PROJECT 1947





Swedish "GHOST ROCKET" Reports - 1946


Please read Joel Carpenter's detailed chronology The Ghost Rockets - Guided Missiles and UFOs


Issue #15 of Barry Greenwood's U.F.O. Historical Revue has an article on the release of formerly Top Secret Ghost Rocket documents, including a 1946 report to the President from the Central Intelligence Group (CIG, forerunner of the CIA) signed by Lt. General (later General) Hoyt S. Vandenberg, then Director of Central Intelligence.

To date about 100 US government documents concerning Ghost Rockets are known.  Within these and other documents from the 1946-1949 era are references to over 100 more US government documents not yet uncovered.

Read Issue #15 of UHR here at The Barry Greenwood Archive.

Read a small collection of new UFO/Ghost Rocket Documents.




Special thanks to Dr. Thomas "Eddie" Bullard for providing the following reports.



July 15, 1946 (Mon.) Aftenposten (Oslo), p.1.

"Ghost plane" over Oslo area? / Many people observe a lighted object with high speed northward.

This morning the Aftenposten has received inquiries from many persons who think they saw a "ghost plane" over the Oslo area last night at 23 o'clock.  A man who together with three friends were at Bjerkebukta in Jeloy says that at five minutes till 23 a large luminous star was noticed.  The "star" had a yellow-white dazzling color and became visible on the horizon in a southerly direction. However it was clearly out of the question that any astronomical phenomenon was involved, since the luminous object held a completely straight course at a great height and had such great speed that it did not take much over a minute from its appearance on the horizon in the south till it disappeared in the north-northwest over toward Oslo.

According to another communication from a man who observed the luminous phenomenon in Son (?) at ca. 22.50 o'clock, it must be concluded that one and the same thing was involved.  The person concerned thought the height was ca. 1,000 meters.

We have made inquiries to the Meteorological Institute, which does not have any knowledge of the phenomenon.  Neither has the Air Defense weather service received reports about the "ghost plane" or luminous phenomena.  People who noticed such a thing or who found remains of a possible crashed object, should report it without delay to the Air Defense High Command weather station, telephone 34870.




July 16, 1946 (Tues. morn) Aftenposten (Oslo), p.5.

"Ghost flier" over Oslofjorden was a Norwegian airliner testing its landing lights. / The plane's pilot talks to the Aftenposten.

As mentioned in the evening number yesterday many persons called up the Aftenposten Friday morning and told that late Sunday evening they had seen a "ghost flier" over the Oslofjorden. Both from Son and Jeloya at 23 o'clock was sighted a large bright star which came from the south and disappeared northward, and which changed color to a bluish light before it went away. The speed was very great and the height was about 1000 meters.

The mystery has now received a natural explanation, however. A flier with one of the airline companies in Oslo called the Aftenposten yesterday and declared that he was the one who piloted the "ghost flier." Sunday evening he was on his way from Copenhagen to Oslo with a Beechcraft plane on a taxi flight. At 23 o'clock he landed at Fornebu, and ca. 22:50 – the moment when the mysterious plane was observed – he was over Jeloya.

When he was over the fjord at Jeloya, he tested the landing lights – the mysterious shining light which was observed. At the same time he descended from 3000 to 1000 ft. in order to come to a low height in plenty of time before landing at Fornebu, such that he in the course of a short time came across the spectators' field of vision. This is sufficient explanation for the light disappearing so abruptly and inexplicably.




July 17, 1946 (Wed. morn) Aftenposten, p. 4.

"Ghost flier" over Norwegian territory still?

STAVANGER, 16 July (NTB). From information Stavanger people have given, it seems as if "ghost rockets" have now reached Rogaland, too. Last Saturday evening around 23 o'clock some Stavanger folk who [were taking a holiday] at Usken, suddenly noticed a luminous object which came in over the Usken River from a southeasterly direction. It looked like a projectile (rocket), had a great speed and went at a fairly great height. The projectile sent out a very bright, yellow-red (orange) light, and its course could be followed till at last it disappeared in a southwesterly direction. It kept the same height all the time, and the witnesses – there were in all four persons – say that there is no possibility that it could have been a meteor. The course was horizontal at all times.




July 19 (Fri. eve.) (Oslo) Aftenposten, P.1.

Did two rocket bombs go down in Mjosa?
Seen by many people when they passed Feiring at a low height last night.

From a man in Feiring we received this morning a sensational report that two rocket bombs crashed into Mjosa last night. They were shaped like ordinary planes, but quite small with only a 2 ½-meter wing-span and came between 24 and 0:30 this morning from the west at low height over the southerly part of Feiring, where they were observed by many persons, among them (those) at the Hasselbaken Inn and at the Arnes (courtyard). The forward one was not lighted. People noticed them because they heard a loud whistle and directly after (the objects) came flying into sight at terrific speed. They went so low that trees were left swaying after they passed. Nearly midway out in Mjosa, nearer the Feiring side, the water took a big splash and the spray stood many meters high in the air where the objects disappeared.

Right after we received this report we talked with the sheriff in Feiring and Hurda, who had heard nothing, however. He immediately got into telephone contact with people between Hurdal and Feiring, and was able to report to us some time later that he had gotten confirming reports from many reliable quarters. The place where the planes went down lies ca. 1 mile north from Hinnesund and Mjosa is rather deep here, so it may well be difficult to find them. But the sheriff will notify the Defense High Command immediately so that an investigation can be set in motion.

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July 20, 1946 (Sat. morn.) Aftenposten (Oslo) p.1.
Are experiments with Flier X underway over Norway? /
Two V-1-like objects fell in Mjosa.
Came from the west at a low height over Feiringspogene in the middle of the day.

Up till now it has not been possible to get any certain corroboration for all the reports which have arrived that rocket planes or rocket projectiles have been observed both in this country and in Sweden.  Meanwhile reports recently have been so numerous and definite that they can no longer be rejected as products of people's lively imaginations.  It is far from impossible that one or more foreign powers is conducting secret experiments with new weapons of the V-like type.

As reported in one part of our evening number's edition yesterday, there were two such "Flier X's," as we well can call them, seen going down in Mjosa. It happened Thursday midday between 12 and 12:30 o'clock, and they were seen by many persons in Feiring. The acting sheriff of Feiring and Hurdal first got reports yesterday morning and set about at once to collect evidence from eyewitnesses. He received from many quarters confirmation that the two "Flier X's" were seen as they came at a low height over the Feiring woods from the west and fell down in Mjosa ca. two kilometers from the western shore and ca. seven kilometers from Minnesund, whereafter he notified the Haerena Overkommando.

Yesterday afternoon one of our co-workers was up in Feiring and talked with a couple of those who had the remarkable experience. The "Flier X" passed directly over Balsrud farm where they were seen by farmer Sigvart Skaug, his wife and grown son and daughter. Balsrud lies around ( ) in the south end of Feiring. It was Mrs. Skaug and daughter who saw them first. They were right at the top of the ridge at a place which is called Badstuakeren, and high. They (the people) suddenly heard a loud noise in the air and believed at first there was a plane coming. But the sound did not resemble plane noise. It was rather like a powerful whistle. Right afterwards they caught sight of two plane-line objects which came from over the edge of the woods at a tremendous speed and so low that the two women involuntarily threw themselves down on the ground. The air current was so strong that the treetops swayed.

Down at the farm Sigvart Skaug and his son stood and saw the "Flier X's" from the side, but at a rather greater height, probably ca. 50 meters. Skaug said that they were like pictures of V-1s he had seen in newspapers. In any case they could not have been ordinary planes. They were cigar-shaped, ca. 2 ½ meters long, with ca. 1 meter long wings. The wings were set ca. 1 meter from the nose, and the fore and after parts had a metallic gleam, but the midsection with the wings was black. It looked as if there was attached an apparatus, perhaps a steering device, in the rear. The wings flapped a little as if they were of cloth. No fire or light was seen. The projectiles went a short distance from each other, the one a little ahead of the other. They described a slight arc, about the way a stone is cast, and fell together into Mjosa, so the water plumes rose many meters high in the air. No explosion was heard. They sky was completely clear, and Mjosa lay still again in a moment.

–I took the bearings of the place where they fell, said Mr. Skaug, and I well believe I can point it out. But the depth here is 3-400 meters, so there is hardly any possibility to bring the two mysterious objects to daylight again.

At Tosterud farm, which lies nearer Mjosa directly down from Balsrud, "Flier X's" were seen by Nils and Gustav Tosterud, who gave the description of them. The daughter of the farm was in her room, but came hurrying out when she heard the noise, and asked: "But what in the world was it." She did not get to see the "Flier X's," which had already disappeared into Mjosa when she came out.

Yesterday afternoon the sheriff took up the search for others who might have seen the "Flier X." It is a very closely-settled area both south and north of Balsrud, but because of woods (the view) is not very clear, and since the projectiles went so low, it is understandable that no one noticed anything in, for example, the Hasselbakke inn, which lies (scarcely) a kilometer north of Balsrud, and where there were many people out at this time. Unfortunately there was a line break in the telephone above Hamar yesterday, so it was not possible to find out if anyone on the (east side) of Mjosa saw anything.

Yesterday evening we submitted this information to Capt. Jorstad of the Air Defense High Command, who was very interested in the matter. The descriptions agree very well with the V-1, he said. If such a projectile is involved and it came from the west, it can well be thought that it was fired from a plane or a ship at sea. Today closer investigations will be made and if there are others who made sightings they ought to be reported straight (away) to the Air Defense High Command, telephone 34870.




July 22, 1946 (Mon. morn) Aftenposten (Oslo), p. 1.

"Flier X" / The air watch inspectors take up the investigation.

According to what we have learned, how the air watch inspectors of the Defense High Command is entrusted to undertake investigations concerning reports about observations of the "flier X" here in this country. On Saturday a conference was held by the Defense High Command, but so far no further information can be given. The military police at Gardermoen also are carrying on an investigation concerning the two "flier X's" which were seen Thursday passing over Freiring and sank into Mjosa.




New rocket projectiles over Sweden /
Swedish military on hunt after a crashed specimen.

STOCKHOLM, 21 July (From the AFTENPOSTEN'S correspondent).

A military division is now carrying on a search for the flying projectile which according to eyewitness statements crashed into a lake in Norrbotten Saturday. At the crash site the lake is only 75 cm. deep, and the projectile has made a big hole in the bottom. First an oar was stuck down into the hole without reaching the bottom and extra tools have been requested. The projectile truly had an enormous velocity. (All around) was seen the great amount of mud and ooze which was thrown around at the crash site.

According to the reports which were received yesterday evening no results have broken during the investigation, and it is pointed out that the search after the projectile may take a long time, since there is a lot of mud in the lake.

The Associated Press reports that new ghost projectiles were observed over northwesterly Sweden Saturday night. At a place in Sorsele Norrland there fell among other things a piece of paper out of the air from an absolutely clear sky where no plane was either seen or heard. Thus the affair was connected with the mysterious projectiles which were observed.

The Aftonbladet indicates Peenemunde as the probable launching site for the stream of flying projectiles which recently have passed over Sweden, Norway and southern Finland. With the support (evidence) of the latest reports the paper thinks that pairs of projectiles of the V-1 type are being fired. There have been three definite cases of crashes, two of them in Sweden and one in Norway.






July 23, 1946 (Tues.) (Oslo) Aftenposten, p. 2.

"Flier X" over Sweden / Names of places where crashes occur hereafter will not be made public.

STOCKHOLM, 23 July (From AFTENPOSTEN'S correspondent)

Investigations at the lake in Norrbotten where the (long range) projectile crashed on Friday have not led to any results. One of the officers who is involved with the investigation has stated that at the place where the crash occurred there is a mountain slope (?), so it can be thought that the projectile broke into pieces against this. Two technicians from the defense research institute continue the investigation, however.

At the same time as this crash, a fireball came down in another lake in Borrbotten. There many are (sic) the difficulties of such an investigation, because of the depth of the lake among other reasons.

From now on the defense staff will request that the names of the places where such objects fall not be published. Hereafter will be used expressions like "some place or other in Sweden."




July 25, 1946, p. 1. Sweden the testing ground for new V-1

STOCKHOLM, 24 July (From AFTENPOSTEN'S correspondent)

New reports that flying bombs have been sighted are received incessantly.

In many cases it has been asserted that the sightings might be due to astronomical phenomena, but this appears unlikely. In any case no one in the defense staff believes this theory.

That Sweden has recently served as a firing range or testing ground for radio-controlled projectiles is now beyond any doubt. In the course of the past two days the number of reports has suddenly changed character. Before, fireballs with or without burn tails were described. Reports Tuesday and Wednesday on the other hand told without exception of flying bombs of about the same character as Hitler's famous V-1 bombs.

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July 26, 1946 (Fri. eve) Aftenposten (Oslo), p. 1.

Mysterious explosion in Oslo last night. / Two powerful cracks (reports) and bright white gleams, but no crash or blast. And no place in town reports damage.

An explosion which so far seems to be a mystery, took place over a great part of Oslo last night. The time was 12.53 when two powerful reports were heard, which [sounded so] those who had gone to bed got up the same way as in wartime, while those who were outdoors crowded together frightened and asked each other what it could be. Some had heard only one report, others had heard two. The second came less than a second after the first and was less severe, so it is possible it could have been an echo. At the same time was seen a bright white [flash], which lighted up the sky and [set off] the houses and trees in sharp silhouette.

The fire department received no report, but the police, who got a flood of phone calls, turned out and combed the city in all directions without finding the slightest trace of an explosion. The Aftenposten too was besieged with phone calls and had people out till late at night, but with the same negative results. And up till this morning neither the police nor the fire department got any damage reports which can be connected with the report (blast).

No one can locate the phenomenon.

One of our co-workers was on his way home from the paper, coming to the corner of Drammensveien and Huitfeldtagate, when he heard the explosion.  He thought it was only one report. The summer night was light and mild and there were many people on the Drammensveien and in the Slottsparken.  Our co-worker describes his experience thus: The report was followed by a bright white flash which lighted up the whole sky over Slottet and the northern parts of Slottsparken.  It was considerably brighter than a lightning flash, and when I saw how the [trees stood out] as silhouette against the sky, I concluded that there must have occurred an explosion behind.  But perhaps too this could be due to its happening far away. It was not like the bomb falls we saw and heard so many of during the war.  I did not notice any blast (concussion) or any crash--there was not a single clatter (rattle) in the whole mirror-glass stretch along the Drammensveien.

The walkers on the street gathered immediately in groups and began to discuss what they had observed. Some thought they saw a gleam of light over the neighborhood around Harbitz street, others thought, like me, that it was over Slottsparken. There were also some who thought it was in a southerly direction over the sea. Meanwhile one of the police patrol cars came along the Drammensveien; I stopped it and got in. We then went round and round the city till the time was right near 2. Everywhere we met people who had heard the report and seen the glow, but it was impossible to locate the explosion, and we began at last to incline toward the idea that it must have taken place over the city.

At the [guard station] at Slottet we were told that the man there both heard (sic) two reports and saw the glow, but there they had the impression that it came from the south and believed it was distant [or else fell in the sea]. When people came and said that they had seen the glow over Slottet, however, the guard went out and examined the whole Slottsparken without finding indication that something unusual had happened.

We inquired at a number of places in the city and surroundings, but everywhere it was likewise unknown what it could have been. At Frognerseteren nothing was noted, neither at most of the police stations in Oslo and Aker. The forest fire watch at Hankasen heard the reports, but he had already [gone to bed], and when it sounded like it came down in the city, he did not investigate any more closely [?]. The air watch inspectors [?] still had received no more reports this morning.

The incident has [awakened] a certain [sense of eeriness] and it is to be hoped that what happened can be explained.




July 30, p.1. Sky Mystery.

COPENHAGEN, Mon. – Mysterious flying objects have been seen over Denmark. – Reuter.




August 3, 1946 (Sat. Morn.) (Oslo) Aftenposten, p.1

Rocket projectile over the North Pole

New York, 2 August (From the AFTENPOSTEN's correspondent)

Till winter comes things will be lively over the North Pole and adjacent polar areas. The American military authorities have in fact made known that there are plans for test shots with radio-controlled projectiles in this area. It is a rocket-driven flying bomb of a type like the German V-weapons.




August 3, 1946, (Sat) Aftenposten (Oslo), p.9.

Continued "rocket invasion" over Sweden

STOCKHOLM, 2 August (From the Aftenposten's correspondent.)

Ghost bombs continue to glide across the country's borders. Every day reports stream in to the air force, but still this whole matter remains completely mysterious. The authorities have investigated a great number of crashes, but so far all have been shown to be worthless. There is nothing definite to hold onto, and so far the situation is such that it is thought there would not be any use to send out communiques. In air force circles meanwhile definite hope is shown that results will quite soon be reached which are expected at least to be able to give hint of the riddle's solution.


According to the New York Herald Tribune, a German rocket expert has said that reports from Sweden must indicate that the Russians have started new experiments with V-2 bombs at Peenemunde in North Pomeran and these reports have been received by the Swedish air force with great interest. The strange projectiles still seem to fly in pairs, and the latest report tells likewise about two objects which passed over Central Norrland out to sea yesterday evening. One exploded over the water, and according to reports both were cigar shaped with big brightly luminous yellow-white tails.




V2 breaks windows. STOCKHOLM, Fri. -- A mystery rocket exploded over Malmoe today and smashed windows.




August 8, p.1. Sweden a "shooting range" for rocket projectiles.

STOCKHOLM, 7 August (ASSOCIATED PRESS) The Swedish Defense Staff is now firmly convinced that Sweden is being used as a shooting range for foreign rocket-driven projectiles something like the type of the German V1 and V2, said the Aftenbladet today.

Earlier reports were more or less reliable and last night an officer from the defence staff's air defense division himself saw something "which could not be described as a meteor." The officer was located in central Sweden and saw a fireball with a luminous tail which tore along at a height of 500-1,000 meters.

The chief of the air defense division said that many projectile courses have been plotted on a map and their path over Sweden shows a great arc which ends out over the Gulf of Bothnia or the Eastern Sea.




August 12 (eve.) P.2. Constantly many Flier X's over Sweden.

STOCKHOLM 12 August (NBT from TT). More flying projectiles were observed in central Sweden yesterday evening. It is now out of the question that there is any confusion with the airplanes, shooting stars or the like. The flying object moved with great speed, lighted up the sky with a bright white glare. One eyewitness told that he saw one of the projectiles strike against the ground and explode. Because of darkness he could not rightly determine the crash site, and thus no remains of the thing were found.

People are now beginning to fear that the "sky phenomenon" will crash and cause death and destruction.




August 13, 1946 (Tues.) (Oslo) Aftenposten , p.1.

Did a V-bomb explode over Stockholm?

STOCKHOLM 12 August (ASSOCIATED PRESS). Many persons said today that at least one V-bomb exploded over Stockholm last night. At the same time the same luminous phenomenon as an hour before (?) What happened had such a character that it cannot be dismissed, it is said.




Aug, 16 (Fri. eve.) Aftenposten p.2.

Has the Swedish military secured a piece of a rocket bomb?

The Swedish defense staff is now in possession of a piece of the rocket projectile which for the past three months is thought to have been shot across Scandinavia. With that there is tangible evidence that rockets clearly are involved and not meteors or other natural sky phenomena.

STOCKHOLM, 16 August (NTB from REUTER). Windowpanes broke in Malmo yesterday when a rocket projectile explodes over the city. Authorities have set underway an investigation to find fragments which may have descended.




At two places metal fragments of the rocket have been found, but the defense staff wishes to say nothing about the worth of this find as a means to judge the rocket's characteristics. They say only that at one of the finds metal fragments were secured (on which was imprinted a name and   illegible   ).

Both finds were made in central Sweden, but it is forbidden to give out place names in connection with rocket observations.




August 17, 1946 (Sat. eve.) Aftenposten (Oslo) p.3.

Fighter plane against the rocket bombs?

STOCKHOLM, 13 August (PT and ASSOCIATED PRESS). Again last night many places in western and southern Sweden observed luminous projectiles which moved with great speed from south to north. It is regarded now as certain that a new V-weapon is involved. It is also thought that it is radio-directed. Danish scouts who were on a visit in Goteborg discovered a rocket bomb on Monday which suddenly [digressed a good] 30 degrees from its course, then shortly after it resumed it again.

The Swedish authorities are considering sending in a fighter plane against the rocket bombs, states the Aftenbladet.




August 17, 1946 (Sat. eve.) Aftenposten (Oslo) p. 3.

New rocket-projectiles over Sweden and Denmark.

KOBENHAVN, 17 August (From the AFTENPOSTEN'S) correspondent.)

Yesterday there was observed a new case of the so-called ghost rocket over Sjaeland. In the morning two were seen south of Koge. One came from the south and resembled a glowing cigar. At intervals it sent out flames of 20 meters length (followed) by white smoke. The other rocket went at around 1000 meters height, and they both could be plainly followed northward.

Over the Triangle in Copenhagen at [    ] o'clock yesterday a ghost rocket was caught sight of, which went at a very great height and with great speed. It came from the southwest and went in a northeasterly direction.




August 24, 1946 (Sat. eve.) Aftenposten (Oslo) p.1.

Norwegian student saw a "ghost rocket" in Sweden.

On a walking tour through Sweden in the first half of August I met with some acquaintances who took me with them on an evening tour in a motorboat up one of Sweden's [beautiful] rivers. Suddenly [shooting] out of the evening stillness I saw a bright light which neared us from the southeast with colossal speed. As it came nearer it took the shape of a full moon, perhaps a little more elliptical, but in size like when seen on the horizon. The light was very bright and reminded me of the results when a magnesium bomb explodes. On the edges the light was more blue-green and the tail shimmered. AS it came closer there could be seen a thick, almost glowing smoke tail.

As the phenomenon was right over us it lighted everything up strongly, so that you could see as on the brightest day. The fireball or "fiery mass" as the Swedes call it, had till then described a slight arc downward toward us. Now four stars broke off, which with a luminous stripe behind them sank down toward the ground, to be extinguished. The fireball was extinguished momentarily as these stars broke away, and then perhaps for a second, I having accustomed my eyes to the dark, I saw a black elongated projectile go forward through the air in a apparently horizontal course ca. 300 meters up. It was pointed in front, but astern it looked [broken off]. The length was something I only judge (guess) at around 3 meters. On the back third the whole tail glowed, and this faint glow was the last we saw of the projectile which disappeared in a direction toward a small village nearby. It did not look like it had either wings or guide fins. The course was directly northwest the whole time.

The owner of the motorboat, a Swedish engineer, looked at his watch when he first saw the phenomenon. It appeared at 20.45 and its whole [duration], he thinks, was only 6-8 seconds [?]. Since he is experienced in tracking [?], moreover, he thinks he could estimate the projectile's speed at between 1500 and 200 (sic) kilometers an hour.

Not a sounds was heard from the ghost bomb, neither the object itself not the stars were separated.

The next morning the Swedish press broke a report from the defense staff that a "space ship" was observed over Middle Sweden, and then we each sent in our statements about what we had seen. Those who had sent up the ghost bomb, however, would not be able to read of the bomb's descent through reports from the Swedish defense staff. But next evening when we stayed up in the Central Swedish villages local newspapers broke this report that a "space ship" had passed over the roof the previous day. / William Solberg.




August 26, 1946 (Mon.) Aftenposten (Oslo), p.1.

"Ghost rocket" over Oslo Saturday?

Saturday evening the Aftenposten was rung up by two different people who both told about a "ghost rocket" over Oslo. Completely independently of each other they described the phenomenon in precisely the same way. At 20.55 o'clock a brightly lighted object passed over the city. The light came in from the northeast and disappeared in a southerly direction with about the same speed as a fighter plane. Both our informants deny the possibility that it could have been a shooting star. The light was bigger and brighter than an ordinary star, and it left behind it a little tail [sic] of smoke. The height could not be judged with complete certainty, but it seemed to keep a normal flying altitude. The object kept an absolutely horizontal course the whole time.



Evening Edition – p.2.

"Ghost rockets" – which we spoke of in our morning edition were – according to the many calls the Aftenposten has received today – seen by a great number of people both in Oslo and nearby areas. Their reports agree well with the statements about "ghost rockets" which were printed this morning.




Wed. Aug., 28, 1. Rocket explodes.

COPENHAGEN, Tues – A rocket exploded in a village in North Jutland, Denmark, tonight. Villagers say they saw a bullet-shaped body, followed by a "long column of stars." –Exchange.




Tues. Sept. 3, p.1. More Rockets?

ROME, Mon. – Adriatic fisherman heard loud explosions and saw columns of water rising from the sea. It is thought rockets were fired from the Yugoslav coast.


 



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