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.

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Pilsen, Czech Republic, on May 13, 1943:

Case number:

ACUFO-1943-05-13-PILSEN-1

Summary:

Ufology sources in the 2000's indicated that in his 2007 book "Strange Encounters - Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II", author Keith Chester wrote about a sighting on May 12-13, 1943, over Duisburg, Germany.

The report said that during the night, the crew of a RAF bomber reported the sighting of one object giving off a sequence of sparks and a having a definite tail leaving a trail of smoke. It was seen to travel about ten miles before falling to the ground, where it burned out after one minute. The crew who made the report stated that they had seen similar phenomena on previous occasion in approximately the same area and also in neighborhood of Kiel.

The military source is said to be military attaché report No 159, from the Military Intelligence Division WDGS, of May 27, 1943.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	May 13, 1943
Time:	Night.
Duration:	1 minute,
First known report date:	May 27, 1943, 2007
Reporting delay:	Weeks, 6 decades.

Geographical data:

Country:	Czech Republic
State/Department:	Plzen
City:	Pilsen (Plzen)

Witnesses data:

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

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	Military report, UFO book.
Visibility conditions:	Night.
UFO observed:	Yes.
UFO arrival observed:	?
UFO departure observed:	Yes.
UFO action:	Fell and burned.
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: Several. [ ] Airborne radar: [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages:
Hynek:	NL
Armed / unarmed:	Armed, 7.62 mm machine guns.
Reliability 1-3:	2
Strangeness 1-3:	1
ACUFO:	Probable meteor.

Sources:

[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:

Case 16
May 13-14, 1943

Pilsen, Czech Republic

During the night, the crew of a RAF bomber reported the sighting of one object giving off a sequence of sparks and a having a definite tail leaving a trail of smoke. It was seen to travel about ten miles before falling to the ground, where it burned out after one minute. The crew who made the report stated that they had seen similar phenomena on previous occasion in approximately the same area and also in neighborhood of Kiel.

Sources: Military Intelligence Division WDGS, military attache report N°159, 27/05/1943 / Strange Company, Keith Chester, 2007

Aircraft information:

Nothing in the available sources is being said about the planes involved.

But the date indicate that it was, from WWII historical sources, the RAF night raid that involved 135 Halifaxes, 104 Wellingtons, 98 Lancasters, 95 Stirlings and 10 Mosquitos.

Discussion:

See the explanation in this other case file for sightings at the same date.

Evaluation:

Probable meteor.

Sources references:

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

[mil1] ? "Military Intelligence Division WDGS, military attaché report No. 159", May 27, 1943.
[kcr1] ? "Strange Company - Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II", book by Keith Chester, Anomalist Book publishers, USA, 2007.
[dwn2] * "The Foofighters Files (1) Catalogue of Unconventional Aerial Phenomena Reported by Allied pilots during WW II (1943-1945)", catalogue by Dominique Weinstein, France, October 2009.

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	October 5, 2023	Creation, [dwn2].
1.0	Patrick Gross	October 5, 2023	First published.

This page was last updated on October 5, 2023.