Tasman Peninsula: RAAF Pilot Encounters Bronze Airfoil
In summer 1942, an RAAF pilot on patrol off Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, observed a large bronze-colored airfoil-shaped object with a dome that paced his aircraft before diving into the ocean at high speed.
Background
Witness Account
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilot was flying a patrol at 17:50 off the Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania, following reports from fishermen of unusual lights in the Bass Strait. He spotted a single, gleaming bronze-coloured object of wing-like shape, roughly 45 metres long and 15 metres wide, with a dome on top. It emerged from a bank of cloud.
Observation and Behavior
The object flew alongside his aircraft for several minutes before turning away at enormous speed. It returned, dived into the sea, and produced a strong swirl of waves in doing so. No sound was perceived.
Context and Sources
The sighting occurred during the Second World War in the course of military reconnaissance. Primary source: Bill Chalker in the APRO Bulletin (October 1982). This military encounter is among early reports of highly manoeuvrable objects that accompany aircraft and enter the sea.