ACUFO:

ACUFO is my comprehensive catalog of cases of encounters between aircraft and UFOs, whether they are “explained” or “unexplained”.

The ACUFO catalog 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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Tokyo, Japan, on April 26, 1945:

Case number:

ACUFO-1945-04-26-TOKYO-1

Summary:

The formerly “secret” XXIst Bomber Command Intelligence Report of the U.S. Army Air Forces about the April 26, 1945, B-29 air raids over Tokyo, Japan, reported in the usual “Japanese Air Defense” section of the report, in a less usual sub-section entitled “Balls of Fire“:

“Ball of fire first seen at five o'clock level [relative height] about 300 yards behind B-29. Near as can be determined ball of fire was about the size of a basketball. When evasive action taken in form of turns, ball of fire turned inside B-29 and kept following. Appeared that each time B-29 made a turn ball of fire fell behind but on straightaway it would make up lost distance. B-29 lost altitude, going down to 6,000 feet in order to gain air speed and finally turned back toward coast, It was estimated that ball of fire followed for about five or six minutes.”

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	April 26, 1945
Time:	?
Duration:	5 or 6 minutes.
First known report date:	April 26, 1945
Reporting delay:	Hours.

Geographical data:

Country:	Japan
State/Department:	Kanto
City or place:	Tokyo

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	1 or more.
Number of known witnesses:	?
Number of named witnesses:	0

Ufology data:

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

Classifications:

Sensors:	[X] Visual: 1 or more. [ ] Airborne radar: [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages:
Hynek:	?
Armed / unarmed:	Armed, 12 Browning M2 12,7 mm machine guns.
Reliability 1-3:	3
Strangeness 1-3:	2
ACUFO:	Unidentified.

Sources:

[Ref. aaf1:] U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES:

The formerly “secret” XXI Bomber Command Intelligence Report of the U.S. Army Air Forces about the April 26, 1945, B-29 air raids over Tokyo, Japan, reported:

“Ball of fire first seen at five o'clock level about 300 yards behind B-29. Near as can be determined ball of fire was about the size of a basketball. When evasive action taken in form of turns, ball of fire turned inside B-29 and kept following. Appeared that each time B-29 made a turn ball of fire fell behind but on straightaway it would make up lost distance. B-29 lost altitude, going down to 6,000 feet in order to gain air speed and finally turned back toward coast, It was estimated that ball of fire followed for about five or six minutes.

This appeared in the usual “Japanese Air Defense” section of the report, in a less usual sub-section entitled “Balls of Fire.”

Aircraft information:

The Boeing B-29 “Superfortress” was the heaviest bomber of the U.S. Army Air Forces, used in operations from May 8, 1944 and on. Its maximum speed was 574 km/h.

Its defensive armament was 12 Browning M2 12.7 mm machine guns.

Discussion:

The report seems unimpressive if ones does not think about it.

Thus, whatever the supposed UFO “did”, seems possible to any plane. But:

It came at 300 yards from the plane and did not attack when it would be the right time to do so.
Although it never attacked, it took care to follow the plane in the latter's evasive maneuvers.
There is no mention of the B-29 gunners firing, which they would have done if they had thought they were dealing with a Japanese aircraft.
In the Intelligence report, the event is not in the conventional categories “anti-aircraft defense”, nor “attacks by enemy aircraft”, nor “searchlights”, nor “anti-aircraft rockets”, but in a “balls of fire” category.
No change in the light is indicated, although it was seen from different angles.
Sometimes, the Japanese Imperial Air Forces fitted some of their planes with a searchlight. They were supposed to light the B-29's so that anti-aircraft gunners on the ground could spot them. But here, no flak is reported in cinunction with the “ball of fire” antics.

On the other hand, I do not really feel convinced, looking at the incident as if it were an isolated incident, that it involved an extraterrestrial craft.

Evaluation:

Unidentified.

Sources references:

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

[aaf1] * Intelligence Report, XXI Bomber Command, U.S. Army Air Forces, April 26, 1945.

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	June 14, 2024	Creation, [aaf1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	June 14, 2024	First published.

This page was last updated on June 14, 2024.