The 509th
Composite Group and the UFOs
During the latter part of the
month of May 1945, the greater part of the 509th Composite Group
arrived on Tinian Island in the Mariana Islands, western Pacific
Ocean. The movement was done via C-54 or B-29 aircraft
following a route from the United States to Hickman Field, Hawaii,
to Johnston Island, to Kwajalein Island in the Marshall Islands, and
then on to Tinian Island. (1)
The first C-54, number 9009, of the Advanced
Air Echelon flew from Kwajelein to Tinian on May 22, 1945.
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This route can be plotted on the map link below.
One can see that the last leg of the journey from
Kwajelein to Tinian crosses north of the Caroline Islands. The Caroline
Islands is where Truk Atoll is located.
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HEADQUARTERS VII Bomber Command
APO #244 MISSION REPORT NO. 11-327 DATE: 2 MAY 1945 (GCT). OBSERVATIONS: The crew of plane #616 over FALA ISLAND,
TRUK ATOLL, at 021802Z observed 2 airborne objects at their 11,000 foot
altitude changing from a cherry red to an orange, and to a white light
which would die out and then become cherry red again. These objects
were out on either wing and not within range of caliber .50 machine
guns. Both followed the B-24 through all types of evasive action. A
B-24 took a course for GUAM and one of the pursuers dropped off at
021900Z after accompanying the B-24 for an hour. The other continued to
follow, never approaching closer than 1000 yards and speeding up when
the B-24 went thru the clouds to emerge on the other side ahead of the
B-24. In daylight it was seen to be bright silver in color. As the B-24
let down at GUAM, the pursuer took a course of 330 degrees at 15,000
feet to 20,000 feet altitude at 022130Z. One B-24 encountered eight
intense flames light green in color, one of which burst and hung at
5,000 feet at 021013Z. There was no trail or warning until the actual
burst. A B-24 reported 9 to 10 red tracer type trails of fire up to
5,000 feet. They came in pairs and one pair came within 50 to 100 yards
of the tail of the B-24 at 021010Z. Source of each pair was at a
different location."
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Jo Chamberlin, in a 1945 article on the Foo Fighters published
in the American Legion Magazine, provides what is the first secondary
source [cha]:
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Far to the south, a B-24 Liberator was at 11,000 feet over
Truk lagoon, when two red lights rose rapidly from below, and followed
the B-24. After an hour, one light turned back. The other kept on --
sometimes behind, sometimes alongside, sometimes ahead about 1,000
yards, until daybreak when it climbed to 15,000 feet and stayed in the
sun, like a Jap fighter seeking game, but never came down. During the
flight, the light changed from red to orange, then white, and back to
orange, and appeared to be the size of a basketball. No wing or
fuselage was observed. The B-24 radioed island radar stations to see if
there were any enemy planes in the sky. The answer was: "None." A
curious business, and one for which many solutions have been advanced,
before the war was over, and since. None of them stand up. The
important point is: No B-29 was harmed by the balls of fire, although
what the future held, no one knew. The Japanese were desperately trying
to bolster up their defense in every way possible against air attack,
but without success. Our B-29s continued to rain destruction on
Japanese military targets, and finally dropped the atomic bomb.
Naturally, U. S. Army authorities in Japan will endeavor to find the
secret -- but it may be hidden as well as it appears to be in Europe.
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References:
The '*' indicates sources that I own or checked, the '?'
indicates sources that I have not been able to read yet.
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The Truk atoll of the Central Caroline Islands in Micronesia is
located
in the Pacific Ocean at lat. 7 degrees 25 minutes N. and long. 151
degrees 45 minutes E. The atoll, comprising a barrier reef, volcanic
and coral islands, and a lagoon, covers some 822 square miles, of
which only about 38 square miles is dry land area.
in the Pacific Ocean at lat. 7 degrees 25 minutes N. and long. 151
degrees 45 minutes E. The atoll, comprising a barrier reef, volcanic
and coral islands, and a lagoon, covers some 822 square miles, of
which only about 38 square miles is dry land area.
Latitude: 7° 25 Min. 0 Sec.
Longitude: 151° 45 Min. 0 Sec.
Longitude: 151° 45 Min. 0 Sec.
| Truk Atoll |
Sources:
(1) HISTORY
OF 509TH COMPOSITE GROUP, 313TH BOMBARDMENT WING,
TWENTIETH
AIR FORCE, ACTIVATION to 15 AUGUST 1945, pages 19 - 24. http://www.au.af.mil/au/afhra/photo_galleries/509_composite_group_history/509th/509th.pdf