ACUFO-1945-03-27-IWOJIMA-1
Around 1999, the American ufologist Jan Aldrich indicated that he found in the Intelligence and Operations section of the History of the 549th Night Fighter Squadron of the US Army Air Force of March 1945, two UFO cases. The first was dated March 26, 1945, and concerned a crew of 3 aviators of a P-61 of this unit flying north of Iwo Jima, who described like lights on an object in flight, these lights followed them during a few turns and were gone. There was a chase, and a slight contact was obtained on the P-61's radar.
Then on March 27, 1945, another crew of 3 aviators from the same 549th Night Fighter Squadron, on night patrol aboard a P-61B, also on Iwo Jima, saw a luminous object similar to that of the day before.
Aldrich indicates that the crew for this second sighting consisted of Lieutenant William F. Still, pilot; Flight Officer George W. Hayden, radar observer; and William Braswell, gunner.
| Date: | March 27, 1945 |
|---|---|
| Time: | Probable night. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | March 1945 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours, 4 days. |
| Country: | Japan |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | Ogasawara |
| City: | Iwo Jima |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 3 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 3 |
| Reporting channel: | Military operations report. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | Probable night. |
| 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: | Puzzled. |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Sensors: |
[X] Visual: 3
[ ] Airborne radar: Not reported. [ ] Directional ground radar: Not reported. [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | NL |
| Armed / unarmed: | Armed, 4 Hispano 20 mm cannons, 4 Browning M2 12.7 mm machine guns. |
| Reliability 1-3: | 2 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 2 |
| ACUFO: | Insufficient information. |
[Ref. prt4:] JAN ALDRICH - "PROJECT 1947":
N - 1945.03.27 - Night, Near Iwo Jima.
P-61-B, 549th NFS, night patrol saw lighted object similar to the one encountered on the previous night. (549th NFS Unit History for March 1945)
[Ref. gvo1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
1945, March 27
JAPAN, Iwo Jima
During the night, the 3 members of the crew of a combat plane (549th NFS) observed several lights following the aircraft: the pilot then began to pursue them. (PROJECT ACUFOE, Catalog 1999, Dominique Weinstein)
[Ref. dwn1:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
At night, another crew of a P-61B from the 549th Night Fighter Squadron, including Lt. William F. Still (pilot), Flight officer George W. Hayden (radar observer) and William Braswell (gunner) observed the same phenomenon that the previous night. Several lights followed the plane and then were chased by the pilot.
Sources: 549th NFS Unit history, Intelligence and Operations section, March 1945 / Project 1947, Jan Aldrich.
[Ref. dwn2:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
At night, another P-61B crew with the 549th Night Fighter Squadron, including Lt. William F. Still (pilot), Flight officer George W. Hayden (radar observer) and William Braswell (gunner) observed the same phenomenon than the previous night. Several lights followed the plane and then were chased by the pilot.
Sources: 549th NFS Unit history, Intelligence and Operations section, March 1945 / Project 194 7, Jan Aldrich.
[Ref. get1:] GEORGE M. EBERHART:
March 26 - During an air operation, Lieut. Calvin P. Lamb (pilot), Lieut. James G. Holmes (radar observer), and Sgt. John W. McIsaac (gunner) notice lights on an airborne object. The lights follow them through a few turns but move away as the crew orbits north of Iwo Jima, Japan. They give chase, obtaining a slight target on the aircraft radar, then the object pulls out of sight. A similar lighted object is again seen March 28 by Lieut. William F. Sill (pilot), Flight Officer George W. Hayden (radar observer), and PFC William Brasvell (gunner). (Project 1947, “UFO Reports, 1945”)
The Northrop P-61 "Black Widow" was a high performance american night fighter plane used in WWII.
It was twin-engined, with a maximum speed of 589 km/h, 3,060 km range. The crew was of three men.
It was equipped with a radar and armed with 4 Hispano 20 mm cannons in the fuselage and 4 Browning M2 12.7 mm machine guns in the remotely controlled upper turret.
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Historical documennts indicate that the 549th NFS was operating P-61's from Iwo Jima at the date of this sighting; I did not find information about Lieutenant. William F. Still, the pilot, nothing about Flight officer George W. Hayden the radar observer and gunner William Braswell.
Unfortunately in the second case in March 1945 over Iwo Jima reports by the 549th NFS, no details are given. We do not know what the UFO did, whether it was tracked on radar, etc.
Insufficient information.
* = 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 | December 15, 2023 | Creation, [prt4], [gvo1], [dwn1], [dwn2], [get1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 15, 2023 | First published. |
