ACUFO index -> Home ☰

Cette page en français

ACUFO:

< Previous case Next case >

The Friesen islands, Germany, on March 9, 1945:

Case number:

ACUFO-1945-03-09-FRIESENISLANDS-1

Summary:

In his 2009 catalogue of World War II "Foo-Fighters" sightings, French ufologist Dominique Weinstein referred to the 2007 book "Strange Company - Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II" by Keith Chester to catalogue the following case:

On the evening of March 9, 1945, a Mosquito plane from the 25th Bombardment Group was conducting a meteorological mission. Major Bozarth was a pilot and Lieutenant Anglum was his navigator. They crossed the English coast, over the North Sea, documenting the weather in an area designated as a bombing route to be followed hours later. They were flying at 10,000 feet, just above the overcast sky. Below were the North Frisian Islands, hidden in the fog.

Suddenly, three lights appeared; one was low and two were about 15,000 feet above the Mosquito.

They "had the appearance of white flares released into the air" and resembled parachute flares, even fading like flares. Their operation report was sent to the 25th Bombardment Group headquarters, indicating that the crew had observed "three Foo-Fighters."

It is said that Keith Chester found the case in the Bluestocking 2/43 Mission Report, from the Intelligence Officer (S-2) of the 653rd Squadron, addressed to the Headquarters of the 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance).

Data:

Temporal data:

Geographical data:

Witnesses data:

Ufology data:

Classifications:

Sources:

[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:

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

The reference 1 is described at the end of the document as "Strange Company (2007), Keith Chester".

[Ref. tai1:] SITE WEB "THINK ABOUT IT":

Aircraft information:

The de Havilland DH.98 "Mosquito" was a British multirole aircraft, which served as a fighter-bomber, torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. The code name for these missions was "Bluestocking".

Its armament was 4 7.62 mm Browning machine guns and 4 20 mm Hispano cannons.

Its pilot and its navigator were seated side by side, the navigator being shifted back about thirty centimeters for shoulder width.

Discussion:

The "Friesen Islands" (Frisian Islands), also known as the Wadden Islands or the Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the northwest of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denmark.

The 25th Bomb Group (Reconnaissance, Special) was one of the US Army Eighth Air Force most important and most unique units. Operating a variety of aircraft, the unit provided weather data vital to 8th AF strikes, scouted targets for strikes, dropped OSS agents into occupied Europe, flew photo reconnaissance missions and other duties as required.

The 25th Bomb Group was made up of the 652nd Bomb Squadron (Heavy, Recon.), the 653rd Bomb Squadron (Light, Recon.) and the 654th Bomb Squadron (Heavy, Special). The 652nd flew B-17Gs and B-24D/Hs on meteorological flights over the Atlantic to provide 8th AF planners with developing weather info. The 654th and 653rd also used Mosquitos for weather observation and forecasting flights, chaff dropping, target scouting, etc.

During World War II, flights over the European continent to obtain information for use in operational planning and weather reconnaissance missions over targets to provide weather information to pass on to bombers en route to attack were entrusted to the De Havilland Mosquitos Mk. XVI of the 653rd Squadron of the 25th Bombardment Group of the US Army Air Forces.

At the time of this sighting, they were based at RAF Watton.

At first glance, this case is clear: the "UFOs" are described as being similar to flares. There is no pursuit maneuver on their part; they light up, then go out. So these would be flares.

A small "grain of sand" appears in the report: the intelligence officer, instead of talking of flares, called them "Foo-Fighters". One might wonder why.

Next we have two of these "flares" appearing above the overcast sky. Therefore there is no sense that they were fired from the ground. This is probably why the airmen talked about parachutes, thinking of flares dropped from enemy planes. If they had actually seen these parachutes, it would have made no sense for the intelligence officer to refer to them as "Foo-Fighters." There is also the fact that the aviators do not say they actually saw these parachutes. And moreover, there is little point in parachuting flares above a solitary plane flying above the cloud layer, all of which is not visible or at least barely visible by any Anti-Aircraft guns on the ground - which potential AA did not fire.

With this report, as with some of the other reports, I still find myself faced with a real "puzzle" in which it is almost impossible to decide between the ordinary and the non-ordinary.

Evaluation:

Unidentified, possible flares.

Sources references:

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

• [aaf1] ? Headquarters, 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance), Subject S-2 Mission report, Bluestocking 2/43, 653rd Squadron, to Commanding officer, 25th Bomb Group, US Army Air Forces.
• [kcr1] ? "Strange Company - Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II", book by Keith Chester, Anomalist Book publishers, USA, pp 145-146, 2007.
• [dwn2] * "The Foofighters Files (1) - Catalogue of Unconventional Aerial Phenomena Reported by Allied pilots during WW II (1943-1945)", catalogue by Dominique F. Weinstein, France, October 2009.
• [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: March UFO & Alien Sightings", web page on the Think About It Website, USA, June 22, 2016, at https://www.thinkaboutitdocs.com/1945-march-ufo-alien-sightings

File history:

Authoring:

Changes history:

Feedback  |  Top  |  Back  |  Forward  |  Map  |  List |  Home

This page was last updated on December 31, 2023.