Numeric Files 1944–1945 37153 German Armament Equipment Documents

This file from SHAEF Air Staff, dated between January and March 1945 and closing with an 18 March 1945 letter, collects wartime correspondence about "night phenomena" that 415th Night Fighter Squadron crews called foofighters. It includes the squadron's sortie extracts from December 1944 and January 1945 describing lights that followed aircraft near Strasbourg and elsewhere, plus a report of an aluminum-colored cylinder that pilots attacked. The Air Ministry suggested Me 262s and flak rockets as explanations but admitted the matter remained a mystery.

From the source:Release of 2026-05-08 Incident: 3/18/45, Germany. NARA Record Group 331, catalogue id 120752. This file contains SHAEF messages and memorandums related to "night phenomena (foofighters)," flak rockets, unidentified cylindrical objects, and blinking lights. The documents include multiple references to the observations of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron.

# SHAEF STAFF MESSAGE CONTROL INCOMING MESSAGE

54A

JEUS

TOO 011947A MARCH

TOR 012100A MARCH

mhm 012115A MARCH

SEGHR

Q P P R I O R I T Y

HAEFN

FROM

qC -2MAR1945

: HQ IX TAC SIGNED QUESADA

TO

37153

:CG SHAEF MAIN ATTN A-2, CG NINTH AF ADV ATTN A-2

REF NO

: NONE,

Pilots report the following.

An aluminum colored cylinder shaped object, about 12 ft long and 1 ft in diameter was observed floating in the air at 9,000 ft. It appeared to be suspended vertically with small fins and a mast projecting from the lower end. The object was attacked and partially deflated, a red flame resulted without smoke. The cylinder did not disintegrate.

Photo taken by 107 SQ of 67 TAC/R Group at 011030 hours via F-5710.

ACTION

: AIR STAFF

INFORMATION

: G-2

SHAEF FORWARD

AG RECORDS

AIR STAFF
DISTRIBUTION
ACTION .NFOR.
A-2 A-1
A-3 A-3
A-4 A-4
S11 S11
A G C

2364 4:49

SMC IN 310

1 MAR 45

2200A

AGD/vml

REF NO: NONE