part of the aircraft are they carried, i.e. wing, tail, prop; and how close do they approach our aircraft? For the Assistant Chief of Staff A-2: /s/ S V BOYKINMajor AC,Executive Officer -1-SECRET Download as .pdf Document -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1945, January, "Phoo Bombs"From the Office of Director of Intelligence for the US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF) comes a new name for foo-fighters. In a Top Secret document dated 19 January 1945 entitled "An Evaluation of German Capabilities in 1945" we learn under paragraph 2e Other Weapons: "German capabilities with already proved weapons as V-1 and V-2 and untried weapons, such as the 'Phoo' Bomb, Magnetic Waves and gases applicable to aircraft, are considered to offer no new threat of really serious proportions...." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Park Ridge, IL. Park Ridge Herald-Advocate - 19 January, 1945 (from Mel Tierney Post Servicemen file, Park Ridge Library) 'Ridge Fortress Pilot Tells of Encounter with Nazi Jet Plane' An Eighth Air Force Bomber Station, England--Second Lieutenant Edward M Karl, 22, Park Ridge pilot of an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresss, saw his first Nazi jet-propelled fighter on the mission attacking marshalling yards at Kassel, Germany, and still can't give much of a description of it even though it came within two [?} yards of his plane at the time. It was his navigator, Second Lieutentant Robert M Favor of Sweetwater, Texas, who first spotted the strange craft. They're firing rocket projectiles at us, he yelled over the interphone, but this this didn't seem quite right for the Fortress formation was not quite across the English Channel, churning along over friendly territory toward Germany. Closer observation showed that the smoke trail behind the projectile would suddenly cut off for periods, and then spurt out again, which convinced Lt. Karl that they were seeing a jet-propelled plane at a distance, for it's the habit of these craft to accumulate speed and then glide for several miles to conserve fuel. The plane disappeared, and was not seen again until something leaving a trail like a comet and screaming [?] like a runaway express train suddenly whooshed past the Fort's tail going straight up; no one got a good look at it until it was a tiny dark speck miles above, trailing a cloud of white smoke. The enemy plane made no attempt to attack the bomber formation. Lt. Karl flies with [illegible][the 96th?]Bomb Wing the president cited for its success [illegible] Group, veteran combat unit for bombing the Focke-Wulf fighter plane factories in Posen, Poland. It is the unit of the Third Bomb Division which also has been cited by the President. This Division was also honored [?] for its England-Africa shuttle mission attacking Messerschmidt airplane factories at Regensburg, Germany. Lt. Karl is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Evla M. Karl, 214 Columbia avenue. He was a student at the University of Illinois before entering the Army at Chicago, July 1942. He received his pilot's wings at Marfa, Texas in April 1944. His brother, Aviation Cadet Eugene R. Karl, is now undergoing training at San Marcos, Texas. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------S E C R E T 1st W/Ind D-W-2 HEADQUARTERS XII TACTICAL AIR COMMAND, APO #374, U.S. Army, 23 January 1945. TO: S-2, 415 Night Fighter Squadron. Forwarded for compliance with paragraph 2 of 1st Ind. /s/ LEAVITT CORNING, JR,.Lt. Colonel, G.S.C,. A/C of S, A-2. 2nd W/Ind D-W-2 415th. NIGHT FIGHTER SQUADRON, APO #374, U. S. Army, 30 January 1945. TO: AC of S A-2. XII Tactical Air Command, APO 374, U. S. Army. 1. In compliance with paragraph 2 of Ist. Ind., the following extracts from the Sortie reports of various pilots who have encountered the Night Phenomenon are submitted for your information. Night of 14-15 December 1944 - "In vicinity of Erstein (V-9381) flying at 1000 ft. observed large red light at 2000 ft. going East at 18:40 hrs. Travelling at approximately 200 MPH" Night of 16-17 December 1944 - "20 miles North of Breisach (W-0173) at 800 ft. observed 5 or 6 flashing red and green lights in "T" shape. Thought they were flak. About 10 minutes later saw the same lights much closer and behind me. We turned port and Starboard and the lights followed. They closed in to about 8 O'clock and 1000 ft. and remained in that position for several minutes and then disappeared." Night of 22-23 December 1944 - "Patrolling at Angels 10 from Sarrebourg to Strasbourg North and South of highway. At 06:00 hrs. saw two lights coming towards A/C from the ground. Upon reaching altitude of plane, they leveled off and stayed on my tail for approximately 2 minutes. Lights appeared to be a large orange glow. After staying with A/C for approximately 2 minutes, they would peel off and turn away, fly along level for a few minutes and then go out. They appeared to be under perfect control at all times. Lights were seen somewhere in vicinity of Hagenau." S E C R E T --------------------------------------------------------------------------------S E C R E T 2nd. W/lnd., 415th. Night Fighter Squadron. 30. January 1945 con't. Night of 23-24 December 1944 - "Observed reddish colored flames at considerable distance and at approximately 10,000 ft." Night of 23-24 December 1944 - "Approximately 10 miles South of Point X (Q6745) noticed to NE approximately 5 miles a glowing red object shooting straight up. Changed suddenly to plane view of A/C doing a wing over and going into a dive and disappearing." Night of 26-27 December 1944 - "At 01:45 hrs. saw two yellow streaks of flame flying at same level at approximately 3000 ft. off port side. We also saw red balls of fire that stayed up for 10 seconds approximately 45 miles away. After seeing yellow streaks, made starboard vector lost altitude and streaks disappeared from view. Called GCI Blunder and asked if any E/A were in vicinity. They answered No. Instructed to return to Angels 10. We felt what was thought to be prop wash; very distinct. Noticed several groups of lights off port while patrolling in vicinity of Q-9050 and R-1556. Lights made distinct lines somewhat like arrows." Night of 26-27 December 1944 - "While on vector 090 near V-7050 during patrol we observed airborne white lights. They were staggered evenly vertically and we could see from 1 to 4 swing at once. They appeared stationary at 10,000 ft." Night of 26-27 December 1944 - Observed light at same altitude while in vicinity of Worms. Observer saw light come within 100. Peeled off and took evasive action but light continued to follow for 5 minutes. Light then pulled up rapidly and went out of sight." Night of 27-28 December 1944 - "While on North heading in patrol area noticed in vicinity of Q-1378 lights suspended in air moving slowly and would then disappear. Were orange in color. Lights appeared singly and in pairs. Observed these lights four or five times during period." Night of 27-28 December 1944 - Eight miles NE of Luneville at 19:10 hrs. saw three sets of three lights (red and white) one on starboard and one on port from 1000ft. to 2000 ft. to rear and closing in at Angels 10. Pulled up to Angels 8 and lights went out. Called Churchman to see if there was anything in area. Received a negative reply." Night of 30-31 December 1944 - "Saw a group of lights flying through the air 30 or 40 miles East of base while flying at Angels 9 - 10." Night of 1-2 January 1945 - "Saw *Foofighters North of Strasbourg and North of Saverne". Night of 14-15 January 1945 - "Observed a large orange glow in sky approx. 5 ft. in diameter in vicinity of Ingweiller at 6000 ft. at 20:00 hrs." S E C R E T --------------------------------------------------------------------------------S E C R E T 2nd. W/Ind., 415th. Night Fighter Squadron, 30 January 1945 Con't. Night of 29-30 January 1945 - "At about 00:10 hrs. sighted a Foofighter about half way between Weissembourg and Landau. Foofighter was off to the starboard and rear at Angels 2. Lights were amber and one was 20 -50 ft. above the other and of about 30 seconds duration. Foofighter was about 1000 ft. away and following. The lights were about a foot in diameter. Lights disappeared when Travel 34 turned into them." 2. In every case where pilot called GCI Control and asked if there was a Bogey A/C in the area he received a negative answer. /s/F. B. RingwaldCaptain, A.C.Intelligence Officer * Foofighters is the name given these phenomenon by combat crews of this Squadron. S E C R E T Download as .pdf Document --------------------------------------------------------------------------------S E C R E T 2nd Ind D-W-2 HEADQUARTERS XII TACTICAL AIR COMMAND (ADV) APO #374. U.S. Army, 4 February 1945. TO: Commanding General, First Tactical Air Force (Prov) APO #374 U.S. Army. Attn: A/C of S, A-2. Attention is invited to 2nd W/Ind. /s/ John E Woodley for LEAVITT CORNING, JR.,Lt. Colonel, G. S. C., A/C of S, A-2. 3rd Ind D-Y-1 HEADQUARTERS, FIRST TACTICAL AIR FORCE (PROV), APO 374, U S Army,5 February 1945. TO: Chief Intelligence Officer, Air Staff SHAEF, APO 757 1. Forwarded for your information. 2. This headquarters has no further information or explanation in connection with these phenomena. 3. It is believed that further investigation is warranted. Since appropriate technical personnel are not available within the First Tactical Air Force, the matter is forwarded for such further investigation as may be advisable. /signed/ C.A. YOUNG Colonel, AC,AC of S, A-2 1 Incl. #1. - 1st & and 2nd W/Ind, 23 Jan 45 and 30 Jan 45 S E C R E T Download as .pdf Document --------------------------------------------------------------------------------SECRETAIR STAFF SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE REF:- 37153 11 February 1945 TO:- First Tactical Air Force (Prov.), APO 374, U.S. ARMY 1. Reference to your 3rd Indorsment on the subject of night phenomenon originated by the 415th Night Fighter Squadron, there is no information at this Headquarters which might explain the nature and cause of the lights and other phenomena described by the pilots of this Squadron. 2. The matter is, therefore, being referred to the Air Ministry in order to find out whether any further information can be obtained from that source. It is also hoped to make arrangements for an Air Technical Intelligence Officer from USSTAF to visit the unit concerned. For the Deputy Supreme Commander /s/ C.M. GRIERSON, Air Commodore A.C. of S., A-2 SECRET Download as .pdf Document --------------------------------------------------------------------------------SECRETAIR STAFF SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE REF: SHAEF AIR/TS.37153/A-2 11 February 1945 SUBJECT: Night Phenomena. TO: Headquarters, U.S.S.T.A.F (For attention of Chief Technical Intelligence Officer, Col. Bradley). 1. Attached are copies of papers received from the first Tac. Air Force (Prov). From the number of reports quoted in the 2nd W/Ind from the 415th Night Fighter Squadron, it would seem that there must be something more than mere imagination behind the matter, and in view of the fact that pilots and crews are becoming slightly worried by them, it is considered that everything possible should be done to get to the root of the matter. 2. Copies of the reports have been sent to the Air Ministry for their consideration, and the Scientific Investigation Division of this Headquarters (Mr. Robertson) has also been asked to consider the problem. 3. In the meantime, it is suggested that it might be as well for an Air Technical Intelligence Officer to visit the unit concerned and obtain reports and impressions at first hand from aircrew personnel. For the Deputy Supreme Commander /s/ C.M. GRIERSON, Air Commodore A.C. of S., A-2 SECRET Download as .pdf Document -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stars and Stripes European Edition - 19 February, 1945 Men Who See Em Say Foo-Fighters Can't Be Poohed By Ed ClarkStars and Stripes Staff Writer WITH THE 1st TACTICAL AlR FORCE. Feb. 18Discussion of the Foo-Fignters, weird thingamajigs spotted by U.S. night fighters over enemy territory, reached a new peak here today as Beaufighter crews received news from home that the Foo-Fighters were figments of the imagination and strictly from the realm of make-believe. Particularly disgusting to the night fliers who have seen Foo-Fighters off and on for the past four months was a recent article in Time which said Skeptical scientists, baffled by the whole affair, were inclined to dismiss the fireballs as an illusion, perhaps an image of light which remained in the pilots' eyes after they had been dazzled by flak bursts. Nobody, the Beaufighter crew members agreed, was prepared to explain the Foo-Fighters, but they were incensed to learn that the phenomenon had been lightly passed off as a case of spots before their eyes. Many of these night fighters are veterans of the African and Italian campaigns which lacked the added attraction of Foo-Fighters. As one pilot, Lt. Owen H. Davis, St Petersburg. Fla., and his navigator, Lt. Warren G. Rodick, New Orleans, put it: If we're starting to see things now, we'd better quit and go home. Without ever having actually met, these Beaufigbter men have at least accumulated a passing acquaintancebetter than otherswith the Foo-Fighters, during their last four months of operation over German territory. They described them as balls of colored light which rise from the ground in Krautland and move in on the U.S. night fighters shortly after they near or cross the battle lines. Sometimes they are in sets, as many as ten. Their color has ranged from red to orange, yellow, white and even blue. Playing it safe, no Beaufighter crew has yet allowed the Foo-Fighters to close in, but has always gone into evasive dives and turns while the thingamajigs were still a sure distance off the wing or tail tips --------------------------------------------------------------------------------SECRET To: A/Cmdr. GriersonA.C. of S. A-2Air Staff S.H.A.E.F. From: Air Ministry, D.D.I.2. Date: 13th March, 1945 Ref: 111/45/DDI2 BALLS OF FIRE - RED The papers dealing with the above subject which you enclosed with your memo SHAEF Air/TS.37153/A2 dated 11th February, have been carefully examined and discussed with the various other Departments concerned. Bomber Command crews have for some time been reporting similar phononema. A few of the alleged aircraft may have been Me.262 and for the rest, flak rockets are suggested as the most likely explanation. The whole affair is still something of a mystery and the evidence is very sketchy and varied so that no definite and satisfactory explanation can yet be given. /s/ E. D. M. Hopkins, Group Captain Download as .pdf Document --------------------------------------------------------------------------------SECRETAIR STAFF SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE REF:- SHAEF/A/TS.37153/A.2. 18 March 1945 SUB:- Night Phenomena. TO:- First Tactical Air Force (Prov.), APO 374, US ARMY. 1. With reference to reports forwarded from the XIIth Tactical Air Command through your Headquarters on the subject of night phenomena (foofighter), and further to this Headquarters' letter of even reference dated 11 February, a reply has now been received from the Air Ministry who say that Bomber Command crews have for some time been reporting similar phenonema. 2. The Air Ministry view is that a few of the alleged aircraft may have been Me.262s and for the rest, flak rockets are suggested as the most likely explanation. 3. It is regretted that no further, or more definite, information can be given. For the Deputy Supreme Commander /s/ C.M. GRIERSON, Air Commodore A.C. of S., A-2 SECRET Download as .pdf Document --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Madison, Wisc. Wisconsin State Journal - 8 July, 1947 Veteran Recalls Early 'Saucers' Flying Disk reports reminded veteran Gerry Dumphy (23 Anyinger Ct., a student at the University of Wisconsin) of reports of mystery fireballs which supposedly attacked big planes on their missions over Japanese Islands in May and June 1945. The first 'fireball' reported was during a raid against Tokyo on May 23, 1945. Dumphy was a bombardier with the 52d Squadron of the 29th Bombing Group stationed at Guam. He recalls how the 'fireballs' approached planes and followed them out to sea as they returned after dropping their bombs. He described them as "round, speedy balls of fire, fast as a B-29, but not as maneuverable." Or as "burning warheads suspended from parachutes," or as "molten chunks of steel." "Often, excited gunners would fire on pursuing 'fireballs' missiles [which] ]would miss their targets and fall into the sea. Reports came in from every B-29 base in the Marianas. As time wore on, the fireballs "became more maneuverable and followed the super forts further out to sea". None were reported seen during daylight hours. One pilot, seeing a fireball, flew into a cloud formation. It was still following when the plane emerged. In this case the fireball was explained as the planet Venus, as its position remained at 9 o'clock. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just Cause - June, 1992: FIRST OFFICIAL FOO-FIGHTER RECORDS DISCOVEREDIn January 1992, CAUS launched an effort to locate documentation relevant to the Foo-Fighter phenomenon of World War 2. This has led to the first release of unit records giving specifics on these incidents. For those unfamiliar with what Foo-Fighters were, we will explain. During the later part of World War 2 pilots an both the allied and axis sides reported seeing strange balls of light flying with them while they were engaged in bombing and air defense missions in the European and Pacific theaters. The balls were generally about a foot in diameter, bright, of varying colors and able to maneuver with ease in and about aircraft formations. Word of the phenomenon leaked to the press in December 1944 and became widely known in America on January 2, 1945, through numerous newspaper reprintings of a wire service story summarizing pilot descriptions of what they saw. In the press coverage it was assumed that the balls were Nazi secret weapons. However, they did not seem to affect aircraft in any way, except to be a nuisance. Reports persisted until the end of January 1945, when the activity abated, though not completely. Further mention of Foo-Fighters (which in fact was a nickname given to the strange balls by pilots of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron, based upon a frequent phrase used in the "Smokey Stover" comic strip of the day) disappeared from the press until December 1945, when the American Legion Magazine carried accounts by pilots of their experiences (see "The Foo Fighter Mystery" by Jo Chamberlin, American Legion Magazine, Dec. 1945). From then on the Foo-Fighter reports surfaced much after the fact in various UFO publications over the years. Clues as to the existence of wartime records of the Foo-Fighters appeared in declassified Air Force Intelligence files from 1947 and 1952. As a result of UFO waves in those years several former bomber crew members had contacted the Air Force to advise them of their experiences with Foo-Fighters in the hope that this would somehow shed light on the flying saucers being sighted. One record, an April 23, 1952 letter from Lt. Col. W.W. Ottinger of the Directorate of Intelligence's Evaluation Division, said that an evaluation of Foo-Fighters was done at the end of the war. It was concluded that there was nothing to the phenomenon at all, though to this day the study has not been made public. A majority of the published accounts of Foo-Fighters seemed to emanate from pilots of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron. The 415th's job was to intercept and destroy Nazi aircraft, flying under the cover of night. The fighters would be directed by Army radar stations which tracked the enemy aircraft. The squadron logged an impressive record of kills through the skill and determination of its pilots. Knowing that the U.S. Air Force Historical Research Center at Maxwell AFB, Alabama was a storage site for histories of old aircraft units, we had sent a detailed inquiry asking for the location of bombing mission reports, for definitions of acronyms given by witnesses attempting to direct Air Force Intelligence to citations of Foo-Fighter sightings, and of particular interest, the unit history of the 415th NFS. Unfortunately, after telling us that a researcher would contact us in several months with results, a follow-up informed us that they didn't have the staff or the time to answer questions (some research center!). Nevertheless, we were given the number of a microfilm roll containing the 415th's unit history. Upon receiving it we soon learned that the Foo-Fighter sightings of the 415th were indeed documented, albeit briefly, by the squadron's historian. We are concerned with two portions of the history - a unit summary, which gives an overview of the 415th's activities, and the "War Diary," which chronicled the day-by-day events. Both had been classified "Secret." Frame 1515 of the microfilm roll's summary touched upon the Foo-Fighters in this way: "Another outstanding feature occured late in October. While flying an intruder mission in the Rhine Valley, Capt. Edward Schlueter and Lt. Don Myers experienced contact with the first FooFighters, referred to as such by Lt. Myers for the lack of a better name and because of the eerie feeling it gave the crew. At first these two officers were taunted by their buddies and began to wonder if they had developed combat fatigue. However other crews began to report seeing FooFighters in the Rhine Valley at night, thus the FooFighters were definitely established as an existing phenomena." A few remarks are needed here. The summary makes reference to Capt. Schlueter and Lt. Myers encountering a Foo Fighter in late October. But as we will see in the War Diary, the first report was in late November 1944 and no incident is listed for October. Also one sees reactions very much reminiscent of later flying saucer stories in that the witnesses were ridiculed and began to doubt themselves until others reported the same thing. The result in this case was that "Foo Fighters were definitely established as an existing phenomena." On to the War Diary. The 415th operated under what must be regarded as stressful conditions. Certainly the stress from time to time had to be relieved. The 415th was no different than any other unit in this respect. A little insight into their pasttimes is reflected in the War Diary entry for November 24, 1944: "The Squadron had a dance at the Cafe du Lark. Both WACs (Women's Army Corp, Ed.) and French girls were invited. A gay time was had by all until the WACs left at 1100 hours and then a very gay time was enjoyed." I hope the reader understands that "gay" had a different connotation then than it does now. Also, were WACs that bad or were French girls that much better? Frame 1611 begins coverage of the first Foo Fighter incident from an intruder mission out of Longvic Air Rase in France: November 27 - "The following weird excerpt comes from Lt. Schlueter's report of an intruder mission: 'Upon returning to base saw a red light flying through area about 35 miles ENE of Pt. A. Came in to about 2000 feet off starboard and then it disappeared in a long red streak.'" Comment: Interestingly, unless the War Diary omitted other incidents in late November, this account is quite different, from the "first incident" reported in American Legion Magazine. This told of Schlueter and "Meiers" encountering eight to ten orange balls moving at terrific speed which disappeared, reappeared, stayed in view five minutes and then once again vanished. About two weeks passed before the next encounter. This time the 415th had been moved to Ochey Air Base, France. Frame 1613 relates: December 15 - "The following is an excerpt from the operations report: 'Saw a brilliant red light at 2000 feet going E at 200 MPH in the vicinity of Ernstein. Due to AI (Air Intercept radar) failure could not pick up contact but followed it by sight until it went out. Could not get close enough to identify object before it went out.'" A few days later there was more: December 18 - "I quote from the operations report: 'In Rastatt area sighted five or six red and green lights in a 'T' shape which followed A/C thru turns and closed to 1000 feet. Lights followed for several miles and then went out. Our pilots have named these mysterious phenomena which they encounter over Germany at night 'Foo-Fighters.'" The encounters continue on frame 1614: December 23 - "More Foo-Fighters were in the air last night. The Ops report says: 'In vicinity of Hagenau saw 2 lights coming toward A/C from ground. After reaching the altitude of the A/C they leveled off and flew on tail of Beau (Beaufighter - their aircraft, Ed.) for 2 minutes and then peeled up and turned away. 8th mission - sighted 2 orange lights. One light sighted at 10,000 feet the other climbed until it disappeared.'" December 24 - "The Foo-Fighters were active again according to the pilot's report: Observed a glowing, red object shooting straight up. It changed suddenly to a plan view of an A/C doing a wing-over and going into a dive and disappearing.'" December 28 - "The Ops report says: '1st patrol saw 2 sets of 3 red and white lights. One appeared on port side, the other on starboard at 1000 to 2000 feet to rear and closing in. Beau peeled off and lights went out. Nothing on GCI scope at the time.' And then again: 'Observed lights suspended in air, moving slowly in no general direction and then disappeared. Lights were orange, and appeared singly and in pairs. These lights were observed 4 or 5 times throughout the period.'" Comment: We can see how the level of activity escalated to such a point in December that it would be hard to keep a lid on the matter. Thus the leak and press coverage in January. The incidents of December 23-24 do agree with accounts in the American Legion Magazine article to the extent that the author must have seen the Ops report or War Diary without citing one or the other as a source, perhaps for security reasons. However, the aircraft occupants were named in the article but not in the War Diary. A final entry in the 415th's War Diary appears on frame 1619: January 30 - "Foo-Fighters were at it again last night. This is the operations report: 'Halfway between Wissenbourg and Langau sighted amber lights at 2000 feet. One light was 20 to 50 feet above the other and of about 30 seconds duration. Lights were about a foot in diameter, 1000 feet away and following Beaus. Lights disappeared when Beaus turned into them.'" What were Foo-Fighters? Hallucinations? Alien ships? Natural phenomena? The official records do not suggest what they were except that they were no threat to the aircraft of either side. On February 21, 1952, Air Force Intelligence received a letter from one Albert Rosenthal of Washington, D.C. (In CAUS files): "During the winter of 1944-45 I was a fighter controller with the 64th Fighter Wing supporting the 7th Army in France and Germany. Flying under our control was the 415th Night Fighter Squadron, flying Beaufighters. When there was no enemy air activities, they would engage in intruder sweeps into southwestern Germany. We repeatedly received reports from the Beaufighter crews of similar phenomena, which they named 'foo-fighters.' At times they seemed to be associated with concentrated flak, and at other times were reported to explode when pursued. It was also asserted that they caused a slight response on A.I. radar." "We never did solve the problem of what they were. Theories propounded included 'St Elmo's Fire' (a form of static electricity); German barrage balloons; meteors; and gremlins from the Black Forest nearby. And of course we suspected the possibility of some new secret weapon." A previously unknown account has surfaced. Connecticut resident Louis Kiss has advised CAUS of his own experience with Foo-Fighters. Kiss, then a Staff Sergeant, was a tall gunner on the "Phyllis Marie," a B-17 bomber of the 390th Bombardment Group, 3rd Division of the 8th Air Force. In late 1943, while on a daylight mission over central Germany, Kiss observed an odd-looking sphere approach the B-17 from behind and below. He said it was about the size of a basketball and of a shimmery gold color. The ball reached the aircraft and hovered just above one wing after slowly moving from the rear. Soon it passed over the top of the aircraft to the other wing where it again hovered. Sgt. Kiss was tempted to shoot at it with his machine gun but, considering the proximity of the ball to the B-17's gas tank, he thought better of it. As Kiss watched, the ball moved toward the rear again, became caught in the B-17's backwash and rapidly disappeared into the remainder of the B-17 formation. He never knew if anyone else in the group had seen the ball but he did officially report it to his intelligence officer. Curiously, Kiss had never heard of Foo-Fighters until we had mentioned them to him. His report does parallel several sources. The War Diary of the 415th for December 23 told of Foo-Fighters climbing from below, much the same as Kiss described. And the American Legion Magazine article told of a daylight sighting by a P-47 pilot of a "gold-colored ball with a metallic finish," again something reported by Kiss. If one has questions about the credibility of Mr Kiss, we have included an extract from the 390th Veterans Association Foundation Newsletter, Fall-Winter 1991, attesting to his excellence as a combat flyer. The 390th Veterans Association Foundation Newsletter,Fall-Winter 1991On an 8 October 1943 raid over Bremen, Germany, SSGT. Louis Kiss established himself among the outstanding gunners of the 390th Bombardment Group by shooting down three enemy planes within five minutes. He accomplished that achievement from his position as a tail gunner on the flying fortress Phyllis Marie. In describing the action, Sergeant Kiss reported, I never saw the luftwaffe more bloodthirsty. They dove through their own flak to drive home their attacks. I waited until they were within three hundred yards before I fired at them. I couldn't miss. Assigned to the 568th Bombardment Squadron, Sergeant Kiss later scored his fourth kill over Emden. When he later returned to the states, he brought with him the distinguished flying cross and the air medal with eight oakleaf clusters for his achievements over the German homeland. We hope that this is just the beginning of a flow of information on Foo-Fighters. It was a peculiar footnote to World War 2 to say the least and far too little has been available on it. Based upon the reports we have seen, we are inclined to think that Foo-Fighters were some form of rare electrical phenomenon related to ball lightning. How they form in clear air is not understood. Odd as well is the lack of reports in winters prior to 1944-45, with a few occassional exceptions. Accessing new information from historical files may reveal more reports than we realized existed. Could, for example, have Foo-Fighters been related to possible earthquake activity in southwestern Germany during this period with the balls of electrical energy having been attracted to the large formations of fighters and bombers overflying the territory? Remember the reports of the balls flying up from the ground and the fact that there is no evidence that either side in the war had any such devices in their arsenals? We will update this story as it develops. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Just Cause - September, 1992: On September 3, this editor visited the National Archives in Suitland, Maryland in an effort to locate additional records on Foo-Fighters. Fifteen documents were found with fragments of new information. The focus of the search were the records of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron, the same unit responsible for many of the Foo-Fighter sightings of the period. Of particular concern were the "Mission Reports. These were the source documents of the 415th's Unit History, which we discussed in the June Just Cause. It was thought that perhaps more detail existed in these mission reports, elaborating upon the Unit History. Archives personnel provided a large cardboard box holding three feet of file folders of the 415th NFS and affiliated bomber groups. The period covered was late September 1944 - April 1945. It was obvious that I would spend at least a full day scanning this bunch. The records were not in the best condition, a fact which should be of great concern to those interested in the contents of old files, not just on this but on any subject. Many of the papers were onion-skin copies, very fragile and yellowing. Other reports were on coarse, brown paper which was very brittle, flakes of which were coming off on my hands. It was no longer surprising why quite often when CAUS would request and receive government files the copies were difficult, and sometimes impossible, to read. We are in a race against time as many government records are literally self-destructing on the shelf. With the millions of copies for which the National Archives is responsible, there is simply not enough staff or resources to take care of it all. What also became clear is that the staff of the National Archives are not absolute authorities on the records that we have obtained regarding UFOs. The response I had to a request for help in locating a particular Air Force document with an identifying number was, "Good luck, we don't know." Not that they were being fresh but that the Air Force had lost the inventory to that group of documents. I had a new appreciation for the time delays in responding to FOIA requests as well. It took me the best part of a day just to scan one box thoroughly. I was in a room with about thirty to forty people, all of whom had their own agenda and own piles of paper to scan. Factor in mail requests and the demands on the staff must be terrific. I heard a complaint by one of having to pull hundreds of boxes himself to fulfill researchers requests just for that day. The 415th's mission reports tended to be brief in their descriptions of everything. There were reports of aircraft destroyed, buildings bombed, flak, vehicles destroyed; etc. Then, scattered amongst the information, were reports of strange lights in the sky. The following is an accounting of these reports: December 14/15, 1944 - Mission 1 - 1735-1915 - Saw light which appeared to be 4 or 5 times larger than a star going about 700 MPH near Erstein. Couldn't get sighting - Poor visibility. December 16/17, 1944 - Mission 5 - 0040 - Fired at lights in Lichtenau - No results observed. 0130 - Fired at lights in OCS (R-3522) - No results observed. December 16/17, 1944 - Mission 6 - 0155-0345 - Lichtenau-Buhl area. Saw lights in Neufreistett (R-1407), guns would not fire so returned to base. December 22/23, 1944 - Mission 1 - 1705-1850 - Put on bogie by Blunder at 1750 hours, had A.I. [air intercept radar -ed.] contact 4 miles range at Q-7372. Overshot and could not pick up contact again. A.I. went out and weather started closing in so returned to base. Observed 2 lights, one of which seemed to be going on and off at Q2411. December 22/23, 1944 - Mission 7 - 0350-0730 - Patrolled 10,000 feet Strasbourg - Sarrebourg. At 0600 saw ? lights coming toward a/c from south. Turned away after about 2 minutes when near Hagenau. Saw orange glow and thought it might possibly be jet a/c. December 22/23, 1944 - Mission 8 - 0535-0750 - Patrol Sarrebourg - R-4559. Saw lights from plane and orange glow. Thought it possible jet a/c. January 1/2, 1945 - Mission 3 - 1810/2010 - Patrol North and East of base. Was vectored toward Rogey - No contact. January 1/2, 1945 - Mission 5 - 2045/2145 - Patrol. Saw red flares off port wing 10 miles south of base. A.I. [air intercept radar -ed.] went U/S; so returned to base. January 1/2, 1945 - Mission 8 - 0230/0600 - Patrol. Vectored on to Bogey when at angels 11. Could not get closer than 7 miles. Lost contact when Bogey entered IAZ. February 13/14, 1945 - Mission 2 - 1800-2000 - About 1910, between Rastatt and Bishwiller, encountered lights at 3000 feet, two sets of them, turned into them, one set went out and the other went straight up 2-3000 feet, then went out. Turned back to base and looked back and saw lights in their original position again. February 14/15, 1945 - Mission 2 - 1940-2140 - String of lights north of Freiburg, (1 red one in center, 4 white ones on each side) blinking on and off. March 14/15, 1945 - Mission 1 - 1845-2030 - Patrolled 7th Army Front from R-1108 to Hagenau - artillery flashes seen. Before leaving, saw floo fire (3 red lights) 3 miles away at 3000 feet stationary. March 19/20, 1945 - Mission 9 - 0045-0355 - At Speyer saw 2 "Foo" Fighters - 1 orange ball and 1 green one - seemed to be closing in from portside. Evaded them and lost them. March 26/27, 1945 - Mission 5 - 2230-0130 - Patrol. Patrol Worms area. Saw an orange ball that came up from ground and disappeared before it reached the Beau. April 23/24, 1945 - Mission 5 - 0105-0320 - P-61 Patrol - Wisenburg-Ludwigsburg Area. At Rhine River, R-9593, observed 4 lights arranged in a square. Lights went out as plane approached. One frustrating feature of these reports is their brevity. It is difficult to form a hypothesis on the origin of Foo-Fighters when such fragmentary information is available. It is sometimes hard to tell whether reports of "lights" by the pilots were in the air or on the ground so one should exercise caution when reading reports where this is not clear. The reports involving the 415th rather stretch beyond the time previously thought to encompass all of the known sightings from that unit. In our June issue, we had indicated that sightings ranged from late October 1944 through the end of January 1945. We can now see that the 415th experienced encounters to nearly the end of the war. Readers of our previous Foo-Fighter report will note too that the various mission reports cited here are different, less detailed than the "Operations Reports" quoted in the 415th's Unit History. These will be the next target of a records search. Finally, the document on page 5 is a record found separately from the 415th's reports. This involves the 4th Fighter/Bomber group in France. The pilot reported "100 yellow, semi-transparent balloons" measuring 1 foot in diameter seen during his mission. Nothing more is said. Was this a mass Foo-Fighter invasion, or real balloons, individual descriptions of which rather disturbingly resemble some reported Foo-Fighter incidents? Much work remains on this issue. Our files contain references to other units whose records have not yet been searched. We expect to obtain more detailed inventories of such records and will proceed to locate them. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Security and Intellegence DivisionSixth Service CommandChicago, Illinois15 January 1945 SPJIB 000.5-6 Subject : Japanese Balloons Summary of information: The following information was obtained from another federal investigative agency:"On December 28, 1944 Mr Richard Slusser, who has recently been appointed to the military academy at Annapolis, advised the following: While he was a Naval Cadet at the Chamberlain Municipal Field, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he, in the presence of approximately 15 other cadets observed a situation which was more forcefully brought to his attention with the recent publicity given the Japanese balloon that was discovered in the western part of the country. He went on the say that in July 1943, while at the Field, he and the others referred to above, observed a burst of flame in the sky in the vicinity of the field. He stated that it was his opinion that this happened about three and a half miles from the field and was from 1000 to 2000 feet in the air. At the sight of the burst of flame in the sky, a number of planes were sent out from the field in an effort to ascertain just what had happened. However, this search resulted in negative findings. At the time he observed the flame in the sky he stated it was his opinion it was an airplane that had exploded, but upon reading a recent issue of Time Magazine, he altered his opinion a bit to the extent that it may have been a balloon drifting in that area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFIDENTIAL Western Defense Command 4 January 1945 CONFIDENTIAL NOTE TO EDITORS AND BROADCASTERS,NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR BROADCAST. ANY BALLOONS APPROACHING THE UNITED STATES FROM OUTSIDE ITS BORDERS CAN BE ENEMY ATTACKS AGAINST THE NATION. SUCH ATTACKS INVOLVE MILITARY SECURITY. INFORMATION THAT THE BALLOONS HAVE REACHED THIS COUNTRY AND PARTICULARY WHAT SECTION THEY HAVE REACHED IS INFORMATION OF VALUE TO THE ENEMY. THE WAR DEPARTMENT IS APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY FOR SUCH INFORMATION. PLEASE DO NOT AID THE ENEMY BY PUBLISHING OR BROADCASTING SUCH INFORMATION WITHOUT APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY. BYRON PRICE, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CENSORSHIP. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- XII Tactical Air Command Intelligence Information Bulletin,No. 6, January 28, 1945"Flak Developments": There have however been several reports of the phenomenon which is described as "silver balls", seen mainly below 10,000 feet; tentative suggestions have been made as to their origin and purpose, but as yet no satisfactory explanation has been found. The bulletin for June 4, 1945, discusses reports from Japan: DON'T LOOK NOW, BUT --: Mention has previously been made in these pages to the existence of German airborne controlled missiles Hs.298, Hs.293, X4 and Hs.117. Many reports have been received from Bomber Command crews of flaming missiles being directed at, and sometimes following the aircraft, suggesting the use of remote control and/or homing devices. It is known that the Germans kept their Japanese Allies informed of technical developments and the following report, taken verbatim from Headquarters, U. S. A. F. P. O. A. G.2 Periodic Report No. 67, further suggests that the Japanese are using similar weapons to those reported by our own crews: "During the course of a raid by Super-Fortresses on the Tachikawa aircraft plant, and the industrial area of Kawasaki, both in the Tokyo area, a number of Super-Fortresses reported having been followed or pursued by "red balls of fire" described as being approximately the size of a basketball with a phosphorescent glow. Some were reported to have tails of blinking light. These "balls" appeared generally out of nowhere, only one having been seen to ascend from a relatively low altitude to the rear of a B-29. No accurate estimate could be reached as to the distance between the balls and the B-29's. No amount of evasion of the most violent nature succeeded in shaking the balls. They succeeded in following the Super-Fortresses through rapid changes of altitude and speed and sharp turns, and held B-29s' courses through clouds. One B-29 reported outdistancing a ball only by accelerating to 295 mph, after which the pursuing ball turned around and headed back to land. Individual pursuits lasted as long as six minutes, and one ball followed a Super-Fortress 30 miles out to sea. The origin of the balls is not known. Indication points to some form of radio-direction, either from the ground or following enemy aircraft. The apparent objective of the balls, no doubt, is destruction of the Super-Fortresses by contact. Both interception and AA [anti-aircraft] have proved entirely ineffective, the enemy has apparently developed a new weapon with which to attempt countering our thrusts." (SOURCE: RAF, Fighter Command Intelligence and Operational Summary No. 30, dated 15 May 1945). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A letter from a former Army Air Force Staff Sargeant radar operator in the 96th Bomber Squadron (H), 11th Bomb Group, to the Air Force Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) dated 5 April 1952 related an interesting war time experience. (There are some parts of the microfilm which are blurred and difficult to read.) "....Below is a report I made in diary form which I did not enter in [the] combat report when I made [sic]of the mission, in the extent that I make it here: "Feb. 22, 1945; B-24, #501, 98th Bomb group; Night mission with Lt Togner over CHI CHI JIMA. Bomb Load 4x500 M29 Butterfly Bombs. Target: SUSAKI AIRFIELD. 35 bombs observed to hit target area. Radar Approach: 152 degrees form NISHI JIMA. 20 bursts of accurate flack. No Searchlights. A night fighter apparently on our tail. O'Hara saw 2 exhausts. Picked up an indication on our own radar, (SCR 717C). Landed at 0930: no damage to us. Mission at 9300'. Marines having hard time at IWO (JIMA),. We could see flashes coming back.' "That was my full report. The other reports of that mission you undoubtedly have access to for your own analysis. There are two things that I do not like about this report:(1) The Iwo Airfields at the time were closed to all Jap flying, because the Marines were on hand.(2) Susaki was not large enough to [?] anything more than pea-shooters.(3) BETTY'S (Japanese Mitsubishi G4M bomber) were the only enemy aircraft, to my knowledge, that were ever sighted in that area, that would fit the discription of our own sighting -- and these had not been sighted for a good month and a half before we made this contact. We did have 'pacers' in daytime over Iwo, but never at night, and they never followed us after a mission was over as this one was supposed to have done.(4) I first saw this 'pip' just outside of our altitude circle, the direct radar return from the ground, after O'Hara spotted it. It never came inside this altitude circle, but followed us for maybe 20 miles after bombs away, then disappeared from the screen as suddenly as it had come. That is why I want to finish out the report that I....[illegible]" This report is interesting for three reasons. First, it is an early radar-visual report although details are lacking. Second, it is a pre-1947 which was in the Air Force files with a reference that could be used to establish it occurred before 1947. Third, the term "foo-fighter" is not used. This letter was contained in a Project Blue Book file entitled "Public Response to the April 1952 LIFE magazine article", a catchall file which contained letters received from the public from 1952 to '53. Generally no action was taken on these letters. Dr. Herbert Strentz received this file from ATIC when he was working on his PhD dissertation. Several of the letters report sightings before 1947; they stated that the sightings were also reported or recorded when they were made. The records like the diary cited above included a ship's log, newspapers, observatories, and guard records. Since these letters were not investigated or treated as official reports, Blue Book at the time (1952-3) did not indicate pre-1947 reports in any statistics.The LIFE magazine file was apparently not made available to the scientists at Battelle Memorial Institute. The Institute's study report of UFOs from 1947 to 1952 in Project Blue Book Special Report No. 14 states the following on page 4:Sightings alleged to have occurred prior to 1947 were not considered, since they were not reported to official sources until after public interest in 'flying saucers' had been stimulated by the popular press. However, had the Battelle scientists had access to the letters in this file, the investigators would have recognized that these people were trying to "establish their priority" in the same way that scientists establish their priority when making a new discovery. Scientists often use notebooks, diaries, letters, and reports to other organizations to establish the time of a discovery. This brings up another problem with previous scientific evaluations of the UFO problem. The Battelle study, the Robertson panel, and the Condon committee, all contractors of the Air Force, were presented data by the Air Force which the Air Force thought was significant. A study of UFOs requires access to all data not just material that some records custodian feels is relevant. Finally, a number of researchers have written to archives in the United States, Canada, and Britain requesting information on "foo-fighters." The archives' answers almost always state that no information can be found under the foo-fighters heading. Researchers would get the same answer if they requested information on "Charlie" when referring to the Viet Cong. As Jeff Lindell, a long-time investigator of war time night lights found, some operations and intelligence reports might refer to foo-fighters, robombs (robot bombs), baka bombers and balls of light. Most reporters and higher headquarters believed the sightings were the result of enemy secret devices, jets, rockets, or flares. Reports of German or Japan secret weapons sightings are probably what should be investigated. - J.L.A. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An extract from the March 1945 INTELLIGENCE AND OPERATIONS section of the 549th Night Fighter Squadron Unit History: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Combat Air Patrols were flown on the 22nd, 24th, 26th, 28th and 30 March. On 26 March Lieutenant Calvin P. Lamb, Pilot, Lieutenant James G. Holmes, Radar Observer, and Sergeant John W. McIsaac, Gunner, saw what they described as lights on an airborne object. The lights followed them through a few turns but turned away as the crew orbited north of Iwo Jima. A chase was made, with slight radar contact on the airborne set, and then the object pulled out of sight. The similar lighted object was again seen the next night of patrol by Lieutenant William F. Sill, Pilot, Flight Officer George W. Hayden, Radar Observer, and Private First Class William Brasvell, Gunner. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------NOTE: There were many reports of Japanese planes which dropped aluminum "windows" (i.e. aluminum foil strips) at night when chased by U.S. aircraft. This foil confused radar signals. However, in some of the chases recounted in this unit history, this does not seem to have been the case. Also, the "bogies" seem to have been able to accelerate to much higher speeds to get away from the night fighters. Most Japanese night flight operations around Iwo Jima seemed to be "lurking" intelligence gathering missions. US Pilots reported aircraft like the "Betty" (Mitsubishi G4M long-range medium bomber) escorting but not firing on bombers making their run on Iwo Jima and the surrounding Islands at night.-- J.L.A. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Louisville, Kentucky, Times - 14 April, 1945 A Meteor?' To the editor: Tuesday night at eleven o'clock I walked out on my front porch. Straight ahead, high in the sky, I beheld the most beautiful light I had ever seen. It was straight east and looked as if it were directly over Fisherville, three miles east. It seemed to be the size of a large cantaloupe and glowed and receded in brilliance like a heart throb. It seemed to be coming straight at our front porch and I suggested to my wife we had better get aside because if it missed the barn I felt sure it would strike the house head on. It cast a light downward like a lamp shade over the earth. First we thought of a plane with some new signal device, but there was just brilliant light and no flame. After about ten minutes it went out like a snuffed candle. I found one man in Jeffersontown who had seen it and he thinks it was a meteor. No, Mr. Editor, I don't drink a drop. I'm bone dry. JAMES L. LANDRY, Jeffersontown, Ky. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 April 1945 MEMORANDUM FOR GENERAL H.H. ARNOLD: 1. Cameramen from the 18th AF Base Unit exposed 900 feet of black and white and 700 feet of color film during the funeral services of President Roosevelt at Hyde Park. Since the news reels have about ten thousand feet of film there is some doubt if any Air Force material will be included. However, part of the material is being considered for the AAF Weekly Digest. 2. In connection with the "Balls of Fire" observed in the Pacific Ocean Areas, information has been submitted to the Twentieth Air Force of the development by the Signal Corps of the infra red viewer. This device can reproduce a picture of objects illuminated by an infra red source so that the number and placement of heat sources can be determined. A few of these are available for shipment to the XXI Bomber Command for trial. JAMES P. HODGES,Major General, U. S. ArmyAssistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence --------------------------------------------------------------------------------CONFIDENTIAL FROM : COMITRITERRON FIVE FOUR NINE 18 April 1945 TO : COMFITERCOM SEVENATTN : A-2 549TH NIGHT FIGHTER SQUADRON MISSION REPORT NUMBER 4-28 1. A. One (1) P-61-B B. Unknown2. A. None B. None3. Combat Sortie.4. PILOT: Lt. F. L. Williams (Laughing Boy Blue 2) RADAR OBSERVER: Lt. J. H. Richardson GUNNER: Sgt. S. FormanTAKE-OFF: 0022 LAND: 0415 On routine patrol until 0300 and then on practice interception when GCI reported possible bogie between Blue 1 and Blue 2 but Blue could not make any contact. A little later GCI gave another vector and possible bogie at Angel 2 and AI contact was made at 7 miles. Bogie made normal target on screen and after chase of 5 minutes lost bogie off starboard side then picked it up at about 4 miles on port side. Held target at about that distance for a few minutes at speed of 200 mph while bogie took mild evasive action. Finally closed to 2.500 feet when bogie faded to starboard and when it was again picked up it was to the port side at about 3 miles and gaining speed. Bogie increased distance and Blue 2 was forced to abandon chase by shortage of gasoline. 5. WEATHER: 6/10 coverage, tops 3,000, base 2,000 : visibility good. Communications: Good 6. None. 7. No ammo : 750 gallons of gasoline expended 8. At close range bogie appeared on scope as two (2) blips. Gunner saw reddish round light and correctly reported its movements to R/O who was following it on scope. GCI's report of "possible bogie" confusing as to whether he meant he was uncertain as to contact or as to indentity of contact. Archie Beattle 1Lt., Air Corps Asst. Intelligence Officer CONFIDENTIAL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hammond, IN, Times - 25 May, 1945 Study Nippon Balls of Fire'New Defense Weapon Reported by Airmen GUAM (INS) B-29 intelligence officers today scrutinized returning pilots' testimony the Japs are employing balls of fire as a new defensive weapon. American fliers who saw these bursts of meteor-like flame over the Jap homeland were inclined to believe that they were jet-propelled fighter planes. Intelligence officers, however, would not confirm this belief. Some believed the bursts could have been scare bombs, such as were used by the Germans in the last stages of the European air war. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EASTERN Command NUMBER 40 1 JUNE 1945 RAF LIBERATORS HITCHATHAM ISLANDWeekly INTELLIGENCE SUMMARYHEADQUARTERS EASTERN AIR COMMAND SOUTH EAST ASIA S E C R E T B-24 SIGHTS "CIRCLES OF LIGHT" A B-24 of the 11th Bomb Group on a snooper mission overTruk during the early morning hours of 3 May 1945,encountered what may prove to be as baffling aphenomena as the balls of fire seen by the B-29s whileover the Japanese mainland.(Excerpted From: Hq. AAF, POA, Air Intell. Memo No. 4, 8 May 1945.)The B-24 first observed two red circles of light approaching the plane from below while still over the Truk atoll. One light was on the right and the other was seen on the left of the B-24. The light on the left side turned back after one and one half hours. The one on right remained with the bomber until the B-24 was only 10 miles from Guam. From the time that the B-24 left the atoll, the light never left its position on the right side. It was reported by the crew members as sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, and sometimes alongside the B-24 and always about 1200 to 1500 yds distant. At day break, the crew reported that this light climbed to 15,000 ft and stayed in the sun. It was a short time afterward that the B-24 let down and went through a 300 foot undercast and lost sight of the light. During the flight from Truk to Guam, the light was observed to change from an orange color to a bright yellow or white like electric light. The light was also described as sometimes looking like a phosphorous glow. This sequence of color changes occurred at regular intervals. The light appeared to be about one foot in diameter and the changes in color did not follow a pattern of acceleration or de-coloration. The light followed the B-24 in dives from 11,000 ft to 3000 ft, through sharp course changes and even brief cloud cover always keeping its same relative position and distance. At one time, the pilot turned into the light and he definitely reports no closure occurring. During the night high cirrus clouds masked the moonlight and no part of object was observed except the light. At daybreak, the light changed to a steady white glow and a possible wing shape with a silver glow was noted by some members of the crew. Guam radar units reported no bogies plotted at any time that this light was within its range. The crew members reported that the light finally left them when only 10 miles from Guam. The light was never close enough to the bomber to give a single blip on the radar and therefore should have been easily detected. Two blips with IFF were not reported at this time, the B-24 being the only plane on the scope. The report from the Guam radar units plus the fact that the light was always seen on the right side of the B-24, and that even when the bomber turned into the light, no rate of closure was noted tends to make the possibility of a jet powered or even a conventional type aircraft a doubtful one. A preliminary evaluation by the Assistant Chief of Air Staff Intelligence gives the following possibilities: "It is believed the lights observed were those of an unknown type mounted on Japanese aircraft with the capabilities of an Irving on an experimental or observation mission. While certain jet exhaust flame characteristics are apparent, the range and length of light greatly exceed the known capabilities of friendly or enemy jet aircraft. While observations vary considerably from characteristics of "Balls of Fire" recently seen over Japanese homeland, there is great need for intelligence on all air phenomena. S E C R E T --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Extract from Tactical Mission Report, XXI Bomber Command Microfilm #5): Missions 206-209, 18 June 1945, Honshu and Kyushu night strikes.Under Part I "ENEMY AIR OPPOSITION 2. Observations: One crew observed a fluctuating light, round in shape, that changed alternately from bright red to dim orange. The light was first observed near land's end and it trailed the aircraft for a considerable distance (the crew was unable to estimate the distance, but apparently it was over a mile). The object trailed for approximately 43 minutes out to sea, or roughly 125 miles. The crew was of the opinion that the object gained a half-mile during this period. At no time was a wing or fuselage observed in connection with the light. The object finally faded out. Two other crews from the same group made similar observations on leaving the target but, after some time, concluded that the object was a star. The crew making the first report felt very strongly that what they had seen was not a star. Another ball of fire which flew a parrallel [sic] course with a B-29 from target for about 60 seconds was reported. It turned away and disappeared. Four jet-propelled or 'Baka-type' bombs were reported. Two of these were encountered 40 to 100 miles after land's end. One of these was reported to have attacked the B-29. Some single-engine and twin-engine aircraft encountered were using lights. There were 2 cases reported of twin-engine aircraft following 2 B-29's 200 miles and 300 miles out to sea. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mission 210-212, 20 June 1945, Fukuoka, Shizuoka, and Toyohashi 2... One jet-propelled aircraft or bomb was reported. One B-29 was followed for 35 minutes immediately after bombs away. The object was described as an orange streak of flame that flew on the left rear of the B-29 and followed all attempts at evasive action. The object endeavored to pull ahead of the B-29 but was never able to get closer than 600 yards. At the same time a fighter, believed twin-engine, also remained with the B-29 about 2,000 yards out on the right through all evasive action, and sometimes maneuvered to attract attention. Then the jet-propelled aircraft on the left of the B-29 would drop or dive, the flame would grow dull red and small, but on a climb the flame would grow bright orange and stream back 18 to 20 feet. The speed of the B-29 was an indicated 240-290 mph, but it was unable to leave either plane until beyond land's end. During this encounter there was no firing on either side. . . . . One B-29 was followed by a strong light after bombs away. This light never closed nor fell back even when the B-29 increases its speed. The enemy plane was finally lost in a cloud. The crew reporting this believed the plane was a night fighter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Mission No. 211, 73rd and 313th Wings, Fukuoka: a. 73rd Wing: . . . . (2) Two balls of fire were observed just before bombs away. One bright 'ball of fire' approached to within 50 yards of 1 B-29 at 7 o'clock low at a very high speed at an altitude of 9,800 feet. The B-29 took slight evasive actions and fired at the object with no apparent results. After the object passed under the B-29, visual contact was lost. No wing or fuselage was seen in connection therewith. Another object having the appearance of a large tracer with trailing smoke passed approximately 100 feet over 1 B-29. Again, no other distinguishing features were noted. Inasmuch as the lighted objects did not trail the B-29's as in the past and considering the number of ground-to-air rockets reported, it was possible that the reported objects were actually rockets. . . . . b. 313th Wing: . . . . (3) One ball of fire was observed ahead and disappeared into the smoke over the target. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Mission 212, 314th Wing, Shizuoka: . . . . One of the Baka type bombs and aerial bombs were believed dropped by a large multi-engine plane. The 3 Baka type bombs made no attacks and only 1 followed a B-29 at 1,000 yards. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WAYNE THOMAS, JR.P.O. BOX 831 PLANT CITY, FLORIDA October 3, 1963Mr. Richard Hall NICAP1536 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington 6, D. C. Dear Mr. Hall: Pardon my delay in answering your letter of August 27 requesting information on UFOs seen by B-29 crews during World War II. I was a group intelligence officer stationed on Tinian, and the cases I recall were all night-time sightings. These lights, ranging from green to orange and yellow, would appear and move along with the bombers for several minutes at a time before breaking off. The crews were sure they were not reflections on plexi-glass, or stars, or the moon. I recall of no cases where an aircraft or form was distinguished as such, just lights. These "Foo-fighters" were so common, that they were discussed in the various unit publications around the island. I also remember no discussions about the possibility of space-craft, just strange unidentified lights. It is hoped that this small bit of fragmentary information may be of help. Very truly yours, /s/ Wayne Thomas, Jr. PROJECT 1947 Comment: Dr. Robert L. Hall, Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Psychology at the University of Chicago and brother of the late Richard Hall, Assistant Director of NICAP, also served in the Pacific. He, too, heard about many sightings of unusual objects by aircrews including high altitude, high speed balloons. While some official documents reporting these objects have been recovered from official files, only the surface has been scratched. For example: we know that the Air Intelligence Weekly Digest for the XX Bomber Command did have information about foo-fighters, but we have only been able to locate Vol. 2 #12 which does not discuss the subject. Additional unit histories refer to as many as 40 sightings on just one mission over Japan. This is an area for further investigation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Major Paul A. Duich, USAF Sasebo, Japan, July, 1945 At SAC headquarters in 1958, a group of officers, airmen and missile engineers observed an elongated UFO with satellite objects for about 20 minutes. The case was reported to NICAP by Major Paul A. Duich, USAF (Ret.), one of the witnesses, who was then on active duty. Major Duich was an Air Force Master Navigator, who accumulated 4000 flying hours and 300 combat hours. During World War II he was one of those who saw "foo-fighters," while a crew member of a B-29 making bomb runs on Japan. After retiring from the Air Force, Major Duich became a member of NICAP. Some time ago Robert Swiatek of the Fund for UFO Research purchased a second-hand copy of "Flying Saucers from the Moon" by Harold T. Wilkins which happened to have been once owned by Paul A. Duich (PAD). Tucked into the book was the hand-written note by Major Duich transcribed below. Summary f(Sat) 11-8-75(1030)H. T. WILKINS: "FLYING SAUCERS FROM THE MOON" C. 1954------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Why don't British date their books? Purchased Summer 1974, Weinstein $10.00 Hollywood ------------------------------------------------------------------------ As I told Barbara Barth in my summary of 25 basic books for FS study, this book has probably the best reference in one source for "FOO-FIGHTERS"--WWII aerial phenomena (Chapter II). He concentrated on the ETO scene, but writes about the Pacific Theatre on p. 28, of great interest to me. My first exposure to something like this occurred during a mission by our B-29 bomber crew on the Japanese city of SASEBO. We were flying at approx. 9000 feet when the "Foo" appeared to join us and "fly formation" abeam our left horizontal stabilizer. Our rear gunner reported it first. It followed us for many miles. Our airplane commander (AC) ordered a burst of gunfire after we were sure it was not another B-29. (This was a single sortie bomber stream type of mission). The tracers were seen to appear to hit the blob of light but nothing happened. Sometime later, the Foo broke formation, swooped under the B-29 and vanished in the distance at approx. the 2 o'clock position which is when I was about to observe it from my position on the right side of the nose sections. (I was the Flight Engineer on the crew.) It was impossible to estimate accurately the distance separating the FOO and our airplane as there was nothing to compare with in the dark night sky. ---------(To repeat, this is where all this UFO stuff began for me, i.e., en route to SASEBO, July 1945, at 9000 feet) ----------It was a big ball of fuzzy orange-red light and nothing more. ----------We reported it to Intelligence at our de-briefing next morning. ---------Not long after the whole crew was sent to rest camp at Hickam Field Hawaii (OAHU) coincidence /or war nerves? ------------------------------------------------------------------ This book is an excellent compendium of early sightings and contains a lot of detail long forgotten by current waves of sightings and speculation. PAD (Sat) 11-8-75 Download as .pdf Document PROJECT 1947 Comment: Compare Major Duich's sighting with this 1952 report from Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No Earlier Than (NET) 2 July, 1945, No Later Than (NLT) 6 August, 1945 (Hiroshima atom bomb, see context below), before Japanesesurrender in World War II, Northern Okinawa William A. Mandel of Los Angeles, responded to the Civilian Saucer Investigations of Los Angeles after the LIFE magazine article of April 1952, "Have We Visitors from Space?" with this letter of his sighting: "During the summer of 1945, I was stationed in northern Okinawa. I was an artillery captain on duty with the military government. I do not know the exact date. "Our bivouac was situated on a bluff facing the China Sea and overlooking a narrow stretch of beach. On a clear moonlight [sic] evening I was gazing seaward when I suddenly saw a bright speck of light approaching form the south paralleling the coast. "The light proved to be issuing from the after end of a cigar-shaped object which I could see quite clearly. It gave out no light except from the tail. It passed me at a distance of not more than 500 yards and must have been considerably closer. I judged its speed at from 200 to 300 miles per hour (definitely not jet or rocket speed) at an elevation (altitude) of not over 400 feetprobably less since it seemed to pass me at eye level, and I stood no more than 200 feet above sea level. "The object had no wings or other protuberance nor were there any ports or windows visible. The object moved smoothly and silently at a constant speed along the coast until it disappeared from sight. I judged the object to be 30 to 40 feet long with a diameter of six to eight feet..." Later Mandel wrote and spoke with Dr. J. Allen Hynek and elaborated on several points. "...almost all of my training and experience had been in artillerymainly antiaircraftso that I was highly trained in the recognition of both friendly and enemy aircraft. "The most interesting point to be considered, I think, is that not until several years later did I first hear of the terms "flying saucer" and "UFO", nor was I aware that others before me had recorded similar sightings. It certainly did not occur to me at the time that I might be witnessing the passage of an interplantary vehicle. I assumed as a matter of course that it was a totally new invention (based perhaps on magnetism, I reasoned), and fervently hoped that the inventors were our own people for this was still prior to V. J. [Victory over Japan] day. "Time went by: V.J. Day, service in the military government of Korea, back to school (UCLA) for a teacher credential, and finally a career in teaching. (My first college work, by the way was taken at Northwestern 1932-33). During all this time, I frequently watched the skies in hopes of another view of the object I had seen. I made up my mind that I would tell no one of my sighting until the news became public. I had diplomatically asked a number of my officers and men if they had witnessed anything unusual that day. Their replies were all negative at the time without giving them cause to doubt the sanity of their C.O. "Finally, after I had just about given up hope and was beginning to believe that I must have suffered some kind of rare hallucination, I open a copy of Life Magazine and there spread before me was a dramatic display of "flying saucers" including the cigar shaped vehicle which I had seen. The thought that this might have [been] an extra-terrestrial voyage did not occur to me until I read the Life magazine article. Now no other position seems tenable. Now I knew that I had truly seen something something seen by others as well. I related the story of my sighting to others, including my wife. Up to that time I considered the story too unbelievable even for her. Others whom I told treated me with tolerance but disbelief. "...The UFO whose flight I witnessed so long ago was cigar-shaped, metallic and without markings or visible openings of any kind except at the after end. I judged it to be somewhere between 35 and 50 feet in length. It passed me at a distance of but a few hundred yards in clear daylight and must have been in view for five minutes. When I first sighted the object approaching along the coast of the China Sea, I took it to be a Navy Corsair returning to Kadena Airfield before sundown as was their custom. Realizing that it might have been a Japanese Zero, I continued to watch carefully. I was standing on a high precipitous cliff directly above the beach. The UFO was scarcely a hundred feet higher than I, and it followed the coastline, eventually disappearing in the direction opposite to its appearance. "Its speed, which, seemed to remain constant, could hardly have been much over one hundred miles per hour, and its altitude (a few hundred feet) and direction did not change perceptably. I was too excited to leave my post to get field glasses or camera or to find someone else to share my experience. (As this would have taken several minutes to do, it is probably just as well that I didn't attempt it) I realize that this lack of evidence is most damaging to my report, but the sighting happened so suddenly, and my reactions at the time were guided by the military situation (repeated guerrilla attack) than by the scientific possibilities involved. Furthermore, I should soon see more of them, I thought. "That night, as I lay in my sleeping bag, I prayed that the 'new invention' was ours, for I felt that whoever had it would most certainly be the eventual victor in the war. Shortly thereafter the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima so I didn't have to speculate much longer along that line. "Why do I write to you, Dr. Hynek? I am not sure. My action is triggered of course by your excellent article in the Post, but the reason must be attributed to intense curiosity about what I saw combined with the frustration of having learned virtually nothing during the last twenty years. I used to be quite sure I would find out some; now I am not sure. Time flies by ever more swiftly. Sometimes I almost wish I had never seen my 'saucer' as it is far easier to be a smug doubting Thomas than a frustrated I-know-better whom no one will believe..." PROJECT 1947 comment: Once again during the sighting we have Hynek's "escalation of hypotheses." After a realization that it was something out of the ordinary, but possibly a US or Japanese secret weapon, the witness decided to keep quiet until the device was announced publicly. See the some