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From the Condon report: THE NATURAL PHILOSOPHY OF FLYING SAUCERS - R. V. JONES
Based on a lecture given to the North Eastern Branch of the Institute and Society (sic) and the Newcastle Astronomical Society

Another example that occurred, not to me but to Professor Charles Kittel, the American solid state physicist, may also be salutary.

He and a British theoretical physicist were given the problem of establishing the pattern on which the Germans laid their mines at sea, the principal evidence being derived from the reports of minesweeper crews regarding the range and bearing of the mines as they were exploded by the passage of minesweepers.

Kittel proposed to go on a minesweeping sortie, to get the feel of the evidence. His British counterpart refused to go, on the grounds that since they would only be making one trip the evidence that they were likely to obtain would be highly special to that particular trip and might colour their general judgement.

Kittel at once found out the surprising fact that the reports of the crews were completely unreliable as regards range and bearing estimation, and that the only part of the evidence on which he could rely was whether the explosion had occurred to port or starboard. …..