ACUFO-1944-12-02-VILLAFRANCA-1
Ufology sources in the 2010's noted that in the 2007 book “Strange Company - Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II” by Keith Chester, there is a report of a sighting on December 2, 1944, at the Ghedi Airfield, near Villafranca, in Italy.
Lieutenant Baker, pilot, and Lieutenant Brown, radar operator, of the 414th Night Fighter Squadron of the U.S. Army Air Forces, were flying their Beaufighter Mk VI on an intruder mission over the Ghedi airfield area. There was a heavy haze over the country, reaching to about 10,000 feet. During their three and one-half hour mission, they observed “a steady seemingly hanging light”.
They closed their aircraft within three miles of the light, but it disappeared.
This is said to have appeared in the 414th Night Fighter Squadron daily operation report on mission 108, on 2 December 1944.
| Date: | December 2, 1944 |
|---|---|
| Time: | Probable night. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | December 2, 1944 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours. |
| Country: | Italy |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | Venetia |
| City or place: | Villafranca di Verona |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 2 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 or 2 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 2 |
| Reporting channel: | Daily military operations report. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| UFO action: | Motionless, disappears on approach. |
| Witnesses action: | Approach. |
| 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: ? [ ] Directional ground radar: ? [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | NL |
| Armed / unarmed: | Armed, four 20 mm cannons and 6 7.62 mm machine guns. |
| Reliability 1-3: | 2 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 1 |
| ACUFO: | Low strangeness or no strangeness. |
[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
Pilot Lt Baker and radar operator Lt Brown (414th NFS) were flying their Beaufighter Mark VI on an intruder mission over the Villafranca, Ghedi airfield area, in Italy. There was a heavy haze over the country, reaching to about 10,000 feet. During their three and one-half hour mission, they observed “a steady seemingly hanging light”. They closed their aircraft within three miles of the light before it disappeared.
Sources: USAAF, 414th Night Fighter Squadron, daily operation report, Mission 108, 2 December 1944 / Strange Company, Keith Chester, 2007
(Ref. nip1:) "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
(1944) Dec. 2, 1944; Villafranca, Ghedi Airdrome area, Italy
A steady, seemingly hanging light. (Page 96 Ref.1)
The reference 1 is described at the end of the document as “Strange Company (2007), Keith Chester”.
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Date: Dec. 2, 1944
Location: Villafranca, Ghedi Airdrome area, Italy
Time:
Summary: A steady, seemingly hanging light.
Source:
The Bristol Type 156 “Beaufighter”, nicknamed “Beau”, was a British multi-role aircraft developed during WWII. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber; it proved to be an effective night fighter, which came into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Battle of Britain.
Originally, armament consisted of four 20mm cannons and six 0.303-in machine-guns but many variants were built; for example, versions had the ability to additionally carry eight rocket projectiles, some had a Vickers 'K' gun, Beaufighter TF.Mk X was used for anti-shipping operations.
The Beaufighter Mk VIF was fitted with the Mark VIII radar.
Below: Beaufighter Mk VIF of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron.
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The report is of low strangeness. It could have been the light of an enemy aircraft, or even a light on the ground, and this light would have been extinguished when the Beaufighter approached, three miles away, within earshot perhaps.
The Beaufighter was equipped with onboard radar set (AI), and had the assistance of a ground radar station (CGI), but nothing is known about possible detections or not.
It is also not established that the crew considered the fact of this light which had disappeared on their approach as having the slightest strangeness.
Low strangeness or no strangeness.
* = 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 4, 2023 | Creation, [dwn2], [nip1], [tai1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | November 4, 2023 | First published. |
