AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT IR-7-52

On 14 December 1952, three airmen from the 527th AC&W Group stationed at Tsu Saki, Japan, observed an unidentified aerial object for approximately 25 minutes. The witnesses, A/2C Theodore M. Edwards Jr., A/3C Rollin M. Ellis Jr., and A/2C Fredric B. Pentek, described the object as a bright, star-like light that appeared yellow and intermittently turned orange. The object was observed between 0350I and 0415I, initially at an altitude estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, eventually rising to approximately 20,000 feet before disappearing below the horizon. The witnesses reported that the object exhibited erratic movement, shifting vertically and horizontally before returning to its original position. A/2C Pentek noted that the object appeared to cast a beam of light onto the water below, similar to a stage spotlight. Despite the visual sighting, radar operators were unable to detect the object. The weather conditions were reported as VFR with clear skies, though some haze and smoke were present. The official conclusion reached by the intelligence officers was that the sighting was 'probably astronomical,' likely a star setting in the southwest, with the perceived color changes and erratic movement attributed to atmospheric refraction and viewing conditions at great distances. A comment from the Director of Intelligence Requirements for FEAF further suggested that the phenomenon could have been caused by searchlights from surface vessels in the Tsushima Straits or refracted starlight through surface haze and smoke. The report includes statements from the witnesses and a sketch of the object's path.