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.

◀ Previous case Next case ▶

Linz, Austria, on April 1945:

Case number:

ACUFO-1945-04-00-LINZ-1

Summary:

In an article about the “Foo Fighters” of the Second World War by American ufologists Jerome Clark and Lucius Farish, published in the USA in SAGA UFO Report in the spring of 1975, we learn that in April 1945, James V. Byrnes, a gunner aboard a B-24 bomber, observed a “crystal ball” following the aircraft at a distance of approximately 30 to 40 feet.

The authors say that Byrnes told NICAP “several years later” that the object “was certainly not a hallucination.”

In the 2000's, US ufologist Larry Hatch, in his computer UFO sighting database, indicated in synthetical manner that in April 1945, at 08:00 a.m., over Linz in Western Austria, a solid crystal ball was seen from a gunner's window of a B-24, pacing the B-24 at a 12 meters distance, according to NICAP's ufology bulletin UFO Investigator Volume 4 Issue 5 - which was published in March 1968.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	April 1945
Time:	08:00 a.m.
Duration:	?
First known report date:	March 1968
Reporting delay:	Years, 3 decades.

Geographical data:

Country:	Austria
State/Department:	High Austria
City or place:	Linz

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	1
Number of known witnesses:	1
Number of named witnesses:	1

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	Ufology group NICAP.
Visibility conditions:	?
UFO observed:	Yes.
UFO arrival observed:	?
UFO departure observed:	?
UFO action:	Follows plane.
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: 1 [ ] 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:	1
Strangeness 1-3:	2
ACUFO:	Possible extraterrestrial craft, meager information.

Sources:

[Ref. jcf1:] JEROME CLARK AND LUCIUS FARISH:

In April [1945], aerial gunner James V. Byrnes observed a “crystal ball” as it paced his B-24 bomber at a distance of about 30 to 40 feet. “This object was definitely no hallucination,” he told NICAP many years later.

[Ref. ibl1:] ILLOBRAND VON LUDWIGER:

In April 1945, James V. Byrnes, a bomber gunner, observed a “crystal ball“ following his B-24 bomber at a distance of about 30 to 40 feet. Years later, he told NICAP investigators that the sighting was definitely not a hallucination.

[Ref. gvo1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:

1945, April

GERMANY

Gunner James V. Byrnes observed a “crystal ball” passing the B-24 bomber at less than 20 yards. Years later he confirmed to NICAP that it was not a hallucination at all. (The Mysterious Foo Fighters of WWII. Jeroen Wierda UPORI, 19.5.1997)

[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:

533: 1945/04/00 08:00 2 14:18:00 E 48:19:00 N 3311 WEU AUS UPA 6:6
ovr LINZ,AUSTRIA:SOLID CRYSTAL BALL PACES B24 12M from GUNNER'S WINDOW
Ref# 24 NICAP: UFO INVESTIGATOR Volume 4 Issue 5:IN-FLIGHT

[Ref. prt1:] JAN ALDRICH - "PROJECT 1947":

On his historical ufology website, this ufologist published the article by Jerome Clark and Lucius Farish [jcf1]:

In April [1945], aerial gunner James V. Byrnes observed a “crystal ball” as it paced his B-24 bomber at a distance of about 30 to 40 feet. This object was definitely no hallucination, he told NICAP many years later.

Aircraft information:

The Consolidated B-24 “Liberator” (photo below) was an American heavy bomber used during World War II by the Allied air and naval forces.

By April 1944, some B-24s had been equipped with H2X radars. Its long range of action had allowed it roles as maritime patrols, anti-submarine patrols, and reconnaissance, in the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Discussion:

Historical sources (1) indicate that James V. Byrnes was a Sergeant during World War II with the 456th Bombardment Group of the US Army Air Forces.

(1) For example www.456bg.org/byrnes-james-b6932-456bg.cfm

The 456th Bomb Group (Heavy) of the United States Army Air Forces operated B-24 “Liberator” aircraft and was known unofficially as “Steed's Flying Colts,” after its commander. They flew 249 bombing missions from Italy while assigned to the Fifteenth Air Force.

Evaluation:

Possible extraterrestrial craft, meager information.

Sources references:

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

[nip1] ? Ufology bulletin The UFO Investigator, National Investigation Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), USA, Volume 4, No 5, March 1968.
[jcf1] * "The mysterious 'Foo Fighters' of WW II", article by Jerome Clark and Lucius Farish in SAGA UFO Report, published on the historical ufology Website of Jan Aldrich Project 1947, USA, circa 2000, at https://www.project1947.com/fig/sagafoo.htm
[ibl1] * "MUFON CES Bericht - No 06 - 1979 - Ungewôhnliche Eigenschaften nichtidentifizierbarere Lichterscheinungen", study by "I. Brand" (Illobrand von Ludwiger), PhD, Tübingen University, Germany, Mutual UFO Network - Central European section (MUFON-CES), page 100, Fall 1978.
[jwa1] ? "The Mysterious Foo Fighters of WWII", article by Jeroen Wierda, PUFORI, was on the Web, 1997.
[gvo1] * "Chronologie OVNI", electronic catalogue compiled by Godelieve Van Overmeire, Belgium, circa 1999.
[lhh1] * "*U* Computer Database", ufology database by Larry Hatch, USA, circa 2002.
[prt1] * "The mysterious 'Foo Fighters' of WW II", article by Jerome Clark and Lucius Farish in SAGA UFO Report, published on the historical ufology Website of Jan Aldrich Project 1947, USA, circa 2000, at https://www.project1947.com/fig/sagafoo.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 13, 2023	Creation, [jcf1], [gvo1], [lhh1], [prt1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	December 13, 2023	First published.
1.1	Patrick Gross	July 17, 2024	Addition [ibl1].

This page was last updated on July 17, 2024.