Foo Fighters

Before “flying saucers,” there were foo fighters—mysterious lights that followed WWII aircraft on both sides of the conflict.

The Phenomenon

Allied and Axis pilots alike reported strange objects:

• Balls of light (red, orange, or white)
• Following aircraft closely
• Matching speed and maneuvers
• Sometimes in formation
• Non-aggressive behavior
• Unable to be shot down or shaken

The Name

The term “foo fighter” came from the comic strip Smokey Stover, where the character said “Where there’s foo, there’s fire.” American pilots adopted it for the unexplained lights.

Documented Reports

European Theater

• November 1944: 415th Night Fighter Squadron reported multiple encounters
• Pilots described glowing balls pacing their aircraft
• Objects showed apparent intelligence
• Disappeared suddenly or slowly faded

Pacific Theater

• B-29 crews over Japan reported similar phenomena
• Lights followed bombing formations
• Japanese pilots reported the same objects
• Both sides suspected enemy secret weapons

Official Response

Allied Investigation

• Initially assumed German secret weapon
• After war, discovered Germans had same reports
• Neither side developed such technology
• No explanation found

The Theories

• St. Elmo’s Fire (electrical phenomenon)
• Ball lightning
• Hallucinations from stress/oxygen deprivation
• Enemy weapons (never confirmed)
• Extraterrestrial observers

Notable Accounts

Lieutenant David McFalls

“A foo fighter picked up our aircraft… It stayed off our port wingtip for a while and then… just went out—like someone turning off a light.”

Japanese Pilots

Post-war interviews revealed Japanese pilots experienced identical phenomena and also had no explanation.

Significance

Foo fighters are notable because:

• Reported by trained military observers
• Seen by both Axis and Allied pilots
• Neither side could explain them
• Non-threatening but inexplicable
• Predate the modern UFO era

Legacy

After the war, foo fighter reports largely ceased. They remain unexplained, a wartime mystery that suggests something was watching—but from where?

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Whatever foo fighters were, they observed humanity’s most destructive conflict—without interfering.