ufo_data/bin/rr0/tran1946.md

- One of the few photographs of the "Ghost Rocket" in 1946, in Sweden. See image at images/1946_GhostRocket_Sweden.jpg.
    

-   **May:** Start of a wave of observations, mainly in Scandinavia, but also in the rest of Europe, and even in North Africa.

- **June**


-   **June 9, Night:** In Helsinki (Finland), a bright multicolored light is observed above the city, with a trail of smoke and the sound of thunder. Its luminous trail persists for 10 minutes.


-   **June 10th, night:** Same phenomenon as the day before, but newspapers indicate that the object turned around to return in the direction it came from.


-   **June 12:** The Swedish General Staff requests the army to report their observations through official channels, admitting to be aware of the phenomenon since May.

- **July**


-   **July 9:** Over 200 sighting reports are received by the Swedish military, many of which describe tubular objects or objects shaped like a low-flying, slow-moving axis, with or without very little sound. First sightings of unusual flying objects brought to the attention of US intelligence services.


-   Sweden forms a "ghost rockets committee" to study the problem.


-   **July 19th, just before noon:** Knut Lindback and Beda Persson
    were working by the side of Lake Kolmjarv (northern Sweden) when
    they heard a buzzing in the sky. They saw a gray object,
    resembling an airplane or a rocket, rushing towards the lake. The
    object touched the water about 1 km away from them, creating a
    huge geyser. Later, Lindback would declare: I'm sure it was a
    solid object. It measured 2 m long and had a snub nose while the
    back was pointed. I thought I saw 2 protrusions on the sides,
    like wings, but I can't swear to it because everything happened
    very quickly. After this incident which had another witness by the
    lake's shore, soldiers undertook a two-week search, without
    finding any trace of what the three individuals had seen.


-   **July 8th, 11:55 PM:** At Vuoremijoki (Norway), 2 loud
    detonations were heard by 2 people, followed by a very loud
    hissing, as if it came from a welding machine. An oblong cloud
    of "steam and heat" then rose from behind a hill called
    Kivitunturi. Out of this cloud emerged an object that looked
    like a projectile. It maintained an ascending trajectory of 30
    to 40°, in the direction of the Southwest. The distance of the
    phenomenon was estimated between 5 and 8 km. The visibility
    was good, and the Sun was up. The length of the projectile was
    estimated between 10 and 15 m
    [\[Swedish intelligence report, August 26th 1946\]]{.source}.


-   **July 9** : First reports received by the Swedish army.


-   **July 11, 2:30 PM:** At Andebu (Norway), work was being done at the Berg farm when a deafening impact was heard. A large splash of water was created in a pond, as if a body had been thrown into it. A blue-gray smoke appeared on the lake, and it was this smoke that drew the attention of the witnesses to the lake. [[Tønsberg Blad, July 1946] [Buskeruds blad, July 13, 1946, 1+7] [Dagbladet, July 13, 1946, 16] [Drammens tidende, July 13, 1946, 1+7] [Vårt Land, July 13, 1946, 1] [Friheten, July 15, 1946, 7] [Liljegren: Spökraketerna 1946 - Nyhetsby Råmaterialet, 1977, 9-10] [Gross: *The mystery of the ghost rockets*, 1982, 10]]{.source}


- **July 13**

-   **20 h 55 :** In Oslo (Norway), a luminous object passes over the city. It comes from the North-East and disappears towards the South, at the speed of a jet plane. The witnesses refute the possibility of a shooting star. The light is bigger and more intense than that of a usual star, and it leaves behind a trail of smoke. The altitude is estimated to be that of a normal aircraft, and the object maintains a straight trajectory during the entire observation [\[Aftenposten, 15 July 1946, 1\]]{.source}.

-   **11 PM:** In Stavanger (Norway), a yellow-red luminous object approaches from the Southeast. It looks like a projectile, flying at high speed and high altitude. It disappears towards the Northwest, always maintaining the same altitude. There are 4 witnesses, who all reject the possibility of a [meteor](Meteore.html). [\[Stavangeren, July 1946\] \[Dagbladet, 16 July 1946, 8\] \[Aftenposten, 17 July 1946, 4\] \[Morgenposten, 17 July 1946, 8\] \[Nationen, 17 July 1946, 2\] \[Verdens gang, 17 July 1946, 1\] \[CIA Intelligence Report, 9 April 1947\] \[Liljegren: Spökraketerna 1946 - Nyhetsby Råmaterialet, 1977, 10\] \[Gross: *The mystery of the ghost rockets*, 1982, 12\]]{.source}.

- **14th July**

-   **22 h 50 :** At Son (Norway), a man sees an object moving quickly at an altitude of approximately 1000 m. It can be observed for 2 minutes, and its color changes to blue-green. [[Aftenposten, July 15th 1946, 1; 16 Jul 1946, 5] [Borås tidning, July 16th 1946] [Buskruds blad, July 16th 1946, 2] [Fremtiden, July 16th 1946, 1]]{.source}.

-   **22 h 55 :** At Jeløy (Norway), 4 witnesses see a large
    "star" yellow-white bright appear on the horizon in the South. It can be observed for 1 min, flying quickly and at high altitude, disappearing to the North-North-West. Ekke changes its color to more bluish [\[Aftenposten, July 15th 1946, 1; July 16th 1946, 5\] \[Borås Tidning, July 16th 1946\] \[Buskruds blad, July 16th 1946, 2\] \[Fremtiden, July 16th 1946, 1\] \[DN, July 16th 1946\] \[Verdens gang, July 16th 1946, 6\] \[VD, July 16th 1946\]]{.source}.

-   **July 17, 12:50:** In Oslo (Norway), an engineer reported seeing
    a bright object coming from the East and going towards the
    Southwest. Observed with binoculars, it produced a thick gray-white
    trail [\[Fremtiden, July 19, 1946, 8\] \[Morgenbladet, July 19,
    1946, 1\] \[Liljegren: Spökraketerna 1946 - Nyhetsby
    Råmaterialet, 1977, 11-2\] \[Gross: *The mystery of the ghost
    rockets*, 1982, 16\]]{.source}.


- **July 18**


-   **23 h 35 :** A Son (Norway), an object with wings emitting light, sound and smoke was observed.

- **From 12:00 to 12:30:** At Mjøsa (Norway), several witnesses see objects resembling V1s coming from the West at low altitude (about 50 m). The witnesses first hear a loud whistling, not exactly that of an aircraft. The objects fly so low that they make the trees sway. They all fall into Lake Mjøsa, about 2 km from the West coast and about 7 km from Minnesund. They have the shape of cigars, measure 2.5 m long, with long wings of about 1 m behind the nose. The front and back parts shine like metal, but the middle section where the wings are is black. The wings seem to beat lightly. No fire or light is seen. The objects are close to each other, one in front of the other, and their trajectory is like that of a stone thrown. When they reach Lake Mjøsa, the water splashes several meters into the air. No explosion is heard. The sky is clear and the water is calm. Among the witnesses are Sigvart Skaug, his wife, his son, his daughter and Nils & Gustav Tosterud [[Aftenposten, July 19, 1946, 1; July 20, 1946, 1+5+14] [Buskeruds blad, July 20, 1946, 1] [Drammens tidende, July 20, 1946, 1] [Fremtiden, July 20, 1946, 1] [GÖTEBORGS-Tidningen, July 1946] [HD, July 20, 1946] [SVD, July 20, 1946] [MT, July 21, 1946, 18] [Aftenposten, July 22, 1946, 1] [Arbeiderbladet, July 22, 1946, 1] [Fremtiden, July 22, 1946, 1] [Morgenbladet, July 22, 1946, 1] [Flying Saucer Review, v 15/n 2 - March/April 1969, 18] [Official UFO, October 1976, 61] [Gross: *The mystery of the ghost rockets*, 1982, 14-5] [AFU Newsletter, 27 - January/December 1984, 4]]{.source}.

-   **July 19th, between 1pm and 1:30pm:** At Møsvannet (Norway), a sound like that of an aircraft was heard. The sound came from the South-West, becoming louder and louder, culminating in a crash as if an aircraft had crashed into the ground. It lasted a few seconds, but nothing was seen[ \[Fremtiden, July 22nd 1946, 6\]]{.source}.


-   **July 21, 6:40 PM:** In Hurdal (Norway), sighting of a dark object, moving at high speed, whistling at an altitude not exceeding 200 m.


-   **July 22, 1 AM:** At Gardermoen (Norway), 3 pilots saw a flying bomb pass over the airfield at an incredible speed. The altitude must have been between 2000 and 3000 feet. All witnesses reported fire and sparks coming from the tail but no sound was heard[ \[Official UFO, Oct 1976, 61\] \[Gross: *The mystery of the ghost rockets*, 1982, 17\]]{.source}.


-   **July 26, 0:53:** In Oslo (Norway), several witnesses hear 2 loud explosions, the last one seeming to have an echo. One person also claims to have seen a white light at the same time [\[Aftenposten, July 26 1946, 1+2\] \[Dagbladet, July 26 1946, 1+6\] \[Verdens gang, July 27 1946, 5\] \[Morgenbladet, July 29 1946, 2\] \[Flying Saucer Review, v 15/n 2 - March/April 1969, 18\]]{.source}.


-   **July 30:** The Swedish army has collected over 600 reports (over 1000 according to other sources) concerning objects nicknamed "ghost rockets" (*[ghost rockets](GhostRockets.html)*). These are generally described as having the general shape of cigars, with orange flames appearing to come out of the back. The observations are generally nocturnal. The General Staff declares the situation to be extremely serious; indeed, the observed objects, real, are detected by military radars. American officials share the concern of their Swedish counterparts, as the nearby Peenemünde base fell into Russian hands at the end of the war. This test center was used for the development of secret German weapons and may still shelter unusual devices.

- **August**


- In Sweden on behalf of Shell Oil Company, [James Doolittle](DoolittleJamesH.html) investigates the phenomenon of [Ghost Rockets](GhostRockets.html). According to other sources he goes to Spitzberger (Norway), to see a crashed UFO in May [\[Dorothy Kirgallen\]]{.source}. According to former sailors of the *Alabama* vessel at the time, the UFO was brought to the United States on this ship from Spitsbergen.

-   **August 3rd, 0:30:** At Finnfjordsvann (Norway), witnesses observe a rocket passing over Finnfjordsvann from Southeast to Northwest, at an altitude of approximately 1000 m. The object is dark and measures approximately 5 m in length. Its speed is approximately 1000 km/h [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, October 1st 1946\].]{.source}

- **August 5**


-   **From 19:15 to 19:35:** At Eidsfjord/Vesterålen (Norway), a witness observed through binoculars an object shaped like a cigar with luminous protrusions at the back. It was heading from South-East to North-West, never changing trajectory or speed, at a great altitude. With the cloud cover at 300 m, the object could not be seen without binoculars [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, October 1st 1946\]]{.source}.


-   **19:45 to 20:05:** At Eidsfjord/Vesterålen (Norway), a bright object was observed travelling at high speed and high altitude, from East to West [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, 1st October 1946\]]{.source}.


-   **7 August:** Near Bergen (Norway), several "bombs" were observed [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, 21 September 1946\]]{.source}.


-   **11 August:** In the Oslo region (Norway), some bombs were observed [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, 21 September 1946\]]{.source}.


-   **August mid-month:** The phenomenon is spreading to Southern Europe.


-   **August 17:** In Tromsø (Norway), an explosion breaks windows
    [\[Daily Telegraph, August 17, 1946\] \[Gross: The Mystery of the
    Ghost Rockets, 1982, 38\]]{.source}.


-   **August 23, 7:35 PM:** A "bomb" is seen passing between Oksebåsneset and Renøen, north of Kirkenes, heading southwest [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, September 21, 1946\]]{.source}.


"-   **August 24**"


- In Southern Norway, sightings of "flying bombs" in various places [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, 21 Sep 1946\].]{.source}

-   **20 h :** A Russeviksodden (Norway) a witness observed a light
    ball rising from the horizon, between Holmengråvika and
    Rødberget. It then descended and fell halfway between the sea and
    the horizon, between Holmengråvika and Rødberget. The witness was
    on board the d/s *Hekkingen*. After the impact nothing was seen
    for 30 s, then a fire appeared with a red color, and continued
    for about 3 min. The position of the d/s *Hekkingen* was 3/4 of a
    nautical mile Northeast of Russeviksodden in the direction
    (South-half-West) of Kirkenes. The trajectory of the light ball is
    assumed from North to West. It can be seen from the port,
    traveling very fast, about 5 seconds. The witness estimated its
    altitude to be about 400 m, and to be about 2 nautical miles from
    the object. It was lightly raining and beginning to get dark at
    this time, but the witness could still see the outlines of the
    surrounding mountains. The cloud cover was at 1000 m. Another
    witness on the d/s *Hekkingen* also saw the fire, with binoculars.
    This witness described the fire as being red and producing white
    smoke, for about 3 min [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo:
    Intelligence Report, 1 October 1946\].]{.source}


-   **20 h 55 :** In Oslo (Norway), 2 independent witnesses see a bright luminous object passing over the Northeast of the city towards the South at the same speed as an airplane. Its light is bigger and brighter than a star, and it leaves a small trail of smoke, without ever deviating from its course [\[Aftenposten, 26 August 1946, 1\] \[Liljegren: Spökraketerna 1946 - Nyhetsby Råmaterialet, 1977, 28\] \[Gross: The mystery of the ghost rockets, 1982, 45\]]{.source}.

-   **9 PM:** At Sande (Norway), two men see an object resembling an airplane coming from the North at high speed. It is heading South, without any sound being heard. The object is at about 200 m altitude, and is surrounded by a yellow-green light, but the light disappears when it is above Orebergvannet [[Buskeruds blad, 26 August 1946, 5]]{.source}


"-   **August 26**"


-   **21 h :** At Engerdal (Norway), 2 witnesses saw a rocket above Femundselven, moving towards the South-East at the speed of a jet plane. It left a smoke trail [\[Hamar arbeiderblad, August 1946\] \[Arbedets rett, 28 August 1946\]]{.source}.

-   **23 h :** At Årsteinfjellet (Norway), 2 witnesses were returning home in a fishing boat when they saw an object of intense green emitting sparks, moving from South-East to North-West. At an altitude between 300 and 400 m, it did not vary in speed or direction. The weather was clear with good visibility. No sound was heard. The object was visible for 3 minutes, until it was above Årsteinfjellet, where it disintegrated into 2 parts, with the front part being the smallest. The objects must have fallen, but could not be seen, as it was too dark [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, 1st October 1946\]]{.source}.

-   **August 27th, 2:30 PM:** In Rørås (Norway), Rolf Wintervold sees an object resembling a gray smoke ring. The object is at a height of 20 to 50 m, and moves slowly, before accelerating to an estimated speed of 800 km/h. It follows the railway, then the RV30 road North [\[Arbeidets rett, August 28th 1946\] \[UFO Report form, July 29th 1973\] \[UFO Forum, 4/1973, 7\].]{.source}


-   **September 12, 9 PM:** At Nedrevann/Porsangerfjord (Norway), a witness sees a light to the North-West. The light grows as it descends and disappears [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, October 1, 1946\]]{.source}.


-   **September 13th, 9:10 PM:** At Nedrevann/Porsangerfjord (Norway), a projectile was observed by 7 witnesses in a North-West direction. It was first observed towards Kalkkavare. The object had a slightly descending trajectory. It moved very quickly, and flames at its back were clearly observed. The flames were bright white with red stripes. The weather was clear, with the Moon risen and the Northern Lights, plus some clouds. The object flew at least 2000 m in altitude [\[Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: Intelligence Report, October 1st 1946\]]{.source}.


-   **October 7th, 0:10:** In Ås (Norway), the night guard of Bjørnebekk Kursted sees a bright object coming from the Northwest. It has the shape of a cylinder, moving a bit faster than an airplane, at an altitude of about 1000 m. Flames are visible at the back. Its nose is conical and slightly luminous. It is visible for 1 minute, then suddenly falls and disappears. No explosion is heard [\[Vårt land, October 8th, 1946, 1\]]{.source}.


-   **October 9th, the Night**: In San Diego (California), 16 people are gathered on a roof to observe a meteor shower when a winged object of white-blue color appears in the sky. It looks like an extremely long plane, with 2 red lights, leaving a luminous trail. One of the witnesses, Harold T. Wilkins, recounts: This strange object was certainly not an airplane. But the wings, which moved, were much too large to belong to a bird. In fact, it looked more like butterfly wings. The object emitted a red glow. The object becomes clearly visible when it passes in front of the [Moon](Moon.html). Some of the witnesses will say that it looked like a giant bat [\[Harold T. Wilkins, Flying Saucers on the Attack, New York, Citadel Press 1954, chapter 3, p. 44-45\]]{.source}.


-   **Autumn:** Decline of the Swedish observation wave.


-   **December 1st:** The Swedish committee formed in July reaches the following conclusions: Even though the main body of testimonies can be attributed to the observation of celestial phenomena, the committee cannot consider that some of the facts presented are only due to popular imagination.


-   [A. Kazantsev](KazantsevAlexandre.html) describes in a [science-fiction](ScienceFiction.html) novel that the [Tunguska event](1908-06-30_Tunguska.html) in 1908 was due to the explosion of a "Martian" vessel powered by nuclear energy.


- The United States has a majority in the [UN](UN.html) and controls 25% of the [IMF](IMF.html).


- In Brazil, Joao Prestes Filho, 39 years old, was suddenly illuminated by a strong beam of light while returning from fishing. Quickly the scene turned to horror: Prestes' flesh began to become visible, taking on the same appearance as if it had been cooked for long hours (\...). It started to detach from the bones. (\...) [[Bertrand Meheust, Science-Fiction and Flying Saucers, Mercure de France, 1978]]{.source}. The unfortunate man died in atrocious conditions, without any cause ever being identified.


- Launch of the project [RAND](projets.html#RAND).


-   **December 30th, at dawn:** Near Morrow Bay (California), the
    American writer Ella Young describes her observation: Cut out on the
    golden sky, it was very black. It came straight towards us and,
    given the curvature of its wings, it looked like a bat. I'm not
    quite sure if there was any movement at the ends of the wings; but
    this strange machine seemed to remain motionless for several minutes
    and its shape was very precise. Suddenly, either it descended or the
    banks of fog rose - perhaps both at the same time - but the machine
    passed behind the clouds never to reappear. Immediately after, a
    flood of color ran across the surface of the sea [\[Keel 1975\]]{.source}.