The 415th NFS Hagenau Foo-Fighter Encounter

Record summary

A frequently cited 415th Night Fighter Squadron episode places luminous objects near aircraft over the Haguenau Forest region in Alsace during late 1944. The account is useful for studying how a named location, combat mission and later pilot recollection became part of the foo-fighter literature. Exact mission date, aircraft and object behavior should be checked against squadron records rather than assumed from secondary summaries. Conventional possibilities include flak-related phenomena, aircraft, searchlights and perceptual effects, although the surviving description may not resolve the case.