PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD CONCLUSIONS ss Ocean City, Nar-.r1and 0 Was Balloon 0 Probably Balloon 3. DATE-TIME GROUP TYPE OF OBSERVATION Pos.si bly Balloon ::0 Ground-Visual 0 Ground-Radar Was Ai rcroft 0 Probably Aircraft 0 Ai~ Vi suol 0 Air-Intercept Radar Possibly Aircraft Wa s Astronomical Probably Astronomical 0 Possibly Astronomical L ENGTH OF OBSERVATION HUMBER OF OBJECTS COURSE C!. Other s K~ 0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation 15 !:inutes lO. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS fire en:.ered to Hater. Extensive NavaJ. activity I dentified Sr:!.oke .!'ot. DE?ARTMENT OF THE A I R FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATF.S AIR FORCE WASH I ~IGTOI'I o!: Ocaa!'l DOViNGRA DY.'') DF.CLA~ .. Jist-:-ict Cffice :-ro. 2l, d.:=! ted ,;it.ness ~.;~,-) 'iJJr02.C~ed nea: enoJ.gh to t::e obj3C7. ;!1 ':'.lestio!1 to i..le!1-r.ify it as J. s:1oke po-::.. 1':19 District Intslligence Officer of -c.h.-a opinion t:na.t t!:9 r?portad ::1ove-::ent of tee o\jec t c~n be o.:::c.:>u..-1.ted for by .::-:ason of s":'!oka being olo ..m a . .;ay fror.t t h s objec t ,;?..s 9JG;!nsiv9 naval act.i.-ri t;:r i:1. the 2..I'99. 'JJ. su'.:~ ec:; .:;i_;:~ti:13 and t:1at a C.elicoota::-o~aro.-r.:i.l"...g :..:: tl:.9 vicinity o':Jserv-:d C?ns.:J.e::-ao:..::! .::.u.."mage Uf' lCLil.SSl f i EO l. This invcsti[;t:'.ti~n ,.r.:-.s initi<.tl-c! ..;11 30 Jul~/ 1954 !Jy the. rcc:t-'cst o f Cnpt.1.i:1 tJILLI:Jt L . l::L:SSl:i:; t, District Int...:l1ir;cncc. Offic::!' (DIO) , 5th Uv.v.1.l District, llorfolk, V:1.. The DIO <:-.t\viscd th~t his Qffic- h.:td r..:::ccivcd infornntion fron their Ba1ti! :or e Office to th;..; effect th~t. v.t 1500 hours, 27 July 1954, indivic.u2.1s nbco.r d tv10 fishin,s vcss-.;ls l o c.:.ted southc~st of Occc.n City, tid. , observeC. .~n object ve.riousl~r c~cscribcd ns n reel b2.11 or 2. bQJ.1 of r eel fl.:-..!~:c, \:hich entcrc.;c~ the :~t .... r ::tpprc~d.::-:.:>.tcly 15 niles southcnst of Occ.:m City. The '.ri.tnessc s st.:>.tcd they cbscrvcd the object for v.pproxiJ.1.:.tely 15 D.inutes .::..11C. v::rious1y estir.!D.tcd the sp::ecl to be fro:.~ 8 to 24 knots. One uitness obs..;rvcC. the object throu~;h bL11ocuk.rs. Sm:e of tr.c vritncsses st.:'.toc~ thet the object tr~vcleC. subr.~erf;cd p::rt cf the tiL!c J otl1crs th.:-.t it trv.velcd on t~1e surf.:.cc. The DIO further 2-cl.viscd t!::-.t the ,.;c.ter in tho a.rcu. in question is too sh:-.llo1T to p~rr.:it the c:r-cr.::-.tion o f c. sub:.::nril"lC Snorkel depth nnd no ii:-.'\.'<'.1 cr0ft of tl:.::>.t tyy:c \:ere in the vicinity o.t thl! tine of sighting. The DIO requested 031. t o c:lctcrr::.L!t. ilhethcr ~my LnnGley :..FD .-.ctivity or the Nv.tiona.l .. dvisory Coi'::i ttec f or :.cr o- n::!.utics could u.ccount for subject si.:;htin6. 2 . Spcciu.l :.;;ent D\TIGHT Opcr:-.tions, vrc.s tel~phonic.:.l1y contu.ctcd. 2.nc~ ~.ftcr rc.;viuvrir.t; his rcc~!''=~S, ~C.-J'iscd that Lt!nb1ey .'.FD r..:-.c. not l ost nny c..ircr.::.ft on 27 Julj' 1954; tl:.:"!. t there h2.d bee n no reported loss of nircr.:.ft \linG tip tanks on 27 July 1954 .:-.nd further th~t k.nt;1~y :.FB v.ircru.ft do n e t conc:luct firint:.; o r be:-:binr; practice over the .:-.re2. in question. On 30 July 1954, ~i-. .ctinG m;;inc-.;r-in-Chc.rt;(. ' Pilotless .'.ircr.:'..ft [1(!s.e~rch St.:-.t on, N~t .'.dviscry Cot:r.!.ittce f or :.cronnutics, T~r c , V2.. C i<1llops Isl2..i1.c1., V;:o..), vro.s tcli .. phcnic::ll:-/ contected by sto.tcd in effect th.:.t on 27 July 1954 his or;:;2.niz~tion fircc:l c.. 2-1/2 rocket 2.nd :-. H...;sc.:-.rch i~odcl. The r:issilcs ,,rc r e tr::!.ckcd by r<ld.:lr . The 2-1/2 r ocke t struck the ':r::ter c.pprcxi!.~.::>.tcly 5500 ynrc~s fro:: the point of l.:tunchL11g. The ~.::.;scu.rch Eodcl struck tl-:0 11<:'.t<Jr .<>.pprox::i..nntcly 5000 yu.rc:ls f ron the point o f lc.unchin::;. The !JOL'1ts of ir.:.pcct of the D.issi1cs '''Crc np11roxir.:2.tcl~' 30 , :ilc s frcn Subje;c7. sis.'it- ::;ec~ th.:tt n o c..tta.:pt is nu.dc t0 r ecove r such uissilcs. urthcr <'.dvisec~ that durLn..; the :;2.st thrc0 ! .onths his o r t;cnizc:.- hc..s not l:.1.unchccl <1ny r.lissilc..:s '\Jhich ~1::-..vc a. .fuel e;:{pcct:'.ncy c f ::.;::r .. thre e (3) seconds 2.n(~ th.:-..t the i:issilcs cited. o.bovc l.:-.nc1,;c'. \d. t i-:in .:ln .:-.rca. of t1ro hu11drcd y:1.rds frar~ the ir.1pc.ct p oints inc1ic:'.t.::.<~ 0 b ov..:::. UNCLASS\FtED ! ,...uNITED STATES AIR f'ORCE , THC I NSF i!C 1 Of'l GII:N1tRA1.. . 53- (24)-ll OF!" ICE 0~ 5 .-.ECIAL INVI:S liGAT IONS REPOIIT MADE BY ni"POJT O:F iH"VlSTIGA TIOH R.EPORr MADE AT ( Confidentiu.l) LJ...Yl[!;1ey AFB, Va . Unidentified Object siGhted 15 cile s Southeast of Ocean City, Nd . , oma O F OftiSIN 15CO hours, 2? July 1954 \ Ii.riTLU REPORT Investi.gati0n requesteC. by District Int.e11icence Officer, 5th NaV\ll District, to deten:dne if any I.anG].ey AFB activity ' ros resl=X)nsib1e for .:tn un- identified object observed approxir..E.tel~r 15 ni) es southeast of Ocean City, l:d.. 27 July 1954. In- vestieation revealed no Air ?orce activity at LAFB which could acco,mt fo'i" the sighting . NACA St.::!.tion, ~fa] J ops Isl.::!.nG., Va . , c.dYised th.::!.t they fired u rocket and <!.Research Eod.el on 27 July 1954, but thc::.t. the points of ir::~ct of these ni ss iles as checke1 . by rn.Cnr~ wer e apprc:;dt;at~ly 30 ri J es ! ron Subjeet sighting. tnUifi'HCRlzin DISCI..OSUU 01'. Dil't!UUTION cetrrAINED IN THIS BKMT IS P!WHIBil'XO ,urn ~nJ. BE CCHSIDXR P:n A VIOUTIOR OP APR 205-1 AND 1l'R 205-6 . . OISTRI atrnofC FILE STAMP l Dir OSI 2 . Condr, TAC (Infc) 1 D\'JII"U'TI Lt Colonel~ USAF