Near Hopa Turkey reported aerial observation — September 16, 1958

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING: Projectile left ground & proceeded over water at only 50-100 ft. Broke into a cluster of 6-9 bright red lights which disappeared; then reappeared as a single object which again disappeared. SOURCE OBSERVED FROM DECK OF SURFACE VESSEL APPROACHING PORT OF HOPA, TURKEY SEARCHLIGHTS AND SOUNDS. PAGE TWO RJEZHQ 333 IDENTIFICATION OF FLYING OBJECTS ON USSR SIDE OF TURK/USSR BORDER. SOURCE LOCATED APPROX 5 MILES INLAND SOME APPEARED TO BE STATIONARY FOR OVER 4 MINS SOME APPROX 3000 FT AS OBJECT LEFT GROUND & SEPARATED INTO CLUSTER OF APPROX 3-5 VISIBLE OBJECTS. FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS SIMILAR TO THOSE DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY 4-5 OBJECTS IN ONE GROUP AND ANOTHER CLUSTER OBSERVED AT 23:52 AT WHICH TIME SOURCE WENT LOW AT THAT LOCATION. NEITHER CRAFT NOR OBJECTS WERE OBSERVED DURING SEARCH-LIGHTS AT SAME LOCATION BEING DIRECTED INTERMITTENTLY SKYWARD AND HORIZON. DAILY OVERFLIGHTS BY BOTH WATER AND LAND CRAFT BEING MADE TO THIS LOCATION ARRIVING M/SE SEARCHLIGHTS OBSERVED PREVIOUSLY THIS OCCASION THIS PHENOMENON OBSERVED UNQUOTE N UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL Country: USSR Subject: (CONFIDENTIAL) UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS NEAR USSR/TURK BORDER Sources: 1. PRESS - USAF-OSI FILES, TURKEY Location: NEAR HOPA - BATUM, USSR Turkey Date: 16 SEP 1958 The document describes an incident on 16 September 1958, where a USAF officer observed unidentified flying objects or projections from the deck of a US ship near the USSR/Turkey border, while searchlights were being used in the area. The objects were observed for approximately 25 minutes and estimated to be at an elevation of around 300 feet. The weather was clear, and no other objects were observed until 2315 hours, at which time some objects were seen again at 2350 hours. No other objects were observed until 2315 hours, and only one object was seen again at 2350 hours.