PROJECT 1947

UFO REPORTS - 1945 - Hanford Engineer Works, Washington

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SECRET
HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL
180 NEW MONTGOMERY STREET
SAN FRANCISCO 6 CALIFORNIA
314.81/174 (4AFGA-S&C)1
4 January 1945
SUBJECT: Daily Diary (Period 1600 3 January 1945 to 1600 4 January 1945).
TO : Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Washington 25, D. C.
(Attention: Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Training).
. . . .
3. Japanese Balloon Incidents. RESTRICTED
In accordance with request from the Public Relations Officer, Western Defense Co
mmand, notified all subordinate headquarters this command directed that no publi
city be released concerning the Japanese balloons which have been found at diffe
rent areas of the Pacific Coast and further directed that local inquiries be ref
erred to this command.
(PRO)
. . . .


SECRET
HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL
180 NEW MONTGOMERY STREET
SAN FRANCISCO 6 CALIFORNIA
314.81/190 (4AFGA-S&C)1
23 January 1945
SUBJECT: Daily Diary (Period 1600 22 January 1945 to 1600 23 January 1945).
TO : Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Washington 25, D. C.
(Attention: Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Training).
. . . .
2. Air Defense Measures at Hanford Engineering Company SECRET
Resulting from an unidentified aircraft flying over the Hanford Engineering Comp
any Plant at Pasco, Wash. on at least three nights in the past month (this Compa
ny is engaged in undisclosed projects for the War and Navy Departments) this hq
was requested by WDC, about ten days ago, to move one Btry of searchlights from
Seattle to the Pasco plant. The Thirteenth Naval District has made arrangements
for Naval Air Station, Pasco, to employ both radar and fighter aircraft in atte
mpting interception of these unidentified aircraft. The airspace over the Hanfo
rd Company is both a Danger area and a Restricted area. Our battery of searchli
ghts has been in place since 15 January; one incident has occurred since that da
te in which a brief radar contact was made - attempted night interception again
failed. It is understood that WDC has obtained permission from War Department i
n this instance for the Navy to fire on such unidentified aircraft as can be int
ercepted over this area. The U.S. Army Commanding Officer at the Hanford Projec
t was called by this Division and agreed to release the searchlights this week,
however, he desires to withdraw only approximately half of the battery; i. e. on
e platoon of six lights. This proposal was passed to both 4th AAA Command and W
DC who concurred and instructions have been issued to withdraw one Platoon this
date, the other platoon will remain approximately one week, depending on further
incidents.
(D/O)
. . . .


SECRET
HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL
180 NEW MONTGOMERY STREET
SAN FRANCISCO 6 CALIFORNIA
314.81/191 (4AFGA-S&C)1
25 January 1945
SUBJECT: Daily Diary (Period 1600 23 January 1945 to 1600 25 January 1945).
Two-Day Period
TO : Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Washington 25, D. C.
(Attention: Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Training).
1. 1. Commanding General's Office. UNCLASSIFIED
Major General Charles R. Parker assumed command of the Fourth Air Force effectiv
e 25 January 1945.
. . . .
3. Security Measures, Pasco, Washington CONFIDENTIAL
a. "Danger Area" over Handford Eng Co.
At the request of G-3, Western Defense Comand, Hq Fourth Air Force has, through
the Seattle Control Group, sent special notification to: (1) CAA, (2) Ferry Comm
and, (3) ATC and (4) Navy, as well as to Fourth Air Force bases in the Northwest
, re "Danger Area" to flying, over the Hanford Eng. Co, near Pasco, Wash. This
same information is carried in Chart 2 of the "Weekly Notices to Airmen" for 11
January 1945. Naval Air Station, Pasco, Wash, has WD authority to fire on unide
ntified aircraft intercepted over this "Danger Area."
b. Request for Night Fighters at Pasco, Wash.
Western Defense Command and Army Commands represented at the Hanford Eng Co, Pas
co, have informally asked Hq Fourth Air Force for one or more night fighter airc
raft to be based, temporarily, at Naval Air Station, Pasco, for employment again
st the alleged "bogie" which has been detected by radar on several nights in the
past three weeks. Presumably, such night fighters as we might furnish would op
erate under Naval GCI Station at Pasco. Decision is being withheld pendng more
definite information regarding this incident.
(D/O)
. . . .


PROJECT 1947 Comment: Commander R. W. Hendershot revealed his role in the Hanfor
d incident many years after 1945. Decades after that some possible official con
firmation was located at the National Archives.
The NICAP Subcommittee in Washington State indicated that Commander Hendershot h
ad agreed to a tape recorded interview at some future date. We do not know if t
his occurred. However, among Richard Hall's' files were hundreds of tape record
ings from various NICAP members and groups. Perhaps this interview is contained
in this collection.
Further information on the Hanford incident is probably in the records of the We
stern Defense Command, Thirteenth Naval District, the Naval Squadron stationed a
t Naval Air Station, Pasco, Western Sea Frontier, Hanford Works, and in other re
cords of the HQ Army Air Force.
These specific 4th Air Force documents, while addressed to the Assistant Chief o
f Air Staff for Training at Washington, D. C., were found in the HQ, Army Air Fo
rces, Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, at the National Archives II, Decim
al File Number 319.1 Daily Diary. Note that the 4th Air Force documents give no
clue as to what is going on at Hanford, which at the time was producing plutoni
um for the first atomic bombs.
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