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 ▶

Kawasaki, Japan, on April 3, 1945:

Case number:

ACUFO-1945-04-03-KAWASAKI-1

Summary:

In the 2010's, The NICAP Website in the USA reported that the records of the 20th Air Force reveal that as early as April 3, 1945, flying from the Marianas on a night incendiary mission over Kawasaki, Japan, some crews reported that “Balls of fire followed our aircraft.” Less than two weeks later after an early morning attack on Tokyo, there is a note in the intelligence resume saying that “Several balls of fire” were observed.

The NICAP Website indicates that they found this in the an article titled “Several balls of fire observed”, by Richard M. Keenan, of the 444th Bomb Group, 58th Wing, at West Field on Tinian; which appears in the 1984 book “Sky Giants Over Japan: A Diary of a B-29 Combat Crew In WWII”, by Chester Marshall.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	April 3, 1945
Time:	?
Duration:	?
First known report date:	1945, 1984
Reporting delay:	Day, decades.

Geographical data:

Country:	Japan
State/Department:	Kanagawa
City or place:	Kawasaki

Witnesses data:

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

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	Military operation report.
Visibility conditions:	?
UFO observed:	Yes.
UFO arrival observed:	?
UFO departure observed:	?
UFO action:	?
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 or more. [ ] 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:	2
Strangeness 1-3:	1
ACUFO:	Insufficient information.

Sources:

(Ref. nip1:) "THE NICAP WEBSITE":

April 3, 1945; Kawasaki, Japan

The records of the 20th Air Force reveal that as early as this date, flying from the Marianas on a night incendiary mission, some crews reported “Balls of fire followed our aircraft.” Less than two weeks later after an early morning attack on Tokyo there is a note in the intelligence resume, “Several balls of fire observed.” (Reference: Sky Giants Over Japan: A Diary of a B-29 Combat Crew In WWII, by Chester Marshall, pages 184-185--Article - A Flashback Great Balls of Fire.) This fireball article was related by Richard M. Keenan, member of the 444th Bomb Group, 58th Wing, at West Field on Tinian.

[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:

Date: Apr. 3, 1945

Location: Kawasaki, Japan

Time:

Summary: The records of the 20th Air Force reveal that as early as this date, flying from the Marianas on a night incendiary mission, some crews reported “Balls of fire followed our aircraft.” Less than two weeks later after an early morning attack on Tokyo there is a note in the intelligence resume, “Several balls of fire observed.” This fireball article was related by Richard M. Keenan, member of the 444th Bomb Group, 58th Wing, at West Field on Tinian.

Source: Sky Giants Over Japan: A Diary of a B-29 Combat Crew In WWII, by Chester Marshall, pages 184-185-Article - A Flashback Great Balls of Fire.

Aircraft information:

The Boeing B-29 “Superfortress” was the heaviest bomber of the U.S. Army Air Forces, used in operations from May 8, 1944 and on. Its maximum speed was 574 km/h.

Its defensive armament was 12 Browning M2 12.7 mm machine guns.

Discussion:

Obviously there is not enough information for an assessment of this or these cases.

Evaluation:

Insufficient information.

Sources references:

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

[rkn1] ? "Several balls of fire observed", article by Richard M. Keenan, of the 444th Bomb Group, 58th Wing, at West Field on Tinian, in "Sky Giants Over Japan: A Diary of a B-29 Combat Crew In WWII", book by Chester Marshall, ?Marshall Publishing, USA, pp 184-185, 1984.
[nip1] * "UFO Sighting Chronology - 1939-1945; The WWII Years & 'Foo-Fighters'", on the ufology Website The NICAP Website, USA, created December 18, 2006, updated December 5, 2017, at http://www.nicap.org/chronos/1939-1945.htm
[tai1] * "1945: April UFO & Alien Sightings", web page on the Think About It Website, USA, June 22, 2016, at https://www.thinkaboutitdocs.com/1945-april-ufo-alien-sightings

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 5, 2023	Creation, [nip1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	December 5, 2023	First published.

This page was last updated on December 5, 2023.