The RHF, ROHF, and GVB structures and energetics of group IV 2,4,5-trioxa[l.l.l]metallapropellanes, 2,4,5- trithia [ l.l.l]metallapropellanes, and their bicyclopentane analogues have been determined from ab initio molecular orbital theory by using both the 6-31G(d) basis set for all-electron calculations and the valence basis set with effective core potentials (ECP) developed by Stevens, Basch, and Krauss. Although they have extremely short bridgehead distances, these species possess fairly large natural orbital occupation numbers in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, indicating significant diradical character. Structures and other properties determined by ECP calculations are in good agreement with the 6-31 G(d) all-electron calculations.