The 1904 USS Supply Luminous Objects: Documented Naval Logs and Meteorological Records

The USS Supply Incident Report

On February 28, 1904, the USS Supply, a Navy transport ship, was traversing the North Atlantic toward the United States. At approximately 6:00 AM, Lieutenant Frank Schofield, who would later become the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Fleet, observed three remarkable objects in the sky. According to the official log and subsequent report published in the 'Monthly Weather Review' (Volume 32, No. 3), the objects were described as large, glowing red spheres that appeared to be moving beneath the cloud layer at a high rate of speed.

Technical Descriptions and Formation Flight

Lieutenant Schofield provided a precise technical description of the phenomena, noting that the largest of the three objects was approximately the size of 'six suns' as perceived from the deck. The two smaller objects followed the lead craft in a disciplined formation. Schofield noted that the objects appeared to approach the ship from the horizon, ascended to an altitude of roughly 15,000 feet, and then performed a sharp maneuver to depart the area. The duration of the sighting was approximately two to three minutes, allowing for multiple crew members to witness and corroborate the movement of the crafts.

Meteorological and Historical Context

At the time of the sighting, the weather was clear with a slight haze on the horizon. The 'Monthly Weather Review,' a publication of the U.S. Weather Bureau (now part of NOAA), included Schofield's account under the section for 'Meteorological Phenomena.' However, the report noted that the objects did not behave like known meteors or bolides, which typically follow a straight, descending path. The USS Supply sighting is significant because it predates the era of human flight by only a few months (following the Wright brothers' 1903 flight), yet describes aerial maneuvers and speeds that were technologically impossible for the time.

Legacy in Naval Records

This incident remains one of the best-documented early examples of naval UAP encounters. The credibility of the witness, Lieutenant Schofield, added significant weight to the report. His career trajectory into high-level naval command suggests he was a highly reliable and disciplined observer. The archives of the Navy and the Library of Congress preserve these early records as evidence of aerial anomalies that were recognized by military authorities long before the 'Flying Saucer' era of the 1940s.