Radar-Visual
In Germany
Fursten-Feldbruck,
Germany
November 23, 1948
F-80 "Shooting Star"
Edward Ruppelt:
Toward the end of November a wire came in to Project Sign from Germany.
It was the first report (according to Ruppelt, but there were others
prior) where a UFO was seen and simultaneously picked up on radar. This
type of report, the first of many to come, is one of the better types
of UFO reports. The wire said:
| At 2200 hours, local time, 23 November, 1948, Capt.____
saw an object in the air directly east of the base. It was at an
unknown altitude. It looked like a reddish star and was moving in a
southerly direction across Munich, turning slightly to the SW then the
NE. The speed could have been between 200 to 600 mph, the actual speed
could not be estimated, not knowing the height. Capt ____ called base
operations and they called the radar station. Radar reported that they
had seen nothing on their scope but would check again. Radar then
called operations to report that they did have a target at 27,000 feet,
some 30 miles south of Munich, traveling 900 mph. Capt ____ reported
that the object that he saw was now in the area. A few minutes later
the radar called again to say the target had climbed to 50,000 feet,
and was circling 40 miles south of Munich.
Capt. ____ is an experienced pilot now flying F-80's and
is considered to be completely reliable, The sighting was verified by
Capt. ____, also a F-80 pilot. The possibility that this was a balloon
was checked but the answer from Air Weather Service was "not a
balloon". No aircraft were in the area. Nothing we know of, except
possibly experimental aircraft, which are not in Germany, can climb
23,000 feet in a matter of minutes and travel 900 miles per hour.
|
Capt. Edward J. Ruppelt
Source: The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, 26
|