Project 10073 Record Card — Ashiya Air Base, Japan, 15 Oct 52

This Air Intelligence Information Report, dated October 22, 1952, details a series of radar sightings at Ashiya Air Base, Japan, occurring between 2300 hours on October 15 and 0200 hours on October 16, 1952. The report, authored by Captain John J. Brimley of the 403d Troop Carrier Wing, documents that radar operators from the 1955-1 AACS Detachment observed unidentified targets on their AN/MPN-1 (GCA) radar scopes. These targets, which appeared similar to light aircraft, were tracked moving from north to south at speeds estimated between 50 and 70 miles per hour, at altitudes ranging from 200 to 500 feet. Despite the radar activity, no visual contact was made by the radar crew, and the control tower reported seeing nothing in the area. The sightings lasted for approximately three hours. Four radar operators—T/Sgt Roberts, M/Sgt Harold B. Smith, T/Sgt Raymond E. Chace, and A/2c James Tucker—provided individual statements regarding their observations. Each operator noted the targets' behavior, specifically their tendency to appear north or west of the station and disappear into ground clutter near the runway. Three of the four witnesses explicitly suggested that the objects were likely birds. The official conclusion of the Wing Intelligence Officer, based on the lack of visual or sonic evidence and the consensus of the witnesses, was that the objects were likely birds. The report notes that there was no physical evidence, such as fragments or photographs, and that take-offs and landings at the air base were frequent during the period of the sightings.