ACUFO-1944-12-27-LUNEVILLE-1
In the fall and winter 1945, Intelligence Officer Fred B. Ringwald was attached to the 415th Night Fighter Squadron, stationed in the Dijon region in France; which carried out night intrusion missions into enemy territory on the Rhine valley. Having himself seen with others unexplained luminous phenomena during a mission, he had collected a series of other testimonies to send a summary about it for the Tactical Air Command of the U.S. Army on January 23, 1945.
Among the cases he listed, he indicated that on the night of December 27 to 28, 1944, 8 miles northeast of Lunéville, France, three series of three lights had been seen at 7:10 p.m. They were of red and white colors, one series was to the right of the aircraft and the other series to its left, at 1,000 feet to 2,000 feet, towards the rear of the aircraft and approaching the altitude of 10,000 feet. The plane had descended to 8,000 feet, and the lights had gone out. The plane's radio operator had called “Churchman” - code name for the ground radar station - to see whether there was anything in the area, but he had received a negative response.
The sighting was previously noted in the 415th Night Fighter Squadron's December 27-28, 1944 operations log, where it was noted that on December 28, 1944, “the first patrol saw 2 sets of 3 red and white lights. One appeared on the port side, the other on the starboard side 1,000 to 2,000 feet astern and they were getting closer. The Beau [their plane, a Bristol Beaufighter] sped away and the lights went out. Nothing on the GCI [ground radar station] screen at that time.”
| Date: | December 27, 1944 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 07:10 p.m. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | December 28, 1944 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours. |
| Country: | France |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | Meurthe-et-Moselle |
| City or place: | Lunéville |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 to 3 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | ? |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Reporting channel: | Military daily operations report, summary. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | Yes. |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| UFO action: | Approach by both sides, went off. |
| 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 to 3.
[ ] Airborne radar: Not reported. [ ] Directional ground radar: Negative. [ ] 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: | 3 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 3 |
| ACUFO: | Possible extraterrestrial craft. |
[Ref. wdy1:] WAR DIARY, 415TH NIGHT FIGHTER SQUADRON:
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S E C R E T
War Diary Page 2 December 1944
20 Lts. Schleuter, Gould, Meyers, and Sgt. Vanderbeer jeeped to Strausbourg to see Ignite, their sector controller for liaison purpose. The trip was deemed a success.
22 Lt Thomas and F/O Painter bailed out of 39 when both engines failed in quick succession. The crew landed safely while the A/C crashed.
23 More Foo-Fighters were in the air last night. The Ops. Report says: "In vicinity of Hagenau Saw 2 lights coming Toward A/C from ground. After reaching the altitude of the A/C they leveled off and flew on the tail of Beau for 2 minutes And they peeled up and turned away. 8th mission - sighted 2 orange lights. One light sighted at 10,000 the other climbed until it disappeared.
24 The officer's bar had its usual gala opening. The Foo- Fighters were active again according to the pilots report:
"Observed a glowing red object shooting straight up. It changed suddenly to a plan view of an A/C doing a wing-over and going into a dive and disappearing."
25 We had a turkey dinner to-day.
26 Sgts Cypert, Coffey and Peterson went to Etain to work on one of our beaus which is frozen up at that airport.
27 Claudia had four whelps, out of Foolish. Lt. Giblin shot down a Ju-88.
28 We have only seven operational aircraft now as replacements are snow-bound at Setif, North Africa. The Ops. Report says: "1st patrol saw 2 sets of 3 red and white lights. One appeared on port side, the other on starboard at 1,000 to 2,000 feet to rear and closing in. Beau peeled off and lights went out, nothing on GCI at the time." And then again: Observed lights suspended in air, moving slowly in no general Direction and then disappeared. Lights were orange, and appeared singly and in pairs. These lights were observed 4 or 5 times throughout the period."
29 T/Sgt. Cypert and his crew returned, their mission completed.
30 Lt. Schleuter and his A/C [unreadable] destroyed one [unreadable]
[Ref. rwd1:] FRED B. RINGWALD, INTELLIGENCE, U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES:
Note: the document that follows was retrieved by Jan Aldrich's historical ufology effort Project 1947, at www.project1947.com/fig/1945a.htm
Only the header, the footer and the part related to the case documented in this file are shown.
Only other cases are removed, as they are shown in their own case file in this catalog.
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S E C R E T
1st W/Ind
D-W-2
HEADQUARTERS XII TACTICAL AIR COMMAND, APO #374, U.S. Army, 23 January 1945.
TO: S-2, 415 Night Fighter Squadron.
Forwarded for compliance with paragraph 2 of 1st Ind.
[Signature]
LEAVITT CORNING, JR,.
Lt. Colonel, G.S.C,.
A/C of S, A-2.
2nd W/Ind
415th. NIGHT FIGHTER SQUADRON, APO #374, U. S. Army, 30 January 1945.
TO: AC of S A-2. XII Tactical Air Command, APO 374, U. S. Army.
1. In compliance with paragraph 2 of Ist. Ind., the following extracts from the Sortie reports of various pilots who have encountered the Night Phenomenon are submitted for your information.
[... other cases...]
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[... other cases...]
Night of 27-28 December 1944 - “Eight miles NE of Luneville at 19:10 hrs. saw three sets of three lights (red and white) one on starboard and one on port from 1000ft. to 2000 ft. to rear and closing in at Angels 10. Pulled up to Angels 8 and lights went out. Called Churchman to see if there was anything in area. Received a negative reply.”
[... other cases...]
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2. In every case where pilot called GCI Control and asked if there was a Bogey A/C in the area he received a negative answer.
[Signature.]
F. B. Ringwald
Captain, A.C.
Intelligence Officer
* Foofighters is the name given these phenomenon by combat crews of this Squadron.
S E C R E T
[Ref. kap1:] KENNETH ARNOLD AND RAY PALMER:
Three nights later [than November 23, 1944] they were again seen by a U.S. pilot flying in the same area.
[Ref. jce1:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "JUST CAUSE":
The bulletin of “Citizens Against UFO Secrecy” (CAUS) published that they managed to get the first Foo Fighters official reports in the War diaries of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron. Extracts were cited, such as:
December 28 [1944]- “The Ops report says: '1st patrol saw 2 sets of 3 red and white lights. One appeared on port side, the other on starboard at 1000 to 2000 feet to rear and closing in. Beau peeled off and lights went out. Nothing on GCI scope at the time.' And then again: 'Observed lights suspended in air, moving slowly in no general direction and then disappeared. Lights were orange, and appeared singly and in pairs. These lights were observed 4 or 5 times throughout the period.”
[Ref. bgd1:] BARRY GREENWOOD:
December 28: “The operations report says: “first patrol saw two rows of three red and white lights. One appeared on the port side, the other on the starboard side at 1000 and up to 2000 feet astern, approaching. Beau picked up and the lights went out. Nothing on the GCI screen at this time.” Then, again: “Saw lights hanging in the sky, moving slowly in no precise direction, which disappeared. They were orange, and moved in pairs or alone. They were observed four or five times.”
[Ref. bgd2:] BARRY GREENWOOD:
Barry Greenwood, in an article about the “Foo-Fighters” documents in the U.S. military archive, said:
A summary of incidents [reported by airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces 415th Night Fighter Squadron] was prepared by Captain F. B. Ringwald, Intelligence Officer with Headquarters 12 of the Tactical Air Command to advise S-2 of the “Night Phenomenon” encountered by the pilots and dated January 30, 1945.
Barry Greenwood then cited 13 cases from Ringwald's report, including this one:
“Night of 27-28 December 1944 - Eight miles NE of Luneville at 19:10 hrs. saw three sets of three lights (red and white) one on starboard and one on port from 1000 ft. to 2000 ft. to rear and closing in at Angels 10. Pulled up to Angels 8 and lights went out. Called Churchman to see if there was anything in area. Received a negative reply.”
Barry Greenwood commented about these reports:
It is noteworthy to point out that these pilots made a distinction between the usual flak bursts sent up by anti-aircraft fire and what they were seeing in these incidents. One might expect that due to technical advances during the war, eventually one side may develop a new sort of anti-aircraft weapon that could behave in an intelligent manner in pursuit of enemy planes. The problem with this here is that there are no known reports of “Foo Fighters” bringing down aircraft of either side. The objects that seemed to be “under perfect control at all times” didn't seem to do damage but merely accompany planes on their respective missions without interference.
To end the summary, Ringwald said that in each case where the pilot called GCI control to ask if “Bogey A/C” were in the area, he received a negative answer. It was also noted, perhaps more of interest to modern audiences, that these objects were called “Foofighters.” One word only, which should we call it? Chamberlin added his own written footnote for another sighting on February 28: "Returning, 45 miles East of Base (Loral Ochey) sighted foo fighters to rear starboard. Orange red in color. Turned to have a look and it disappeared. Near Luneville, SECRET north of Strasbourg. Lt. Buscio & Krasner RO.”
[Ref. gvo1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
1944, December 28
GERMANY
(415th bombers) The first patrol saw 2 sets of 3 red and white lights, one appeared on the right side, the other straight ahead, at an altitude of 1000 to 2000 feet. When Beau (pilot) applied the throttle for the interception, the lights went out. Nothing on the radar at the moment. Next, lights are seen hanging in the sky in an erratic slow trajectory. They are orange in color, appear singly or in pairs. These lights are observed 4 or 5 times by the patrol. (Greenwood, Barry; Just Cause, no. 32, p. 1, June 1992.: Source: microfilm roll containing the Unit History and War Diary of the 415th was obtained from the U.S. Air Force. Frames 1613 and 1614.)
[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
At 19h 10, the crew of a Beau fighter from the 415th Night Fighter Squadron while patrolling at 10,000 feet saw three sets of three lights (red and white). The lights were closing in fast, one on starboard and one on port from 1,000 to 2,000 feet to the rear and closing in at Angels 10 (10,000 feet altitude). Taking evasive action, the pilot peeled off and dropped his aircraft down at Angels 8 (8,000 feet) and the lights went out. The crew called GCI Churchman to see if there was anything in the area and they received a negative reply. Not far away, around the time, the crew of another 415th NFS aircraft reported orange lights suspended in the air, “moving slowly” before disappearing. The pilot said the lights appeared singly and in pairs and he observed these lights four or five times.
Sources: USAAF, Report from Captain F.B. Ringwald, Intelligence Officer, 415th Night Fighter Squadron, To NC of S,A-2 XII Tactical Air Command, January 30, 1945, NARA / 64th Fighter Wing, Mission report:415th NFS, December 27/28, 1944 / Strange Company, Keith Chester, 2007 / USAAF, 415th Night Fighter Squadron, War diary, December 1944, (Classified Secret) Project 1947, Jan Aldrich / Remarkable luminous phenomena in nature, William L. Corliss, 200 I
(Ref. nip1:) "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
(1944) Dec. 27, 1944; Luneville, France
Two sets of three red and white lights. (Page 107-108,131 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. 27, 1944
Location: Luneville, France
Time:
Summary: Two sets of three red and white lights
Page 107-108,131 Ref.1
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 Beaufighters served with the US Army Air Force until the end of the war, but most were replaced by the P-61 “Black Widow” beginning on March 20, 1945.
Lunéville was liberated on September 18, 1944. The incident took place during the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans were then attacking to the north of Luxembourg and were to the north of Saarbrücken in Germany, the front line being there more than 60 kilometers from the place of observation.
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The strangeness of this case is numerous.
The lights could hardly be German planes or other German devices because they erre coming from below, and this, in the region of Lunéville in France, territory then totally under American air force control.
The lights couldn't have been enemy flak fire at all, because there were no more enemies on the ground in that area at that time.
The lights were seen but not detected by the ground radar station, which is abnormal if they were German planes. This characteristic is common in sightings of “Foo Fighters” from the fall - winter of 1944 - 1945 in this sector.
The lights could not be “St. Elmo's fires”, as some had suggested to explain such sightings, because they were approaching the plane. St. Elmo lights would have remained fixed on the ends of the plane from end to end.
If one intends to plead that these were “German weapons” whatever they were, the objection is, as in all other cases of “Foo Fighters”, that these “weapons” had absolutely no effect.
All sorts of other explanations can be ruled out. For example, if we want to think that these were German Messerschmitt “Komet” rocket planes, it must be ruled out because these planes could not operate at night, because their range, with their flight capacity of only 7 minutes, ruled out their operation in liberated territory, because their “light” was not a light but a white streak, never red.
If it is argued that these were flames from the jet engines of German planes, it is necessary to explain how they could be visible with planes approaching from the rear. They should have flown “in reverse”... moreover, the exhausts of the only German jet night fighter which could have operated there at that time, the Messerschmitt Me-262, were very discreet, and bluish - white in color, never red.
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 | November 7, 2023 | Creation, [rwd1], [kap1], [jce1], [mbd1], [gvo1], [dwn2], [nip1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | November 7, 2023 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | May 27, 2024 | Addition [wdy1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | June 10, 2024 | Addition [bgd2]. |
