159
July 1952 Chronology
Date
|
Time
|
Location
|
Description
|
1
|
7:30 a.m.
|
Boston, Massachusetts
|
USAF Capt., others, saw two silvery cigar shaped UFOs headed southwest across city.
|
1
|
9:30 a.m.
|
Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey
|
Visual & radar sighting of two shiny UFOs which hovered at 50,000 feet for five minutes, shot away southwest.
|
2
|
11:10 a.m.
|
Near Tremonton, Utah
|
Warrant Officer Newhouse filmed 12-14 disc shaped UFOs. [Section VIII; Photographs]
|
5
|
6:00 a.m.
|
Near Richlands,
Washington
|
Airline pilots saw "perfectly round disc" hover, accelerate and speed away. [Section V]
|
8
|
10:00 p.m.
|
Near Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania
|
CAA equipment man reported domed UFO. [Section V]
|
10
|
- - -
|
Near Korea
|
Canadian destroyer watched two shiny revolving discs speed across sky, tracked by radar at distance of 7 miles.
|
10
|
- - -
|
Near Quantico, Virginia
|
National Airlines plane at 2000 feet reported slow moving, brilliantly lighted object.
|
12
|
9:42 a.m.
|
Chicago, Illinois
|
USAF Captain (Weather Officer) and hundreds of others saw large red light with smaller white body lights make 180 degree turn directly overhead and move away over horizon. [8]
|
12/13
|
3:00 a.m.
|
Near Washington, D.C.
|
Airline pilot watched UFO hover, take off upward.
|
14
|
8:12 p.m.
|
Newport News, Virginia
|
Airline pilots watched six discs maneuver below airliner, turn sharply, speed away, joined by two more discs. [Section V]
|
16
|
9:35 a.m.
|
Salem, Massachusetts
|
Coast Guard photographer filmed four brilliant, round lights arranged in rough V.
|
16
|
9:00 p.m.
|
Hampton Roads, Virginia
|
High ranking government scientist observed four maneuvering yellowish lights. [Section VI]
|
17/18
|
2:00 a.m.
|
Washington, D.C.
|
Chief Engineer, WRC Radio, saw 6-7 bright orange discs which sped along in single file, then each in turn veered sharply upward and disappeared.
|
17/18
|
2:45 a.m.
|
Near Denver, Colorado
|
Airline pilot watched 3-6 lights speed back and forth, making apparent sharp reversals of flight.
|
18
|
10:45 p.m.
|
Patrick AFB, Florida
|
USAF officers, weathermen, others, watched four amber colored lights maneuvering near base.
|
18/19
|
midnight
|
River Edge, New Jersey
|
Associated Press staff writer saw reddish-orange ball of light move steadily overhead northwest to southeast in direction of Washington.
|
19/20
|
11:40 p.m.
|
Washington, D.C.
|
National Airport CAA radar began picking up unidentified targets.
|
|
1:00 a.m.
|
Andrews AFB, Maryland
|
USAF personnel saw unidentified orange light.
|
|
early morning
|
Near Washington, D.C.
|
Inbound airline pilot watched light follow plane to within seven miles of airport; UFO confirmed by radar.
|
|
5:40 a.m.
|
Near Washington, D.C.
|
Radar sightings ended.
|
20
|
mid-evening
|
Andrews AFB, Maryland
|
USAF radar operators at weather tower tracked ten UFOs for 15-20 minutes; objects approached runway, scattered, made sharp turns and reversals. [Section VIII; Radar]
|
21
|
10:30 a.m.
|
Atlanta, Georgia
|
Colonel commanding Dobbins AFB announced detection of a UFO by radar. The object passed over the area at about 50,000 feet traveling 1200 mph.[9]
|
22
|
5:47 p.m.
|
New Smyrna Beach,
Florida
|
Private pilot and his wife saw a metallic appearing disc which hovered about ten seconds, then shot away in abrupt fast climb.
|
22/23
|
night and early morning
|
New England and New Jersey
|
Many reports of discs and maneuvering lights. Westfield, Maine: Ground Observer Corps reported three discs (different sizes) headed southwest; Nahant, Massachusetts: Coast Guardsman saw two discs circle station, head out to sea.
|
160
Date
|
Time
|
Location
|
Description
|
23
|
- - -
|
Culver City, California
|
Unofficial report of elliptical, silvery UFO seen by aircraft workers; launched two small discs which maneuvered, returned on board; parent object climbed straight up out of sight.
|
|
- - -
|
Braintree, Massachusetts
|
UFO tracked on radar, seen by ground observers as blue-green light.F-94 saw and chased UFO, locked on with radar, UFO pulled away and disappeared.[10]
|
|
11:35 p.m.
|
South Bend, Indiana
|
Captain Harold Kloth, USAF, saw two blue-white objects arc over city.
|
24
|
3:40 p.m.
|
Near Carson Sink, Nevada
|
Two USAF Colonels (both command pilots) saw three triangular objects in tight V formation; approached their B-25 at one o'clock position, banked past less that 1,000 yards away at estimated speed of over 1,000 mph. Investigation showed no aircraft, balloons or other devices in area. "Unknown." [11]
|
26-27
|
8:00 p.m.
after midnight
|
Washington, D.C.
|
UFOs tracked by CAA radar, chased by jet interceptors; some visual sightings.
|
|
8:15-9:46 p.m.
|
|
Civilian pilots saw glowing white lights moving at high speed on four occasions.
|
|
10:25 p.m.
|
Newcastle, Delaware
|
Fighters appeared on CAA radar scopes, were vectored on unknowns; one saw four lights ahead of him but could not catch them.
|
|
10:49 p.m.
|
About ten miles east of Mt.
Vernon, Virginia
|
Same pilot saw "steady white light;" light disappeared in about a minute.
|
______________________________________________________________________________
In a special article for International News Service, July 29, CAA Radar Specialists James Ritchey (who tracked the unidentified targets both weekends) said that one of the airline pilots mentioned above got close to a UFO. "He reported to us that he sighted a yellow light that appeared to turn red and then back to yellow again, "Ritchey said. "The object appeared to be about two miles away and to be flying parallel with him. Radar confirmed that he was between two and three miles from the object."
The Washington Post (July 28, 1952) reported that long range radar at Andrews AFB registered the UFOs from about 7:30 p.m. (EST) to about 11:00 p.m. (The CAA report on Washington radar sightings, although it has a column for that purpose, does not mention any Air Force radar sightings on either July 19/20 or July 26/27).
______________________________________________________________________________
26
|
Night
|
California
|
Air Defense Command radar tracked a UFO, F-94C
scrambled, locked on with radar, crew saw large yellow-orange light. Ground and airborne radar both showed that when jet would get close, UFO would suddenly accelerate and pull away, then slow down and let jet catch up again.
Object "Unknown"[13}
|
27
|
10:40 a.m.
|
Ann Arbor, Michigan
|
Scientist observed fifteen glowing UFOs in formation. [Section VI]
|
27
|
6:35 p.m.
|
Manhattan Beach, California
|
Eight people, including aviation engineer, watched maneuvers of seven discs in formations of two and three. [Section VI]
|
27
|
7:30 p.m.
|
Riverdale, Maryland
|
Air Force Lt. Wales, Andrews AFB, saw dark disc moving slowly northeast with "oscillating, rolling motion. "Clouds were moving southeast. UFO entered base of clouds. [CAA Report. See Section VIII; Radar]
|
|
10:00 p.m.
|
Andrews AFB, Maryland
|
Air Force Major Turlin reported unidentified yellow light which "moved slowly, stopped, flickered, moved in arc." [CAA Report]
|
27/28
|
1:00-5:00 a.m.
|
South Central Indiana
|
Round UFOs with visible "exhausts" were seen by
police, Civil Defense, military personnel and hundreds of citizens in twenty or more counties.
|
|
1:00 a.m.
|
Shelby County, Indiana
|
State policemen at opposite ends of county watched a maneuvering star like object which alternately hovered, moved up and down, back and forth.
|
|
2:30 a.m.
|
Near St. Paul, Minnesota
|
Air Force radar tracked UFOs, which appeared visually to pilots as rapidly moving lights.[14]
|
|
3:00 a.m.
|
Franklin, Indiana
|
Civil Defense and police saw one orange and one white light chasing each other as if in a dogfight.
|
28
|
7:55 a.m.
|
Geneva, New York
|
Hovering, elliptical UFO sighted. Vapor trails, apparently from interceptors, converged on object, it rose straight up and disappeared into cloud bank.
|
161
Daily papers headlined story that Air Defense Command had ordered its jet pilots to pursue and, if necessary, "shoot down" UFOs sighted anywhere in country [15].
Date
|
Time
|
Location
|
Description
|
28/29
|
1:30-5:00 a.m.
|
Washington, D.C.
|
Many unidentified targets tracked by CAA radar in belt fifteen miles wide, object moving southeast. Eight to twelve UFOs on radar scope at one time.
|
|
3:00 a.m.
|
Washington, D.C.
|
Eastern Airlines pilot was asked to check on radar targets, reported seeing nothing. CAA official said the targets disappeared from the radar screen when the plane was in their area, "then came back in behind him."[16]
|
29
|
day
|
Chicago, Illinois
|
U.S. Rocket Society president wired Defense Department and President Truman urging them to restrain pilots from shooting at UFOs. "Should they be extraterrestrial, such action might result in the gravest consequences..." Rumors that many prominent scientists wired President Truman expressing similar views.
|
29
|
day
|
Washington, D.C.
|
Air Force called press conference on UFO sightings,
|
attended by more than 40 reporters. Suggested UFOs were probably temperature inversion or unexplained natural phenomena causing radar mirages, but announced USAF was calling in top scientists to evaluate sightings; setting up special grid cameras to determine nature of light from UFOs. Stressed lack of any menace to country.
|
29
|
noon
|
Los Alamos, New Mexico
|
Shiny, apparently metallic UFO watched by ground observers through binoculars. Jet interceptors scrambled, observers saw UFO turn and move behind the jets.[17]
|
|
afternoon
|
Albuquerque, New Mexico
|
Air Force Reserve Colonel, at Los Alamos Atomic Energy Commission station, saw a yellowish elliptical object speed overhead.[18]
|
|
3:00 p.m.
|
Near Washington, D.C.
|
Air Force pilot sighted three round, white UFOs ten miles southeast of Andrews AFB, Maryland. CAA Report.Other UFOs tracked by CAA radar during afternoon.
|
|
9:35 p.m.
|
Miami, Florida
|
Marine Corps photographer obtained forty feet of movie film showing a UFO; image described as "bowl shaped with a projection on top." [Section VIII; Photographs]
|
|
About 10:45 p.m.
(EST)
|
Michigan
|
Air Defense Command radar tracked a UFO, moving at 550 knots. Chased by F-94s; one got a radar lock-on; bright flashing light seen at the same time, same position. [19]
|
30
|
day
|
Washington, D.C.
|
International News Service reports:
|
"Radar experts and weather scientists today declined to endorse the Air Force theory that "flying saucers" are ground objects reflected in the sky under freak atmospheric conditions. (CAA radar men maintained that what they have seen were "unknown objects, 'twisting and swerving in an unexplainable pattern. . .A Weather Bureau official said that reflections due to such inversion ordinarily would appear on a radar screen as steady line, rather than as single objects such as were sighted on the airport radar scope."
|
The Operation Mainbrace Sightings
After UFO reports in the United States had begun to taper off in August 1952, a wave of sightings began in Europe. All over the continent, strangely maneuvering objects were seen in the skies. A particularly interesting series of reports came from the vicinity of the "Operation Mainbrace" NATO maneuvers then in progress.
The maneuvers commenced September 13, and lasted 12 days. "Units of 8 NATO governments and New Zealand participated, including 80,000 men, 1,000 planes and 200 ships. . . in the vicinity of Denmark and Norway . . ." They were directed by British Admiral Sir Patrick Brind. "It was the largest NATO maneuver held up until that time." (Information from U.S. Navy).
September 13 - The Danish Destroyer "Willemoes," participating in the maneuvers, was north of Bornholm Island. During the night, Lt. Cmdr. Schmidt Jensen and several members of the crew saw an unidentified object, triangular in shape, which moved at high speed toward the southeast. The object emitted a bluish glow. Cmdr. Jensen estimated the speed at over 900 mph [20]
Within the next week, there were four important sightings by well-qualified observers. (Various sources differ by a day or two on the exact dates, but agree on details. There is no question about the authenticity of the sightings; the British cases were officially reported by the Air Ministry, the others are confirmed by reliable sources. All occurred on or about September 20). About September 20 - A British Meteor jet was returning to the airfield at Topcliffe, Yorks., England just before 11:00 a.m. As he approached for landing, a silvery object was observed following him, swaying back and forth like a pendulum. Lt. John W. Kilburn and other observers on the ground said that when the Meteor began circling, the UFO stopped. It was disc-shaped, and rotated on its axis while hovering. Suddenly, the disc took off westward at high speed, changed course, and disappeared to the southeast. The Air Ministry announced it was investigating. [21]
About September 20 - Personnel of the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt, participating in the Mainbrace maneuvers, observed a silvery, spherical object which was also photographed. (The pictures have never been made public). The UFO was seen moving across the sky behind the fleet. Reporter Wallace Litwin took a series of color photographs, which were examined by Navy Intelligence officers. The Air Force UFO project chief, Capt. Ruppelt stated: "[The pictures] turned out to be excellent ...judging by the size of the object in each successive photo, one could see that it was moving rapidly." The possibility that a balloon had been launched from one of the ships was immediately checked out. No one had launched a balloon. [22]
September 20 - At Karup Field, Denmark, three Danish Air Force officers sighted a UFO about 7:30 p.m. The object, a shiny disc with metallic appearance, passed overhead from the direction of the fleet and disappeared in clouds to the east. [23]
September 21 - Six Royal Air Force Pilots flying a formation of jets above the North Sea observed a shiny sphere approaching
162
from the direction of the fleet. The UFO eluded their pursuit and disappeared. When returning to base, one of the pilots looked back and saw the UFO following him. He turned to chase it, but the UFO also turned and sped away. [24]
September 27/28 - Throughout western Germany, Denmark, and southern Sweden, there were widespread UFO reports. A brightly luminous object with a comet-like tail was visible for a long period of time moving irregularly near Hamburg and Kiel. Once, three satellite objects were reported moving around a larger object [cf., Section II; Satellite Object cases]. A cigar-shaped object moving silently eastward also was reported. [25]
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