ACUFO-1945-03-26-IWOJIMA-1
Circa 1999, U.S. ufologist Jan Aldrich published on his historical ufology Website Project 1947, an extract from the March 1945 Intelligence and Operations section of the 549th Night Fighter Squadron Unit History, including this:
Combat Air Patrols were flown on the 22nd, 24th, 26th, 28th and 30 March. On 26 March Lieutenant Calvin P. Lamb, Pilot, Lieutenant James G. Holmes, Radar Observer, and Sergeant John W. McIsaac, Gunner, saw what they described as lights on an airborne object. The lights followed them through a few turns but turned away as the crew orbited north of Iwo Jima. A chase was made, with slight radar contact on the airborne set, and then the object pulled out of sight.
| Date: | March 26, 1945 |
|---|---|
| Time: | Probable night. |
| Duration: | Minutes. |
| First known report date: | March 1945 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours, 4 days. |
| Country: | Japan |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | Ogasawara |
| City or place: | Iwo Jima |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 3 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 3 |
| Reporting channel: | Military operations report. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | Probable night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| UFO action: | Follows through evasive maneuvers. |
| Witnesses action: | Evasive maneuvers. |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Sensors: |
[X] Visual: 3
[X] Airborne radar: Slight return. [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | NL |
| Armed / unarmed: | Armed, 4 Hispano 20 mm cannons, 4 Browning M2 12.7 mm machine guns. |
| Reliability 1-3: | 3 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 2 |
| ACUFO: | Possible extraterrestrial craft. |
[Ref. prt1:] JAN ALDRICH - "PROJECT 1947":
An extract from the March 1945 INTELLIGENCE AND OPERATIONS section of the 549th Night Fighter Squadron Unit History:
Combat Air Patrols were flown on the 22nd, 24th, 26th, 28th and 30 March. On 26 March Lieutenant Calvin P. Lamb, Pilot, Lieutenant James G. Holmes, Radar Observer, and Sergeant John W. McIsaac, Gunner, saw what they described as lights on an airborne object. The lights followed them through a few turns but turned away as the crew orbited north of Iwo Jima. A chase was made, with slight radar contact on the airborne set, and then the object pulled out of sight. The similar lighted object was again seen the next night of patrol by Lieutenant William F. Sill, Pilot, Flight Officer George W. Hayden, Radar Observer, and Private First Class William Brasvell, Gunner.
NOTE: There were many reports of Japanese planes which dropped aluminum “windows” (i.e. aluminum foil strips) at night when chased by U.S. aircraft. This foil confused radar signals. However, in some of the chases recounted in this unit history, this does not seem to have been the case. Also, the “bogies” seem to have been able to accelerate to much higher speeds to get away from the night fighters. Most Japanese night flight operations around Iwo Jima seemed to be “lurking” intelligence gathering missions. US Pilots reported aircraft like the “Betty” (Mitsubishi G4M long-range medium bomber) escorting but not firing on bombers making their run on Iwo Jima and the surrounding Islands at night.-- J.L.A.
[Ref. gvo1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
1945, March 26
JAPAN, Iwo Jima
During the night, the 3 members of the crew of a combat plane (549th NFS) observed, with a faint return to the on-board radar, several lights following the plane, making several turns. (PROJECT ACUFOE, Catalog 1999, Dominique Weinstein)
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:
532: 1945/03/26 22:00 30 128:00:00 E 26:30:00 N 3331 ASP JPN RYU 6:8
IWO JIMA,JPN:NLTS FOLO FIGHTER:200+RDR BLIPS >SW/650 kts:CHASE:nothing seen
Ref# 96 WEBSITE or UFO-BBS. Press Ctrl-R Site # 129:OFFSHORE
[Ref. prt4:] JAN ALDRICH - "PROJECT 1947":
N - 1945.03.26 - Night, Near Iwo Jima.
P-61-B, 549th Night Fighter Squadron (NFS), Gunner saw lights on an airborne object that followed them through turns. P-61 gave chase, with a slight radar contact. Object pulled out of sight. (549th NFS Unit History for March 1945)
[Ref. dwn1:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
At night, a crew of a P-61B from the 549th Night Fighter Squadron, including Lt. Calvin P. Lamb (pilot), Lt. James G. Holmes (radar observer) and Sgt. John W. Mcisaac (gunner) saw several lights following their plane through a few turns, but turning away as the pilot orbited north of Iwo Jima. A chase was made, with a slight radar contact on the airborne set and then the object was pulled out of sight.
Sources: 549th NFS Unit history, Intelligence and Operations section, March 1945 / Project 1947, Jan Aldrich.
[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
At night, a crew of a P-6l B from the 549th Night Fighter Squadron, including Lt. Calvin P. Lamb (pilot), Lt. James G. Holmes (radar observer) and Sgt. John W. Mcisaac (gunner) saw several lights following their plane through a few turns, but turning away as the pilot orbited north of Iwo Jima. A chase was made, with a slight radar contact on the airborne set and then the object was pulled out of sight.
Sources: 549th NFS Unit history, Intelligence and Operations section, March 1945 / Project 1947, Jan Aldrich.
[Ref. sua1:] WEBSITE "SATURDAY NIGHT UFORIA":
And in March, 1945, according to the 549th Night Fighter Squadron Unit History:
Combat Air Patrols were flown on the 22nd, 24th, 26th, 28th and 30 March. On 26 March Lieutenant Calvin P. Lamb, Pilot, Lieutenant James G. Holmes, Radar Observer, and Sergeant John W. McIsaac, Gunner, saw what they described as lights on an airborne object. The lights followed them through a few turns but turned away as the crew orbited north of Iwo Jima. A chase was made, with slight radar contact on the airborne set, and then the object pulled out of sight. The similar lighted object was again seen the next night of patrol by Lieutenant William F. Sill, Pilot, Flight Officer George W. Hayden, Radar Observer, and Private First Class William Brasvell, Gunner.
[Ref. get1:] GEORGE M. EBERHART:
March 26 - During an air operation, Lieut. Calvin P. Lamb (pilot), Lieut. James G. Holmes (radar observer), and Sgt. John W. McIsaac (gunner) notice lights on an airborne object. The lights follow them through a few turns but move away as the crew orbits north of Iwo Jima, Japan. They give chase, obtaining a slight target on the aircraft radar, then the object pulls out of sight. A similar lighted object is again seen March 28 by Lieut. William F. Sill (pilot), Flight Officer George W. Hayden (radar observer), and PFC William Brasvell (gunner). (Project 1947, “UFO Reports, 1945”)
The Northrop P-61 “Black Widow” was a high performance American night fighter plane used in WWII.
It was twin-engined, with a maximum speed of 589 km/h, 3,060 km range. The crew was of three men.
It was equipped with onboard radar and armed with 4 Hispano 20 mm cannons in the fuselage and 4 Browning M2 12.7 mm machine guns in the remotely controlled upper turret.
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549th Night Fighter Squadron was constituted on April 19, 1944, activated on May 1, 1944, and flew night fighter missions from South Field, Iwo Jima against the Japanese from March 22, 1945 to August 5, 1945.
From 1944 to 1945 they operated P-61 “Black Widow” night fighters.
I found pilot Calvin P. Lamb in the newspaper Herald and News, Klamath Falls, Oregon, for July 8, 1945, in this note: “Iwo Jima - Calvin P. Lamb, 22, of Klamath Falls, pilot in a VII Fighter Command night fighter squadron, has been promoted to first lieutenant.”
I found radar observer, Lieutenant James G. Holmes, in a 1955 “Army, Navy, Air Force Journal & Register” as still in the electronic warfare of the US Air Forces.
I found no information about the gunner, Sgt. John W. McIsaac.
The report is typical of many “Foo-Fighters” reports in Europe and on the Pacific theater in 1943-1945. We have the UFO following even during evasive maneuvers, but not attacking the plane.
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 15, 2023 | Creation, [prt1], [gvo1], [lhh1], [prt4], [dwn1], [dwn2], [get1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 15, 2023 | First published. |
