The Foo Fighter Mystery

Kenneth Arnold’s sighting of objects ‘skipping like saucers’ near the Cascade Mountains in June of 1947 might generally be considered the beginning of the modern UFO age.

However, military aircrews were seeing strange objects in the sky during the dark days of World War II. These ‘foo’ fighters were spotted in increasing numbers as the war progressed. They were commonly described as football/basketball sized, white, red, yellow and amber glowing fireballs"..

Despite a few reports leaking to the press during the war, details remained sketchy for a long time until documents were released in the 1990s.

**Note there are no official accounts from Russian or Axis pilots seeing ‘foo’ fighters.

British Foo Fighter Records

British war records describe a ‘night phenomena’ with the earliest known report occurring on August 11th, 1940, – ‘Phenomena Connected With Enemy Night Tactics’. Which describes the problems gathering intelligence from "peculiar incidents reported by pilots”...

....... Sightings of aerial phenomena were made during the Second World War by RAF aircrew. These included balls of fire and mysterious moving lights that appeared to pursue Allied aircraft operating over occupied Europe. American pilots dubbed these UFOs 'foo-fighters', from a character in a comic strip whose catchphrase was 'where there's foo there's fire.'

Although the foo-fighters did not appear to be hostile the sightings alarmed air intelligence branches of the Air Ministry and US Army Air Force as they prepared for the invasion of France. The RAF began to collect reports of 'night phenomena' from 1942 and later in the war; the Air Ministry shared intelligence on the subject with the US authorities. They assumed the phenomena were German secret weapons, such as the Me262 jet fighter.

At the end of the war, no traces of advanced aircraft or weapons that could explain the 'foo fighters' were found by the Allied occupying forces. **In addition, intelligence officers such as Dr RV Jones discovered that German pilots had observed similar unexplained aerial phenomena...

Originally Sourced from: UK National Archives ref - AIR 2/5070

Note this reports that RV Jones discovered Germans were seeing the phenomena. Yet there don’t appear to be any official records released by Germany to confirm this

A further report by the Operational Research Section of the British Air Ministry entitled ‘A Note On Recent Enemy Pyrotechnic Activity Over Germany’ was issued on September 25th 1942.

These objects are undoubtedly shot up from the ground...The object first makes its appearance in the sky as an orange red ball of fire and its arrival is definitely not accompanied by any blast in its vicinity. It persists as a "ball of fire" about 50 to 60 feet in diameter for a period of about 5-10 seconds after which period it begins to "drip" multicoloured fragments which fall for about 150 feet before burning out. This cascade continues for about half a minute or a little longer, after which the whole thing appears to burn out......

....Phenomenon 1 is probably purely a 'scarecrow' and is not lethal.

Phenomenon 2 is probably a flare to assist enemy fighters. 'Flashless flak' if it exists exhibits all the normal characteristics of flak except the brilliance of the flash. None of the above mentioned phenomena are considered to be in any way connected with aerial mines...

American Reports

The US 8th Air Force based in Britain also reported strange craft in the skies during August, 1943 and not just balls of light:

....Most of our crews were at best relatively inexperienced. They early learned to identify the most obvious forms of conventional flak and cannon bursts but many of them from the first insisted they had seen multi-collared explosions of one kind and another. These observations were greeted with scepticism if not derision at first. It is likely that many valuable reports were lost by the crew members' reluctance to report such strange things as they knew they had seen. These men had little general knowledge of ordnance, and usually their observations were only fleeting glimpses caught in the heat of battle. "Pink Flak" became a joke long before it was a well-understood phenomenon.....

One of the more interesting ‘secret reports’ was of a two or three hundred feet long craft travelling at an estimated 500mph with four pair of red lights along it’s body.... Apparently also confirming the captain had sighted a similar craft “on the ground” three months earlier.



This description was more like the cigar shaped UFOs seen later in the 20th century than the fiery foo of World War II.

Investigation

American Physicist, David T. Griggs (pictured), was drafted in to investigate these strange sightings. He flew with training and combat mission crews during the war. Working under the command of General Harry ‘Hap’ Arnold, Griggs studied the ‘foo fighters’ in detail. In 1969, although he had none of his original reports in his possession, Griggs agreed to an interview with James McDonald.


Griggs made it clear that many reports stemmed from misinterpretations.
Yet he also felt that there was something more to the ‘foo fighter’ mystery. He noted that all his own reports from Europe had occurred over enemy territory especially noting reports of engine disturbances on aircraft connected to the foo fighters.




When Griggs moved to the Pacific, he noted that sightings were consistently of red/orange fireballs and surprisingly claimed the Japanese had developed “ray beam” technology that could stop engines at short range.



Excerpts from : UFOs and Government: A Historical Inquiry - By Michael Swords, Robert Powell



>>>continues below>>>

Foo Fighter Theories

There are numerous account of foo fighters on the web and in print and theories proposed as to what they were. Electrical discharges, ball lightning and St. Elmo’s Fire have all been suggested. Another idea is that ‘foo’ was an artificial plasma formation created when certain radar devices reacted with the atmospheric conditions to create these strange balls of light.

David Griggs study found no foo fighters were ever spotted over Allied territory. This circumstantially suggests they were generated from within German and Japanese territory. Was the ‘foo’ really a secret Axis weapon that hadn’t quite been perfected and was unable to cause damage to aircraft?

No details have ever been made public that such a weapon existed. The Allies (including the Russians) began ‘utilising’ the talents of German scientists at the end of the war. Which would mean ‘foo’ was a technology that remains top secret to this day, was one that the Russians or Americans never got their hands on, or perhaps never really existed at all?

Of course another theory is that what the pilots saw was something truly out of this world.

But no one explanation really fits all and the history of foo fighters remain a mystery to this day.

Maybe more information will eventually come to light.

But what became of that Japanese ‘beam’ technology that David Griggs claimed could stop engines?

Now, pile on with the Dave Grohl puns!

Always a fascinating subject and excellent presentation. Thanks! Gonna dig in now.

I have seen a red/orange fireball. It didn't drip but it did blow my mind. Natural or preternatural I do not know, but either way a worthy subject.

a reply to: mirageman

My biggest question is...
How come there has not been a reporting of Foo Foghters post world war 2?


There's a big beef with the video game of all things. Called "Call of Duty: Vanguard".

One of the mods among other things, is it's Over Use of the Red Dot site..

**Language**
Around the 15 min mark.
youtu.be...


He point's out that obviously red dot site didn't get used during WWII, but did say that the Japanese were working on it.

Very interesting thread, very well put together.

Edit: sorry, you were expecting this youtu.be...

originally posted by: Bigburgh
My biggest question is...
How come there has not been a reporting of Foo Foghters post world war 2?

Actually the red/orange fireball--whatever it is--is one of the oldest & ubiquitous aerial phenomena reported. It was already old hat when Columbus and crew spotted and described one.

Nine yea after the war ended I was a young child in the top floor of a house in downtown Seattle when many car horns began to blare nonstop. Everybody ran to the big picture window, and two blocks below the house, over the railroad tracks, was a large cigar-shaped 'craft'. Cars were just sitting there, with their horns blasting; the object sat motionless above the railroad tracks for several minutes, then shot away. Car horns stopped, and traffic began to move again.
The news reported on a strange phenomenon that caused car engines to die and their horns to sound continuously, but I don't recall if the craft was mentioned.

I often wonder if that wasn't part of a black-ops project. I wonder the same about Roswell and little green men; it gave people something to believe in and chase, while taking them farther and farther away from discovering any government involvement.

Interestingly, many of the first UFOs seen over nuclear bases after WWII and at the beginning of the cold war were red or orange fire balls.

a reply to: Bigburgh

I was watching a couple of Brandon Herrara videos last night.

He said, 'I am a firm believer in learning to shoot with iron sights.... then get a red dot.'

originally posted by: The GUT

originally posted by: Bigburgh
My biggest question is...
How come there has not been a reporting of Foo Foghters post world war 2?

Actually the red/orange fireball--whatever it is--is one of the oldest & ubiquitous aerial phenomena reported. It was already old hat when Columbus and crew spotted and described one.

Hmm, yeah you're right.

I'll have to look into that old base in Texas. Marfa is it?

Edit: and the Red River Light's in I think Thailand.

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: Bigburgh

I was watching a couple of Brandon Herrara videos last night.

He said, 'I am a firm believer in learning to shoot with iron sights.... then get a red dot.'

OS... but LMAO😆😆😆😆

OHhhhhh Berg... calling O'berg... James O.... where are ya?

originally posted by: mirageman

Excerpts from : UFOs and Government: A Historical Inquiry - By Michael Swords, Robert Powell

Another great thread MM and would say that book is a must read for everyone (whatever their position) as it deals solely with government's own internal documentation about the UFO subject.

Thought this was a good vid as it features Graeme Rendall discussing his early archival Foo Fighter research.

From 6:40

We get loads of them in the centre of the UK the Pennines backbone of Britain. Certain pleaces see them loads, often in the hill country. If I so wanted pretty confident I could go and meet some right now yet been out of the loop since the mid 2000's and these were generally white types yellows too.

Now these so called foo fighters they seem to have been the reds and oranges. With all respect to fellow ATS folk above, the foo were seen for sure by Axis forces. I've read stuff about Germans believing them to be Allied secret weapons. Everyone was mystified by the lights.

What we had back then was an amazing period of general violence in society spanning a few years that brought horrors to the western world. In addition to that we experienced new machines involved in that horror. Aircraft carriers in action in a serious game changing manner for the first time, nuke game changing weapons too. Massive bomber formations used against central Europe.

I have no idea on the ifs and whys yet such an explosion in new technology and its use in warfare might answer why these foo fighters suddenly appeared over the course of WW2. Whether the foo are dimensional, alien, or from down here and hiding away from us humans moist of the time, such an incredible acceleration in technological advancement must have been a heads up moment for the watchers out there.

From a personal view, I have seen some orange orbs pretty close up. They don't seem like they are from far away, they seem to know our geography and move around the tree line with ease, appear to made up of something like lava which turns and swirls in a clockwise manner like a washing machine, also they are capable (this bit is pretty incredible to witness) to be able to shape shift from the orb shape to something like a bodybuilders dumbell. So strange and amazing at the same time. If those things are secret weapons well, not the ones I've seen. They are something far stranger. Something out of this world. I would also add they are seen around the same time proper radiant white motherships appear.

originally posted by: peaceinoutz

Interestingly, many of the first UFOs seen over nuclear bases after WWII and at the beginning of the cold war were red or orange fire balls.

Some discs as well mate.

originally posted by: The GUT

Actually the red/orange fireball--whatever it is--is one of the oldest & ubiquitous aerial phenomena reported. It was already old hat when Columbus and crew spotted and described one.

Yes indeed Gut, quite a number of consistent (and global) reports up to the present day.

Don't know if you caught this one but did enjoy ex British Diplomat Gordon Creighton recounting his sighting of a disc shaped object over the Chinese Embassy in 1941 - he also describes an interesting UFoo (or 'Krautball') incident from Germany just after the end of WW2 where the object was said to enter a military aircraft and fly up and down the inside of the plane in front of eight witnesses.

Mr. Creighton spent many years in the British Foreign Service. He spent 10 years in China and in 1941 he saw a UFO while at the Embassy. In broad daylight he saw a disc-shaped, silent UFO with a blue white light on top flying very fast.

Cheers.

a reply to: ufoorbhunter

With all respect to fellow ATS folk above, the foo were seen for sure by Axis forces. I've read stuff about Germans believing them to be Allied secret weapons. Everyone was mystified by the lights.

Yes you've read about it. Even British Intelligence officer RV Jones made the claim that Axis forces saw foo fighters. But this information is all far too superficial to be of any value.

There have never been any documented reports released on foo fighters except by the Allies ( excluding the USSR).
If you don't believe me then go find me a detailed officially released report from Germany, Japan or Russia on the Foo Fighters.

That doesn't mean that these fireballs of light weren't/aren't a genuine phenomenon. Or that Axis forces didn't witness them during the war. But the fact that there are no records poses questions about their origin.

They're either alien drones or "us" sending them from the future, I lean towards the former. Why would any advanced race including our own risk their lives when they don't have to.

I've had an encounter with the foo fighters in the late 70s and pretty much saw them launched. I managed to get a good scope on two of them - they're the damnedest thing I've ever seen. Spooky quiet and very shiny. Additional details upon request.

It's a great subject. To me, Foo Fighters/UFOs are supernatural, although they can morph temporarily and appear technological. I've had many experiences myself which points to this being the case. John Keel's "Mothman Prophecies" and George Knapp's “Hunt for the Skinwalker” are two sources I often point to.

A book written by Kenneth Arnold, was titled …“FOO FIGHTERS & UFOs. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE WEIRD KIND: An Anthology of Newspaper Clippings: The WWII Mysterious Glowing Orbs”.

I’m not sure if this is the same Kenneth Arnold of the Mt Rainier fame….

Anyway …. the description for the book reads…..”The term "foo fighter" was used by Allied aircraft pilots during World War II to describe various UFOs or mysterious aerial phenomena seen in the skies over both the European and Pacific theaters of operations. Though "foo fighter" initially described a type of UFO reported and named by the U.S. 415th Night Fighter Squadron, the term was also commonly used to mean any UFO sighting from that period. Pilots provided detail descriptions of these orbs. According to them, these objects were variously described as fiery, and glowing red, white, or orange. Some pilots described them as resembling Christmas-tree lights and reported that they seemed to toy with the aircraft, making wild turns before simply vanishing. Pilots and aircrew reported that the objects flew formation with their aircraft and behaved as if they were under intelligent control, but never displayed hostile behavior. However, they could not be outmaneuvered or shot down. At that time, blaming Nazi Germany responsible for the flying glowing orbs wasn't too far-fetched. For one thing, the sightings took place over Nazi-occupied Europe, at a time when Germany's Luftwaffe was making tremendous strides. However, the sightings stopped once the German army was defeated”…..

This last sentence….”However, the sightings stopped once the German army was defeated”…

I’m not sure if that’s correct…..is it?

——————————————————————

And then there’s this from a different site………”Foo-Fighters are often mentioned in the UFO literature as being among the first modern era sightings of unidentified aerial objects, predating as they do the widely known civilian Arnold sighting of June, 1947. Seldom however, is documentary evidence of the reality and nature of these sightings presented to support mention of the Foo-Fighters. While the documents presented herein by no means represent all such material, they are a dramatic insight into the UFOs of the Second World War, and come from both the European and Pacific regions.”……

Source: FOO-FIGHTER DOCUMENTS

👽🥃☄️

a reply to: karl 12

Some discs as well mate.

Your right. There have been brook and mortar types reported as well.

I would be interested to know whether foo fighters were seen on Radar and whether those orange and red balls showing up at the nuclear sites were also seen on radar. What I've read says foo fighters weren’t seen on radar. As of now, I’m in the middle of UFO and Nukes by Robert Hastings and there I’ll look to see whether those lights were seen on radar or not.