FROM THE MUFON JOURNAL
SEPTEMBER, 1978
UFO RELATED INFORMATION FROM
THE
FBI FILE - Part 6
By Bruce S. Maccabee
(Copyright Bruce S. Maccabee, 1978)
THE 1950 KODIAK, ALASKA RADAR/VISUAL
FROM THE FBI FILES
I will begin with the Alaska sightings, which I will describe
completely since they have never before been published (to my
knowledge)
and since they are not in the Blue Book file.
On April 24,1950, the FBI received from the ONI (Office of Naval
Investigation - now the Naval Investigative Service) a copy of a report
on flying discs. The FBI was not alone in receiving copies — the CIA
got 8 copies, the State department received 5, and the Air Force
Director of Intelligence got 5. There are a few scrawled initials on my
FBI copy which suggest that someone might have read it, but the report
probably did not make much of an impact on the FBI, even though it was
at least one of the most credible, if not the most credible report
which the FBI had received up to that time. The report outlined three
sightings of unidentified objects by enlisted and commissioned Navy
personnel in the vicinity of Kodiak, Alaska.
The sightings took place during the mornings of 22 and 23 January,
1950. The report referred to enclosures which contained verbatim
accounts,
airplane track data, and weather and balloon data. Apparently the
enclosures were not sent to the FBI. Since the copy I received from the
FBI was partially illegible, and since I did not receive copies of the
enclosures, I attempted to locate an original copy by appealing
directly to the Navy. After a "paper chase" lasting about 3 months I
obtained a completely legible copy of the report, less the enclosures,
but including the comments of offeial Navy investigators who tried to
explain the sightings! I have been informed that the enclosures, if
they
exist, are probably in the uncatalogued records of a no-longer-existing
research group known as "Op322F2". However, even without the enclosures
the summaries within the report are sufficiently detailed to indicate
that something unusual was in the Alaska skies in February 1950.
CONFIDENTIAL INTELLIGENCE REPORT ISSUED
BY THE INTELLIGENCE DIVISION
OFFICE OF CHEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS NAVY DEPARTMENT
DATE OF REPORT: 10 Feb. 1950
PLACE: Kodiak, Alaska
SOURCE:
Official U.S. Navy
SUBJECT: UNIDENTIFIED
PHENOMENON IN VICINITY OF KODIAK, ALASKA
EVALUATION: A-2
BRIEF: A report
of sighting of unidentified airborne objects, by various navy
personnel, on 22 and 23 January 1950, in the vicinity of Kodiak,
Alaska, is contained herein.
ENCLOSURES:
(these were not obtained with the copies I received — BSM)
1. Enclosures (1), (2), and (4) are completed forms suggested by
Commander in Chief, Alaskan Command, Fort Richardson, Alaska for the
reporting of sighting of unidentified objects. (These enclosures were
filled out by Smith, Morgan, Carver, and Barco.) Enclosure (3) is a
sketch of radar interference experienced in aircraft piloted by Lt.
Smith. Enclosure (5) is a track chart of aircraft in which Lt. Barco
was embarked when he sighted unidentified object. Enclosure (6)
contains statements by Morgan and Carver relative to their sighting.
Enclosure (7) is a copy of Lt. Barco's statement and enclosure (8) is a
summary of weather and balloon release information.
2. A summary of the information contained in enclosure (1) through (8)
follows:
a) At 220240W
(Jan 22. at 2:40 A.M.) Lt. Smith, USN, patrol plane
commander of P2V3 No. 4 of Patrol Squadron One reported an unidentified
radar contact 20 miles north of the Naval Air Station, Kodiak, Alaska.
When this contact was first made, Lt. Smith was flying the Kodiak
Security Patrol. At 0248W (2:48 A.M.), 8 minutes later a radar contact
was made on an object 10 miles southeast of NAS, Kodak. Lt. Smith
checked with the control tower to determine known traffic in the area,
and was informed that there was none. During this period the radar
operator, Gaskey, ALC, USN reported intermittent radar interference of
a type he had never before experienced (See enclosure (3)). Contact was
lost at this time, but intermittent interference continued.
2. b) At some time between 0200 and 0300W, Morgan, BMC, USN, was
standing watch on board the USS Tillamock (ATA 192), which was anchored
in the vicinity of buoy 19 in the main ship channel. Morgan reported
sighting a "very fast moving red glow light, which appeared to be of
exhaust nature, seemed to come from the southeast, moved clockwise in a
large circle in the direction of and around Kodiak and returned but in
a generally southeast direction." Morgan called Carver, QM1, USN, also
on watch, to observe this object, and they both witnessed the return
flight. No odor or sound was detected, and the object was described to
have the appearance of a ball of fire about one foot in diameter.
2. c) At 220440W {4:40 A.M.), conducting routine Kodiak security
patrol, Lt. Smith reported a visual sighting of an unidentified
airborne object at a radar range of 5 miles, on the starboard bow
(i.e., simultaneous radar-visual observation!). This object showed
indications of great speed on the radar scope. The trailing edge of the
blip gave a tail like indication, (i.e., the blip was smeared because
the object was moving noticeably during the time that the radar beam
swept by it). At this time Lt. Smith called attention of all crew
members to the object. An estimated ten seconds later, the object was
directly overhead, indicating a speed of 1800 mph. Lt. Smith climbed to
intercept and attempted to circle to keep the object in sight. He was
unable to do this, as the object was too highly maneuverable.
Subsequently the object appeared to be opening the range, and Smith
attempted to close the range. The object was observed to open out
somewhat, then to turn to the left and come up on Smith's quarter.
Smith considered this to be a highly threatening gesture, and turned
out all the lights in the aircraft. (Perhaps Smith thought the object
couldn't see in the dark and had no radar?) Four minutes later the
object disappeared from view in a southeasterly direction.
2 d) At 230435W (Jan.23 at 4:35 A.M.). the day following Lt. Smith's
sighting. Lt. Causer and Lt. Barco of Patrol Squadron One were
conducting the Kodiak Security Patrol and sighted an
unidentified object. At the time of the sighting the aircraft in which
those officers were embarked was approximately 62 mies south of Kodiak.
The object appeared to be on an ascending westerly course, and was in
sight for ten minutes. During this period the object was observed by
Lieutenants Causer and Barco, and Paulson, ADl, plane captain. At no
rime was radar contact made on the object. Lt. Causer was unable to
close the object at 170 knots (about 196 mph; during 10 minutes the
plane could travel about 32 statute miles).
2. e) The objects sighted have been described as follows:
1) To Lt. Smith and crew it appeared as
two orange lights rotating
about a common center, "like two jet aircraft making slow rolls in
tight formation''. It had a wide speed range.
2) To Morgan and Carver it appeared as
a reddish orange ball of fire
about one foot in diameter, travelling at a high rate of speed.
3} To
Causer, Barco, and Paulson it appeared to be a pulsating orange yellow
projectile shaped flame, with regular period of pulsation on 3 to 5
seconds, off 3 to 5 seconds. Later, as the object increased the range
the pulsation appeared to increase to on 7 to 8 seconds and off 7 to 8
seconds.
3. A check with the Navy Weather Central, Kodiak, Alaska revealed that
balloons were released at the following times:
22 January • 0445W and 2200 W,
approximately (i.e., 4:45 A.M. and 10:00
P.M.)
23 January-0400 W, approximately
4. On 23 January winds aloft at 1000 feet were reported at 0400W as
from 310 degrees (i.e., from northwest) at 36 knots (41 mph), and at
2000
feet, from 240 degrees (west-southwest) at 37 knots, while the object
was
reported to be on an ascending, westerly course (i.e., into the wind).
COMMENT: In view of the fact that no weather balloons were known to
have been released within a reasonable time before the sightings, it
appears that the object or objects were not balloons (bravo! — BSM). If
not balloons the objects must be regarded as phenomena, possibly
meteorites (sic), the exact nature of which could not be determined by
this office.
This concludes the report of the Alaska sightings as received from the
FBI. Parenthetical statements and emphasis in the above sentences have
been added by myself. From the Naval Historical Center I received the
above summary and also the official Navy analysis. The analysis was
carried out by two groups, apparently independently. Neither group had
very enlightening things to say. The official opinion of OP322F2 was:
"Many of the previous reports of radar interference tend to indicate
local interference (generated within the aircraft). This looks more
like external interference from sources outside the aircraft than
previous reports, though it is far from conclusive. These reports are
always of interest."
The official opinion of OP322V2C was; "The possibi/ify exists that
incidents covered by para. 2. a,b, & d might be jet aircraft;
however, there is insufficient intelligence to definitely identify the
unidentified objects as aircraft. Several reports of similar radar
interference have been received from DIO/17ND. It is possible that this
is interference from another radar in the vicinity, malfunctioning of
components within the radar set or both."
(Note: D1O/17ND is the intelligence unit of the 17th Naval District
which included Alaska.)
Notice that the explanations offered by F2 ignored the visual sightings
completely. V2C tried to offer explanations for the visual and radar
sightings for paragraphs 2. a,b, and d above. However, V2C "choked"
when it came to 2.c. In the margin of the copy of the report which I
received from the Navai Historical Center there are notations which
give us some idea of the way V2C approached these
reports. Next to paragraphs 2.a,b, & d are the notations "A/C?"
which stand for "Aircraft?" However, next to paragraph 2.c there is
simply the notation "?", which suggests that the radar-visual sighting
that included a chase by the aircraft involved (Lt. Smith) completely
stumped the "experts". Perhaps within the inner souls of the persons
who viewed this report there was a glimmer of the truth — "flying
saucers exist." But who would dare make such a statement in an official
document at a time when the Air Force had "proven" that flying saucer
reports, or at least most of them, can be explained away? Perhaps
OP322F2 had something besides Navy radar interference problems in mind
when he (they) wrote at the end of the statement, "These reports are
always of interest."