ACUFO-1945-05-25-ATLANTIC-1
In his 1981 book “Project Identification” about the UFO question, US scientist Harley D. Rutledge reported that less than three weeks after the war in Europe ended on July 7, 1945, Captain Sewell was in a B-17B that had been modified to carry troops from the European theatre to the Pacific theater.
With its lighter load of about 35 soldiers, the B-17 had an airspeed of 180 miles per hour. The route was from Marseilles, France, on the Mediterranean Sea, to Casablanca in Morocco; then on to a port on the Atlantic Ocean near Dakar in West Africa. From there, the troops were to be flown to the Pacific.
On May 25, 1945, Sewell was in flight from Port Lyautey, Morocco to Dakar, Senegal, flying a southerly course in an early morning sun shining through intermittent clouds over the Atlantic. Several troops were in the nose section with Sewell. They first saw the object opposite the sun at their altitude, and it was very shiny, “like aluminum.” Sewell estimated the distance to the object as five to ten miles, because he could make out its shape, elliptical or disc.
During the 8 hours of flight, they saw it six or seven times through the clouds, and at times, it hovered.
| Date: | May 25, 1945 |
|---|---|
| Time: | Day, morning. |
| Duration: | 8 hours. |
| First known report date: | 1981 |
| Reporting delay: | Decades. |
| Country: | |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | Over the Atlantic Ocean. |
| City or place: |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | Several. |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 1 |
| Reporting channel: | To Harley D. Rutledge. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | Day, sun, scattered clouds. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | ? |
| UFO action: | Flies, hovers. |
| 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: Several.
[ ] Airborne radar: [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | DD |
| Armed / unarmed: | ? |
| Reliability 1-3: | 2 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 3 |
| ACUFO: | Possible extraterrestrial craft. |
(Ref. hre1:) HARLEY D. RUTLEDGE:
Less than three weeks after the war in Europe ended on July 7, 1945, Captain Sewell was a member of a courier squadron ground troops from the European theatre to the Pacific. Carrying B-17B had been modified to carry troops, up to 35 soldiers. With this lighter load, the B-17 had an airspeed of 180 miles per hour. The route was from Marseilles, France, on the Mediterranean Sea, to Casablanca in Morocco; then on to a port on the Atlantic Ocean near Dakar in West Africa. From there, the troops were flown to the Pacific.
On May 25, 1945, Sewell was in flight from Port Lyautey, Morocco to Dakar, Senegal, flying a southerly course in an early morning sun shining through intermittent clouds over the Atlantic. Several troops were in the nose section with Sewell. When they first saw the object, it was opposite the sun at their altitude and very shiny, “like aluminum.” Sewell estimated the distance to the object as five to ten miles, because he could make out its shape, elliptical or disc. During the 8-hour flight, they saw it 6 or 7 times through the clouds. At times, it hovered!
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:
541: 1945/05/07 07:00 44 12:00:00 W 24:30:00 N 3332 NAF SAH MAU 6:9
B17/PORT LYAUTTEY>>DAKAR,SNGL:SVRL OBS:SHINY MTL SCR SEEN SVRL TIMES:HVRS
Ref# 31 RUTLEDGE,H.D.:PROJECT IDENTIFICATION Page No. 250: IN-FLIGHT
[Ref. dwn1:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
In the morning (early morning sun shining), Capt. Louis Lewell and crew members of a USAAF B-17 flying a southerly course from Port Lyautey (Morocco) to Dakar (Senegal) observed an elliptical or disc-shaped object shining like aluminium. First it was opposite to the sun at 5-10 miles from the aircraft. During the 8 hours flight it was seen 6 to 7 times through clouds and hovering at times.
Sources: Project Identification, Harley D. Rutledge, 1981, p.251 / Project 1947, Jan Aldrich
[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
In the morning (early morning sun shining), Capt. Louis Lewell and crew members of a USAAF B-17 flying a southerly course from Port Lyautey (Morocco) to Dakar (Senegal) observed an elliptical or disc-shaped object shining like aluminium. First it was opposite to the sun at 5-10 miles from the aircraft. During the the 8 hours flight it was seen 6 to 7 times through clouyds and hovering at times.
Sources: Project Identification, Harley D. Rutledge, 1981, p.251 / Project 1947, Jan Aldrich
[Ref. gvo1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
1945, May 25
Atlantic Ocean
In the morning, being between Morocco and Senegal, the crew and a passenger of a B17 saw a disc-shaped object, shiny like aluminum about 5 or 10 miles from the aircraft. (PROJECT ACUFOE, Catalog 1999, Dominique Weinstein)
(Ref. nip1:) "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
May 25, 1945; Atlantic Ocean
In early morning on a sunny day with intermittent clouds, a B-17 bomber was en route from Morocco to Dakar, Senegal. A silvery disc or ellipse was observed opposite the sun position, estimated to be 5 to 10 miles distant. The object paced the aircraft, hovering at times. (Ref. 3; Harley D. Rutledge, Project Identification, 1981, p. 251.)
[Ref. glt1:] GERARD LEBAT:
MAY 25, 1945: ATLANTIC OCEAN BETWEEN MOROCCO AND SENEGAL
In the morning, being between Morocco and Senegal, the crew and a passenger of B17 saw a disc-shaped object, shiny like aluminum about 5 or 10 miles from the aircraft. (PROJECT ACUFOE, Catalog 1999, Dominique Weinstein)
(Ref. kre1:) KEVIN D. RANDLE:
This ufologist indicates that a B-17 crew was flying over the North Sea toward Berlin on the morning of April 7, 1945, and the navigator, Captain Louis Sewell, thought they were being attacked by a German fighter. According to the government files, Sewell said that the fighter dived at them, leveled and then rolled under the B-17. It did nor attack and they realized it wasn't a fighter but something that looked more like a V-2. It was maneuvering intelligently, but it didn't seem to have any wings.
Importantly, the object, which held its position relative to the B-17 for a short time and then accelerated to "two thousand miles an hour," was seen by others in the formation. The radio operator in Sewell's aircraft took several pictures of the object. Once on the ground, the film was taken away and the crew heard nothing more about it, which, according to Sewell, wasn't all that unusual.
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Date: May 25, 1945
Location: Atlantic Ocean
Time: morning
Summary: In early morning on a sunny day with intermittent clouds, a B-17 bomber was en route from Morocco to Dakar, Senegal. A silvery disc or ellipse was observed opposite the sun position, estimated to be 5 to 10 miles distant. The object paced the aircraft, hovering at times.
Source: Ref. 3; Harley D. Rutledge, Project Identification, 1981, p. 251
[Ref. grl1:] GRAEME RENDALL:
Antisubmarine aircraft operating over the Bay of Biscay from Cornwall and long range transports flying over the North Atlantic across to West Africa also had run-ins with mysterious lights that followed their machines, then shot off into the distance.
The US B-17 “Flying Fortress” was a heavy bomber fitted with five 7.62 machine guns for its defense against enemy fighter planes.
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A first observation by Captain Sewell was reported by Harley D. Rutledge.
I managed to find out that the witness was Louis Barfield Sewell (photo below), deceased at 88 on February 19, 2014, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. He was born April 12, 1925, in Hornersville, Montana. In 1943, during his senior year of high school in Doniphan, Montana, he joined the Army Air Corps. He served as a navigator on a B-17 during World War II in the 92nd Bomb Group.
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The Port Lyautey base was located near Kenitra in Morocco.
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Possible extraterrestrial craft.
* = 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 19, 2023 | Creation, [hre1], [lhh1], [dwn1], [dwn2, [gvo1], [nip1], [tai1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 19, 2023 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 5, 2024 | Addition [kre1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | July 19, 2024 | Additions [grl1], [glt1]. |
