Project 10073 Record Card and Related Staff Messages — Sighting of Flashing Red Light, 10 December 1962

On 10 December 1962, a civilian report was filed regarding a sighting of a flashing red light and associated radar pips near the Long Island Sound. The incident, recorded under Project 10073, prompted a series of military communications and a CIRVIS (Communication Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings) report. Initial reports indicated that the object was observed at 300 degrees true, one mile from the Little Gull Point Light. Upon approach, the object disappeared both visually and on radar. A subsequent search of the area by a Coast Guard HC-130 aircraft (CGNR 1346) yielded negative results, and the aircraft was forced to return to Coast Guard Air Station Brooklyn due to weather conditions and darkness. Further investigation by military authorities, specifically COMASWFORLANT, evaluated the incident and concluded that the flashing light was actually a search light originating from two surfaced submarines, identified as the USS Blenny and the USS Bang. The incident was officially closed following this identification.