 presents The 1952 Sighting Wave Radar-Visual Sightings Establish UFOs As A Serious Mystery  By Richard Hall (Revised version adapted from the Journal of UFO History for the NICAP web site.) Map of sightings, courtesy of Larry Hatch's *U* Database at http://www.larryhatch.net/YDAY52.html Created Dec 15,
2005, updated: 1 Feb. 2012 Fran Ridge: This is a 54-page comprehensive and qualitative effort and it will take many months, if not years, to get active links to cases all in place. Sixty additional case links were added on July 7. With the help of William Wise (Project Blue Book Archive), and Dan Wilson (digging out the cases from my checklist), the task was much easier. But without Brad Sparks' Comprehensive Catalog of Project Blue Book Unknowns, the entire project would have been impossible. Sparks also provided several historic entries. And our thanks go to Jean Waskiewicz who created the online NICAP DBase (NSID) that helped make it possible to link from the cases to the reports themselves. Others who provided information are also noted with their contributions. (Items on the Chop clearance list are coded "CCL"). But none of this would be complete without the story behind the wave of 1952, as told by none other than Richard Hall. On March 2, 1950, a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)
meeting focused on establishing goals for a minimum
air defense by 1952. The followoing month at a USAF
Commanders Conference at Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico,
planners familiarized commanders with the thinking
behind the plan of minimum defense as welll as with
its contents. Referred to as the Blue Book Plan, it
stipulated that a minimum air defense could be in
place by mid-1952. It was estimated that July 1, 1952,
as the critical date when the Soviets would pose a
dangerous threat. General Charles Cabell expected the
Soviets to have between 45 and 90 atom bombs and 70 to
135 Tu-4 bombers (copied B-29s) by that time. Was
there a nuclear connection between this threat and the
massive UFO sighting wave of 1952 and the events over
Washington in July?
Richard Hall: The summer 1952 UFO sighting wave was one of the largest of all time, and arguably the most significant of all time in terms of the credible reports and hardcore scientific data obtained. Electromagnetic (EM) effects and physical trace evidence were more prominent in other waves, but 1952 (and 1953) featured recurring radar detection of UFOs, often from both ground and airborne radar, visual sightings by jet interceptor pilots sent up to pursue the mysterious objects, and cat-and-mouse chases in which the UFOs seemed to toy with the interceptors. Further, Air Force investigators who plotted the sightings noticed that they were concentrated around strategic military bases, and this clearly posed a threat to national security since their origin was unknown. Senior generals in the Air Force concluded that UFOs were interplanetary in origin, and broadly hinted this belief in LIFE magazine for April 1952. The 1952 UFO Sighting Chronology 1952; London, Ont., Canada
Astronomer observed elliptical UFO with 2 bright body lights. [UFOE, VI] Jan. 1952; Weston, Wyoming (BBU)
10:30 p.m. 38-yearold rancher saw a "shooting
star" suddenly stop in mid-air between him and a
mountain, spinning clockwise, with one red window
periodically facing the observer, went down toward the
Little Powder River, come up again. He turned his car
to send light signals, object seemed to respond by
stopping its red window to face witness. Spinning
resumed, object rose and came down. Similar object
arrived, then both went into the deep valley out of
sight. (Vallée Magonia 88)
Brig. Gen. William M. Garland, Assistant for the
Production of Intelligence, wrote a memorandum for
General Samford with the title (SECRET)
"Contemplated Action to Determine the Nature and
Origin of the Phenomena Connected with the Reports
of Unusual Flying Objects." (Courtesy, Joel
Carpenter)
Jan. 9, 1952; Kerrville, Texas
Cat 3. Odd "roaring" interference on radio as UFO
circled town.
Jan. 16, 1952; Artesia, New Mexico (BBU 1037)
A motionless dull-white, round object 5/3 larger
than balloon.
Jan. 20, 1952;
Fairchild AFB, Wash. (BBU) Two Air Force master sergeants, intelligence
specialists, reported a bluish-white spherical
object with a long blue tail that flew beneath a
solid overcast.
Jan.
21,
1952; Mitchel AFB, N.Y.
A Navy TBM torpedo bomber pilot chased a dome-shaped circular white object that accelerated and pulled away from him. Jan.
22, 1952; Nenana, Alaska (BBU)
12:20 am.(AHST) Ground radar outpost and three airborne radar sets on F-94 interceptors tracked a distinct unexplainable target. USAF Lt. A. L. B. a CPS-6B radar operator at ADC radar site F-2, Murphy Dome AFS (about 19 miles WNW of Fairbanks), Alaska, tracked an inbound or outbound target at 210° azimuth at about 1,500 to 2,400 mph, and after 10-12 radar sweeps 12 secs each, urgently called twice (at 12:25 and 12:26 a.m.) for interception, and 2 USAF F-94 jets were scrambled [possibly multiple reversals of UFO direction in this time interval]. At 12:52-53 a.m., unidentified target was tracked inbound at 210° azimuth heading N at 45 miles range for about 1 min, first F-94 at 30,000 ft was vectored on 180° heading to attempt intercept at 20 miles projected range of target to radar site, but target reversed course over an 8-mile radius of turn (roughly 5 gs) and headed outbound at 1,500+ mph heading S and away from radar site and F-94. Pilot Lt. C. E. G. and radar observer Capt. V. D. R. on first F-94 tracked two targets, one strong one faint on. F-94 circled for an hour before getting another target at 12 o'clock low, dropped to 25,000 ft with 100-knot closure rate, no visual contact, had to pull up at 200 yards distance to avoid collision, F-94 released to return to base at 2:13 a.m. Pilot Capt. R. time also obtained radar lock on to a target at 12 o'clock high at 17,000 yards range for 2-3 mins. (BB Status Rpt 7; McDonald files; Jan Aldrich; FUFOR Index; cf. Ruppelt) Jan. 22 [21?], 1952; SE of Mitchell AFB, New York
(BBU)
9:50 am. (EST). USN TBM3W bomber chased a a
white circular domed-disc which shot away and
climbed out of sight. (GRUDGE Rpt; Project 1947)
Brig.
Gen. William M. Garland, Assistant for
(Intelligence) Production, and his staff at
the Directorate of Intelligence, HQ USAF, were
briefed on the status of the Project Grudge
UFO Study. At this meeting Gen. Garland
introduced a revolutionary new intelligence
policy and methodology which emphasized
the
use of instrumentation for intelligence
collection, including to detect and track
UFO's (which would eventually be the basis for
terminating Project BLUE BOOK as an
intelligence function, converting it to a PR
psych war propaganda function beginning in
July 1952 over a 6-month transition
period). As an interim last-chance
measure to prove whether anecdotal sightings
had any value, Gen. Garland approves of
Ruppelt's publicity plan to draw in UFO
reports from the public so that triangulations
might be obtained, and this leads to Garland
secretly backing the LIFE magazine article
(plan backfires and is blamed for July 1952
flap).
On the same date,
Jan. 29, Gen. Garland gave the welcoming address
to the SECRET compartmented MIT Project BEACON
HILL in Cambridge, Mass., where he gave the
marching orders to the assembled scientists to
study ways AF intelligence methodology can be
revolutionized through use of technology. (Later
Gen. Garland sent Ruppelt and Col. Sanford H.
Kirkland of ATIC, and Lt. Col. William A. Adams of
AFOIN, to brief BEACON HILL on UFO's on March 26
and in April 1952, respectively). (Credit
Joel Carpenter for BEACON HILL.) (Brad Sparks)
Ruppelt
Discovers
AF Intelligence Has More UFO files
On this trip to the
Pentagon to brief Gen. Garland, Ruppelt visits the
offices of AF Intelligence (AFOIN) having
collections of UFO files and discovers they have
more complete files than does ATIC in Dayton, and
he arranges to have copies made of the various
missing files made for him at Project Grudge at
ATIC (though multiple visits were required to
obtain the copies and Ruppelt probably did not
succeed in getting everything). These AFOIN
offices with UFO files include the Technical
Capabilities Branch (TCB) of the Evaluation
Division (AFOIN-TCB or AFOIV-TC) and the
Collection Control Branch of the Collection
Division (AFOIN-CC or AFOIC-CC). (Brad
Sparks)
Jan.
29, 1952; Wonsan, Korea (BBU) 11:00 pm. 30 miles SW of Wonsan, USAF crew of B-29 flying at above 20,000 ft and 148 knots (170 mph) ground speed saw an orange luminous rotating and pulsating 3 ft sphere [or disc?], with blue flame halo, follow the B29 at a distance of about 600 ft at the 8 o'clock position advancing forward to 9 o'clock then falling back to 8 o'clock [at one point almost withdrawing from view then returning?]. (LIFE Incident 9; Project 1947; Loren Gross) Jan.
29-30,
1952; Sunchon, South Korea (BBU) 11:24 p.m. USAF crew of B-29 at 20,000 ft and
125 knots (144 mph) ground speed saw an orange
sphere follow the B-29 at their level or
slightly below [sunlike in brightness and
600 ft away?]. (LIFE Incident 9; Project 1947;
Loren Gross)
The 1951
directive, "Reporting Information on
Unidentified Flying Objects", which outlined
reporting procedures for Project Grudge, was
inadequate and was to be revised for Project
Blue Book (Pg. 59 of Project Grudge
Report No. 3, 31 Jan 1952). The new one requested
that all reports be made by wire to ATIC,
ADC, and V/TC, and that this wire report be
followed up by an AF Form 112 direct to ATIC
and V/TC. (V/TC = AFOIN or AF
Intelligence, Evaluation Division, Technical
Capabilities Branch, which had been tasked by
Gen. Cabell in 1950 to conduct field
investigations of UFO cases independent of
AMC/ATIC Project GRUDGE, and which TC Branch
now had Capt. Dewey Fournet assigned) (Francis
Ridge)
Feb. 1, 1952; 10 miles W of Terre Haute, Indiana (BBU) 9:30 p.m. Military aircraft pilot saw a close
group of moving lights changing color from blue
to green to yellow. (Project 1947; BB files??)
Feb. 2, 1952; E. of Pusan, South Korea (BBU)
10:30 am. Radar track of 767 mph
unidentified target. 2nd track from position
35°30' N, 129°40' E, at 10:40 of 1,257
mph unidentified target. (Jan Aldrich)
Feb.
2, 1952; E of South Korea (BBU) 7:35 p.m. USS Philippine Sea heading S
180° at 13 knots (15 mph) tracked
approaching radar target from the N 0°
azimuth at 25 miles, veered off in a wide left
turn to the E radius about 12 miles (when
visual observers spotted exhaust trails),
reversing course on radar away from the
aircraft carrier accelerating from 600 mph to
1800 mph at 52,000 ft altitude, split into 2
targets 5-12 miles apart on a slightly zigzag
wavy course headed due N 0° to
disappearance at about 110 miles. Visual
observers sighted 3 exhaust flames at 30°
azimuth [?]. (Hynek UFO Rpt pp. 126-8)
Feb.
11,
1952; Pittsburgh, Penna. (BBU 1052) 3 a.m. USAF Capt. G. P. Arns and Maj. R.
J. Gedson flying a Beech AT-11 trainer saw a
yelloworange comet-shaped object
pulsing flame for 1-2 secs in straight and
level flight. (Berliner)
Feb.
12, 1952; Bet. Friendship Airfield and
Baltimore, Maryland (BBU) 9:30 p.m. USAF MATS C-47 pilot and
copilot saw a bright white object move
slowly then speed away. Then at 10 p.m.
they saw 10 miles S of Baltimore a similar
object. (GRUDGE/BB Rpt; FUFOR Index)
Feb.
13,
1952; Granite City, Illinois (BBU) 10:30 p.m. The 3903rd Radar Bomb
Scoring Group observed an unusual radar
return while attempting to score a bomb
run. It was assumed at the time that the
"target" was an aircraft pacing the
bomber on its attack run, but the
unusual target reached a speed of 1090
MPH. (McDonald list; BB Rpt 6) adar.
(McDonald list; BB Rpt 6)
February
1952, Fournet Becomes AF
Intelligence "Project Monitor"
Maj. Dewey J. J. Fournet in the AF
Intelligence (AFOIN) Evaluation
Division's Technical Capabilities
Branch (TCB) replaces Lt Col Milton D.
Willis as UFO investigation officer
for AFOIN (in the June 1952
reorganization many assets in the
Evaluation Division are transferred to
the new Topical Intelligence Division,
headed by Col. William A. Adams,
including Fournet who is assigned to
the Division's Current Intelligence
Branch, headed by Col. Weldon H.
Smith). Fournet also assigned as
"Project Monitor" for ATIC Project
Grudge in the wake of widespread
publicity on the Korean UFO sightings.
(Brad Sparks)Feb. 16, 1952; About 60 miles E. of Pusan, Korea (BBU) 2:40 and 3:50 p.m. USMC GCI Sq 3 at
Yongil (36° N, 129° E) CPS-5
radar tracking of unidentified target
traveling at 4,320 knots (5,000 mph).
2nd track at 3:50 at position 36°30'
N, 129°30' E (a few miles off the
coast of South Korea) of large target
equivalent of 6-8 jet aircraft,
traveling 1,380 knots (1,600 mph) target
heading 170°, faded momentarily,
then continued on 120° heading until
lost. Visual sighting of contrail in
direction of radar track. (Jan Aldrich;
McDonald files; FUFOR Index, Dan Wilson)
Feb.
17,
1952; 25 miles SE of Roswell, New
Mexico (BBU) 1:45 a.m. (MST). USAF crew of B-29
bomber saw 3 ft [?] greenish-blue ball
of fire flying straight at 15,000 ft.
(Project 1947)
Col. Ericksen, , Chief of the
Technical Capabilities Branch,
received this letter from: Albert E.
Lombard, Jr. Chief, Research Division,
Directorate of Research and
Development. Re: Declassification of
Project TWINKLE denied because
Green Fireballs considered man-made.
.
Feb. 20, 1952; Greenfield, Mass.
Congregational Minister saw three very bright silver objects, apparently spherical, traveling in a perfect V. [VII) Feb.
20,
1952; Mt. Diablo, Calif. (BBU) 11:30 p.m. USAF pilot Montgomery
and copilot of B-25 bomber saw
bright yellow light on collision
course climb and accelerate.
(Project 1947; FUFOR Index)
Feb.
21, 1952; Sen. Russell letter to
SAF
Washington, D.C. Sen. Richard B.
Russell, Armed Services Committee,
letter to Secretary of Air Force
requesting an official report on
recent UFO sightings by combat
airmen in the Far East.Feb.
24, 1952; Antung, North Korea (BBU
1061) 10:15 [11:15?] p.m. USAF 345th
Bomber Sq Captain/B-29 navigator
saw a bluish cylinder, 3x long as
wide, with a tail and rapid
pulsations, come in high and fast,
make several turns and level out
under B-29 which was evading mild
antiaircraft fire. (Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
Feb.
26, 1952; New Albany, New York
(CIRVIS Report) UFO over aircraft near New
Albany probably a meteor.
Feb. 27, 1952; Ft. Stockton,
Texas (BBU)
B-29 and radar. (McDonald
list; BB Rpt 5) [See March 26.
BB records show a date change on
MAXW-PBB9-1126]
March
3, 1952- Dr. Walther Riedel
Convinced
Formerly a German rocket
scientist at Peenemunde, said:
"I'm convinced saucers have an
out-of-world basis." (Life
Magazine, Apr. 7, 1952 issue)March
4,
1952; 15 miles W of Ashiya
AFB, Japan (BBU) 10:35 a.m. The pilot, 1st
Lt. E.J. Weed, and crew,
co-pilot 2nd Lt. T.G. Camidge
and engineer S/Sgt. T. Dendy,
of a USAF C-54 aircraft, 53rd
Troop Carrier Squadron,
observed a bright orange
oval-shaped object. The
object, approximately 50 to
100 feet in length and 50 foot
thick, was flying at a
terrific speed at an estimated
altitude of 10,000 feet and
was observed for 1 1/2 to 2
minutes. Lt. Weed further
stated that the object was
definitely not a jet aircraft.
(Project 1947; FUFOR Index)
1 a.m. USAF copilot of C-54
transport saw a bright light
pass from right to left, lose
altitude and blink out 3
times. (Project 1947; FUFOR
Index)
March 10, 1952; Oakland,
Calif.
An engineering metals
inspector watched two dark
wing (or hemisphere) shaped
objects pass overhead, swaying
back and forth like a
pendulum. (NICAP report.)
March 13, 1952; Keflavik, Iceland 7:12 a.m. Eight separate unidentified radar sightings were made by a GCA team while working a C-47 aircraft on practice runs at Keflavik, Iceland. The first of the eight objects appeared at 0712Z (7:12 a.m. local time). The last object was observed at 8:09 a.m. The estimated airspeed of the objects was 250 knots and at estimated altitude of above 8000 feet. One report stated that one object crossed the scope at a speed much faster than an F-86. (Dan Wilson) March 14, 1952; near Hawaii Evening. Navy Secretary Dan Kimball was flying to Hawaii when two disc-shaped craft streaked in toward his Navy executive plane. "Their speed was amazing," he told Keyhoe later, in Washington. "My pilots estimated it between fifteen hundred and two thousand miles an hour. The objects circled us twice and then took off, heading east." Note that Adm Arthur Radford was a witness in a second plane. March
15, 1952; Sandia Mtns.
[Kirtland AFB?], New Mexico
(BBU) 4:30 p.m. (MST).
(McDonald list; BB Rpt 7)
Mid-March 1952, AF
Initiates TOP SECRET UFO
Project
AF Intelligence
(AFOIN) Assistant for
(Intelligence) Production
Brig. Gen. William M.
Garland initiates a TOP
SECRET compartmented
project (to be designed
and built by AF R&D)
to establish a global
instrumented UFO detection
and tracking system that
would obviate the need for
non-technical anecdotal
UFO sighting reports,
eventually resulting in
approval of an official AF
policy to deemphasize or
reject anecdotal UFO
reports (July 28,
1952). (Brad Sparks)
Ruppelt: "I briefed
General Benjamin W.
Chidlaw, then the
Commanding General of the
Air Defense Command, and
his staff, telling them
about our plan. They
agreed with it in
principle and suggested
that I work out the
details with the Director
of Intelligence for the
ADC, Brigadier W. M.
Burgess. General Burgess
designated Major Verne
Sadowski of his staff to
be the ADC liaison officer
with New Grudge."
March 20, 1952; Centreville, Maryland. (BBU 1074) 10:42 p.m. WW1/WW2
veteran A. D. Hutchinson
and son saw a dull
orange-yellow
saucer-shaped light fly
straight and level very
fast. (Berliner) (This
link/version may or may
not be the right case, but
appears to be).
March
22,
1952; 20 miles S of
Yakima, Wash. (BBU 1076) 6:05 p.m. USAF pilot
and radar operator of
F-94 jet interceptor
made 2 sightings of a
stationary red fireball
that increased in
brightness then faded
over 45 secs. Note:
Project Blue Book Status
Report #7 (May 31, 1952)
says target was also
tracked by ground radar
at 78 knots (90 mph) at
22,500 ft and 25,000 ft
altitude. (Berliner)
March
24,
1952; 60 miles W of
Pt. Conception, Calif.
(BBU 1077) 8:45 a.m. [p.m.?]
B-29 navigator and
radar operator tracked
unidentified target on
airborne radar at
about 3,000 mph.
(Berliner; Shough)
March 25,
1952. Project BLUE
BOOK Named
Grudge was upgraded
to a separate
organization, the
Aerial Phenomena
Group, and the name
was changed to
Project Blue Book.
According to Ruppelt
this change was made
because of the
steadily increasing
number of reports we
[the Air Force] were
receiving. (Ruppelt,
p. 131.)March
26
[?], 1952; Ft.
Stockton, Texas (BBU
1079) 2:10 am. SW of
Pecos, NW of
Stockton, Texas and
Arizona [8:30
and 10:13 p.m. ?]
USAF pilots of 4
B-50D's [McClelland
and 3 others] saw
red and green
running lights
moving at high
speed. 2nd sighting
over Arizona at
10:13? Airborne
radar scope photo.
(Berliner; cf.
Weinstein; FUFOR
Index) (Fran Ridge:
No longer an
unknown)
March 26, 1952;
Long Beach,
California
Cat 3. Two
yellowish discs
passed by slowly,
"as they passed the
radio was agitated
twice".
March
26, 1952,
Ruppelt and Col.
Kirkland
Brief
BEACON HILL
Gen. Garland sends
ATIC Technical
Anaysis Division
Chief, Col.
Sanford H.
Kirkland, and
Project Blue Book
Chief, Lt. Edward
J. Ruppelt, to
brief MIT's
Project BEACON
HILL on UFO's.
(Brad Sparks)March
29,
1952; 20 miles N
of Misawa AFB,
Japan (BBU 1082) 11:20 a.m. Lt.
David C. Brigham,
pilot of AT-6
trainer, saw a
small, very thin,
shiny metallic
disc fly alongside
the AT-6, then
make a pass at an
F-84 jet fighter,
flip on edge,
flutter 20 ft from
the F-84's
fuselage and flip
in the slipstream.
(Berliner; FUFOR
Index)
March 29,
1952; Butler,
Missouri
Chairman of Industrial Commission of Missouri saw cylinder-shaped, silver UFO, [UFOE, VII] March 29, 1952;
Elizabethville,
Belgian Congo.
(BBU)
Two fiery discs
were seen over
uranium mines
gliding in curves,
changing
orientation many
times thus
appearing as
plates, ovals and
lines. Discs
suddenly hovered
then took off in a
zigzag to the NE.
Commander Pierre
of Elizabethville
airfield took off
in a fighter
aircraft in
pursuit and came
within 120 meters
(400 ft) of one
disc. (McDonald
files; Jan
Aldrich)
March
29 [April 24?],
1952; Glen
Burnie,
Maryland. (BBU) 10:45 p.m.
Donald F.
Stewart
[Steward?] and
George Tyler III
saw 50 ft flat
silver disc with
cupola/dome to
one side, a
porthole and
hatch on the
dome, neon-like
lighting around
the edges
[strangely
pulsating?],
approaching car
from ahead to
the NE about
60°
elevation, then
hovered and
"wavered
slightly" for 3
[2?] mins
several hundred
feet off the
ground, whirring
sound like a
vacuum cleaner,
car engine died
while object
hovered. Witness
got out of car
with Thompson
submachine gun
considering
whether to shoot
the disc,
companion urged
him not to.
Object suddenly
turned up on
edge seeming to
"roll across the
sky" faster than
a jet to the SW
disappearing
about 3-1/2
miles away.
Witness claimed
car wires
"magnetized" and
paint cracked.
Secy. AF
Finletter
interest, AFOSI
investigation.
Hoax? (Hynek UFO
Rpt pp. 196-8;
Jan Aldrich;
FUFOR Index;
Loren Gross
Jan-May 52 pg.
25)
"Have You
Heard", by
Bill
Schofield. This
was a bargain
day in the
flying saucer
department,
and you get
two stories
for the price
of one -- the
first from a
resident of
western
Massachusetts
and the second
from
Navy
Sec. Dan
Kimball.
ADC in near frenzied state
By the
spring of
1952, Air
Defense
Command was in
a
near-frenzied
state over the
potential of a
Soviet sneak
attack. Its
eyes and ears,
the Lashup
radar network
and the GOC,
had proven
discouragingly
unreliable,
and, lacking
credible
intelligence
on Soviet
capabilities
and
intentions, it
had no real
basis for
assessing the
nature of the
threat. (see
report linked
above). Little
more than two
weeks later,
the worst
possibility
seemed to have
come true.
(See April 17)
April
2, 1952; Lake
Meade, Nevada 9:00 am.
While on a
fishing trip
to Lake Meade
with his wife
and a friend,
a man observed
a UFO. It was
silver in
color, very
large and at a
tremendous
altitude. It
was described
as a B-36
without wings.
Not a BB
unknown.
April
2, 1952,
Ruppelt &
Col. Kirkland
Brief CSI-Los
Angeles
On the eve of
the release of
the bombshell
LIFE magazine
article,
Ruppelt and
his boss, ATIC
Technical
Analysis
Division Chief
Col. Sanford
H. Kirkland,
give an
extraordinary
briefing,
technically
unclassified
but in fact
quasi-classified,
to a group of
aerospace
engineers
organized as
Civilian
Saucer
Investigations,
in Los
Angeles, along
with LIFE
magazine
reporters who
give them
advance copies
of the article
in
exchange. (See
extremely rare
and revealing
Transcript
obtained by
Project 1947.)
(Brad Sparks)April
3, 1952;
Marana,
Arizona. (BBU) 8:15
[8:23-9:15?
MST] a.m.
Pilot of T-6
aircraft and 6
pilots on
ground saw a
bright
aluminum shiny
oblong object
above 54,000
ft.
52-minutes.
(Project 1947;
FUFOR Index)
April
4, 1952,
Ruppelt Briefs
Rand Corp.
Satellite
Project
Gen. Garland
arranges for
the AF-Rand
Corp.
Satellite
Project to
receive a UFO
briefing from
Ruppelt on a
visit to
ATIC.
Ruppelt meets
and befriends
Rand satellite
engineer Jim
Thompson.
(Brad Sparks)April
4,
1952;
Duncanville,
Texas (BBU
1095) 8:30 p.m.
(CST)
USAF Cpl.
Billy D. Greer
and PFC John
W. Harrington
of the Radar
Maintenance
Section, 147th
AC&W
Squadron,
tracked
unidentified
target by
FPS-10 radar
first to the
NW at
310°-315°
azimuth at
about 70
nautical miles
(80 miles)
moving at high
speed of about
2,160 knots
(2,500 mph)
until it
disappeared
off the scope
at maximum
range of 260
n.mi. (300
miles).
Height-finder
reading not
taken,
estimated at
42,000+ ft due
to radar beam
coverage at
max
range.
(Jan
Aldrich;
FUFOR Index)
April
5, 1952;
Phoenix
[Glendale?],
Arizona (BBU
1096) 10:40
a.m. Mr. and
Mrs. L. G.
Ryan, R. L..
Stokes, and D.
Schook saw a
large, dull
grey circular
object,
followed by 2
more, fly
straight and
level at high
speed.
(Berliner)
April
5, 1952;
Miami, Florida
(BBU 1097) 9:15 p.m.
L. E.
VanDercar and
9 year old son
saw 4
dark circular
objects with
mostly fuzzy
edges, cross
the face of
the Moon [in
the S at
175°
azimuth
77°
elevation, 83%
illuminated or
almost full],
each 1/2 the
angular size
of Moon.
(Berliner)
April
6, 1952;
Temple, Texas
[Miller-Graughan
AFB?]. (BBU
1099) 2:59 p.m.
H. L. Russell
saw 50-75
greywhite
discs change
position
within
formation
continually,
tilting in
unison every
12-15 secs.
(Berliner)
When newsmen
began asking
him whether
the article
was Air Force
inspired,
Ruppelt
replied that
they had
furnished Life
with some raw
data. My
answer was
purposely
weasel worded,
he said,
because I knew
that the Air
Force had
unofficially
inspired the
Life
article...
[and also knew
that the
strongly
implied answer
that UFOs were
interplanetary]
was the
personal
opinion of
several very
high-ranking
officers in
the Pentagon -
so high that
their personal
opinion was
almost policy.
(Ruppelt, p.
132.)
April 8,
1952; Nr. Big
Pines, Calif.
Disc-like UFO observed by TV network engineer. [UFOE, VI] April 9, 1952; Bet. Shreveport and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana (BBU) 2:30 p.m.
(CST). USAF
C-46 crew
[pilot and
copilot]
flying E at
90°
heading at
9,000 ft saw a
30-40 ft cream
color
disc-shaped
object ahead
of the plane
at about 4,000
ft, object
reversed
course heading
E [but was
overtaken by
C-46 and
passed under
it ??], C-46
and object
both [?] made
360°
turns, object
climbing into
clouds at
12,000 ft at
200400
mph. Similar
sighting at
2:45 p.m. by
another C-46
5-6 miles N of
Barksdale AFB
of an object
disappearing
on a N heading
at 11,000 ft.
(BB Status Rpt
6; cf. NARCAP)
April 9-10, 1952; 6 miles W of Pecos [near Lackland AFB?],Texas(BBU) 10:40
p.m. (CST).
Bethune.
(Hynek UFO Rpt
p. 43; FUFOR
Index)
April
12, 1952;
North Bay CFS,
Ontario,
Canada (BBU
1108) 9:30 p.m.
RCAF Warrant
Officer E. H.
Rossell,
Flight Sgt. R.
McRae saw a
round amber
object fly
fast, stop,
reverse
direction,
climb away at
30° angle.
(Berliner)
April
13
[12?], 1952;
Moriarty AFS,
New Mexico
(BBU) 4:45 p.m.
(MST). 4 USAF
airmen saw
silver
disc-shaped
object to the
E traveling
very
erratically at
high speed,
then dove.
[CPS-5 radar
tracking?]
(McDonald
files; Jan
Aldrich; BB
Rpt 6; FUFOR
Index)
April
14,
1952;
LaCrosse,
Wisconsin
CIRVIS Report
(BBU) 12:35
p.m.
Unidentified
CAL (Central
Air Lines)
pilot saw
several light
colored
objects fly in
V-formation.
(Berliner)
Objects
sighted from
ground,
tremendous
speed.
April
14,
1952; Memphis,
Tennessee (BBU
1112) 6:34 p.m.
U.S. Navy
pilots Lt. jg.
Blacky, Lt.
jg. O'Neil
flying on
18° (about
NNE) heading
at 2,000 ft
over NAS Range
Station saw to
their left an
inverted bowl
glowing bright
red, 3 ft long
and 1 ft high,
with vertical
slots,
approaching at
high speed on
300°
heading,
straight and
level at 2,000
ft, passing
300 ft from
their aircraft
and below
overcast at
4,200 ft. [Red
glowing
trail?]
(Berliner;
McDonald
files; Jan
Aldrich; cf.
NARCAP)
April
15, 1952;
Santa Cruz,
California
(BBU 1115)
7:40 p.m.
Mr. Hayes,
brother of
Master Sgt.,
saw 2 faint
objects flying
fast along the
horizon
through 20x
spotting
telescope.
(Berliner)
April 16, 1952; Shreveport, Louisiana (BBU) 9:28 p.m.
(CST). Senior
USAF pilot
Capt. E. Maths
[Mathis?
Matthis?].
Course
reversing
light.
70-secs.
(Willy Smith
pp. 25-29;
FUFOR Index)
April 17, 1952; Nellis AFB, Nevada Large group of circular UFOs. [UFOE, III] April 17 [18?], 1952; Yuma Test Station, Arizona (BBU 1127) 3:05 p.m.
(MST). Group
of Army
weather
observation
students,
including
several
graduate
engineers saw
a flat-white,
circular
object flew
with an
irregular
trajectory and
a brief trail.
(Berliner)
On
April 17, Air
Force
Intelligence
warned Col
Burgess, at
ADC
Headquarters,
Ent AFB, that
a classified
source
(possibly an
electronic
intercept) had
provided an
"indication"
of ominous
Soviet
military
activity.
April 17, 1952; Alaska / Atlantic 7:00 PM. Nationwide Air Defense alert triggered by vapor trails and radar detections indicated a possible Soviet attack. (Jan Aldrich) April 17 [13?], 1952; Longmeadow, Mass. (BBU 1124) 8:30 p.m.
S. B. Brooks
and chemical
engineer J. A.
Eaton saw a
round, deep
orange object
fly fast and
erratic,
occasionally
emitting a
shaft of light
to the rear.
(Berliner)
April 18, 1952; Bethesda, Maryland (BBU 1128) 11:30
[1:30?] a.m.
(EST). R.
Poerstal
[Parstel?],
Mrage, Watkins
and another
man [Young?]
saw 7-9
circular,
orange-yellow
lights in a
40°
V-formation
fly overhead
silently from
S to N.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
April
18, 1952;
Corner Brook,
Newfoundland,
Canada (BBU
1129) 4 [3:30?]
a.m. Janitor
C. Hamilton
saw a
yellow-gold
object make a
sharp turn,
leaving a
short, dark
trail.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
April
18, 1952;
Corner Brook,
Newfoundland,
Canada (BBU
1131)
10:10
[9:40?] p.m.
Reporter Chic
Shave saw a
round,
yellow-gold
object fly S
then return.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
12:07
p.m. [9:07
p.m.?] A radar
operator
tracked
unidentified
target at
2,700 [2,100?]
mph.
(Berliner;
UFOR Index)
(Chop
clearance list
shows this as
April 19. A
T-6 pilot, Lt.
D.C. Brigham,
reported to
ATIC the
sighting of a
small disc
shaped object
closing in on
a fighter,
maneuvering
around it.)
April 20, 1952; Toronto, CanadaApril 20,
1952; [Flint,
Mich.? ] (BBU) At around 11:00 p.m. local time, the Air Traffic Control at Cleveland Hopkins Airport received calls that objects were sighted west of Toronto heading west and leaving vapor trails. Toronto ATC requested Cleveland to call Niagara AC&W for indentification. At 11:18 p.m., calls came in from 3 RCAF aircrew members who saw four objects traveling east to west. At 11:21 p.m., Buffalo Tower saw vapor trails NW of tower headed SE. At 11:28 p.m., London, Ontario, Tower saw trails north of London and Centralia Tower operator estimated they crossed from horizon to horizon in 3 seconds at between 30,000 and 35,000 feet. At this same time there were approximately 15 RCAF F-51 and T-3 aircraft airborne and most pilots reported seeing these objects. Trans-Canada Airlines pilots also saw these objects. One pilot reported he was able to track 11 objects on his radar equipment. He said they flew from horizon to horizon in 3 seconds. (Canadian Dept. of National Defence documents; Dan Wilson) April 22, 1952; Naha AFB, Okinawa. (BBU 1144)
9
p.m. Crew of
B-29 bomber,
on ground saw
an elliptical
object,
followed by 2
then another
2, each with a
white light
that blinked
every 1-2 secs
as they
performed
erratic
maneuvers.
(Berliner)
April
24,
1952; Bellevue
Hill, Vermont
(BBU 1147) 2:30 p.m.
(EST) AF
Cambridge
Research
Center, Radar
Systems Lsb,
Electronics
Research Div,
electronics
engineers,
Alfred P.
Furnish and
Herbert J.
Brun, and MIT
electrical
engineering
senior Joseph
Page, were in
an observation
tower on top
of Great Blue
Hill saw to
the NW 2 very
thin flat,
dull reddish
orange
squarish
objects with
no corners or
ovals pulled
in at the
waist about
10-15 ft wide,
with a lip
around outer
edges, fly
wobbly in
consistently
undulating
"swooping"
motion in
horizontal
flight at
about 2,000 ft
altitude.
Objects then
climbed about
15°
elevation at
an estimated
240 mph, then
flew away and
disappeared
due to
distance. No
trail or
exhaust, no
sound,
visibility 70+
miles.
[Unclear
whether
observers used
6x aircraft
tracking
telescope.]
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index;
Loren Gross
Jan-May 1952
April 24,
1952; Clovis,
New Mexico
(BBU 1151)
8:10 p.m.
USAF Flight
Surgeon Maj.
E. L. Ellis
saw many
orange-amber
lights,
sometimes
separate,
sometimes
fused, behave
erratically,
varying speed
from
motionless to
very fast.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
April
24, 1952;
Colorado
Springs,
Colorado 10:15 pm.
MST. Civilian
report in BB
files but not
a BBU. Project
10073 Record
Card: "Dark
(object) with
luminous glow,
swept wing, no
fuselage.
Straight and
level
maneuvers.
Possibly
conventional
a/c except for
the absence of
sound. If
object was
large and
report
indicates it
was, an a/c
could be
heard...Disappeared
behind roof
line. Viewed
through bare
tree branches
- no sound. 10
times larger
than jet a/c."
April
25,
1952;
Darmstadt,
West Germany
(BBU) 9:15 pm.
(2115 MT) Air
Force
instructor
pilot and his
co-pilot in a
C-47 observed
a brilliant
white circular
object at a
point 2,000
over
Darmstadt,
West Germany.
The pilot,
Capt.
Wienieski,
took evasive
action when
the light
appeared to be
on a collision
course with
their
aircraft. He
contacted the
main Rhein
Tower and they
in turn
contacted
Frankfort
Airways and
they reported
that no other
aircraft were
in the area.
The object was
last seen
climbing at a
high rate of
speed.in a
northwest
direction.
(Weinstein;
Jan Aldrich;
FUFOR Index).
April
25, 1952; San
Jose,
California Cat 2.
Scientists
close
encounter with
small daylight
disc.
April
27, 1952.
1952;
Roseville,
Mich. (BBU
1160) April
27, 1952,
Pontiac,
Michigan 8:30 p.m.
Off-duty
control tower
operator
M/Sgt. G. S.
Porter and
wife saw a
bright red or
flame-colored
discs,
appearing as
large as
fighter
planes; 7
sightings of
one disc, one
of 2 in
formation. All
seen below
11,000 ft
overcast.
(Berliner)
April 27,
1952;
Birmingham (NW
of Detroit),
Mich.
10:45-11:15
[10:06?] p.m.
Family of 4 of
Mr. [John ?]
Hoffman in a
car saw a
brilliant
white
round-flat
object with 2
tiers of
windows
descend from
the NE, hover
with rocking
motion at
about 15°
elevation,
stop and start
at 100 mph
drifting to
NW. Witnesses
pursued in
car, lights
went off and
on 4 times
changed color
to
whiteorange,
got 4 other
witnesses,
called police,
Detroit Times
newspaper and
Selfridge AFB.
Object
disappeared
over treetops
to NW. [Same
witness(es) as
in May 25,
June 18, 1952,
cases??]
(Hynek UFO Rpt
pp. 70-73;
FUFOR Index)
April
28, 1952;
Homewood,
Illinois 5:00 pm.
Two civilian
witnesses
reported to
the Air Force
that an object
in the SE that
resembled a
white
parachute was
apparently
circling a
large airplane
for about
three minutes.
Not listed in
BB unknowns or
Sparks CCPBBU.
Ruppelt:
The
number
of reports did
take a sharp
rise a few
days later,
however. The
cause was the
distribution
of an order
that completed
the
transformation
of the UFO
from a bastard
son to the
family heir.
The piece of
paper that
made Project
Blue Book
legitimate was
Air Force
Letter 200-5,
Subject:
Unidentified
Flying
Objects. The
letter, which
was duly
signed and
sealed by the
Secretary of
the Air Force,
in essence
stated that
UFO's were not
a joke, that
the Air Force
was making a
serious study
of the
problem, and
that Project
Blue Book was
responsible
for the study.
The letter
stated that
the commander
of every Air
Force
installation
was
responsible
for forwarding
all UFO
reports to
ATIC by wire,
with a copy to
the Pentagon.
Then a more
detailed
report would
be sent by
airmail. Most
important of
all, it gave
Project Blue
Book the
authority to
directly
contact any
Air Force unit
in the United
States without
going through
any chain of
command. This
was almost
unheard of in
the Air Force
and gave our
project a lot
of prestige.
April
29, 1952;
Marshall,
Texas (BBU
1167)
3:30
p.m. (CST).
Private pilot
R. R. Weidman
[Weedsman?]
saw a round,
white object
fly straight,
with a
side-to-side
oscillation.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
April 29 [28?], 1952; N of Goodland, Kansas (BBU 1168)
10 p.m.
(CST). B-29
bombardier Lt.
R. H. Bauer
saw a white
fan-shaped
light pulsing
3-4 times per
second.
(Berliner;
Project 1947)
Bruce
Maccabee:
Ruppelt's claim that at least some high level officers actually believed saucers were interplanetary is confirmed in an indirect way in a memorandum written on April 29, 1952. This document was written to justify a trip to Europe by Dr. Stephen Possony and Lt. Col. Sterling, both members of a special study group that had been organized to study "advanced delivery systems," April 30, 1952; Moriarty AFS, New Mexico (BBU)
7:40
and 7:46 a.m.
(MST). CPS-5
radar tracking
of 4,000 mph
first target
at 230°
azimuth (about
SW) at 149
miles range
moving 11
miles per
10-sec sweep
for 4 sweeps
heading into
the radar
site. 2nd
track at 7:46
a.m. of 4,000
mph target at
280°
azimuth (about
W) at 140
miles moving
11 miles per
10-sec sweep
for 6 sweeps
[toward the
radar] until
disappearing
at about 70
miles range.
(McDonald
files; Jan
Aldrich; FUFOR
Index)
Ruppelt:
In May 1952, Project Blue Book received 79 UFO reports compared to 99 in April. It looked as if we'd passed the peak and were now on the downhill side. The 178 reports of the past two months...had piled up a sizable backlog....During June we planned to clear out the backlog, and then we could relax. But never underestimate the power of a UFO. In June the big flap hit....- Capt. Edward J. Ruppelt, (Ruppelt, pp. 138-39.) Early May, 1952; Willow Grove, PA Time not given. The Naval Air Station Ground Control Approach radar picked up a target in bad weather conditions near the center of the scope. By the next sweep (32 rpm) the target had moved almost five miles, indicating the object was moving approximately 3,600 mph. It was seen to move as the trace swept past it. (A similar evnt occurred at Washington National in July where the target "blossomed" on the scope.) By the fourth sweep the target had moved off to the ten mile limit of the GCA scope. Target was visible on two radar scopes, operating on two different fequencies, so this was no malfunction. Object was tracked the next day under similar weather conditions. (Project Interloper, Jan Aldrich)
May
1, 1952; Moses
Lake,
Washington
(BBU 1174)
0532
PST, Civilian
AEC employees
observed a
slow moving
wingless silver
object at
5,000 feet
altitude in
the Hanford
area. Sighting
lasted 1 1/2
minutes.
May
1,
1952;
Davis-Monthan
AFB, Tucson,
Ariz. (BBU)
9:10 am. Two shiny discs overtook a B-36 bomber as it passed over Davis-Monthan AFB in the morning, slowed and positioned themselves near the plane. One moved close alongside and was observed from the waist blister by the crew members. Witnesses on the ground also saw the objects, which were about 20-25 feet in diameter. After several minutes the objects departed at extremely high speed in a southerly direction. (Hynek UFO Rpt pp. 109-112; FUFOR Index) May 1, 1952; George AFB and Apple Valley, California (BBU 1176) 10:50 a.m. (PDT?). 3 men on the arms range, plus Lt. Col. Lyle Albert Silvernail 4 miles away in Apple Valley saw 5 flat-white discs about the diameter of a C-47's wingspan [95 ft] or length of P-51 [32 ft] fly fast about 1,000 mph at about 4,000 ft height, make a 90° turn in a formation of 3 in front and 2 behind, and dart around. Silvernail reported the sighting and was told radar was tracking the object(s) and fighters were being scrambled. Note: Recent informations suggests Silvernail confirmed a radar track. See link above. (Berliner; NICAP) 15-30 secs 5+ witnesses 2 Full Moons ? RV? May 5, 1952; Tenafly, New Jersey (BBU 1183) 10:45 p.m. Mrs. M. M. Judson saw 6-7 translucent, cream-yellow objects, one moved in an ellipse, others moved in and out. (Berliner) The objects were observed for approximately 4 to 5 minutes. May 10, 1952; Paphos, SW Cyprus (BBU) 8:30 p.m. British scientist and others saw a luminous circular object rise from sea level, waver back and forth for an interval before fading from sight directly overhead. (Jan Aldrich) May 7, Keesler AFB, Mississippi (BBU 1185)
12:15
p.m. (CST).
Capt. Morris,
a Master
Sergeant, a
Staff
Sergeant, and
an Airman
First Class
saw an
aluminum or
silver
cylindrical
object dart in
and out of the
clouds 10
times.
(Berliner)
May
7,
Barra da
Tijuca, Brazil
Questionable
UFO photos.
May 8, 1952; Atlantic, 600 miles E of Jacksonville, Florida (BBU)
2:27
a.m. (EST?)
Pilot Capt.
Cent and
copilot 1st
Ofcr Gallagher
of Pan Am
Flight 203
flying DC-4
airliner at
8,000 ft on
180°
heading from
NYC to San
Juan, Puerto
Rico, saw
brilliant
white
approaching
from the left
below the
solid overcast
at 10,000 ft.
and streak by
the left [?]
wing at 1/8 to
1/4 mile,
followed by 2
smaller orange
balls of fire.
(NARCAP;
McDonald list;
Project 1947;
Ruppelt pp.
133-4)
Ruppelt:
May 8, Washington, D.C. Secretary of the Air Force Thomas K. Finletter was briefed for an hour about the Project Blue Book UFO study. He listened intently and asked several questions about specific sightings when the briefing was finished. (Ruppelt, p. 138.)
10:30
a.m. 2 USAF
F-86 pilots
(Crown and
another) in
the air and a
witness on the
ground saw a
round silver
object.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
May
10, 1952;
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
(BBU)
2 [3?]
p.m. (MST).
USAF Lt. Col.
M. G. B. and
wife in the
yard of their
home saw 2
silvery
disc-shaped
objects one
after the
other moving
SW to NE at
above 20,000
ft, first
object seeming
to waver on
axis or "flop
over," 2nd
object
followed
similar path
but at higher
altitude.
Officer
alerted radar
station but
unable to
track
object(s).
(McDonald
files; Jan
Aldrich; FUFOR
Index)
May
10, 1952;
Paphos, SW
Cyprus (BBU)
8:30 p.m. British scientist and others saw a luminous circular object rise from sea level, waver back and forth for an interval before fading from sight directly overhead. (Jan Aldrich)
May
10, 1952;
Ellenton, S.C.
(BBU 1198)
10:45
pm. Employees
of DuPont
Corporation at
the Savannah
River Plant,
Atomic Energy
Commission, saw
four
disc-shaped
objects
approach, then
two other
discs pass
high overhead
from different
directions. They
were luminous
yellow-gold
color,
traveling at a
high rate of
speed. One
disc
approached at
such a low
altitude
that it
had to rise up
to pass over
some tall
tanks at the
facility. One
witness
reported that
the objects
were weaving
from left to
right while
continuing on
a steady
course. (FBI
report.)
The
investigation
of the Glen
Burnie,
Maryland,
sighting was
requested by
Col. Cook for
General
Ackerman and
was to be
given top
priority. (See
March 29)
May 11, 1952; George AFB, Calif. (BBU)
Grendilund.
(McDonald
list;
FUFOR Index)
May
12, 1952; 40
mi. west of
Roswell, NM
9:45 PM UST. Restricted document shows an unidentified flying object was sighted at 2145 hours UST. The object was blue-green in color and its estimated altitude above the terrain was 30,000 to 40,000 feet. The object traveled three times over approximately the same triangular course. Rate of speed could not be precisely estimated but was faster than that of jet aircraft. Intensity of color brightness varied with the objects altitude. (AF Form 112, Fran Ridge) May 13, 1952; El Centro Naval Air Station, California (BB) At 3:15 a.m. PST, an F9F pilot taking off from El Centro NAS saw what appeared to be a shooting star diving at an angle of 60 degrees. At around the same time there was a report from the El Centro Sheriff's Office of five "Flying Saucers" as large as B-36's with a light underneath. They disappeared to the southwest at terrific speed. All told there were four separate reports of unidentified aerial object in the El Centro area on this date. (Blue Book docs, Dan Wilson) May 13, 1952; George AFB, California (BB) At 2:25 p.m. PDST, a pilot and an observer in an T-6G aircraft flying at 10,500 feet altitude observed a white or silver round object at an estimated altitude of 45,000 feet. The passenger stated that he was looking at the object almost directly overhead when it disappeared very fast, almost like a light being turned off. The object was observed for approximately 30 minutes. (BB files, Dan Wilson) May 13, 1952; National City, California 8:55 p.m. PDT. A meteor-like object was seen descending over the San Diego Bay area flying in a curving path to the northwest. Later the same or similar object was seen flying nearly the opposite course over the Bay Area. May 13, 1952; Greenville, So. Carolina (BBU) Chop Clearance List Item # 15.
10:33
p.m. (EST).
Richardson and
3 other
amateur
astronomers
set up
telescopes at
dark area of
Furman
University
when they saw
a diamond
formation of 4
oval
reddish-yellow
or
reddish-brown
luminous
objects nearly
overhead and
disappeared
after 3 secs
motion through
12° arc
[or at 12°
elevation?].
Apparent size
of half dollar
at arms
length, 1/4
turned and
wobbling in
flight. (BB
Status Rpt;
FUFOR Index)
(Incorrectly
listed on Chop
Clearance as
May 18, 1952).
1:05
p.m. (PST).
[Same as May
13?] (McDonald
list; FUFOR
Index)
May
14, 1952;
Mayaquez,
Puerto Rico
(BBU 1213)
7 p.m.
Attorney and
ex-USAF pilot
Mr. Stipes and
Sr.
GarciaMendez
saw 2 shining
orange
spheres: one
was
stationary,
while the
other darted
away and back
for 30 mins.
(Berliner)
May
15,
1952; S of
Changsong-ni
and N of
Nangnim
Mountain,
North Korea
(BBU)
11 a.m.
USAF Lt.
McCarthy and
another pilot
flying two
F-86E jets,
51st Fighter
Interceptor
Wing, 25th FI
Sq, at 30,000
ft, airspeed
500 knots, on
280°
heading.
Sighted a
silvery
ovalshaped
object larger
than a MiG jet
airplane at 9
o'clock
position
below, to the
S, at
estimated
altitude of
8,000-10,000
ft, about
1,200-1,500
mph, and about
20 miles away.
Object on S to
N straight
flight path in
a "rolling
maneuver,"
disappeared at
about 3
o'clock
position to N.
(Jan Aldrich)
May 15, 1952; S of Changsong-ni and N of Nangnim Mountain, North Korea (BBU) 6:35 p.m. USAF F-51 fighter pilot of 18th Fighter Bomber Group flying F-51 at 9,000 ft on 180° heading at 240 mph sighted 50 ft diameter silver object at 1 o'clock position moving to 3 o'clock at 1,000 mph at about the same altitude, which then started a steep climb, but at the top of the loop the object resumed a horizontal course (heading 360° or N) wavered momentarily, descended and disappeared into the haze which reached an altitude of about 7,000-8,000 feet. (Jan Aldrich) May 15, 1952; Georgetown, Washington, D.C (BBU)
10:25
p.m. (EST)
[9:35? 9:50?
p.m. EDT?] USN
Lt. H. W.
Taylor and Lt.
P. G. R. and
two girls saw
soft golden
glowing oval
object on
straight level
path heading S
moved through
70° arc.
(McDonald
files; Jan
Aldrich; FUFOR
Index)
May 18,
1952;
Greenville,
S.C.; Chop
[CCL Item #
15]. Four amateur astronomers observed a diamond-shaped formation, oval shaped objects, wobbled in flight. May 19, 1952; 30 miles SW of San Angelo, TX (BBU) 7:48
p.m.
(CST). USAF
31st Strategic
Recon Sq pilot
and crew of
RB36
flying at
18,000 ft on a
301°
heading at 214
mph TAS, Capt.
Gerard A.
Sharrock,
Capt. Jack L.
Bailey, Capt.
Bernice O.
Bowers, 1st
Lt.
Constantine G.
Kollinzas, 2nd
Lt. Norman V.
Stewart,
S/Sgt. John J.
Fisher, S/Sgt.
William O.
Warr, A/1c
Robert Schick,
saw 7 bright
white circular
or doughnut
shaped white
contrails,
like
lenticular
clouds,
stacked
vertically
about
10°-20°
elevation
estimated
distance 50-75
miles height
ranging from
25,000 to
60,000 ft
about 1 mile
wide. Sighted
through 6x
binoculars and
photographed
in 6 frames
with 35 mm
camera by
Bailey, also
seen by radar
station ground
observer
alerted by
radio.
Contrails
persisted for
at least
1520 mins
possibly 1 hr.
Last seen when
RB-36 was at
30°53' N,
101°20' W.
(Jan Aldrich)
May 20,
1952; George
AFB, Calif.
(BBU)
1:25 p.m.
(PST).
(McDonald
list; FUFOR
Index)
May 20, 1952; Houston, Texas. (BBU 1219) 10:10
p.m. Sighted
from the
ground. USAF
pilots Capt.
J. Spurgin and
Capt. B.
Stephan
[Steven?] saw
a bright or
white oval
object move
from
side-to-side
while making a
gradual turn.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
Bet. 1
and 2 a.m. Top
CIA official
and several
dinner guests,
including a
retired
general,
noticed
noiseless red
light approach
from W at
about 5,000 ft
then suddenly
climb almost
vertically in
the SE, stop,
level out for
a few secs, go
into near
vertical dive,
level off,
disappear to
the E.
(Ruppelt pp.
135-6; BB
Status Rpt 7;
Jan Aldrich).
May 23,
1952; Kirtland
AFB,
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
(BBU)
4:00-4:45
p.m. (MST).
USAF CO of
135th AC&W
Sq ADC radar
site, Lt. Col.
Orlando W.
Stephenson
Jr., and other
staff of radar
site, Senior
Director Lt.
William J.
Hopkins, Capt.
Clarence R.
Holloway, Lt.
Edwin G.
Kenyon, Philco
radar tech rep
John B.
Cooper, and at
least one
other witness
(door guard),
saw a silvery
or aluminum
color flat on
the bottom,
slightly
rounded on
top, the
highest part
off center to
the left, in
the W at
268°
azimuth 2°
elevation at
an estimated
height of
about
1,000-3,000 ft
at 10-20 miles
distance, seen
through
transit
telescope, 7x
50mm
binoculars and
possibly
theodolite
[?]. Object
reflected
sunlight at
varying
irregular
intervals of
brightness for
3 secs to 2-3
mins and then
dark or
invisible for
similar
periods,
headed to the
right
descending
below the
horizon at
271°
azimuth about
0°
elevation.
Radar and 93rd
FI Sq F-86D
fighter
interception
unsuccessful.
(Jan Aldrich)
May 24,
1952; Zuni,
New Mexico
(BBU)
1:27 a.m.
Pilot of TWA
airliner Brass
saw 2 reddish
torpedo-shaped
objects appear
in front of
the aircraft.
(Project 1947;
FUFOR Index)
May 25, 1952; Tierra Amarilla AFS, New Mexico 9:58 a.m. An unknown object was detected on radar traveling 1800 mph, at Tierra Amarillo AFS, New Mexico. The object passed directly across the Los Alamos area. [See report below] (Dan Wilson) May
25, 1952;
Randolph AFB,
Texas. (BBU) 9:27 p.m.
(CST). USAF
navigator in
charge of
navigation
section of
Combat Crew
Training
School, Capt.
J. S. J., his
wife, and
pilot Lt. P.
H., saw a
group of about
12
orange-white
tear-drop
shaped lights,
points
forward, in 3
groups of 4
objects moving
from W to E at
high speed
2,000 mph at
10,000 ft at
70°
elevation.
Heard deep
soft
intermittent
noise.
(McDonald
files; Jan
Aldrich; cf.
Ruppelt p.
140; FUFOR
Index)
May 25, 1952; Walnut Lake, Mich (BBU 1227) 9:15 p.m.
John Hoffman,
family,
friends [and
others?] saw a
large white
circular
object having
dark sections
on its rim,
fly straight
and level,
appearing red
when behind a
cloud. [Same
witness(es) as
in April 27,
June 18, 1952,
cases??]
(Berliner) May 25, 1952; Los Alamos, New Mexico 11:30 p.m. Radiation was detected. Earlier, at 09:58 hours, an unknown object was detected on radar traveling 1800 mph, at Tierra Amarillo AFS, New Mexico. The object passed directly across the Los Alamos area. May
26, 1952;
North Korea
(BBU) May 28,
1952; Saigon,
French
Indo-China
(BBU 1232)
10:30
a.m. Many in
crowd watching
a ceremony saw
a white-silver
disc-shaped
object fly
straight and
fast.
(Berliner)
May
28, 1952;
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
(BBU 1233) 1:45-2:40
p.m. (PST).
City fire
department
employees
Romero and
Atterbury saw
2 circular
objects, one
shiny silver
and the other
orange or
light brown, 3
times
performing
fast
maneuvers.
(Berliner)
May 28,
1952; E of
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
(BBU 1233b)
8:10
[8:20? 8:40?]
p.m. (MST).
USAF crews of
5 B-29 bombers
saw green
spherical
objects
[fireballs?].
(Project 1947;
FUFOR Index)
May
29,
1952;
Near the
Florida Keys At
approximately
1700 hours two
elliptical in
shape objects
larger than a
fighter type
aircraft were
observed from
the USN
aircraft
carrier
Oriskany
CV-34. One
observer
watched the
objects
through a
telescope. The
Radar Officer
viewed the
objects on the
radar scope.
The objects
appeared to
have a bubble
on the top.
Each object
was leaving a
white vapor
trail. The
objects'
course
paralleled
that of the
carrier. (Blue
Book
Microfilm)
May
29, 1952; San
Antonio, Texas
(BBU 1236) 7 p.m.
USAF pilot
Maj. D. W.
Feuerstein
[Weinstein?],
on ground, saw
a bright
tubular object
tilt from
horizontal to
vertical for 8
mins, then
slowly return
to horizontal,
again tilt
vertically,
accelerate,
appear to
lengthen and
turn red.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
May 30, 1952; Japan Sea, S of Oshima island, Japan (BBU) 7 p.m. 3
USAF crew
members of
C-54 transport
plane saw a
round black
object first
motionless
then moving
rapidly to the
W. (Project
1947; FUFOR
Index)
May
31,
1952; S of
Chorwon, South
Korea (BBU) 3:45-55
a.m. Bright
object to NE
fell from
about
3,500-3,600 ft
to 2,000-2,600
ft height then
ascended to
3,000-4,000
ft, headed E
about 1/2 mile
with jerky
motion,
stopped,
reversed
coursed to NE
again at a
speed of about
100-150 mph,
reversed again
heading E,
climbed at
25° angle
increasing to
45° angle
away in 3-4
secs
accelerating
with jerky
motion to
disappearance.
Second guard
at different
location Post
6 saw same but
also heard
"pulsating
sound" and saw
disc shape.
Duration 2
mins. At about
3:50 a.m.
319th FI Sq
F-94
interception
of
white-bluish
round object
on airborne
radar for 9
mins at 500
mph at 6,000
ft height
heading
90°
initially,
maneuvering
down to 1,000
ft then up to
28,000 ft.
disappearing
on 45°
heading.
(Hynek UFO
Report)
Richard
Hall:
Through the first 5 months of 1952, the Air Force Project Blue Book investigators had noticed a build-up of UFO sightings. Then, according to project chief Capt. Edward J. Ruppelt, In June the big flap hit....The objects displayed intelligent control by circling, maneuvering, reacting to pursuit, and otherwise demonstrating extraordinary capabilities unlike any known technology or natural phenomenon, such as sharp turns, rapid vertical motions, and sudden reversals of direction. Radar repeatedly confirmed the presence of unidentified solid objects. Ruppelt: ......the
Air
Force was
taking UFOs
seriously
because a lot
of good
reports were
coming in from
Korea. Pilots
were seeing
silvery discs
and spheres,
and radar in
Japan, Korea,
and Okinawa
all had
tracked
unidentified
targets.
(Ruppelt, p.
192.)
NARA-PBB1-53
-
June 1-14
Sightings
NARA-PBB1-54 - June 15-22 Sightings NARA-PBB1-55 - June 23-30 Sightings Summer of
1952;
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
F-86 Shooting incident. (Ruppelt, see Sept. 1952) Summer 1952; MacDill AFB, Florida USAF Colonel, B-29 pilot investigated radar target, saw glowing ellipse which reversed direction and sped away. [UFOE, III] June, 1952; Tombstone, Arizona Cat 11.
Williams case
(M)
June
1952 CIA
Prepares
Secret UFO
Report
In the
wake of mass
public and
governmental
interest in
UFO's kindled
by the
provocative
LIFE magazine
article, CIA
intelligence
experts Sidney
N. Graybeal
(Chief, Guided
Missiles
Branch,
Weapons &
Equipment
Division,
Office of
Scientific
Intelligence
OSI) and Irl
D'Arcy Brent
(Chief, Ground
Branch,
W&E
Division, OSI)
prepare a
summary of the
UFO subject
for the
CIA/OSI
hierarchy
based on the
past several
years of OSI
intelligence
(and OSI
predecessor
documents
going back to
ghost rockets
of 1946) and
mentioning
sightings go
back to the
Bible.
Possibility of
swamp gas in
Michigan as an
explanation
for UFO's is
suggested by
Brent
(foreshadowing
the Hynek
swamp-gas
fiasco in
Michigan in
1966).
(Report has
never been
acknowledged
or released by
the CIA
despite FOIA
litigation.
Report's
existence and
contents was
revealed in
Sparks
interviews
with Brent and
Graybeal and
other OSI
officials in
1975-6.)
(Brad Sparks)
At Hughes
Aircraft
Company, a
crew of test
section radar
technicians
were tracking
what they
thought was an
airliner, when
it suddenly
climbed
rapidly to
55,000 feet,
leveled
off and sped
away.
(Ruppelt)
June 1,
1952; Walla
Walla,
Washington
(BBU 1245)
1 p.m.
Ex-military
pilot Reserve
Maj. W. C.
Vollendorf saw
an oval object
with a
"definite
airfoil"
perform a fast
climb.
(Berliner)
June 1, 1952; Soap Lake, Washington (BBU 1246) 3 p.m.
[+-?] Ray
Lottman saw 3
glimmering
objects fly
straight and
level.
(Berliner)
June 1,
1952; Rapid
City, South
Dakota (BBU
1243)
6 p.m.
USAF A/1c
Beatty and two
civilians. At
least 5 long
silver objects
flew in a neat
box formation
with a leader.
(Berliner)
June 2,
1952; Bayview,
Washington
(BBU 1249)
5:02 p.m.
Larry McWade
saw a purple
object for
unknown length
of time. No
further
information in
files.
(Berliner)
June 2, 1952. Fulda, West Germany (BBU 1250) Time
unknown. 1st
Lt. John
Hendry,
photo-navigator
on an RB-26C
recon bomber,
saw a
porcelain-white
object fly
very fast for
an unknown
length of
time.
(Berliner)
June 3, 1952; Chicago, Illinois (BB) 9:27 a.m. CST. Six to 10 targets were detected on AN/CPS 6B radar of the 755th AC&W Squadron. These targets were at the GEO. REF. position of DM 3012, on a heading of 310 degrees at an altitude of 25,000 feet at an estimated speed of 450 mph. The controller on duty checked with C.A.A. and M.F.S. for flight plans, but they had no flight plans. These radar targets were then declared unknowns, and an F-86 aircraft was scrambled out of O'Hare Field. The F-86 flying at 29,000 feet was radar directed toward the unknowns and merged with the unknown track. The F-86 was unable to sight any aircraft at the position occupied by the unknown track. At 9: 46 a.m., the unknown track turned to a heading of 140 degrees and followed the lake shore to position CM 5542. The unknowns then turned to a heading of 90 degrees and maintained this until position DM 3545. Now the unknown turned to a heading of 120 degrees and faded out at 10:16 p.m. The target indication was very strong on the PPI scope. During this incident a total of eight (8) aircraft were scrambled from three (3) different bases but no interception was accomplished. (Dan Wilson) June 4,
1952;
Stuttgart,
West Germany
(BBU)
7:30 p.m.
USAF pilot and
copilot of
C-47 transport
saw a circular
object with
white lights
on the leading
edge.
(Weinstein)
June 5,
1952; Lubbock,
Texas (BBU
1255)
11 p.m.
Dan Benson and
Mr. Bacon saw
a total of 8
yellow
circular
objects, like
large stars,
the first 2 in
a trail
formation, the
others seen
singly.
(Berliner)
June
5, 1952
AF
Intelligence
Initiates
Staff Studies
on UFO's
AF
Intelligence
initiates a
series of
internal Staff
Studies on
UFO's,
inspired by
Gen. Garland's
new policy
emphasizing
instrumentation,
which are
circulated
within AFOIN
and its field
element
ATIC.
Staff Studies
lead to policy
and project
plan approved
by Director of
Intelligence,
Gen. Samford,
on July
28.
(Brad Sparks) June
5, 1952;
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
(BBU 1256) 6:45 p.m.
S/Sgt T. H.
Shorey saw a
shiny round
object fly
5-6x as fast
as an F-86 jet
fighter.
(Berliner)
June 5,
1952; Offutt
AFB, Omaha,
Nebraska (BBU
1257)
11 p.m.
2nd Lt. W. R.
Soper, a
Strategic Air
Command TOP
SECRET Control
Officer,
former AFOSI
agent; and 2
others saw a
bright red
stationary
object for 4.5
mins before
speeding away
with a short
tail.
(Berliner)
Early
July
1952
Mysterious Dr.
"X" Predicts
UFO Flap
A mysterious
government
scientist
visits Ruppelt
at Project
BLUE BOOK and
predicts the
UFO flap, as
hitting New
York City or
Washington,
D.C. I
have
identified
this Dr. "X"
as Dr. Stefan
T. Possony,
Acting Chief
of the AFOIN
Special Study
Group and top
scientific
adviser to
AFOIN Director
Maj. Gen. John
A. Samford,
who was also a
leading
military
strategist and
psychological
warfare
expert. Possony
evidently
studied the
plans for the
continental
joint SAC-ADC
operation
Exercise SIGN
POST planned
for late July
and deduced
that the
planned
simulated SAC
"attack" on
either NY or
Washington to
test ADC air
defenses would
trigger false
UFO sightings
(and in fact
SAC did
"attack"
Washington,
but the
simulated air
raid was on
July 23 not on
the July 19-20
or 26-27 dates
of Washington
National UFO
incidents).
(Brad Sparks)June 6,
1952; Kimpo
AB, Korea.
8:42 a.m. (BBU
missing)
Flight
Sergeant saw
cylinder-section
flat
disc-shaped
object,
width/diameter
ratio 1:7,
doing a series
of erratic
spinning and
tumbling
motions, level
flight,
hovering,
shooting
straight up,
level flight,
tumbling,
changing
course,
disappearing
into the sun
in the E,
reappearing
back and forth
across the
sun. At one
point an F-86
fighter passed
in front of
object.
(Battelle
Unknown No. 7)
June
7, 1952;
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
(BBU 1260)
11:18 a.m. Crew of B-25 bomber #8840 at 11,500 ft saw a rectangular aluminum object, about 6 ft x 4 ft, fly 250-300 ft below them. (Berliner) 10:50
a.m. Mr. and
Mrs. J. D.
Markland saw 4
shiny objects
fly straight
and level in a
diamond
formation.
(Berliner)
June
9, 1952 - Time
Article
by Dr.
Donald H.
Menzel, "Those
Flying
Saucers,"
"Light
reflections
"given as
explanation/June 9,
1952;
Minneapolis,
Minnesota (BBU
missing)
(Case
missing)
(Berliner)
June 12,
1952; Ft.
Smith,
Arkansas (BBU
1269)
7:30 p.m.
U.S. Army
Major and Lt.
Colonel using
binoculars saw
an orange ball
with a tail
fly with a low
angular
velocity.
(Berliner)
11:26
a.m. T/Sgt. H.
D. Adams,
using an
SCR-584 radar
set, tracked
an
unidentified
target at 650
knots (750
mph) at
60,000+ ft
altitude.
(Berliner)
June 13, 1952, Fox Hill, Virginia, OSI UFO Report 10:30
a.m. An
aluminum
awning
salesman
observed an
object
described as
similar to a
discussed in
athletics,
about 25 to 30
feet in
diameter
hovering
approximately
200 feet over
a group of
pine trees at
Fox Hill,
Virginia. The
object made a
slight
whistling
sound. After
approximately
10 seconds the
object tilted
slightly, flew
upward at an
angle of 45
degrees and
away from him
at a
tremendous
speed.
June 13,
1952; Le
Bourget;
France
(airport).
Control tower operators and pilot watched brilliant light source cross sky SW of field after hovering for about an hour. [UFOE, X] June 13,
1952;
Middletown,
Pennsylvania
(BBU 1273)
8:45 p.m.
(EST). R. S.
Thomas,
Olmstead AFB
employee and
former control
tower
operator, saw
a round orange
object travel
S, stop for 1
sec, turn E,
stop 1 sec,
and drop down.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
June 15 [16?], 1952; Louisville [Boundsville], Kentucky (BBU 1285) 11:50 pm.
Edward Duke, A
former Navy
radar
technician saw
an
unidentified
cigar-shaped
object in the
vicinity of
Standiford
Field. It had
a light on
either side of
the fuselage
and a reddish
hue on the
trailing end.
The object
appeared to be
moving at
about 400-500
m.p.h., and
maneuvered
around in
several
directions for
15 minutes,
then descended
and flew away
to the
northeast.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
June 16, 1952; Walker
AFB, Roswell,
New Mexico
(BBU 1295)
8:30 p.m. USAF maintenance specialist S/Sgt. Sparks saw 5-6 grayish discs, in a half-moon formation, fly at 500-600 mph. (Berliner) June 17, 1952; Cape Cod, Mass (BBU 1299) 1:28 a.m.
USAF pilot of
F-94 jet
interceptor
saw a light
like a bright
star cross the
nose of the
jet. No
further
information in
the files.
(Berliner)
June
17,
1952;
McChord AFB,
Wash. (BBU
1298)
Between 7:30 and 10:20 p.m. Many witnesses saw 1-5 large silver yellow objects flying erratically, stop and start. (Berliner) June 18, 1952; Columbus, Wisconsin (BBU 1302) 9 a.m. R.
A. Finger saw
a
crescent-shaped
object hover
then speed
away.
(Berliner)
June 18,
1952; Walnut
Lake
[Pontiac],
Mich. (BBU
1305)
10 p.m.
Marron [Marion
?] Hoffman and
4 relatives,
using 4x
binoculars,
saw an orange
light zigzag
then hover for
an unspecified
length of
time. [Same
witness(es) as
in April 27,
May 25, 1952,
cases??]
(Berliner)
June 18, 1952; 100 miles E of March AFB, Calif. (BBU) A UFO
paced a
B-25
bomber for 30
minutes. No
explanation
could be found
for the object
and it was
classified as
an
unknown.(Ruppelt
p. 146; etc.)
June
19,
1952; Goose
Bay, Labrador,
Canada (BBU
1308) 2:37 a.m.
2nd Lt.
A'Gostino and
unidentified
radar operator
saw a red
light turn
white while
wobbling.
Radar tracked
a stationary
target that
suddenly
enlarged then
returned to
previous size
possibly a
disc rotating
to present
wider
reflective
surface.
(Berliner; cf.
Ruppelt p.
146)
June 19,
1952; Yuma,
Ariz (BBU
1310)
2 p.m.
USAF pilot
John Lane saw
a round, white
object fly
straight and
level.
(Berliner)
June 20,
1952; Central
Korea (BBU
1313)
A flight
of 4
USMC
Capts. and
pilots of
F4U-4B Corsair
fighters with
7302nd Sq five
Marine Corps
on a mission
spotted a
silvery-white
object passing
below them,
banking into a
left turn. As
the object
circled
around, the
Marine flight
leader dove
toward the
object, which
appeared to be
10-20 feet in
diameter and
it flew away
at an
estimated
speed of 1,000
m.p.h. and
disappeared
toward
friendly
lines.
June 20,
1952; Near
Paulette,
Mississippi
(BBU)
8:26 p.m.
USAF pilot Lt.
Milo Roberts
and bombardier
Lt. Julius
Prottengeier
with 308th
Bomb Sq, 310th
Bomb Wing,
Forbes AFB,
Kansas, flying
a B-29 bomber
(s/n 44-62204)
at 190 mph at
17,000 ft saw
a cone-shaped
object
approach on
collision
course from
the 2 o'clock
position,
before evasive
action object
made sharp
left left and
disappeared,
followed by a
2nd object
[?]. Object's
length/width
ratio 3:1,
about 8-10 ft
long at
1,2001,500
ft away or 100
ft if at 15
miles away.
(NARCAP; BB
files??)
June
21,
1952;
Kelly AFB,
Texas (BBU
1319) 12:30
p.m. T/Sgt.
Howard Davis,
flight
engineer of
B-29 bomber at
8,000 ft
altitude, saw
a flat object
with a sharply
pointed front
and rounded
rear, white
with a dark
blue center
and red rim,
trailing
sparks as it
dove past the
B-29 at a
distance of
500 ft, in 1
sec.
(Berliner)
June
21
[23?], 1952;
Oak Ridge
[Marxville?],
Tenn. (BBU) 10:58
p.m. GOC post
spotted
target,
confirmed by
ADC radar,
followed by
F-47 fighter
interception
of a 6-8-inch
white blinking
light which
made ramming
attacks on the
F-47 from
10,000 to
27,000 ft.
(Ruppelt p.
43)
June 22,
1952;
Pyungthek,
South Korea
(BBU 1323)
10:45
p.m. 2 U.S.
Marine Sgts.
saw a 4 ft
diameter
orange object
dive at a
runway from
the N dropping
from 800 ft to
100 ft
altitude over
W end of
runway,
shooting 2-5
ft red flames,
then head W at
about 300-450
mph for 2-3
secs, hover
briefly over a
hill, turn
180° in
45-60 secs,
flash, head E
1/2 mile,
flash again
and blink out.
No sound.
(Hynek UFO Rpt
pp. 82-83)
June
23, 1952; Oak
Ridge, Tenn.
(BBU 1334) 3:30 a.m.
Secretary
Martha
Milligan saw a
bullet-shaped
object with
burnt-orange
exhaust fly
straight and
level.
(Berliner)
June 23,
1952; Location
unknown, but
information
came via Japan
Hq CV 4359
(BBU)
6:08 a.m.
USAF pilot
Wermack of the
18th
Fighter-Bomber
Group saw a
black
coin-shaped
object, 15-20
ft in
diameter, at
6,000 ft
approach to
within 1,500
ft, then make
an irregular
descent.
(Berliner;
Project 1947)
June 23,
1952; Near
Owensboro,
Kentucky (BBU
1335)
10 a.m.
National Guard
Lt. Col. O. L.
Depp saw 2
objects
looking like
giant soap
bubbles
reflecting
yellow and
lavender
colors, fly in
trail.
(Berliner)
June
23, 1952;
Spokane, Wash
(BBU 1331) 4:05 p.m.
Airport
weather
observer Rex
Thompson saw a
round disc
with a
metallic shine
flash, and
flutter like a
flipped coin.
(Berliner)
June 23,
1952; McChord
AFB, Wash (BBU
1332)
9 p.m.
2nd Lt. K.
Thompson saw a
very large
light fly
straight and
level. No
further
information.
(Berliner)
June 23, 1952; Kirksville AFS, Missouri (BBU) 7:30 or
7:35 p.m. USAF
ADC radar
operators Lt.
A. N.
Robinson, Jr.,
and Airman Ray
H. Foote, plus
5 other
controllers,
officers and
maintenance
technicians,
tracked one
(two?)
unidentified
target with a
clear sharp
return about
the size of a
B-29's (or
B-50 or
B36)
suddenly
appear 80-85
miles NNW of
radar site
moving at a
constant speed
of about 3,600
mph [to 4,300
mph] on a
straight path
of about
120-125 miles
headed
357° or
almost due N
to
disappearance
off scope.
(Hynek-CUFOS
files)
June 25,
1952; Tokyo,
Japan. (BBU
1340)
(Berliner)
June 25,
1952; Michigan
(BBU)
(FUFOR
Index)
June 25,
1952;
Japan-Korea
area. (BBU
1347)
Military
witness(es).
Case missing
[?]. (NARA)
June 25, 1952; Chicago, Illinois (BBU 1344) 8:30 p.m.
Mrs. Norbury
and Mr.
Matheis saw a
bright
yellow-white,
egg-shaped
object,
sometimes with
a red tail,
make 7
circles.
(Berliner)
June 26,
1952; Terre
Haute, Indiana
(BBU 1348)
2:45 a.m.
USAF 2nd Lt.
C. W.
Povelites saw
an
un-described
object fly at
600 mph then
stop. No
further
information in
files.
(Berliner)
June 26,
1952;
Pottstown,
Penna (BBU
1351)
11:50
p.m. Assistant
manager of
airport Mr.
Wells made 3
sightings of
flashing
lights: (1) 2
lights
separated by 2
miles, with
the leader
flashing
steadily and
the other
irregularly;
(2) 2
similarly
flashing
lights, but
with 1 mile
separation;
(3) Finally a
single light.
Speed
estimated at
150-250 mph.
(Berliner)
June 27,
1952; Topeka,
Kansas (BBU
1355)
6:50 p.m.
Forbes AFB
USAF pilot 2nd
Lt. K. P.
Kelly and wife
saw a
pulsating red
object change
shape from
circular to a
vertical oval
as it pulsed,
first
stationary
then moving.
(Berliner)
June 28,
1952; Kirtland
AFB,
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
(BBU)
1:20 p.m.
2 observers
with CARCO air
service saw 2
silvery
disc-like
objects high
in the sky
moving slowly
to the S,
noiseless,
suddenly
climbed nearly
vertically at
high speed,
one going SSE
the other
almost due E.
(Hynek UFO Exp
ch. 6, case
DD7)
June 28,
1952; Lake
Koshkonong,
Wisc. (BBU
1361)
6 p.m. G.
Metcalfe saw a
silver-white
sphere become
an ellipse as
it turned and
climbed away
very fast.
(Berliner)
June 28,
1952; Nagoya,
Japan (BBU
1363)
4:10 p.m.
Capt. T. W.
Barger, USAF
Electronics
Counter
Measures
officer, saw a
dark blue
elliptical-shaped
object with a
pulsing border
fly straight
and level at
700-800 mph.
(Berliner)
June 28,
1952; Pacific
bet. Hawaii
and Calif.
(BBU)
10:50
p.m. USAF C-47
pilot saw a
very bright
light pass
across the
flight path
from left to
right.
(Project 1947)
June
29, 1952;
O'Hare
Airport,
Chicago,
Illinois. (BBU
1364) 5:45-6:30
p.m. (CDT). 3
USAF air
policemen,
83rd Air Base
Sq, Air Police
Detachment,
S/Sgt.
Lopez,
A/1c Weber,
and A/3c
Korkowski, saw
a bright
silver, smooth
surfaced, flat
oval 30 ft
object at
about
5001,000
ft height
about 2-3
miles away
reflecting
sunlight
surrounded by
a blue circle
of haze for
the first
20-25 mins,
hovering,
appeared
between radio
towers for
stations WGN
and WBBN 7
miles away [at
42° 0' 42"
N, 88° 2'
7" W, and
41° 59'
32" N, 88°
1'6" W] to the
WSW at about
2°
elevation and
to the left
and S of the
setting sun
(which was at
284°
azimuth
20°
elevation at
6:30), then
move very fast
to the right
and left, and
up and down
relative to
the radio
towers, moving
almost
instantaneously
and much
faster than
any jet
fighter.
Object rocked
on its
longitudinal
axis, appeared
oval
(major/minor
axis ratio
about 2.2)
when oriented
vertically,
thin and
difficult to
see when
horizontal.
Object receded
at high speed
then
disappeared
like shutting
off a light.
No trail, no
noise.
Independently
witnessed by
Chicago
firemen
several miles
away. (Jan
Aldrich;
unpublished
Ruppelt
manuscript).
June 30,
1952;
Columbia,
Missouri (BBU)
1:46-3:54
a.m. (CST).
U.S. Weather
Bureau
observer
tracked by
theodolite an
object at
extreme
distance
irregularly
changing color
from red to
green, seeming
to move away,
to the NNE
making only
"small"
angular
movement in
the 14
recorded
measurements
of position in
2 hrs. (Jan
Aldrich)
June 30
[July 1?],
1952; Phoenix,
Ariz. (BBU)
Gaudet
[and Wolf?].
(Jan Aldrich;
FUFOR Index)
June 30,
1952; Sea of
Japan (BBU)
7 p.m. 3
USAF crew
members of
C-54 transport
saw circular
object
flattened
on top and
bottom.
(Weinstein; BB
files??)
NARA-PBB1-56
-
July 1-9
Sightings
NARA-PBB1-57 - July 10-12 Sightings NARA-PBB1-58 - July 13-14 Sightings NARA-PBB1-59 - July 15-19 Sightings CF NARA-PBB1-60 - July 19 Sightings NARA-PBB1-61 - July 15-17 Sightings NARA-PBB1-62 - July 20-22 Sightings NARA-PBB1-63 - July 20-21 Sightings NARA-PBB1-64 - July 23-24 Sightings NARA-PBB1-65 - July 23-24 Sightings NARA-PBB1-66 - July 26-27 Sightings NARA-PBB1-67 - Washington D.C. area list NARA-PBB1-68 - July 27 Sightings NARA-PBB1-69 - July 28 Sightings NARA-PBB1-70 - July 29 Sightings NARA-PBB1-71 - July 30-31 Sightings Dan
Wilson:
On March 2, 1950, a Joint Chiefs of Staff; (JCS) meeting focused on establishing goals for a minimum air defense by 1952. The following month at a USAF Commanders Conference at Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico, planners familiarized commanders with the thinking behind the plan of minimum defense as well as with its contents. Referred to as the Blue Book Plan, it stipulated that a minimum air defense could be in place by mid-1952. It was estimated that July 1, 1952, as the critical date when the Soviets would pose a dangerous threat. General Charles Cabell expected the Soviets to have between 45 and 90 atom bombs and 70 to 135 Tu-4 bombers (copied B-29s) by that time. Joel
Carpenter:
On 1 July, nine wing B-36s (5-H and 4-F) departed Carswell to take part in a high altitude formation radar camera attack on New York City. Three aircraft were from the 9th, three from the 436th, and three from the 492nd Bomb Squadron. The nine B-36s flew to the orbit area at Cape St. Francis, Newfoundland, Canada, then flew the scheduled attack on New York City. From there the bombers flew to Montgomery, Alabama, and recovered at Carswell on 2 July. Following this, the wing presented the Meritorious Achievement Award Plaque to the Outstanding Tactical and Support Units in the wing. The 9th Bomb Squadron and 7th Maintenance and Supply Group received the awards on 5 July 1952. July
1, 1952;
Boston, New
York 7:25 am.
Two silvery
elliptical
UFOs were
observed
visually near
Boston, where
an F-94
interceptor
was sent up to
investigate.
July 1, 1952; Lexington, MA 7:30 AM. Capt. Metcalf observed a milky white object shpaed like an "elongated oval" but "fatter than a cigar", about 100 feet in length or slightly larger than a four-engine airliner, having indistinct outlines at the rear resembling either a very short exhaust or a blurred tail section, with a narrow ridge along the top side, but without wings or any other aerodynamic features. (BB Files) July 1, 1952; Fort Monmouth, New Jersey (BBU) 9:30 am.
The objects
moved south
along the East
coast and
hovered near
Fort Monmouth,
N.J., for
about 5
minutes at
50,000 feet.
As radar at
Fort Monmouth
detected the
objects, they
put on a burst
of speed and
headed
southwest
toward
Washington,
D.C.,
confirmed
visually. At
about noon, a
physics
professor in
Washington
reported
seeing a
grayish UFO
hovering
and arcing
back and forth
across the
sky. (Ruppelt,
pp. 200-202,
Dan Wilson)
Ruppelt:
Without injecting any imagination or wild assumptions, it looked as if two "somethings" had come down across Boston on a southwesterly heading, crossed Long Island, hovered for a few minutes over the Army's secret laboratories at Fort Monmouth, then proceeded toward Washington. Richard
Hall
continues:
While
driving
through Utah
in July, a
Navy chief
(later warrant
officer) saw a
formation of
unidentified
flat circular
objects
maneuvering in
the sky,
stopped and
took color
motion picture
film of them.
The objects
defied
conventional
explanation
when analyzed
by the top Air
Force and Navy
photogrammetric
laboratories.
July
2,
1952;
Tremonton,
Utah Navy
photographer
Delbert C.
Newhouse and
his wife,
while driving
across the
state, saw a
group of 12-14
shiny silver
objects
milling around
in the sky.
Newhouse
stopped and
retrieved his
16 mm camera
and filmed
extensive
footage of the
objects.
He and his
wife both
reported
seeing some of
the objects
relatively
close-up and
they were
shaped like
one plate
inverted atop
another. When
the film was
returned to
Newhouse
following Navy
and Air Force
analysis, the
frames showing
the discs
close-up had
been deleted.
July 3, 1952. Selfridge AFB, Mich.(BBU 1380) 4:15 a.m. Witnesses not identified (civilians?) saw 2 big lights, about 20 ft diameter, fly straight and level at tremendous speed. (Berliner) July 3,
1952; Chicago,
Illinois (BBU
1382)
11:50
p.m. Mrs. J.
D. Arbuckle
saw 2 bright
pastel green
discs fly
straight and
level very
fast.
(Berliner)
July 5,
1952;
Elmendorf AFB,
Alaska (BBU)
(FUFOR
Index)
July
5,
1952;
Hanford Atomic
Works,
Richland, Wash
(BBU) 6 a.m.
Conner
Airlines C-46
pilot Baldwin,
another pilot
and 2 copilots
saw a perfect
circular white
disc above the
Hanford site.
(Project 1947;
FUFOR Index)
July
5,
1952; SSE of
Norman, Okla.
(BBU 1390) 7:58 p.m.
Oklahoma State
Patrolman
Hamilton in
State Patrol
airplane saw 3
dark discs [at
4,000 ft?]
hover then fly
away,
silhouetted
against a dark
cloud.
15-secs.
(Berliner)
Early
July
1952
Mysterious Dr.
"X" Predicts
UFO Flap
A
mysterious
government
scientist
visits Ruppelt
at Project
BLUE BOOK and
predicts the
UFO flap, as
hitting New
York City or
Washington,
D.C. I
have
identified
this Dr. "X"
as Dr. Stefan
T. Possony,
Acting Chief
of the AFOIN
Special Study
Group and top
scientific
adviser to
AFOIN Director
Maj. Gen. John
A. Samford,
who was also a
leading
military
strategist and
psychological
warfare
expert. Possony
evidently
studied the
plans for the
continental
joint SAC-ADC
operation
Exercise SIGN
POST planned
for late July
and deduced
that the
planned
simulated SAC
"attack" on
either NY or
Washington to
test ADC air
defenses would
trigger false
UFO sightings
(and in fact
SAC did
"attack"
Washington,
but the
simulated air
raid was on
July 23 not on
the July 19-20
or 26-27 dates
of Washington
National UFO
incidents).
(Brad Sparks)
July
6-12, 1952;
Governors
Island, New
York
[Elizabeth,
NJ?] (BBU
1397)
11:00
p.m. Charles
Muhr [and
Neff?] took 4
photos of some
indistinct
light
admittedly not
seen visually.
(Berliner;
FUFOR Index)
July 9, 1952; Rapid City AFB, South
Dakota (BBU)
3:35 p.m.
MST. A
sergeant and
three airmen
of the 717
Strategic
Reconnaissance
Squadron, 28th
Strategic
Reconnaissance
Wing reported
that three
milky white
discs were
between 30,000
and 40,000
feet. The
airmen were
lying on there
backs off the
edge of the
East-West
runway when
they observed
the objects
which appeared
between 3 and
4 inches in
diameter (at
arm's length),
moving faster
than any jet
aircraft they
have seen.
Direction of
travel:
Northerly. The
objects were
seen one at a
time with
approximately
one minute
between
sightings.
Each object
was observed
for
approximately
5 seconds. The
significance
of this report
is just prior
to the
sighting a
similar object
was observed
by other
airmen at this
station.
(FUFOR
Index)
3:30 p.m. Two
more airmen at
the east end
of the
East-West
runway
reported that
an objects was
observed at
20,000 feet or
above. It was
shaped like a
disc and was
grayish white
and
approximately
3 to 4 inches
in diameter at
arm's length,
traveling
faster than
any jet they
have ever seen
moving to the
north. The
object came
from a
southwesterly
direction and
crossed over
the northwest
corner of the
airfield. The
object seemed
to stop and
hover over an
area north of
the East-West
runway. It
would lose
some altitude
and then
reportedly
gain it right
back. (FUFOR
Index)
8:18 p.m.
Pilot of
National
Airlines
Flight 42, a
C-60 aircraft,
saw a very
bright amber
glow,
stationary
then climbing
slowly till
disappearance.
(Project 1947)
The crew
of the
Canadian
destroyer
Crusader saw
two shiny
discs and
tracked them
on radar.
July
10-17,
1952 Dr.
Kaplan Visits
ATIC Project
Blue Book
UCLA
Geophysics
Prof. Joseph
Kaplan, a
member of the
AF Scientific
Advisory Board
previously
involved with
a highly
secret
compartmented
UFO tracking
project in
1949 leading
to Project
TWINKLE,
visits ATIC
and Project
BLUE BOOK,
advising on
plans for a
top scientific
panel to
establish the
importance and
credibility of
the UFO
problem within
the scientific
community (a
later
distorted
version of the
plan is forced
on the CIA by
the AF as the
Robertson
Panel and
intentionally
designed by
the AF to fail
spectacularly). The
Battelle
Memorial
Institute
scientists are
deemed not
prominent
enough to
secure support
within the
scientific
community, but
will continue
with
statistical
studies of
BLUE BOOK's
case files
(ordered by
Gen. Samford
in Dec 1951 to
specifically
verify
Ruppelt's
sighting
pattern
analysis,
showing UFO
concentrations
around atomic
weapons bases,
after his
briefing
disturbed
Samford).
Battelle also
continues
special lab
analyses of
alleged UFO
physical
evidence from
time to
time.
(Brad Sparks) July
12, 1952;
Annapolis,
Maryland (BBU
1431) 3:30 p.m.
Insurance
company
president
William
Washburn saw 4
large,
elliptical-shaped
objects fly
very fast,
stop, turn
90° and
fly away. 7-8
secs.
(Berliner)
July 12, 1952; Northern Illinois 8:05 p.m.
Report of
unusual flying
objects
(Reference to
July 12, 1952,
Arlington,
Illinois
[BBU]) Air
Intelligence
Information
Report from
755th AC&W
Squadron,
Williams Bay,
Wisconsin. Mr.
J. M. Stark,
Chicago,
reported that
at 2005 CST he
saw a greenish
object
traveling in
horizontal
flight. Object
came to
stand-still,
then moved
away at a very
high rate of
speed. Mr. L
Matheis,
Chicago,
sighted object
going east
then turned
westward,
yellowish in
color. Mr. L.
Schrenk,
Chicago,
sighted object
going north,
weaving at low
altitude,
reddish in
color. Mr. A.
Cressy,
Chicago, saw
an object
going north,
turned west,
not a jet type
aircraft.
Received call
from 31st
Division
through ADCC,
radars picked
up strange
objects
heading west
and north at
3000 mph and
above.
July 12, 1952; Williams Bay, Wisconsin 8:30 p.m.
Air
Intelligence
Information
Report
describes
radar tracks
by three
different
radars. 31st
Division
through ADCC
reported that
Mastiff
(AN/FPS-3),
Orgin
(FPS-10), and
Cousin
(AN/6PS-6B)
radars had
picked up
strange
objects in
several areas
heading west
and north at
different
altitudes,
3000 mph and
above.
(Dan Wilson)
July 12, 1952; Belleville, Illinois (BB) 8:30 p.m. Five radar observations of unidentified objects were made at the 798th AC&W Squadron beginning at 8:30 p.m CST. Object one: 8:30 p.m., 355 degrees at 200 NM, speed 1600 knots. Object two: 8:35 p.m., 30 degrees at 20 NM, speed 1700 knots. Object three: 8:47 p.m., 6 degrees at 190 NM. Object four: 8:49 p.m., 330 degrees at 180 NM. Object five: 9:20 p.m., 280 degrees at 175 NM. Visual Sighting at 2110Z At 2110Z three airmen of the 798th AC&W Squadron, Belleville, Illinois, observed one very large round object of intense reddish orange color flying a straight course horizontal to the earth surface. The speed of the object was faster than any known aircraft. The object was observed for 20 seconds. One aircraft scrambled for observation purpose. The time given in the teletype (2110Z) may be incorrect. At around 2100 hours CST (9:00 p.m.), a large fireball-type object was seen by many witnesses in the Belleville/ St. Louis area. The object traveled in a straight line parallel to the ground from SE to the NW. (Reference: Edwardsville Intelligencer, Illinois, July 14, 1952, page 1) (Dan Wilson) |