ufo - UFOs at close sight: ACUFO catalog - Case of the Truk Atoll, Micronesia, on May 3, 1945

The first publicly published report on this case was in the famous 1945 article “The Foo Fighter Mystery” by war correspondent Jo Chamberlin in The American Legion Magazine for December 1945.

Chamberlin told that far to the south of Japan in the last months of World Wr II, a B-24 Liberator was at 11,000 feet over Truk lagoon, when two red lights rose rapidly from below, and followed the B-24. After an hour, one light turned back. The other kept on with the B-24, sometimes behind, sometimes alongside, sometimes ahead about 1,000 yards, until daybreak when it climbed to 15,000 feet and stayed in the sun, like a Jap fighter seeking game, but never came down. During the flight, the light changed from red to orange, then white, and back to orange, and appeared to be the size of a basketball. No wing or fuselage was observed. The B-24 radioed island radar stations to see whether there were any enemy planes in the sky, but the radar station told them there weren't any.

In the 1950's and 1960's, the case was then described in several ufology books, by Kenneth Arnold, Gordon Lore and Harold Deneault, Loren Gross, Dr. Louis Winkler.

In the 1990's, US ufologists Jan Aldrich and Barry Greenwood located official US Army Air Forces documents about the case, confirming what Chamberlin had written.

From these documents, we learn that the crew of the B-24 “Liberator” #616 bomber of the 11th Bomb Group of the US Army Air Forces, on a snooper mission over Truk atoll during the night and early morning hours of May 3, 1945, first observed at at 02:18 Zulu time two red circles of light approaching the plane from below while they were still over the Truk atoll. One light was on their right, the other was on their left, the B-24 being at the altitude of 11,000 feet.

At 02:19 Zulu time, or “after one and one half hours”, the light on the left side turned back, but the one on the right remained with the B-24 as it took the direction of Guam, until the B-24 was only 10 miles from Guam.

The light that continued to follow had never approached closer than 1000 yards, and was speeding up when the B-24 went through the clouds to emerge on the other side ahead of the B-24.

From the time that the B-24 left the atoll, the light never left its position on the right side, but was reported by the crew members as sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, and sometimes alongside the B-24, and always about 1200 to 1500 meters distant. It was estimated to be about one foot in diameter.

At day break, the crew reported that this light climbed to 15,000 ft and stayed in the sun. A short time afterward, the B-24 let down and went through a 300-foot undercast and lost sight of the light.

The mission report said that as the B-24 let down at Guam, the pursuer took a course of 330 degrees at 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet altitude at 02:21:30Z.

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 These changes in color were not linked to the acceleration or deceleration of the light. The mission report stated that the color was “changing from a cherry red to an orange, and to a white light which would die out and then become cherry red again,” and that “These objects were out on either wing and not within range of caliber .50 machine guns. Both followed the B-24 through all types of evasive action.”

The light followed the B-24 in dives from 11,000 feet to 3000 feet, 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 reported that no closure occurred.

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.

The Guam radar station, when asked by radio, told the B-24 that they did not detect any enemy plane at any time that this light was within its range. It was estimated that the light was never close enough to the bomber to give a single blip on the radar, and therefore it should have been easily detected.

At the time, there was an ambiguous preliminary evaluation by the Assistant Chief of Air Staff Intelligence, saying that the phenomena did not fit any enemy plane, conventional of jet powered, but suggested they were “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.”

Data:

Temporal data:

Geographical data:

Witnesses data:

Ufology data:

Classifications:

Sources:

Date:	May 3, 1945
Time:	02:18 a.m.
Duration:	2 days.
First known report date:	1945
Reporting delay:	Hours.

Country:	Micronesia
State/Department:
City or place:	Truk Atoll, Guam

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

Reporting channel:	Military mission report, Intelligence summary.
Visibility conditions:	Night and day.
UFO observed:	Yes.
UFO arrival observed:	Yes.
UFO departure observed:	Yes.
UFO action:	Follows plane, despite evasive maneuvers.
Witnesses action:	Evasive maneuvers, closing in attempt.
Photographs:	No.
Sketch(s) by witness(es):	No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es):	No.
Witness(es) feelings:	?
Witnesses interpretation:	?

Sensors:	[X] Visual: Several. [ ] Airborne radar: [X] Directional ground radar: Not detected. [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages:
Hynek:	?
Armed / unarmed:	Armed, 10 Browning M2 12.7 mm machine guns per 2 in 4 turrets, nose, tail, top, bottom, and 2 on the sides.
Reliability 1-3:	3
Strangeness 1-3:	3
ACUFO:	Possible extraterrestrial craft.

Far to the south [of Japan in the last months of WWII], a B-24 Liberator was at 11,000 feet over Truk lagoon, when two red lights rose rapidly from below, and followed the B-24. After an hour, one light turned back. The other kept on - sometimes behind, sometimes alongside, sometimes ahead about 1,000 yards, until daybreak when it climbed to 15,000 feet and stayed in the sun, like a Jap fighter seeking game, but never came down. During the flight, the light changed from red to orange, then white, and back to orange, and appeared to be the size of a basketball. No wing or fuselage was observed. The B-24 radioed island radar stations to see if there were any enemy planes in the sky.

The answer was: “None.”

One of the most baffling mysteries of the Second World War were strange aerial apparitions in the shape of blazing balls which were encountered over Truk Lagoon, [...other places...]

[...]

Some 12,000 feet up over Truk Lagoon in the Caroline archipelago, a pilot of a B-24 Liberator was startled by the sudden appearance of two glowing red lights that shot up from below and for 75 minutes followed on his tail. One flaming ball turned back while the other still dogged his bomber. It maneuvered in such a way as to suggest intelligent direction from some remote control. It came abreast of the Liberator, then it shot ahead, and for 1,500 yards held the lead. After that it fell behind. Its speed was immensely variable. As dawn came, the strange ball climbed some 16,000 feet above him into the sunshine. In the night hours the pilot noticed changes in the colors of the ball, which were precisely what had been seen over the Rhine, in 1944. It was just a sphere with no appendages.

The pilot radioed to base and had the reply: “No; no enemy planes are near you. Your own bomber is the only one up there, as the radarscope shows.”

PROJECT 10073 RECORD

1 DATE - TIME GROUP 2 May 1945	2. LOCATION Fala Island, Truk Atoll
3. SOURCE Military	10. CONCLUSION Probably A/C (enemy)
4. NUMBER OF OBJECTS Two	10. CONCLUSION Probably A/C (enemy)
5. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION Over 1 hour	11. BRIEF SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS Two A/B objects at same alt as observer's a/c (11000 ft) color changed from cherry red to orange and to a white light which would die out and then become cherry red again. Followed observing a/c though all types of evasive action. In daylight, object was bright silver in color.
6. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Air-Visual
7. COURSE Not reported
8. PHOTOS No
9. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE No

FTD SEP 63 0-329 (TDE) Previous editions of this form may be used.

A B-24 Liberator was over Truk Lagoon in the Caroline Archipelag when two red globes rose from below 11,000 feet and followed the plane. One light disappeared after an hour, but the other keps on - sometimes ahead about 1,000 yards, sometimes behind and occasionally alongside the plane. It was the size of a basketball and its color continuously changed. Island radar stations radioed that ni blips were near the plane. At dawn it climbed to around 15,000 feet and stayed in the sun like a fighter waiting game, but finally it was lost to sight.

A B-24 crew flying over Truk lagoon, 1,800 miles southeast of Tokyo, spotted “two red lights that changed from red to orange, then white, and back to orange, and appeared to be the size of a basketball.” 14 The appearance came about an hour before daybreak in the closing months of the war with Japan.

The “lights” rose rapidly from below, showing no wings or fuselage, positioned themselves behind the aircraft and followed for about an hour. Then one light turned back. The other paced the bomber, sometimes behind, sometimes alongside, sometimes about 1,000 yards ahead. At daybreak, the “light” shot up to 15,000 feet and stayed in the sun, “like a Jap fighter seeking game, but never came down.” Island radar stations found no evidence of a craft in the area.

Near Turk [sic] lagoon in the Pacific, early in 1945 a pair of red spheres gave chase to a B-24 Liberator. An hour seemed to be limit for one of the globles which flew away without encouragement. The more stubborn globe, however, stayed with the B-24 most of the way to the target but never closed to more than 1,000 yards.

These authors say that in 1945 at Truk Lagoon, Caroline archipelago, an American B. 24 bomber was followed for more than an hour and a quarter by two “flaming globes”. In his report the pilot specified that they seemed to be controlled from the ground, as if they were radio-controlled.

1945; dawn/Truk Lagoon/Lore-Deneault

Two red lights, the size of a basketball, changed ~rom orange to white to orange. One turned back while the other paced the airplane and shot ahead by 1 000 yd. Duration 1 hr.

EASTERN Command
NUMBER 40 1 JUNE 1945

RAF LIBERATORS HIT
CHATHAM ISLAND

Weekly
INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY

HEADQUARTERS 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 over Truk during the early morning hours of 3 May 1945, encountered what may prove to be as baffling a phenomena as the balls of fire seen by the B-29s while over 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.

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

USAAF Seventh Bomber Command Mission Reports - 2 MAY, 1945
Fala Island, Truk Atoll, Central Pacific

Truk Now Chuuk Atoll

Map Showing Location of Truk Atoll in the Caroline Islands Archipelago

Fala-Beguets Island, (now known as Fanapanges) in the Truk Atoll, location of the B-24 UFO sighting.

HEADQUARTERS VII Bomber Command

APO #244

MISSION REPORT NO. 11-327

DATE: 2 MAY 1945 (GCT).

OBSERVATIONS: The crew of plane #616 over FALA ISLAND, TRUK ATOLL, at 021802Z observed 2 airborne objects at their 11,000 foot altitude changing from a cherry red to an orange, and to a white light which would die out and then become cherry red again. These objects were out on either wing and not within range of caliber .50 machine guns. Both followed the B-24 through all types of evasive action. A B-24 took a course for GUAM and one of the pursuers dropped off at 021900Z after accompanying the B-24 for an hour. The other continued to follow, never approaching closer than 1000 yards and speeding up when the B-24 went thru the clouds to emerge on the other side ahead of the B-24. In daylight it was seen to be bright silver in color. As the B-24 let down at GUAM, the pursuer took a course of 330 degrees at 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet altitude at 022130Z. One B-24 encountered eight intense flames light green in color, one of which burst and hung at 5,000 feet at 021013Z. There was no trail or warning until the actual burst. A B-24 reported 9 to 10 red tracer type trails of fire up to 5,000 feet. They came in pairs and one pair came within 50 to 100 yards of the tail of the B-24 at 021010Z. Source of each pair was at a different location.

Source: Seventh Bomber Command Mission Reports, 742.332 - 8 February - 16 May 1945

On September 9, 1998, the text of several official documents mentioning Foo-Fighters and Foo-Fighter-like phenomena were presented on the Computer UFO Network (CUFON) website. These documents were located, and provided to CUFON, by Barry Greenwood, veteran researcher, for many years the Editor of the CAUS bulletin Just Cause, co-author of the book “Clear Intent”, and Editor of the U.F.O. Historical Revue which debuted in June, 1998. One of the document was:

(BLACKED OUT)
(SECURITY INFORMATION)

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
AIR UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH STUDIES INSTITUTE
Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

22 Jan 53

Major General John A. Samford
Director of Intelligence
Headquarters USAF
Washington 25, D C.

Dear General Samford:

In view of recent news stories of lights seen Over Japan the attached account may be of interest. The original is in the files of the Archives of the USAF Historical Division, Air University.

Sincerely yours,

ALBERT F. SIMPSON
Chief, USAF Historical
Division

If inclosure No.__{1}__ is withdrawn (or not attached) the classification on this correspondence will be cancelled in accordance with Par.25e. AF 205-1

CLASSIFICATION CHANGED TO
( ) UNCLASSIFIED
BY AUTHORITY OF THE
DIRECTOR RS? AU
BY: {/s/ G.C. Cobb Col USA.}
DATE NOV 17 1955

(BLACKED OUT)
(SECURITY INFORMATION)

( -- PAGE BREAK -- )

(Top of page obscured by folded page)

HEADQUARTERS VII Bomber Command
APO #244

MISSION REPORT NO. 11-327

DATE: 2 MAY 1945 (GCT).

() Source: Seventh Bomber Command Mission Reports, 742.332 - 8 February - 16 May 1945 ()

(BLACKED OUT)
(SECURITY INFORMATION)

( -- PAGE BREAK -- )

(SECRET)

EXHIBIT III

SECRET

B-24 SIGHTS “CIRCLES OF LIGHT”

A B-24 of the 11th Bomb Group on a snooper mission over Truk during the early morning hour of 3 May 1945, encountered what may prove to be as baffling a phenomena as the balls of fire seen by the B-29s while over the Japanese mainland. (Excerpt From Hq, AAF, POA, Air Intell. Memo No. 4, 8 May 1945.)

Tne 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 the 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.

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 blow and a possible wing shape with a silver glow was noted by some members of the crew.

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 or 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 phenonena.

SECRET

Section II - page 3

This document was captioned: “Extracted from Headquarters, Eastern Air Command, South East Asia “Weekly Intelligence Summary,” June 1, 1945 - Thanks to Jan Aldrich.”

1945, May 3

Pacific Ocean, Fala Island and Truck Atoll In the morning the pilot of a B 24 bomber (from the 11th bomber group) saw two cherry red objects change color while following his aircraft despite his evasive maneuvers. (PROJECT ACUFOE, Catalog 1999, Dominique Weinstein)

539: 1945/05/03 03:00 44 151:47:00 E 7:30:00 N 3332 OCN PAC SPC 6:7
FALA Isl,TRUK:B29 CREW:2 RED CCLs pace B24 THRU CMPLX MNVRS>GUAM:1 turns back:
Ref# 65 HALL, Richard: Frm AIRSHIPS to ARNOLD Page No. 25: IN-FLIGHT

The author says a weekly Intelligence Summary of the Headquarters Eastern Air Command, South East Asia, dated May 8, 1945, and classified SECRET, records an extraordinary event which took place in the early morning hours of May 3, 1945:

A preliminary evaluation by the Assistant Chief of Air Staff Intelligence gave the following possibilities:

May 2, 1945

Fala Island, Truck Atoll, Pacific Ocean At 1802 (Zulu) the crew of a B-24 bomber (#616) observed two airborne objects at their 11,000 ft altitude. Changing from a cherry red to an orange, and to a white light which die out and then become cherry red again. These objects were out on either wing and not within range of caliber .50 machine guns. Both followed the B-24 thru all types of evasive action. The B-24 took a course for Guam and one of the pursuers dropped off at 1900 (Zulu) after accompanying the B-24 for one hour. The other continued to follow, never approaching closer than 1,000 yards (914 m.) and speeding up when the B-24 went thru the clouds to emerge on the other side ahead of the B-24. In daylight it was seen to be bright silver in color. As the B-24 let down at Guam, the pursuer took a course of 330 degrees at 15,000 ft to 20,000 ft altitude at 2130 (Zulu).

At 2210 (Zulu), another B-24 crew reported 9 to 10 red tracer type trails of fire up to 5,000 ft

They came in pairs and one pair came within 50 to 100 yards of the tail of the plane. Source of each pair was at a different location.

At 2213 (Zulu) in the same area, another B-24 encountered eight intense flames light green in color one of which burst and hung at 5,000 ft. There was no trail or warning until the actual burst.

Sources: USAF Project Blue Book report form FTD 0-329 / 7th Bomber Command Mission reports, 742.332 - 8 February-16 May 1945, Mission report #11-327 / Project 1947, Jan Aldrich.

The following mission report was submitted to Headquarters VII Bomber Command (Pacific Theatre) on May 2, 1944.

Observations: The crew of plane #616 over FALA ISLAND, TRUK ATOLL, at 021802Z observed 2 airborne objects at their 11,000 altitude changing from a cherry red to an orange, and to a white light which would die out and then become cherry red again. These objects were out on either wing and not within range of caliber .50 machine guns. Both followed the B-24 through all types of evasive action. A B-24 took a course for GUAM, and one of the pursuers dropped off at 021900Z after accompanying the B-24 for an hour. The other continued to follow, never approaching closer than 1000 yards and speeding up when the B-24 went thru clouds to emerge on the other side ahead of the B-24. In daylight, it was seen to be bright silver in color. As the B-24 let down at GUAM, the pursuer took a course of 330 degrees at 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet altitude at 022130Z. One B-24 encountered eight intense flames light green in color, one of which burst and hung at 5,000 feet at 021013Z. There was no trail or warning until the actual burst. A B-24 reported 9 to 10 red tracer type trails of fire up to 5,000 feet. They came in pairs and one pair came within 50 to 100 yards of the tail of the B-24 at 021010Z. Source of each pair was at a different location. 5

The source “5” is detailed as: “Greenwood, Barry, Foo-Fighter Documents. www.cufon.org/cufon/foo, accessed 10/21/2007.”

Case 126

May 3, 1945

Truck Atoll, Pacific Ocean

The crew of a B-24 of the 11th Bomb group on a snooper mission over Truck in the early morning hours observed two red circles of light approaching the plane from below while still over the Truck Atoll. One light was on the right and the other was on the left side of the aircraft. The light on the left side turned back after one and half hours. The one on the right remained with the bomber until the B-24 was 10 miles from Guam. This light was reported by the crew members as sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, and sometimes alongside the B-24 and always about 1200 to 1500 yards distant.. The light followed the aircraft in dives from 11,000 to 3,000 feet, 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 no closure occurring. During the night, high cirrus clouds masked the moonlight and no part of the object was observed except the light. At daybreak, the light changed to a steady whit glow and a possible wing shape with a silver glow was noted by some members of the crew.

Sources: US AAF Air Intelligence Memorandum N°4, 8 May 1945 / Remarkable luminous phenomena in nature, William L. Corliss, 2001

Case 125

May 2, 1945

Fala Island, Truck Atoll, Pacific Ocean

In the evening, nine B-24s with the 11th Bombardment Group's 431 st Squadron were heading out on a night bombing raid against Japanese air installation.

At 1802 (Zulu) the crew of a B-24 bomber (#616) observed two airborne objects at their 11,000 ft altitude, changing from a cherry red to an orange, and to a white light which die out and then become cherry red again. These objects were out on either wing and not within range of caliber .50 machine guns. Both followed the B-24 thru all types of evasive action. The B-24 took a course for Guam and one of the pursuers dropped off at 1900 (Zulu) after accompanying the B-24 for one hour. The other continued to follow, never approaching closer than 1,000 yards (914 m.) and speeding up when the B-24 went thru the clouds to emerge on the other side ahead of the B-24. In daylight it was seen to be bright silver in color. As the B-24 let down at Guam, the pursuer took a course of 330 degrees at 15,000 ft to 20,000 ft altitude at 2130 (Zulu).

At 2210 (Zulu), another B-24 crew reported 9 to 10 red tracer type trails of fire up to 5,000 ft They came in pairs and one pair came within 50 to 100 yards of the tail of the plane. Source of each pair was at a different location.

At 2213 (Zulu) in the same area, another B-24 encountered eight intense flames light green in color one of which burst and hung at 5,000 ft. There was no trail or warning until the actual burst.

Sources: USAF Project Blue Book report form FTD 0-329 / 7th Bomber Command Mission reports, 742.332 - 8 February-16 May 1945, Mission report #11-327 / Project 1947, Jan Aldrich.

May 2, 1945; Fala Island, Truk Atoll

Two airborne objects & red circles of light & changing from a cherry-red to orange to a white lights and then cherry-red again; followed for over an hour; no radar return. (Page 163 Ref.1)

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

Date: May 2, 1945

Location: Fala Island, Truk Atoll

Time:

Summary: Two airborne objects & red circles of light and changing from a cherry-red to orange to a white light and then cherry-red again; followed for over an hour; no radar return.

Source: Page 163 Ref.1

Date: latter part of the month of May 1945,

Location:

Time:

Summary: During the greater part of the 509th Composite Group arrived on Tinian Island in the Mariana Islands, western Pacific Ocean. The movement was done via C-54 or B-29 aircraft following a route from the United States to Hickman Field, Hawaii, to Johnston Island, to Kwajalein Island in the Marshall Islands, and then on to Tinian Island. The first C-54, number 9009, of the Advanced Air Echelon flew from Kwajelein to Tinian on May 22, 1945. One can see that the last leg of the journey from Kwajelein to Tinian crosses north of the Caroline Islands. The Caroline Islands is where Truk Atoll is located. An extraordinary encounter with unidentified airborne objects occurred on May 2, 1945, between Truk Atoll and the Island of Guam, Mariana Islands.

APO #244

MISSION REPORT NO. 11-327

DATE: 2 MAY 1945 (GCT).

OBSERVATIONS: The crew of plane #616 over FALA ISLAND, TRUK ATOLL, at 021802Z observed 2 airborne objects at their 11,000 foot altitude changing from a cherry red to an orange, and to a white light which would die out and then become cherry red again. These objects were out on either wing and not within range of caliber .50 machine guns. Both followed the B-24 through all types of evasive action. A B-24 took a course for GUAM and one of the pursuers dropped off at 021900Z after accompanying the B-24 for an hour. The other continued to follow, never approaching closer than 1000 yards and speeding up when the B-24 went thru the clouds to emerge on the other side ahead of the B-24. In daylight it was seen to be bright silver in color. As the B-24 let down at GUAM, the pursuer took a course of 330 degrees at 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet altitude at 022130Z. One B-24 encountered eight intense flames light green in color, one of which burst and hung at 5,000 feet at 021013Z. There was no trail or warning until the actual burst. A B-24 reported 9 to 10 red tracer type trails of fire up to 5,000 feet. They came in pairs and one pair came within 50 to 100 yards of the tail of the B-24 at 021010Z. Source of each pair was at a different location.” Jo Chamberlin, in a 1945 article on the Foo Fighters published in the American Legion Magazine, provides what is the first secondary source Far to the south, a B-24 Liberator was at 11,000 feet over Truk lagoon, when two red lights rose rapidly from below, and followed the B-24. After an hour, one light turned back. The other kept on - sometimes behind, sometimes alongside, sometimes ahead about 1,000 yards, until daybreak when it climbed to 15,000 feet and stayed in the sun, like a Jap fighter seeking game, but never came down. During the flight, the light changed from red to orange, then white, and back to orange, and appeared to be the size of a basketball. No wing or fuselage was observed. The B-24 radioed island radar stations to see if there were any enemy planes in the sky. The answer was: “None.” A curious business, and one for which many solutions have been advanced, before the war was over, and since. None of them stand up. The important point is: No B-29 was harmed by the balls of fire, although what the future held, no one knew. The Japanese were desperately trying to bolster up their defense in every way possible against air attack, but without success. Our B-29s continued to rain destruction on Japanese military targets, and finally dropped the atomic bomb. Naturally, U. S. Army authorities in Japan will endeavor to find the secret - but it may be hidden as well as it appears to be in Europe.

Source: HEADQUARTERS VII Bomber Command

May 3 - Early morning. Nine B-24's with the 11th Bombardment Group's 431st Squadron are heading out on a bombing mission against Japanese air installations on Truk [now Chuuk] Atoll in Micronesia. One plane over Fala Island sees two objects at their altitude of 11,000 feet, changing from cherry red to orange then white, then dying out and turning cherry red again. Both follow the B-24 through all sorts of evasive actions. (“B-24 Sights Circles of Light,” UFO Historical Revue, no. 2 (September 1998): 8 [link to http://www.greenwoodufoarchive.com/uhr/uhr02.pdf]; Strange Company 163-165; NICAP, “May 2, Truk Atoll Sighting”)

[...]

June 9 - XXI Bomber Command Air Intelligence issues an Air Intelligence Report on the balls of fire in the Pacific Theatre. The Truk sighting is attributed to an unknown Japanese experimental aircraft, though not a jet. (Strange Company 177-180)

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:

Guam, the place where the second light left the plane, is at about 1000 km in the Northwest of Truk atoll, where the lights were first seen.

The B-24 is credited of a maximum speed of 470 km/h; which means that at the fastest it would have covered the distance from Truk to Guam in 2 hours, which gives an indication of the duration of the observation of at least two hours.

It was not completely absurd at the time for American military air intelligence to wonder whether these lights were more or less advanced Japanese devices.

The hindsight of time passed allows us to dismiss it. The Kawanishi Baika was a sort of piloted V-1 used for suicide missions, with its range of 278 km it could never have gone from a Japanese base to Truk then from Truk to Guam.

The Nakajima Ki-201 “Karyu” was to be a Japanese copy of the German Messerschmitt Me-262; but at the time of Japan's surrender, construction of the single prototype had not been completed. The Nakajima “Kikka” was also a Japanese copy of the German Messerschmitt Me-262; a prototype was built; but it only made one flight, in Japan, not at all on Truk.

The Yokosuka MXY-7 “Ohka” was a rocket-propelled and piloted flying bomb, carrying out the “Kamikaze” missions; it was used from April 1945, but on Okinawa. There was no possibility that it had been to Truk Atoll and followed a B-27 to Guam with its 37 km range.

Were these “conventional” planes? I don't see how because everything goes against it: the absence of any attack, the inanity of the two-hour chase without any attack, the sequence of color changes, the absence of a trace on the ground radar.

Was it a natural phenomenon? There are none known to date that can perform the approach, follow-up maneuvers, passes to the front and rear of the B-24, maintaining distance when the B-24 attempted an approach, etc.

Evaluation:

Sources references:

* = 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	November 30, 2023	Creation, [jcn1], [kap1], [bbk1], [gld1], [lgs1], [lwr1], [prt1], [cun1], [bgd1], [vgo1], [wcs1], [lhh1], [jck1], [jrr1], [dwn2], [nip1], [get1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	November 30, 2023	First published.
1.1	Patrick Gross	December 7, 2023	Additions [dwn1], [tai1].
1.2	Patrick Gross	May 5, 2024	Addition [tfo1].
1.3	Patrick Gross	July 9, 2023	Addition [vgs1].

ACUFO:

From Truk Atoll to Guam, Micronesia, on May 3, 1945:

Case number:

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PROJECT 10073 RECORD

May 2, 1945

Case 126

May 3, 1945

Truck Atoll, Pacific Ocean

Case 125

May 2, 1945

Fala Island, Truck Atoll, Pacific Ocean

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