ACUFO-1945-02-10-FLORENCE-1
In the end of the 1990's, Belgian ufologist Godelieve van Overmeire noted in her UFO chronology that according to a report by C. S. Miller, Warrant Officer, to be found in the US National Archive, there was a sighting on February 10, 1945, in the North-east of Florence, Italy, during Mission No. 536 that took place from 5:53 p.m. until 9:13 p.m.
Apparently, a Mosquito night fighter was patrolling “the border” (?), guided by the ground radar station, in pursuit of an enemy target “which turns nicely”, and two flashes of light were observed 30 miles northeast of Florence.
| Date: | February 10, 1945 |
|---|---|
| Time: | Night. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | 1945, 1999 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours. |
| Country: | Italy |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | Tuscany |
| City or place: | Florence (Firenze) |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 or 2 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | ? |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Reporting channel: | Military operations report. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | ? |
| 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: | ? |
| Sensors: |
[X] Visual: 1 or 2.
[ ] Airborne radar: Not reported. [ ] Directional ground radar: Maybe. [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | NL |
| Armed / unarmed: | Armed, 4 7.62 mm Browning machine guns and 4 20 mm Hispano cannons. |
| Reliability 1-3: | 2 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 1 |
| ACUFO: | Insufficient information, no strangeness reported. |
[Ref. gvo1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
1945, February 10
ITALY, north east of Florence
Mission No. 536 - from 5:53 p.m. (?) until 9:13 p.m.: GCI patrols the border, Mosquito night fighter aircraft Mark Florence, Italy pursues a “bogey” which turns nicely. Two flashes of light are observed 30 miles northeast of Florence. (source CPT C. S. Miller, A. C., Warrant Officer. cfr National Archive)
The de Havilland DH.98 “Mosquito” was a British multirole aircraft, which served as a fighter-bomber, torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. The code name for these missions was “Bluestocking”.
Its armament was 4 7.62 mm Browning machine guns and 4 20 mm Hispano cannons.
Its pilot and its navigator were seated side by side, the navigator being shifted back about thirty centimeters for shoulder width.
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This is one of those cases picked up in mission reports whose summary seems difficult to understand, and above all, for which we can wonder if the crew really estimated they had seen something unusual, since on the one hand pursuing an enemy plane was only routine, and flashes of light which perhaps came from the ground can also be quite ordinary, explosions on the ground for example.
Insufficient information, no strangeness reported.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | December 9, 2023 | Creation, [gvo1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 9, 2023 | First published. |
