DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
901 M STREET SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
The "Philadelphia Experiment"
Related resources::
Office of Naval Research (ONR) fact
sheet
UFO Research Guide
Allegedly, in the fall of 1943 a U.S. Navy destroyer was made invisible
and teleported from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Norfolk, Virginia, in
an incident known as the Philadelphia Experiment. Records in the Operational
Archives Branch of the Naval Historical Center have been repeatedly searched,
but no documents have been located which confirm the event, or any interest
by the Navy in attempting such an achievement.
The ship involved in the experiment was supposedly the USS Eldridge.
Operational Archives has reviewed the deck log and war diary from Eldridge's
commissioning on 27 August 1943 at the New York Navy Yard through December
1943. The following description of Eldridge's activities are summarized
from the ship's war diary. After commissioning, Eldridge remained
in New York and in the Long Island Sound until 16 September when it sailed
to Bermuda. From 18 September, the ship was in the vicinity of Bermuda undergoing
training and sea trials until 15 October when Eldridge left in a
convoy for New York where the convoy entered on 18 October. Eldridge
remained in New York harbor until 1 November when it was part of the escort
for Convoy UGS-23 (New York Section). On 2 November the convoy entered Naval
Operating Base, Norfolk. On 3 November, Eldridge and Convoy UGS-23
left for Casablanca where it arrived on 22 November. On 29 November, Eldridge
left as one of escorts for Convoy GUS-22 and arrived with the convoy on
17 December at New York harbor. Eldridge remained in New York on
availability training and in Block Island Sound until 31 December when it
steamed to Norfolk with four other ships. During this time frame, Eldridge
was never in Philadelphia.
Eldridge's complete World War II action report and war diary
coverage, including the remarks section of the 1943 deck log, is available
on microfilm, NRS-1978-26. The cost of a duplicate film is indicated on
the fee schedule. To order a duplicate film, please complete the duplication
order form and send a check or money order for the correct amount as
indicated on the NHC fee schedule, made
payable to the Department of the navy, to the Operational Archives, at the
above address.
Supposedly, the crew of the civilian merchant ship SS Andrew Furuseth
observed the arrival via teleportation of the Eldridge into the Norfolk
area. Andrew Furuseth's movement report cards are in the Tenth Fleet
records transferred to the Textual Reference Branch, National Archives and
Records Admnistration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001. The
cards list the ship's ports of call, the dates of the visit, and convoy
designation, if any. The movement report card shows that Andrew Furuseth
left Norfolk with Convoy UGS-15 on 16 August 1943 and arrived at Casablanca
on 2 September. The ship left Casablanca on 19 September and arrived off
Cape Henry on 4 October. Andrew Furuseth left Norfolk with Convoy
UGS-22 on 25 October and arrived at Oran on 12 November. The ship remained
in the Mediterranean until it returned with Convoy GUS-25 to Hampton Roads
on 17 January 1944. The Archives has a letter from Lieutenant Junior Grade
William S. Dodge, USNR, (Ret.), the master of Andrew Furuseth in
1943, categorically denying that he or his crew observed any unusual event
while in Norfolk. Eldridge and Andrew Furuseth were not even
in Norfolk at the same time.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has stated that the use of force
fields to make a ship and her crew invisible does not conform to known physical
laws. ONR also claims that Dr. Albert Einstein's Unified Field Theory was
never completed. During 1943-1944, Einstein was a part-time consultant with
the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, undertaking theoretical research on explosives
and explosions. There is no indication that Einstein was involved in research
relevant to invisibility or to teleportation. ONR's information sheet on
the Philadelphia Experiment is attached.
The Philadelphia Experiment has also been called "Project Rainbow."
A comprehensive search of the Archives has failed to identify records of
a Project Rainbow relating to teleportation or making a ship disappear.
In the 1940s, the code name RAINBOW was used to refer to the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo
Axis. The RAINBOW plans were the war plans to defeat Italy, Germany and
Japan. RAINBOW V, the plan in effect on 7 December 1941 when Japan attacked
Pearl Harbor, was the plan the U.S. used to fight the Axis powers.
Some researchers have erroneously concluded that degaussing has a connection
with making an object invisible. Degaussing is a process in which a system
of electrical cables are installed around the circumference of ship's hull,
running from bow to stern on both sides. A measured electrical current is
passed through these cables to cancel out the ship's magnetic field. Degaussing
equipment was installed in the hull of Navy ships and could be turned on
whenever the ship was in waters that might contain magnetic mines, usually
shallow waters in combat areas. It could be said that degaussing, correctly
done, makes a ship "invisible" to the sensors of magnetic mines,
but the ship remains visible to the human eye, radar, and underwater listening
devices.
After many years of searching, the staff of the Operational Archives
and independent researchers have not located any official documents that
support the assertion that an invisibility or teleportation experiment involving
a Navy ship occurred at Philadelphia or any other location.
17 June 1996