ACUFO:

ACUFO is my comprehensive catalogue of cases of encounters between aircraft and UFOs, whether they are "explained" or "unexplained".

The ACUFO catalogue is made of case files with a case number, summary, quantitative information (date, location, number of witnesses...), classifications, all sources mentioning the case with their references, a discussion of the case in order to evaluate its causes, and a history of the changes made to the file.

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The North Sea, on March 3, 1945:

Case number:

ACUFO-1945-03-03-NORTHSEA-1

Summary:

Ufology sources from the 2000s indicate that according to the 2007 book "Strange Company - Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II" by Keith Chester, on March 3, 1945, a crew of the 379th Bomb Group, 41st Combat Bombardment Wing of the US Army Air Forces, was part of a task force striking targets at Misburg, Germany, and were located over the North Sea.

They observed "the flight of one V-2 over the North Sea and four others over the Zuider Zee", and, according to the report, two "silver balls in the shape of balloons".

The source is said to be a report on enemy flak written by the 379th Bomb Group on March 3, 1945.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	March 3, 1945
Time:	?
Duration:	?
First known report date:	March 3, 1945
Reporting delay:	Hours.

Geographical data:

Country:	Germany or Holland
State/Department:
City:	Over the North Sea

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	?
Number of known witnesses:	?
Number of named witnesses:	0

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	Military operations report.
Visibility conditions:	?
UFO observed:	Yes.
UFO arrival observed:	?
UFO departure observed:	?
UFO action:	?
Witnesses action:	?
Photographs:	No.
Sketch(s) by witness(es):	No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es):	No.
Witness(es) feelings:	?
Witnesses interpretation:	?

Classifications:

Sensors:	[X] Visual: ? [ ] Airborne radar: [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages:
Hynek:	?
Armed / unarmed:	Armed, eleven 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns.
Reliability 1-3:	2
Strangeness 1-3:	1
ACUFO:	Insufficient information, possibles balloons.

Sources:

[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:

Case 103

March 3, 1945

Over North Sea, Germany

One crew with the 379th Bomb Group (USAAF 41st Combat Bombardment Wing) was part of a task force striking targets in Misburg (Germany). They observed the flight of a V-2 over the North Sea and four others over the Zuider Zee. According to the report, two "balloon-like silver balls" were observed.

Sources: Report of Anti-Aircraft Fire, Headquarters, 379th Bomb Group, 3 March 1945, NARA / Strange Company, Keith Chester, 2007

(Ref. nip1:) "THE NICAP WEBSITE":

March 3, 1945; Misburg, Germany

Two balloon-like silver balls. (Page 143 Ref.1)

The reference 1 is described at the end of the document as "Strange Company (2007), Keith Chester".

Aircraft information:

The US B-17 "Flying Fortress" was a heavy bomber fitted with five 7.62 machine guns for its defense against enemy fighter planes.

Discussion:

The 379th Bomb Group operated B-17Fs and B-17Gs from Kimbolton, United Kingdom.

The report as it stands is of little interest:

Silver balls resembling balloons could simply be balloons.

There is no indication that the witness(es) thought they were anything other than balloons.

We do not know the exact location of the observation.

It is not known whether the sighting took place during the day or the night.

We know nothing about the location in the air or on the ground of the silver balls, we know nothing about their possible movement or behavior.

Evaluation:

Insufficient information, possible balloons.

Sources references:

* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.

[aaf1] ? Report of Anti-Aircraft Fire, Headquarters, 379th Bomb Group, US Army Air Forces, March 3, 1945.
[kcr1] ? "Strange Company - Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II", book by Keith Chester, Anomalist Book publishers, USA, page 143, 2007.
[dwn2] * "The Foofighters Files (1) - Catalogue of Unconventional Aerial Phenomena Reported by Allied pilots during WW II (1943-1945)", catalogue by Dominique F. Weinstein, France, October 2009.
[nip1] * "UFO Sighting Chronology - 1939-1945; The WWII Years & 'Foo-Fighters'", on the ufology Website The NICAP Website, USA, created December 18, 2006, updated December 5, 2017, at http://www.nicap.org/chronos/1939-1945.htm

File history:

Authoring:

Main author:	Patrick Gross
Contributors:	None
Reviewers:	None
Editor:	Patrick Gross

Changes history:

Version:	Create/changed by:	Date:	Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	December 1, 2023	Creation, [dwn2], [nip1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	December 1, 2023	First published.

This page was last updated on December 1, 2023.