ACUFO-1945-07-17-OITA-1
U.S. ufologist Jan Aldrich, on his historical ufology website Project 1947, in 1999, catalogue a case he was the first to find, in the military report for Missions 271-274, of July 16-17, 1945, by the XXIst Bomber Command of the U.S. Army Air Forces.
He indicated that in Oita, Japan, at night, the pilot of a B-29 from the U.S. Army Air Forces 73rd Wing on Mission #272 observed a pulsating circular red glow at 10,000 feet of the target and at 2 o'clock position. The light continued on a parallel course to the aircraft for 5 minutes and it disappeared into cloud.
I found the original report on that mission, available below in this file; it indicated an undercast under the B-29's, meager flak, 3 enemy aircraft seen that were unable to attack the B-29's, and told for this sighting:
“(2) A pulsating, circular, red glow, similar to previously reported fire balls, was reported at 10,000 feet over the target at 2 o'clock from observing aircraft. The object made no attempts to attack but continued on a parallel course to the B-29 at the reported position, 500 yards away. After holding this course until approximately 5 minutes away from the target area, the object disappeared in a cloud. This was the only crew in this wing to make such an observation.”
The report also shows that the sighting took place just after 01:17 a.m. on July 17, 1945.
| Date: | July 17, 1945 |
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| Time: | 01:17 a.m. |
| Duration: | 5 minutes. |
| First known report date: | 1945 |
| Reporting delay: | Days, weeks. |
| Country: | Japan |
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| State/Department: | Oita |
| City or place: | Oita |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 or more. |
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| Number of known witnesses: | ? |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Reporting channel: | Military operations report. |
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| Visibility conditions: | Night, undercast. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| UFO action: | Flew parallel to the plane. |
| 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: 1 or more.
[ ] Airborne radar: [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | NL |
| Armed / unarmed: | Armed, 12 Browning M2 12,7 mm machine guns. |
| Reliability 1-3: | 3 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 2 |
| ACUFO: | Possible extraterrestrial craft, medium strangeness. |
[Ref. aaf1:] U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES:
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The report gives clouds and wind forecasts:
Oita: 4/10 stratocumulus, base 2000 ft, top 5000 ft; 5/10 altostratus, base 13,000 ft, top 15,000 ft; 8/10 cirrostratus at 25,000 feet winds at 10,000 ft will be 240 at 30 knots.
Bases on return: Scattered low and middle clouds and broken high clouds.
The report summarizes the opposition of enemy aircraft in the 4 missions it documents:
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S E C R E T
PART I - ENEMY AIR OPPOSITION
1. Summary: Enemy air opposition was negligible on this series of night strikes on 16/17 July 1945 against Numazu, Oita, Wuwana, and Hiratsuka urgan areas. Approximately 44 enemy aircraft were encountered and 3 ineffectual attacks were made. No B-29 was lost or damaged. Superfortress crews made no claims. There were many reporting of light phenomena, plus several reports of probable Baka type aircraft.
The relevant report, with the supposed UFO on part (2), of Mission 272 on Oita is:
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(1) No attacks were sustained although 1 S/E and 2 T/E A/C were reported over the target area by 2 crews. The 2 T/E aircraft were reported at 10,000 feet at 4 o'clock from the observing aircraft. They trailed from 10 to 15 minutes out of the target area - then passed below the aircraft and disappeared. The S/E airplane was reported at 13,000 feet over the target area heading on a reciprocal course to the observing aircraft.
(2) A pulsating, circular, red glow, similar to previously reported fire balls, was reported at 10,000 feet over the target at 2 o'clock from observing aircraft. The object made no attempts to attack but continued on a parallel course to the B-29 at the reported position, 500 yards away. After holding this course until approximately 5 minutes away from the target area, the object disappeared in a cloud. This was the only crew in this wing to make such an observation.
These other information are given in the report about Mission 272:
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2. Mission No. 272, Oita Urban Area:
a. The primary target was bombed by 127 aircraft of the 73rd Wing between 1512Z - 1632Z from 10,000 - 11,500 feet. Area of attack varied from 210 - 250. Weather was reported as 4/10 undercast over land with a 0/10 area directly over the target area.
b. En route to the target the flak was nil.
c. Over the target flak was described as meager, inaccurate, heavy and medium. Heavy flak was barrage type and medium flak was continuously pointed. Approximately 25 per cent of the aircraft over the target encountered flak described above. The remainder found it nil. Two searchlights were observed in the target area. They were ineffective.
d. On withdrawal 1 following a left breakaway flak was encountered at land's end (3247N - 13155E). It was very meager, inaccurate and heavy.
f. Blackout of the target area was complete. A few scattered searchlights were seen in the Nobeoka area and 3 were seen in the Tokuyama area.
[Ref. prt4:] JAN ALDRICH - "PROJECT 1947":
N - 1945.07.16/17 - Night, Oita, Japan.
B-29, 73rd Wing, Mission #272, a pulsating circular, red glow was reported at 10,000 fet of the target at the 2 o'clock position. The light continued on a parallel course to the aircraft for 5 minutes it disappeared into a cloud. B-29.(Mission 271-274 16/17 July 1945, HQ 21st Bomber Command)
[Ref. dwn1:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
At night the pilot of a B-29 from the USAAF 73rd Wing (Mission #272) observed a pulsating circular red glow at 10,000 ft of the target and at 2 o'clock position. The light continued on a parallel course to the aircraft for 5 minutes and it disappeared into cloud.
Sources: Project 1947, Jan Aldrich / Mission 271-274, 16-17 July 1945, HQ 21st Bomber Command.
[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
At night the pilot of a B-29 from the USAAF 73rd Wing (Mission #272) observed a pulsating circular red glow at 10,000 ft of the target and at 2 o'clock position. The light continued on a parallel course to the aircraft for 5 minutes and it disappeared into cloud.
Sources: Project 1947, Jan Aldrich / Mission 271-274, 16-17 July 1945, HQ 21st Bomber Command.
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.
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The mission started from Iwo Jima. Oita was out of range of the available US ground radar stations. Bombing was targeted by onboard radar. The flight was at altitude 10,000 to 10,800 feet.
A lighthouse, a fire, or other fixed things on the ground should be ruled out due to the cloud cover under the plane and because the thing is seen at the same altitude as the plane, and flying parallel to the plane for 5 minutes.
An enemy plane cannot be ruled out because it would not have been a red light, let alone pulsing.
Take offs were planned from 1608 to 1609 Zulu Time, landings on return were planned for 1621 to 1700 Zulu time. The report indicates no deviation between plans and execution, even saying “time control was especially good.”
The report indicates that in Mission No 272, the bombers made the bomb run from 1615 Zulu time to 1616 Zulu time. The reported sighting occurred after the bomb run and lasted 5 minutes, so it was approximately at 1617 Zulu Time. Local time is Zulu Time + 9, so the sighting was about 01:17 a.m. on July 17, 1945.
At that time in Oita, the Moon was not visible; it became visible only at 12:17 local time on July 17, 1945 (of course the Moon cannot be “pulsating”). Jupiter was set and would rise only about 10:00 a.m. on July 17, 1945. Mars was just emerging from the horizon since at 01:15 a.m. at the azimuth 67 (East-Northeast).
The observing B-29 was heading 130, Southeast, back to Iwo Jima, so Mars just rising on their left. But we are told that the UFO was at the 2 o'clock position, i.e. ahead to the right, not left, so it was not Mars.
There was actually no particular astronomical object in the direction the crew indicates. Of course there were star, but none of the brilliant ones that are sometimes mistaken for a “UFO”.
Possible extraterrestrial craft, medium strangeness.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
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| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | December 16, 2023 | Creation, [aaf1], [prt4], [dwn1], [dwn2]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 16, 2023 | First published. |
