Innholdsfortegnelse

• The Spitsbergen UFO Crash/Retrieval Incident
• THE NORWEGIAN "GHOST FLIERS" OF 1933-37
• Legend of the Spitsbergen saucer
• Observations of Unidentified Submarine Objects in Norway
• PRE-1947 UFO-TYPE INCIDENTS IN NORWAY
• SOME PRE-1947 UFO-TYPE INCIDENTS IN NORWAY
• Scathing Scandinavian Scandal
• MUFON USES SCANDINAVIAN CONTACTEE ON ITS ADVISORY BOARD OF CONSULTANTS: RAUNI-LEENA LUUKANEN

The Spitsbergen UFO Crash/Retrieval Incident

By Ole Jonny Brænne

For almost 40 years rumours have been around concerning a crashed flying saucer on the remote island of Spitsbergen. As the story goes, the wreckage was discovered by jet pilots and later transported to Narvik where an investigation allegedly uncovered a composition of unknown metallic alloys -- and an extraterrestrial origin...

But what did really happen, if anything at all, on this remote island in, or around, June 1952..? In this article we will follow the story's development through the years, with all the surrounding rumours, changes and misunderstandings. The article is a summary of a 38-page special issue of UFO (the periodical of UFO-Norway) devoted entirely to the Spitsbergen issue.

Spitsbergen facts

Some of you are certainly familiar with the basic facts of the story, but for all of us to get well acquainted with it, we'll start off with the original source. We believe the first mention of a saucer crash on Spitsbergen is probably an article in a German newspaper, Saarbrücker Zeitung (1), 28 June 1952, entitled "Auf Spitzbergen landete Fliegende Untertasse". We will give you an english translation of it, here:

FLYING SAUCER LANDED ON SPITSBERGEN

Narvik, mid-June.

Norwegian jet planes had just started this year's summer maneuvers over Spitsbergen. A squadron of six planes were approaching, at maximum speed, the Nordaustlandet, where units of the supposed opponent had been reported. The jets had just crossed over the Hinlopen Straits when crackling and rustling noises could be heard on all ear phones and radio receivers. Radio contact among the jets was no longer possible; all means of communication between the jets seemed to be out of order. The radar reading, which had been showing "white" since from Narvik, was now on "red". This indicated an alert, the approach of a metallic alien object equipped with a radio direction finder that had a different frequency from that of the fighters.

Nevertheless, the highly experienced pilots were able to communicate with each other by means of circling and diving, so that each of them was aware of circling and diving, so that each of them was aware of their common situation, each one searching the horizon with the utmost attention. The six fighters circled for some time not finding anything that was out of the ordinary.

By chance, Air Captain Olaf Larsen happened to look down. Immediately he started to dive, followed by his squadron. On the white snowy landscape, the crusty surface of which had an icy glitter, there was a metallic, glittering circular disc of between 40 and 50 meters diameter, which was even brighter than icy snow. Between some wires and a tangle of supporting struts in the middle, the remains of an apparently partly destroyed cockpit protruded. While circling for 60 minutes, the jet pilots could neither detect any sign of life nor determine the origin or type of the vehicle. Finally, they took course for Narvik in order to report their strange findings.

Just a few hours later, five big flying boats, equipped with landing skis, took off for the place of discovery. They landed safely next to the bluish steel disc, which was sitting in a bed of snow and ice of more than one meter's depth.

"Undoubtedly one of the infamous flying saucers", claimed Dr. Norsel, a Norwegian rocket specialist, who had insisted on joining the flight. He also established the reason why all means of communication of the fighter planes had broken down on entering the zone of the landing spot, and why the radar equipment had signaled the alarm: a radio direction finder equipped with a plutonium core was undamaged and transmitting on all wave lengths at a frequency of 934 Hertz, which is not known by any country.

A presise inspection of the remote-controlled flying disc that landed on the Nordaustlandet of Spitsbergen due to interference problems, led to the following indisputable information. The flying object, which has a diameter of 48,88 meters and slanting sides, is round and was unmanned. The circular steel object, is made out of an unknown metal compound, resembles a silver disc. After ignition, 46 automatic jets, located at equal distances on the outer ring, rotate the disc around a plexiglassed center ball, that contains measuring and control devices for remote control. The measuring instruments (gauges) have Russian symbols. The action radius of the disc seems to be more than 30.000 km, and the altitude over 160 km. The flying object, which resembles one of the legendary "flying saucers", has sufficient room for high explosive bombs, possibly nuclear bombs.

The Norwegian specialists assumed that the disc had started from the Soviet Union and had gone down over Spitsbergen due to a mistake in transmitting or receiving, being incapacitated because of the hard landing. The strange, remote-controlled, unmanned jet plane will be brought to Narvik on board a ship for further investigation. After hearing of the description of the disc, the German V-weapon designer Riedel stated: "That's a typical V-7 on whose serial production I have worked myself". J.M.M.

The author of the "Zeitung" article - J.M.M. - has not been poosible to track down. Newspaper archives have no information which can be of help to us. The very same article was also published by yet another newspaper, Berliner Volksblatt (2), on July 9, 1952. In early August 1952, the story got another mention in the German periodical Der Flieger (3), in an article by a Dr. Waldemar Beck. This mention probably spread the story to a far greater audience, even carried by the AFP news service into the CIA archives (4). Later authors often refer to the "Der Flieger" version.

There are several points in the "Zeitung" article which are quite interesting. They include the speculation about a possible Soviet origin, and the fact that we get the names of two persons presumably involved in the discovery and investigation of the disc itself - Air Captain Olaf Larsen and Dr. Norsel. This we must keep in mind as we proceed on our investigation.

A few books that appeared in 1953-54, briefly mentioned the Spitsbergen story (5, 6, 7).

Additional information comes then to our attention through yet another German newspaper, the Hessische Nachrichten (8), which published this account on July 26, 1954:

"FLYING SAUCERS" ARE NO FABLE

Only now a board of inquiry of the Norwegian General Staff is preparing the publication of a report on the examinations of the remains of a flying saucer crashed on Spitsbergen, presumably some time ago. The chairman of the board, Colonel Gernod Darnhyl, stated, during an instruction lesson for Air Force officers: "The Spitsbergen crash was very rewarding. True enough, our science still faces many riddles. I am sure, however, that they can soon be solved by these remains from Spitsbergen. A misunderstanding developed, some time ago, when it was stated that the flying disc was probably of Soviet origin. It has - this we must state emphatically - not been built by any country on earth. The materials are completely unknown to all experts, either not to be found on Earth, or processed by physical or chemical processes unknown to us".

According to Colonel Darnhyl, the board of inquiry is not going to publish an extensive report until "some sensational facts" have been discussed with experts from the USA and Great Britain. "We must tell the public what we know about the unknown flying objects. A misplaced secrecy may well one day lead to panic!"

The North Pole, base for unknowns?

The Norwegian fighter pilots, Lieutenant Brobs and Lieutenant Tyllensen, who, since the Spitsbergen event have been assigned as observers of the polar area, claim that, contrary to American and other sources, the flying discs have already landed repeatedly in the northern polar zone.

"I believe that the polar area is an air base for the unknowns. Especially during snow and ice storms, when we, with our machines, must retreat to our base, it is my belief that the flying objects take advantage of this to make landings. I have, shortly after such bad weather conditions, seen them land and take off three times", said Lieutenant Tyllensen. "I noticed then, that having landed, they execute a very speedy rotation around their axis. During flight, and take off, or landing, the brilliant light prevents any view of the events behind this wall of brilliance and on, or inside, the flying object itself."

Enough of physical evidence

Colonel Darnhyl thinks that, within the next twelve months, a solution to these technical problems will be found, or, at least, science will be on the right track towards solving the UFO problem. "We now have material at hand, on which we can start. That means laboratories can start the work right away and they might give us preliminary results shortly. Norwegian scientists think that the material from Spitsbergen can only give away its secrets by nuclear crushing; this because it does not change either at absolute zero, when air is liquified, or at the highest temperatures technically possible with our technology. Also, every chemical treatment has been tried. Scientific results will only be released subsequent to a UFO conference in London or Washington."

The communication from Swedish TV-set owners, that their reception recently was interfered with every time flying saucers were reported over northern Sweden, caused sensation in circles of the Norwegian board of inquiry. In consequence of this Colonel Darnhyl hopes, sooner or later, to track down the communication system of unknown flying objects. Sven Thygesen.

A lot of people will think that this definitely is a change for the better! The wreckage is no longer of a possible Soviet origin, but extraterrestrial. And we also got additional named persons involved: Chairman of the board Colonel Gernod Darnhyl (misspelled Darnbyl by several later sources), and Norwegian Lieutenants Brobs and Tyllensen. Sven Thygesen, the author of the "Nachrichten" article, is another person we haven't been able to track down. Yet, in this case we have a name, not just initials.

Later this same year a new twist to the Spitsbergen story appears in the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (9), published on December 19, 1954. It goes like this:

SOUTH AMERICAN REPORT OF FLYING SAUCER IN NORWAY

The Uruguayan newspaper "El Nacional" of Montevideo has recently, with big fuzz, brought a message "about the Norwegian scientist Hans Larsen Løberg's discovery of a flying saucer on Heligoland". It concerns, says the newspaper, the same flying saucer that "was reported to have fallen down into the mountains of Spitsbergen in August 1952".

Mr. Larsen Løberg says that this saucer in reality crashed (fell down) on Heligoland (Hålogaland - Helgeland?) which is a small island in the North Sea (Nordsjøen), used as a submarine base by the Germans during the war. Of Hans Larsen Løberg is said that he won a prize in physics in Hungary. The newspaper also features his picture. (Editor/AFU: Due to it's bad quality the picture cannot be reproduced here, but it depicts a smiling, middle-aged man in suit and tie.)

Larsen Løberg also retracts the rumour that the saucer was supposed to have Russian writing. It had, he says, a diameter of 91 feet and a thickness on the middle of about 70 feet. In the spaceship's control room they found a number of push-buttons. It was deduced that it could travel aided by the magnetic forces that hold the planets in their positions in space, and these forces are controlled by said buttons. They found no engine in the spaceship, nor could they discover any rivets, fuses or bolts. The outer surface was shiny and transparent.

Pills and heavy water

The material used was as light as aluminum, but very much harder, and probably much heat-resistant. Of the things found in its interior, they noticed some water that was three times as heavy as normal water, and a few pills which were taken to be food. There was also an apparatus which probably was a radio. It was quite small and had no antenna. They also found some books, probably navigational instructions, in a completely unknown writing. The doors of the spaceship were open. Just inside of the doors were 7 bodies, burned beyond recognition. Scientists are of the opinion, according to Larsen Løberg, that the bodies were of men at the age of between 25 and 30 years, about 1,65 m tall. All had perfect sets of teeth.

Beam-gun

Dr. Hans Larsen Løberg could also tell about the finding of a completely unknown weapon, a beam-gun which used magnetic rays. This gun, he thinks, explains a number of strange incidents in the USA. In Wyoming, Oklahoma City, Pittsburg and New York windows were broken, for unexplained reasons, on thousands and thousands of cars. And it must be obvious, he says, that the young pilot Mantell, who during a flight reported on radio that he had encountered a flying saucer and shortly thereafter crashed in pursuit of it, must have been shot down by this beam-gun.

Crew burned to death

The reason for the crash of this saucer, he thought, had to be that it was affected by the American hydrogen-bomb explosions. The material of the spaceship, and its apparatus, resisted the enormous heat, but the crew burned to death. The newspaper which picked up the story in Brazil, admits that it sounds fantastic, but draws attention to it not having been officially denied!

VG has investigated, in Oslo, whether there is a scientist by the name of Hans Larsen Løberg, but everyone queried, and who ought to know about him, says that the name is completely unknown.

Obviously, somebody is mixing two different versions of the story, here. We are told that the saucer didn't fall on Spitsbergen, but on the german island of Helgoland, in the North Sea. We are also given information about a magnetic beam-gun, heavy water, pills as food, books with unknown writing...and dead bodies. None of this has previously figured in our stories.

In addition we get to know yet another person by name: the Norwegian scientist Hans Larsen Løberg. He becomes person number 7 in this jigsaw. The "Verdens Gang" article refers to an Uruguayan newspaper, El Nacional (10), which again, has a Brazilian source. Our South American contacts have not yet been able to get hold of this article, but we have managed to track down the first mention of the Helgoland story, as published in Sir (11), September 1954:

FIRST REPORT ON THE CAPTURED FLYING SAUCER!

On a tiny island in the North Sea off the German coast, a secret investigation is in progress to determine whether hydrogen bomb explosions in the Pacific Ocean knocked a flying saucer to earth. Preliminary findings were revealed recently in Oslo, Norway, by Dr. Hans Larsen Løberg, a retired Norwegian scientist, who said investigators have already made some startling discoveries.

In his report, Dr. Løberg said the mysterious cracking and shattering of automobile windshields in several U.S. cities a few months ago may be explained when results of the investigation are in. Because, he added, the grounded saucer is reported to carry firing instruments capable of shattering glass with magnetic rays.

The saucer came down on Heligoland, a small island which the Germans used as a U-boat base during World War I. Since the Island is only a speck of land in a large body of water, Dr. Løberg believes the disk was forced to earth when H-bomb blasts created conditions of atmospheric pressure that made flight impossible.

It was not a crash-up, and investigators found most of the saucer's instruments in good condition. On ground near the ship were found the bodies of seven men, all burned beyond recognition. They may, or may not, have been passengers aboard the weird flying craft.

Dr. Løberg, one-time winner of the Hungarian Physics Award, said descriptive details of the saucer were told him by a fellow-scientist who is with the investigating team on Heligoland.

If magnetic rays from the flying saucer shattered auto windshields, then police in several American cities will close the books on a case which drove then to the boiling point a few months ago. it all began in the city of Bellingham, Washington, where horrified citizens learned that, in one week's time, 1500 automobiles had turned up with cracked windshields - and no one could explain the reason why. Bellingham's 34000 people began to wonder if ghosts had invaded their midst. Even house and store windows slithered into bits. The windshields at times cracked up while cars were in motion, but no one could pin down any concrete cause.

While the astounding story made headlines throughout the US, Bellingham's city officials were dodging frantic citizens, police were going crazy, and local glass manufacturers were making a fortune. Then windshields began falling apart in Wyoming, in Oklahoma City, in Pittsburgh and finally in New York City. Nobody, not even glass experts, could come up with a reasonable explanation.

The saucer's magnetic ray gun, which Dr. Løberg believes responsible for all the disintegrating glass, may also provide a solution for yet another mystery - an airplane crash near Fort Knox, Ky., on January 7, 1948. On that day an unidentified object was sighted over Goodman Air force Base at Fort Knox by both military and civilian observers. Air force Captain Thomas K. Bandell (obviously a misprint for Mantell - OJB), flying his plane over the base, radioed the Goodman tower and reported the object was travelling at half his speed.

"I'm closing in now to take a good look," he reported. "It's directly ahead of me and still moving at about half my speed. This thing looks metallic and of tremendous size... It's going up now and forward as fast as I am. That's 360 miles per hour... I'm going up to 20000 feet and if I'm no closer I'll abandon chase."

The time was 1:15 P.M. and that was the last radio contact Bandell ha with the Goodman tower. Several hours later, his body was found in the wreckage of his plane near the base.

If the Heligoland saucer's magnetic ray gun is in good condition, it may reveal the power to shatter airplanes as well as glass.

Dr. Løberg contends the craft apparently landed under guidance of its own instruments and the investigators studied it at a distance for two days before risking closer observation. The area where the saucer came down was bombarded with cosmis rays, Geiger counters and other protective devices before investigation began.

The seven charred bodies found around the saucer are yet unidentified. Their clothing was burned away completely and there were no clues to indicate whether they were passengers aboard the craft, or whether they were Heligoland residents ventured too close to the saucer too soon. Curiously, all seven men seemed to be from 25 to 30 years of age and of the same height - about 5 feet 8 inches. All had excellent teeth.

Investigators have one theory: That the seven men were passengers who were consumed by fire inside the descending ship. The blaze had been caused by sudden changes in atmospheric pressure conditions inside the saucer's hermetically sealed cabin. Atop the craft was a trap-door through which the seven bodies could have been thrown by the impact of landing.

Even more curious were the ship's measurements. It was 91 feet in diameter and the cabin 70 feet high. In fact, all dimensions were dividable by seven. On the control board were a series of push-buttons, but investigators are still studying the interior mechanism to learn what propelled the saucer in flight.

Dr. Løberg's theory is that the disk may have travelled by harnessing magnetic lines of force which scientists know encircle the nine planets of the solar system. He points out that there was no motor and no propeller, but if magnetic force is involved, the saucer would move just as a nail moves when approached by a magnet.

The landing gear resembled a tripod of three metal cylinders which would revolve in any direction. There were no bolts, rivets or screws on the saucer and in the construction were found two metals which are entirely unknown to scientists. Outer metal of the ship was light in weight and resembled aluminum, but it was so hard that even 15,000 degrees Fahrenheit could not melt it down. Two men could easily lift one side of the saucer.

Although it was not immediately established that the seven burned men were former passengers of the ship, investigators found equipment inside which definitely resembled living quarters! Well-enclosed bunks were ingeniously placed on one side of the cabin's interior.

A liquid resembling water but almost three times as heavy as normal drinking water, was found in two small containers. On a wall-bracket was a tube filled with a large number of pills, possibly tabulated food.

The saucer's radio, which had no tubes, no wires and no aerial, was about as small as a king-size cigarette package. Pamphlets and booklets, which seem to deal with navigation problems, were also found but investigators are still trying to decipher the script used in the text.

Dr. Løberg emphasized that when the Heligoland investigation is completed, the report will add a new chapter to flying saucer history.

Where, or by whom, these two stories have been mixed up, will possibly be a lot easier to determine when we get the South American articles, but it is quite clear that we are dealing with two different stories.

Now, if we move forward in time to November 1956, we find that the Dutch magazine UFO-Gids (12) publish, with minor changes, almost the same text as the "Hessische Nachrichten". But the Dutch magazine does not credit "Hessische Nacrichten" for the story. Instead, it gives "Stuttgarts Dagblad" for September 5, 1955, as it's source.

In later accounts, Stuttgarter Tageblatt (13) has been alleged to have been the origin of the Darnhyl version, a story which surfaced already in 1954. Obviously, someone tried to 'germanize' "Stuttgarts Dagblad", and didn't care too much for investigating his source.

Non-existent newspaper

Several sources has used "Stuttgarter Tageblatt" as a source for the Spitsbergen story, which is, in fact, a non-existent newspaper! Neither CENAP nor other researchers have ever found any trace of such a newspaper or even such an article published on, or around, the date given by UFO-Gids. Actually, "Stuttgarts Dagblad" may simply mean "a newspaper from Stuttgart" in Dutch.

The story goes on, and in 1966 Frank Edwards' book Flying Saucers - Serious Business (14) is published. Edwards claims to have been in contact with a member of the Norwegian board of inquiry. We will bring the relevant section here: "In 1954 when I wrote to a member of the Norwegian Board of Inquiry which had investigated the Spitsbergen case. I received, after four months, a cryptic reply: 'I regret that it is impossible for me to respond to your questions at this time.' Could he, then, answer my questions at some other time? To that inquiry I received no reply. I am recovering from the shock."

This alleged contact can not be regarded as anything but an attempt to make the story "better". He does not name his alleged contact, and copies of the letters, which would have been natural to include in his book, never surfaced.

New twists to the story

In 1968, Arthur Shuttlewood's book Warnings From Flying Friends (15) was published. here he recounts an article by Bruce Sandham, "Invasion from Space" (16). Sandham says that a Catalina flying boat, not six jets, discovered the object, and he gives May 1952 and not June 1952 as the date. Where he got his information from we don't know. Obviously it is yet another "twist" to the story.

Through the years the Spitsbergen story has featured in a number of books and magazine articles - so many that in this article we can only deal with the most important ones - the ones that added new info, or confusion...

Oh yes, confusion. More of that is added in 1986 by William Steinman in his book UFO Crash At Aztec (17). First of all he gets the Spitsbergen and Helgoland stories mixed up. He says that seven dead beings were found near the Spitsbergen saucer. He also gives us new "data" in that the pilot who first discovered the saucer, and reported his find, never came back.

The latest article I will discuss here is "New Information on The Spitsbergen Saucer Crash" by William L. Moore, in Focus 5 (18), dated Dec 31, 1990. In this article, Moore includes a translation of a French newspaper article which appeared in the Oct 15, 1954 edition of Le Lorrain (19).

It tells of a Swiss report published by the D.A.T. (Territorial Air Defense) on flying saucers, describing WW2 Schriver/Habermohl/Miethe nazi saucer experiments. Claiming the Spitsbergen wreckage was one such saucer, it was "recovered by Canadian commandos". William L. Moore has quite clearly not done his homework, stating that "this account remains the best and most authoritative explanation I've heard so far for the Spitzbergen saucer crash ruours".

This is, basically, the Spitsbergen UFO crash/retrieval story as of today. Now we can either let it keep wandering from magazine to magazine as endless rehashes, or we can do a little basic research to check the story out. What I will do now, is to tell you what investigation others have done, what investigation I have done, and finally we will concentrate our attention on the Norwegian air force jets around the Winter of 1951/Spring 1952 period.

If we look at page 118 of Robert G. Girard's An Early U.F.O. Scrap Book (20), we find an undated newspaper clipping which is very interesting. It tells what the "Der Flieger" article said about the incident, and included that "Norwegian Air Force headquarters denied all knowledge of the report and said it never had heard of 'Dr. Norsel'". This clipping is probably dated around August-September 1952.

In 1954, the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang made inquiries, in Oslo, about the name of Hans Larsen Løberg (as we remember, involved with the Helgoland story), but everyone asked, who ought to know about such a man, stated that the name was completely unknown.

American inquiries

According to the book The UFO Evidence (21), NICAP wrote to the Norwegian Embassy in 1958, receiving this reply: "Our Air Force's UFO material is mainly of security graded nature and cannot be put to the disposal of NICAP". I have not seen the letter myself. This letter has been used as evidence of a secret classification of the Spitsbergen incident report and analyses, but the letter does in fact not mention that case specifically, but UFO-related documents generally. And UFO-related material being classified at that time, ties in with my own research.

According to the Condon report, Scientific study of Unidentified Flying Objects (22), "it seems well established that this story has no basis in fact".

Further inquiries in Norway

A Norwegian researcher, Arne Børcke, visited the Ministry of Defence in late 1973. There, he was able to sift through all the material they had about this case. Ever since the story surfaced in 1952, they had received numerous letters from interested persons of all categories. but the Ministry had no knowledge of such an incident having taken place (23).

Another Norwegian, Jon-Ingar Haltuff, determined in 1978 that the original story was an impossibility, physically as well as politicaly (24). Kevin D. Randle, a very eminent researcher, was of the opinion that the story is a hoax (25). Margaret Sachs, in her book The UFO Encyclopedia (26), writes that "although rumours continue to circle about the alleged Spitsbergen crash, no conclusive evidence has been presented to support the story".

My own research consists of sifting through the entire 1952 edition of Svalbardposten, the local newspaper for Svalbard/Spitsbergen. There was no mention at all of any saucer crash! Neither were there any such story in any of Norway's main newspapers: Aftenposten, Morgenbladet, Morgenposten, or Verdens Gang, in 1952. I also checked all editions of Hvem Er Hvem (27) for the period 1912-1984, the Norwegian equivalent of Who's Who. None of the names mentioned in connection with our story figured in any of these editions.

In correspondence with the Defence Museum in Oslo (28, 29, 30) during 1990-91, I determined that they have no knowledge of any of the names involved. They do not consider it likely that norwegian jets could have operated around Svalbard in 1952.

The Press and Information Division of the Norwegian High Command do not have any papers on the Norwegian pilots and military personell allegedly involved in the story. They do, however, have data on all those officers who did exist.

Norwegian jet fighters

Then we come to the aircraft. According to all the versions, except the one by Bruce Sandham, the wreckage was discovered by jet pilots. The only jet fighters in the Norwegian Air Force in 1951-52 were De Havilland DH 100 Vampire (in three versions: FMK3, FBMK52, and TMK55), and Republic F-84 Thunderjet (in two versions: F-84E and F84G).

According to my correspondence with the Defense Museum (30) as well as the available literature (for instance, 31), the Vampire jets were stationed at Gardermoen AFB (about 50 km north of Oslo). With an action radius of only 980 km, we can definitely rule these out.

Our last, and only (!), alternative is then the F-84. Six F-84E's were delivered on September 10, 1951, and were included in Squadron 334 at Sola (outside Stavanger). These were the only F-84E's delivered to the Norwegian Air Force. During the spring and summer of 1952 Norway received twentyfive F-84G's. 200 were deliverd, in all, with deliveries completed in 1955. F-84G had an action radius of 1610 km, so this looks promising. But it still fails to fulfill our wishes. Why?

Because, according to research done in part by the author and by Anders Liljegren, the airfields in northern Norway were either too short, or going through extensive upgrading to meet the new NATO standard. All F-84 aircraft were stationed in the southern part of Norway at the time, and then said that the aircraft circled around the saucer wreckage for almost an hour, so anyone can see the hopelessness in this.

Conclusion

The conclusion therefore has to be that the Spitsbergen story (and the Helgoland story too, for that matter) is nothing but a classic H-O-A-X! The original authors, mainly J.M.M. and Sven Thygesen (if that was their real names), had a cursory knowledge of Norwegian military aircraft, but far from good enough.

Even if this case does not hold any water, I will venture my way with a little prophecy: This story will, with great certainty, continue to be the subject of books as well as magazines during the 1990s. There will always be "researchers" who think this story deserves their enthusiastic attention, and cannot settle down with factual arguments which clearly show the story to lack any basis in reality.

"We must follow where the evidence trail leads even if it is dragging us, screaming and kicking, away from our fondest hopes and dreams".
Jenny Randles, in "Mind Monsters", 1990.

References:

1. Saarbrücker Zeitung, 28 June 1952; "Auf Spitzbergen landete Fliegende Untertasse".

2. Berliner Volksblatt, 9 July 1952; Fliegende Scheibe auf Spitsbergen".

3. Der Flieger, August 1952, p. 148; "Luftpolitische Monatsschau".

4. FOIA CIA document, 8 August 1952.

5. Donald E. Keyhoe: Flying Saucers From Outer Space, 1953.

6. Jimmy Guieu: Les Soucoupes Volantes Viennent d'Un Autre Monde, 1954.

7. Harold Tom Wilkins: Flying Saucers On The Moon, 1954.

8. Hessische Nachrichten, 26 July 1954; "'Fliegende Untertassen' sind keine Fabel".

9. Verdens Gang, 19 December 1954; "Sør-Amerika melder om flygende tallerken i Norge!".

10. El Nacional, published some time before 19 Dec 1954. Not yet seen by author.

11. Sir, September 1954; "First report on the captured flying saucer".

12. UFO-Gids, v 2/n 8 - November 1956; "De Schotel op Spitsbergen".

13. Stuttgarter Tageblatt, (or Stuttgarts Dagblad), 5 September 1955. Non-existent!

14. Frank Edwards: Flying Saucers - Serious Business, 1966.

15. Arthur Shuttlewood: Warning from Flying Friends, 1968.

16. Western Daily Press, 1967-68.

17. William Steinman: UFO Crash At Aztec, 1986.

18. Focus, 5/31 December 1990; "New Information on the Spitsbergen saucer crash".

19. Le Lorrain, 15 October 1954; "The Mystery of the Flying Saucers".

20. Robert G. Girard: An Early U.F.O. Scrap Book, 1989.

21. Richard H. Hall (ed): The UFO Evidence, 1964.

22. Daniel S. Gillmor (ed): Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, 1968.

23. UFO Forum, 1/1974; "Historien om den nedstyrtede UFO'en på Spitsbergen var oppspinn".

24. Letter from Jon-Ingar Haltuff to Ole Henningsen, 18 July 1978.

25. Ronald D. Story (ed): The Encyclopedia of UFOs, 1980.

26. Margaret Sachs: The UFO Encyclopedia, 1980.

27. Gram/Stenstrup (eds): Hvem Er Hvem, 1912-1984.

28-30. Letters from the Defense Museum to the author, 10 January & 3 August 1990, & 14 March 1991.

31. Arheim/Hafsten/Olsen/Thuve: Fra Spitfire Til F-16 - Luftforsvaret 40 År 1944-1984, 1984.

The Norwegian "Ghost Fliers" of 1933-37

THE NORWEGIAN "GHOST FLIERS" OF 1933-37

Ole Jonny Brænne

Newspapers all over Norway, Finland and Sweden reported a wave of "ghost flier" sightings from 1933 to 1937 (and sporadically in the years before and after). Articles by various authors detailed a few of these reports, but the wave was very much neglected until John A. Keel published a four-part article in Flying Saucer Review in 1970-71. His article was quite uncritical, though, including reports no matter how good or bad their quality.1
I recently have been lucky to locate the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the Royal Norwegian Defense Department archive material on these so-called ghost fliers. Among the approximately 1,400 pages found at the National Archives (Riksarkivet) in Oslo are investigation reports, case summaries, and maps, along with a number of newspaper articles.

#1 - 1930 or later, evening, Bardu/Setermoen
Ranveig Alstad and a friend were strolling along the road from Bardu to Setermoen one dark evening. They observed two luminous objects circling over Setermoen. The luminous objects were visible for a long time, and sometimes they hovered low above the densely builtup areas. Occasionally the objects took a turn towards Lifell.2

#2 - 1933, January 4; 17:30; Namsskogan
Several people in open country made this observation. At first they saw a weak glimmer, which got brighter until it became obvious that it had to be coming from a searchlight. The observers received the beam of light right in their faces. No sound was heard. The phenomenon first appeared over Tronesfellet, coming from Helgeland, and disappeared over Tromsfjellet in an easterly direction towards Gadden.3

#3 - 1933, December 12; 18:00; Vik
The witnesses, farmer Julius Hamer Humbornes and his wife Nelline (both 47 years old at the time), together with some trades people, observed a light in the southwest towards Kjørsvik. The witnesses were at the telephone station at Humbornes. At first the light was low over the horizon, then it went higher and could be seen between Humbornes and Holmfjellet in Bindal, moved away from Humbornes, executed a sharp turn towards the west and disappeared towards the southwest behind Holmsfjellet. The light was seen with the mountain as background, and it moved with great speed. No sound was heard, possibly because it was drowned in the noise from motor boats on the sea.

#4 - 1933, December 30; 16:00; Vik
At Hjelmset in Vik, the fisherman Nalvik Hjelmset (24 years old) observed a light that resembled a ship's lantern, which appeared from behind a mountain top to the north-northwest. It traveled with great speed towards the south, sank, and, after about 10 minutes, disappeared behind a hill at Hjelmset. The witness was certain he had not misidentified any star or planet.

#5 - 1934, January 9; 17:00; Leines
A postman, Helge Marhaug, together with three other men, observed a light towards the south in Foldenfjorden. The light moved both backwards and forwards and up and down. The witnesses were convinced it was one of the "ghost fliers." The light disappeared towards the southwest. No sound was heard.4

#6 - 1934, January 11; 19:50 & 20:40; Kvaløy in Vikna
This is the report that John Keel listed as his "item 22." If you go back to the FSR article and compare his description with this one, you will note a definite difference. While Keel talkes about a "machine," the "sound of a strong engine," and a "great beam of light," the original report sounds a little different. A light was seen on the sea, in the direction of the eastern shore of Løvøya. The light was seen with the sea and the island as background, not in the sky. It disappeared and reappeared a few times, and finally left for good after a few minutes. At 20:40, a light at approximately the same spot was seen to rise into the sky above Barfalletand move quickly towards Gjeslingen, in the south. This light was first seen with the ground as background, then the sky. It disappeared in about three or four minutes. No sound was heard, and the light did not resemble any regular light from a ship or boat. The witnesses were shopkeeper Johan Sederland (57 years old) and fisherman Frits Helmar Kvaløy (25 years old).5

#7 - 1934, January 12; 20:00-20:30; Afarnes in Veøy
"Arnulf Vikhagen, 35 years old, shoemaker, adress Afarnes, familiar with the responsibility of witness testimony, explained: His wife notified him Friday 12 January around 8 or 8:30 that she observed a strange light over Veøy (or farther west). Veøy lies about 6 km. west of the observers residence at Afarnes, right in the west or west-north-west. Mr. Vikhagen then observed this phenomenon closer and discovered two lights, one big light and a smaller one to the right and a little higher up. It must have been two aircraft instead of just one. The big light had to be a big lantern or a searchlight. Mr. Vikhagen and his wife observed this phenomenon for about 5 minutes, then it disappeared while going down and towards the west. The weather was overcast, so no stars were visible. There are no houses in Veøy or on the terrain behind (Otterøy, west of Molde) that could have caused the lights. The lights were not seen with the terrain as background, but in the sky. Mr. Vikhagen tried to hear if there was any sound from engines, but he could not. He put out the lamp in the room to see better. He didn't go out, but opened the window. There was a breeze, south-south-east. Mr. Vikhagen is sure he saw 'something unnatural.' He has observed the sky for two more nights, especially with regard to stars, but hasn't discovered anything. He's sure it was absolutely not any stars he saw."6

#8 - 1934, January 16; 18:45; Sømna
At Vik church, a strong red light appeared from behind a mountain top on Sømhovdfjellet. It moved with an undulating motion in a southerly direction with great speed, until it was right above Skalvikfjellet. The light disappeared at a low height in the south-south-west. No sound was heard, and the possibility of it being a star was out of the question. It was observed for four to five minuted by Kristine Nilsen (18 years), Bendik Nilsen, Eldor Hansen Sande, Einar Gjerdet, and Sigurd Nilsen, among others.

#9 - 1934, January 18; 22:00-22:30; Stod
Jørgen Flakstad and his wife, observed a light that they believe to be a ball of fire. It moved towards the north, and disappeared behind Bjørndalsåsene. Later the forest was lit up for a few minutes.

#10 - 1934, January 19; 20:00; Elvegårdsmoen
A light came from the east lit up the place as it with a searchlight, turned towards Mebyfjell and Hølbergene (when over Elvegårdsmoen), and disapeared at great speed in a westerly direction. The observer, Johan Knutsen (71 years), had seen and heard aircraft before. It occurred to him that this had to be Gisken Jakobsen (famous female pilot) out flying.

#11 - 1934, January 29; 22:45; Bodø
Three men aboard a ship - Nils Aanes, Harald Sørfjord, and Anders Nygård - observed a strong light over Steinsvær. It appeared as if from a searchlight. The light moved toward the west and the north during the 30 to 60 seconds they saw it. There was a strong southwest gale and falling snow.

#12 - 1934, February 8; 00:30; Sigerfjord
Fishermen Olaf Edvardsen (26 years), Nikolai Jensen (20 years), and Edmund Høve (20 years) observed a strong light moving up and down in the waves. The light changed both color and brilliance before disappearing to the south.

#13 - 1934, February 8; 00:30; Sigerfjord
Arne Ellingsen observed a green light, probably coming from Kvæfjord, fly around the fjord and shine a searchlight on the mountain sides. Keel also mentions a report on February 8. It is unclear whether he is referring to #12 or #13. His description does not fit either, but #13 has the closest resemblance. The light was green instead of red, however, and the observer did not describe any "machine" - just a light.7

#14 - 1934, February 11; 06:30; Tromsøysundet
A light ignited and separated into two lights. Distance 400 meters. One of the lights moved along the water at great speed towards Balfjord. The second, bigger light increased its speed to that of a steamship and was observed for 15 minutes. The bigger light headed towards Balsnes. These lights were observed by Ottar Marinius Sørensen (32 years) and Sigurd Mathisen.

#15 - 1934, February 11; 22:30-23:30; Strand/Gornitak
A strong red-yellow light at great distance and height, in the direction of Kirkenes, followed the north end of Varangerfjord (at Mortensnes). Around 23:00 another, minor light of the same color, appeared lower and far to the southwest (Latnæringen). The first light then moved with enormous speed towards the light in the southwest, while decreasing its height. After this change of direction, the first light continued towards the northwest and disappeared behind a dark cloud. It returned after about five minutes, in the direction from which it had first appeared. The second light could still be seen, but grew less and less luminous, disappearing in the southeast (where it was snowing). In the opinion of witness Rolf Falk, the big light disappeared in the northwest. The light was so strong and its movement so clear that confusion with stars is out of the question. No engine sound could be heard. It was observed by Rolf Falk (27 years), wife Petra Lovise Falk (36 years), her brother Julius Johansen (28 years), Inga Johansen (28 years), Georg Johansen and his wife.

#16 - 1934, February 11; 22:30-23:00; Gornitak
This observation report resembles the precious one, apart from the fact that only the big light was seen coming from the north and moving around. The witnesses - Per Andersen, Anna Magga Andersen, Anders Persen, Nils Persen, and Klannet Persen - observed this big light for 30 minutes, then went to bed. They live about two kilometers from the observers in report #15.

#17 - 1934, February 15; 23:00; Gallyjokk
Two lights moved from Latnæringen toward and around Meskelvfjorden, where the first one made a white-gray cloud, into which both lights disappeared. This was observed by Martin Anders Hansen Lam (46 years). One of the lights cast a strong reflection in the water of Meskefjorden.

#18 - 1934, February 15; 23:30; Gornitak
A big white light looking like one of the headlights of a car, came towards Gornitak at a great height. About 15 minutes later, a green light appeared from the same direction. Both disappeared in a cloud, which seemed to be made by the first light (the sky was otherwise free of clouds). The cloud was grayish and long, the white light shined above it. Both lights were then above Meskelvfjorden, in the direction of Alapnes. This phenomenon was observed by Nils Petter Paulsen (58 years), his son Henrik (27 years), and Anna (38 years).

#19 - 1934, March 2; 22:00-23:00; Gornitak
A light from the south (or possibly the southeast) appeared over Varangerfjorden and circled above the fjord. It ascended and descended suddenly and irregularly. From the front, it appeared oval, but from the side it looked like three lights - two strong lights in the front and a lesser light in the back. Among the observers was a state police officer named Olufsen.

#20 - 1934, March 5; 21:00; Steinmarksfjord/Øksnes
White lights, appearing to shine from small windows in a row, moved towards the west - above the mountains about five kilometers away. It was observed by Aksel Berg and a 15-year-old girl.

#21 - 1934, March 13; 23:00-01:00; Skreifjord/Seiland south of Hammerfest
Lights, seen by several people, circled above Skreifjord/Seiland, and a rocket was sent down.

#22 - 1934, March 14; 19:00; Valfjord/Måsøy
The observer, Esther Jakobsen (13 years), first heard engine noise, then saw lights coming from the north. She saw the contours of a big long object, appearing as a shadow. It went south-southwest towards Stoppelfjord at great speed. The phenomenon had a multitude of lights in various colors, but mostly white. The lights were attached in the front and on the sides, with the strongest lights in front. Nice clear weather, no clouds, no wind, stars visible, no moon, some northern lights. Observation stations in the direction of flight were notified, but they saw nothing.

#23 - 1934, March 14; 19:00; Kautokeino
A big white light, which threw a "spotlight" in front and a streak of light behind it, moved in a southeast direction over Aiddejavrre towards Suopatjavrre at a height of about 1,500 meters.

#24 - 1934, March or April, "Last Monday"; 22:00; Husvær/Sandnessjøen
A teacher, Ludvig Lundh, together with five other persons, was at the dock of Sandvær when they saw a strong light in the direction of Skjærvær and Sonnan. It appeared to come from inland or along the coast, but it was not possible to determine that exactly. When the light seemed to be right above Skjærvær, it suddenly changed course towards the west, out to sea. The witnesses followed the light for about three minutes, until it disappeared in the horizon. "Couldn't it possibly have been a star?" the newspaper asks Lundh. "No, absolutely not! We were standing on the docks and saw the light move in a straight course with an overcast sky as background. And we saw it changed course and continue out to sea. There are no other natural explanation for this light than an aircraft," says Lundh to every protest. An interview was recorded by the police, which sent the report to the military. Lundh adds that he timed the light's speed, and it seemed to fit in nicely with a high-speed aircraft.8

#25 - Circa 1934, summer; Skår/Osterøy
Berit Clemmensen, about 7 years old at the time, observed a luminous object coming down from a nearby mountain towards the east - 300 to 400 meters distant - as she lay on a haystack. She watched it for a few seconds as it came closer, after which she remembers nothing.9

#26 - 1934, August 12; 01:30; Fagerfjell
This observation was made from two different places, a couple of kilometers apart. The two observers were Paul Bøckmann at Malmbolaget in Narvik and his brother Peder's wife. It looked like a huge rocket being sent up. Bøckmann said, "Just before going to bed, at about 01:30, I went out to look at a house I was building. And then I suddenly see, in the north-northwest, a strong light igniting violently above Fagerfjellet, or more specifically the part called Svartfjellet." To the question of whether he was able to hear any sound associated with the phenomenon, he said: "No, I couldn't. The distance between the light and myself was too great." According to the description of Mr. Bøckmann, it appears that the light originated on the ground and not in the sky. Comets, meteors and such are probably not the explanation in this case.10

#27 - 1934, December 13; 01:00; North of Tromsøya
Two fishermen, Monrad Lunde and Karel Johansen, observed a strong light gliding in over the mountain tops of Ringvassøya towards Kalfjordeidet and southwest until it disappeared over Tisnes. Both were convinced that this was an aircraft. The weather was very bad, with a storm and a total overcast.

#28 - 1935, November 13; evening; Laukvik/Lofoten
Three lights - red, blue, and white - flying at high speed were observed at a low height. Seen for about 15 minutes, they disappeared out to sea. The weather was overcast.11

#29 - 1936, November 17; 19:00-19:15; Tromsøen
"Yesterday, when I was strolling along Trømsøen, I overheard boys talking about lights and the mysterious areoplane, and at the same time staring at the sky. It was 7 p.m. I stopped and immediately discovered a light, a trifle more red than the stars. It was a starry night without a cloud in the sky. The light seemed to be moving. I took a bearing on two stars nearby and the light passed these. I then took a new nearing on another farther east. When the light passed this star too, I felt certain the light was indeed moving. I was all the time standing exactly on the same spot, facing north. The light was moving from west to east, a distance north of Tromsøen (how far is difficult to estimate) and so high up in the sky that it was impossible for it to be caused by anything moving on the ground. I was standing still, watching the light for 10-15 minutes. When I continued my walk, and the light had traveled farther east, I was no longer able to see it. Yours cordially, Erling Steen."12

#30 - 1936/37; Gjersjøen
The witness, H.M. (about 37 years old), had a strange experience on the road between Moss and Oslo. An object about 20 meters in diameter, landed on the road, incidentally blocking two cars going in opposite directions. After the object had risen up and disappeared, none of the drivers made any attempt to contact one another.13

#31 - 1937, January 28; 05:45; Ofotfjorden
Karl Tidemann, the mate on duty on d/s Hammerø, together with the pilot Stemland and sailor Gerhard Hansen, observed a crest of foam as if from a high-speed boat out of Ofotfjorden. "The speed was so high that it caused the water to appear like a belt after the strange object." As the crest of foam came closer, the hull of an object also appeared. The object, visible for about a minute, passed 120 meters distant and disappeared back into the sea again, with only the crest of foam remaining visible. Tidemann thought he also saw a pole. The weather was clear with moonlight, but they were not able to distinguish any contours of the object, which did not bear any markings.14

#32 - 1937, February 18; 01:00; coast of Finnmark outside Berlevåg
Captain Thoralf Skog (43 years) of d/s Raftsund, together with the pilot Reidar Bertinusen, observed a heavily illuminated ship. Spiral-shaped light beams were sent up into the sky. The distance, 1 to 1.5 kilometers, was so great as to make the contours of the ship impossible to see, but the observers thought it had to be very big. They saw this phenomenon for about 15 minutes, until it started snowing. Before it started snowing, the moon was visible and the weather was clear with good visibility. This incident occurred outside the four-nautical-mile border.15

We should also note two of Keel's reports that have been omitted from the above chronology.
Keel's item 53 concerns a CE3-like report from Tromsø, dated January 28, 1934: #The freighter Tordenskiold returned to Tromsø from Kabelvåg on Saturday. The captain, Sigvard Olsen, and a sailor, Olsen, relate the following: 'When they had left Tromsø last Tuesday and were on their way home, a plane appeared suddenly in front of the vessel. He was following a course straight towards the ship. When he reached only a few meters from the ship, the plane turned to the right and flew directly over it. A beam of light swooped over the deck, turning darkness into broad daylight for 15-20 seconds.' The plane was a great grayish machine exactly like the French plane Latham which Roald Amundsen used on his last expedition. In the cabin of the craft Captain Olsen saw a person, probably the pilot, dressed in some sort of "anorak" [hooded jacket]. He wore big glasses and had a hood over his head. The machine had no marks or insignia. It circled once around the vessel and then vanished."16

Is this really a UFO? This sounds more like an ordinary aircraft to me. Or a hoax.
According to Keel, "one of the best-reported incidents of the ghostflier wave was the apparent crash of a plane on top of the 'nearly inaccessible' Fager [or Fagerfjell - OJB] mountain about ten miles from Trømsø" on February 5, 1934. This was Keel's item 57.17

This is one of those incidents that took on huge proportions because of the craze among people. Just about everyone talked about the "ghost fliers." Everyone was on the lookout (and this, no doubt, accounts for the great number of misidentifications). Every light in the sky, anything unknown, was called "a ghost flier." That does not necessarily mean an airplane was seen, but people imagined it so. After all, what else could it be? The people reporting this incident observed the mountain through binoculars during a snowstorm. So visibility was far from good. Items found among the Air Force and Defense Department archive material explain this report. It is obvious that a huge boulder was misidentified as being a downed airplane. During the snowstorm it appeared to be moving, thereby giving rise to the rumors of an airplane trying to get off the ground. In addition to this, it is physically impossible for an aeroplane to land on this mountain.

References: Editor's Note: We should remember that pioneering work often requires some correction. Keel was, of necessity, using English-language news sources, which are frequently inaccurate, and had no other material on which to base a critical comparison. His errors are most likely attributable to those sources. Fremover, Dec. 10, 1966; UFO-Nyt 1/1967, p.10. Namdalen, Jan. 8, 1934. Bergens Tidende, Jan. 10, 1934. Flying Saucer Review (FSR), Jul./Aug. 1971, p.17. Report from lensmann (sheriff) in Romsdal to chief of police in Molde, January 15, 1934. FSR, Jul./Aug. 1971, pp.18.19. Tidens Tegn, Apr. 3, 1934. UFO, 1/1992, p.11. Tidens Tegn, Dec. 1, 1934. Morgenbladet, Nov. 17, 1935. Report from district tax inspector in Tromsø to General C.J. Erichsen in Harstad, Nov. 18, 1936. Letter from Eldbjørg Fjeldberg to NRK, Nov. 15, 1976; Letter from Eldbjørg Fjeldberg to H.M., Nov. 16, 1976. Journal of d/s Hammarø, Jan. 28, 1937; Report from 6th Division in Harstad to the General Staff, Feb. 1, 1937. Report to chief of police in Ålesund, filed by police officer A. Furland, Feb. 26, 1937. FSR, Jul./Aug. 1971, p.18. Ibid., pp.18-19. Ole Jonny Brænne is INFO's International Correspondent for Norway. He is also a committee member of UFO-Norway, the leading UFO investigation organization in his country. The 29-year-old Mr. Brænne works as a self-employed painter and decorator. In our previous issue, he summarized other pre-1947 UFO-type incidents in Norway. His "Legend of the Spitzbergen Saucer," (International UFO Reporter, Nov./Dec. 1992) definitively debunked the well-known story of the 1952 Spitzbergen UFO crash. UFO-Norway - The journal UFO

UFO-Norway publishes the journal UFO four times a year. The journal brings articles, reader's letters, book reviews, a chronological review of received reports, pictures of the phenomena, and other current news items.
Additionally UFO-Norway has published a few special issues (in norwegian) covering subjects more thoroughly than what is possible in an article.
Previously UFO-Norway have also published Nordic UFO Newsletter and UFO-Norway News (both in english). You are welcome to read some of our previous issues - so far only in norwegian. A few english articles are also available.

UFO-Norway - Spitsbergen saucer crash

Legend of the Spitsbergen saucer

By Ole Jonny Brænne

For almost 40 years rumors have told of a crashed flying saucer on the remote island of Spitsbergen. As the story goes, the wreckage was discovered by jet pilots and later transported to Narvik, Norway, where an investigation determined it was composed of unknown metallic alloys and was of extraterrestrial origin.

But what really happened - if anything happened at all - on Spitsbergen in or around June 1952? In this article we will document the story's evolution over the years, with all the surrounding rumors, elaborations, and misunderstandings. The article is a summary of a 38-page special issue of UFO, the periodical of UFO-Norway, devoted entirely to the Spitsbergen legend.

Some of you are no doubt familiar with the basic elements of the story, but let us start nonetheless at the beginning, with the original source. We believe the first mention of a saucer crash on Spitsbergen probably appeared in an article in a German newspaper, Saarbrücker Zeitung on June 28, 1952. The piece was entitled "Auf Spitsbergen landete Fliegende Untertasse." An english translation follows:

FLYING SAUCER LANDED ON SPITSBERGEN

Narvik, mid-June.

Norwegian jet planes had just started this year's summer maneuvers over Spitsbergen. A squadron of six planes were approaching, at maximum speed, the Nordaustlandet, where units of the supposed opponent had been reported. The jets had just crossed over the Hinlopen Straits when crackling and rustling noises could be heard on all ear phones and radio receivers. Radio contact among the jets was no longer possible; all means of communication between the jets seemed to be out of order. The radar reading, which had been showing "white" since from Narvik, was now on "red". This indicated an alert, the approach of a metallic alien object equipped with a radio direction finder that had a different frequency from that of the fighters.

Nevertheless, the highly experienced pilots were able to communicate with each other by means of circling and diving, so that each of them was aware of circling and diving, so that each of them was aware of their common situation, each one searching the horizon with the utmost attention. The six fighters circled for some time not finding anything that was out of the ordinary.

By chance, Air Capt. Olaf Larsen happened to look down. Immediately he started to dive, followed by his squadron. On the white snowy landscape, the crusty surface of which had an icy glitter, there was a metallic, glittering circular disc of between 40 and 50 meters diameter, which was even brighter than icy snow. Between some wires and a tangle of supporting struts in the middle, the remains of an apparently partly destroyed cockpit protruded. While circling for 60 minutes, the jet pilots could neither detect any sign of life nor determine the origin or type of the vehicle. Finally, they took course for Narvik in order to report their strange findings.

Just a few hours later, five big flying boats, equipped with landing skis, took off for the place of discovery. They landed safely next to the bluish steel disc, which was sitting in a bed of snow and ice of more than one meter's depth.

"Undoubtedly one of the infamous flying saucers", claimed Dr. Norsel, a Norwegian rocket specialist, who had insisted on joining the flight. He also established the reason why all means of communication of the fighter planes had broken down on entering the zone of the landing spot, and why the radar equipment had signaled the alarm: a radio direction finder equipped with a plutonium core was undamaged and transmitting on all wave lengths at a frequency of 934 Hertz, which is not known by any country.

A presise inspection of the remote-controlled flying disc that landed on the Nordaustlandet of Spitsbergen due to interference problems, led to the following indisputable information. The flying object, which has a diameter of 48,88 meters and slanting sides, is round and was unmanned. The circular steel object, is made out of an unknown metal compound, resembles a silver disc. After ignition, 46 automatic jets, located at equal distances on the outer ring, rotate the disc around a plexiglassed center ball, that contains measuring and control devices for remote control. The measuring instruments (gauges) have Russian symbols. The action radius of the disc seems to be more than 30.000 km, and the altitude over 160 km. The flying object, which resembles one of the legendary "flying saucers", has sufficient room for high explosive bombs, possibly nuclear bombs.

The Norwegian specialists assumed that the disc had started from the Soviet Union and had gone down over Spitsbergen due to a mistake in transmitting or receiving, being incapacitated because of the hard landing. The strange, remote-controlled, unmanned jet plane will be brought to Narvik on board a ship for further investigation. After hearing of the description of the disc, the German V-weapon designer Riedel stated: "That's a typical V-7 on whose serial production I have worked myself".

The author of the Zeitung article, J.M.M., has proven untraceable. Newspaper archives have no useful information on the matter. The very same article was also published by another newspaper, Berliner Volksblatt, on July 9, 1952. In early August 1952 the story got another mention in the German periodical Der Flieger, in a piece by a Dr. Waldemar Beck. This mention probably spread the story to a far greater audience, even carried by the AFP news service into the CIA archives. Later authors often refer to the Der Flieger version.

Several points in the Zeitung article are of particular interest. They include the speculation about possible Soviet origin as well as the names of two persons presumably involved in the discovery and investigation of the disc itself: Air Capt. Olaf Larsen and Dr. Norsel. This we must keep in mind as we proceed with our investigation.

A few books published in 1953 and 1954 briefly mentioned the Spitsbergen story. I refer specifically to Donald E. Keyhoe's Flying Saucers From Outer Space, Harold T. Wilkins' Flying Saucers on the Moon (published in America as Flying Saucers on the Attack), and Jimmy Guieu's Les soucoupes volantes viennent d'un autre monde (an English translation appeared in 1956 as Flying Saucers Come From Another World). Additional information comes then to our attention through yet another German newspaper, Hessische Nachrichten, which published this account on July 26, 1954:

"FLYING SAUCERS" ARE NO FABLE

Only now a board of inquiry of the Norwegian General Staff is preparing the publication of a report on the examinations of the remains of a flying saucer crashed on Spitsbergen, presumably some time ago. The chairman of the board, Colonel Gernod Darnhyl, stated, during an instruction lesson for Air Force officers: "The Spitsbergen crash was very rewarding. True enough, our science still faces many riddles. I am sure, however, that they can soon be solved by these remains from Spitsbergen. A misunderstanding developed, some time ago, when it was stated that the flying disc was probably of Soviet origin. It has - this we must state emphatically - not been built by any country on earth. The materials are completely unknown to all experts, either not to be found on Earth, or processed by physical or chemical processes unknown to us".

According to Col. Darnhyl, the board of inquiry is not going to publish an extensive report until "some sensational facts" have been discussed with experts from the USA and Great Britain. "We must tell the public what we know about the unknown flying objects. A misplaced secrecy may well one day lead to panic!"

The North Pole, base for unknowns?

The Norwegian fighter pilots, Lt. Brobs and Lt. Tyllensen, who, since the Spitsbergen event have been assigned as observers of the polar area, claim that, contrary to American and other sources, the flying discs have already landed repeatedly in the northern polar zone.

"I believe that the polar area is an air base for the unknowns. Especially during snow and ice storms, when we, with our machines, must retreat to our base, it is my belief that the flying objects take advantage of this to make landings. I have, shortly after such bad weather conditions, seen them land and take off three times", said Lt. Tyllensen. "I noticed then, that having landed, they execute a very speedy rotation around their axis. During flight, and take off, or landing, the brilliant light prevents any view of the events behind this wall of brilliance and on, or inside, the flying object itself."

Enough of physical evidence

Col. Darnhyl thinks that, within the next twelve months, a solution to these technical problems will be found, or, at least, science will be on the right track towards solving the UFO problem. "We now have material at hand, on which we can start. That means laboratories can start the work right away and they might give us preliminary results shortly. Norwegian scientists think that the material from Spitsbergen can only give away its secrets by nuclear crushing; this because it does not change either at absolute zero, when air is liquified, or at the highest temperatures technically possible with our technology. Also, every chemical treatment has been tried. Scientific results will only be released subsequent to a UFO conference in London or Washington."

The communication from Swedish TV-set owners, that their reception recently was interfered with every time flying saucers were reported over northern Sweden, caused sensation in circles of the Norwegian board of inquiry. In consequence of this Colonel Darnhyl hopes, sooner or later, to track down the communication system of unknown flying objects. Sven Thygesen.

Perhaps many will think that this is a change for the better. The wreckage is no longer of possible Soviet origin but extraterrestrial. And we also get additional names: Chairman of the board Col. Gernod Darnhyl (misspelled Darnbyl by some later sources), and Norwegian Lts. Brobs and Tyllensen. Sven Thygesen, the author of the Nachrichten article, is another person we have not been able to trace. Yet in this case we have a name, not just initials.

A new twist to the Spitsbergen story appears in the December 19, 1954, edition of the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang. It goes like this:

SOUTH AMERICAN REPORT OF FLYING SAUCER IN NORWAY!

The Uruguayan newspaper "El Nacional" of Montevideo has recently, with big fuzz, brought a message "about the Norwegian scientist Hans Larsen Løberg's discovery of a flying saucer on Heligoland". It concerns, says the newspaper, the same flying saucer that "was reported to have fallen down into the mountains of Spitsbergen in August 1952".

Mr. Larsen Løberg says that this saucer in reality crashed (fell down) on Heligoland (Hålogaland - Helgeland?) which is a small island in the North Sea (Nordsjøen), used as a submarine base by the Germans during the war. Of Hans Larsen Løberg is said that he won a prize in physics in Hungary. The newspaper also features his picture. (Editor/AFU: Due to it's bad quality the picture cannot be reproduced here, but it depicts a smiling, middle-aged man in suit and tie.)

Larsen Løberg also retracts the rumour that the saucer was supposed to have Russian writing. It had, he says, a diameter of 91 feet and a thickness on the middle of about 70 feet. In the spaceship's control room they found a number of push-buttons. It was deduced that it could travel aided by the magnetic forces that hold the planets in their positions in space, and these forces are controlled by said buttons. They found no engine in the spaceship, nor could they discover any rivets, fuses or bolts. The outer surface was shiny and transparent.

Pills and heavy water

The material used was as light as aluminum, but very much harder, and probably much heat-resistant. Of the things found in its interior, they noticed some water that was three times as heavy as normal water, and a few pills which were taken to be food. There was also an apparatus which probably was a radio. It was quite small and had no antenna. They also found some books, probably navigational instructions, in a completely unknown writing. The doors of the spaceship were open. Just inside of the doors were 7 bodies, burned beyond recognition. Scientists are of the opinion, according to Larsen Løberg, that the bodies were of men at the age of between 25 and 30 years, about 1,65 m tall. All had perfect sets of teeth.

Beam-gun

Dr. Hans Larsen Løberg could also tell about the finding of a completely unknown weapon, a beam-gun which used magnetic rays. This gun, he thinks, explains a number of strange incidents in the USA. In Wyoming, Oklahoma City, Pittsburg and New York windows were broken, for unexplained reasons, on thousands and thousands of cars. And it must be obvious, he says, that the young pilot Mantell, who during a flight reported on radio that he had encountered a flying saucer and shortly thereafter crashed in pursuit of it, must have been shot down by this beam-gun.

Crew burned to death

The reason for the crash of this saucer, he thought, had to be that it was affected by the American hydrogen-bomb explosions. The material of the spaceship, and its apparatus, resisted the enormous heat, but the crew burned to death. The newspaper which picked up the story in Brazil, admits that it sounds fantastic, but draws attention to it not having been officially denied!

VG has investigated, in Oslo, whether there is a scientist by the name of Hans Larsen Løberg, but everyone queried, and who ought to know about him, says that the name is completely unknown.

Obviously somebody is mixing two versions of the story here. We are told that the saucer fell not on Spitsbergen but on the German island of Helgoland, in the North Sea. We are also given information about a magnetic beam-gun, heavy water, pills as food, books with unknown writing, and bodies. None of this has previously figured in our sources.

In addition we obtain yet another name, our seventh: Norwegian scientist Hans Larsen Løberg. The Verdens Gang article refers to an Uruguayan newspaper, El Nacional, which again has a Brazilian source. Our South American contacts have not yet been able to locate this article, but we have managed to track down the first mention of the Helgoland story as published in Sir!, a pulp men's maazine, for September 1954:

FIRST REPORT ON THE CAPTURED FLYING SAUCER!

On a tiny island in the North Sea off the German coast, a secret investigation is in progress to determine whether hydrogen bomb explosions in the Pacific Ocean knocked a flying saucer to earth. Preliminary findings were revealed recently in Oslo, Norway, by Dr. Hans Larsen Løberg, a retired Norwegian scientist, who said investigators have already made some startling discoveries.

In his report, Dr. Løberg said the mysterious cracking and shattering of automobile windshields in several U.S. cities a few months ago may be explained when results of the investigation are in. Because, he added, the grounded saucer is reported to carry firing instruments capable of shattering glass with magnetic rays.

The saucer came down on Heligoland, a small island which the Germans used as a U-boat base during World War I. Since the Island is only a speck of land in a large body of water, Dr. Løberg believes the disk was forced to earth when H-bomb blasts created conditions of atmospheric pressure that made flight impossible.

It was not a crash-up, and investigators found most of the saucer's instruments in good condition. On ground near the ship were found the bodies of seven men, all burned beyond recognition. They may, or may not, have been passengers aboard the weird flying craft.

Dr. Løberg, one-time winner of the Hungarian Physics Award, said descriptive details of the saucer were told him by a fellow-scientist who is with the investigating team on Heligoland.

If magnetic rays from the flying saucer shattered auto windshields, then police in several American cities will close the books on a case which drove then to the boiling point a few months ago. it all began in the city of Bellingham, Washington, where horrified citizens learned that, in one week's time, 1500 automobiles had turned up with cracked windshields - and no one could explain the reason why. Bellingham's 34000 people began to wonder if ghosts had invaded their midst. Even house and store windows slithered into bits. The windshields at times cracked up while cars were in motion, but no one could pin down any concrete cause.

While the astounding story made headlines throughout the US, Bellingham's city officials were dodging frantic citizens, police were going crazy, and local glass manufacturers were making a fortune. Then windshields began falling apart in Wyoming, in Oklahoma City, in Pittsburgh and finally in New York City. Nobody, not even glass experts, could come up with a reasonable explanation.

The saucer's magnetic ray gun, which Dr. Løberg believes responsible for all the disintegrating glass, may also provide a solution for yet another mystery - an airplane crash near Fort Knox, Ky., on January 7, 1948. On that day an unidentified object was sighted over Goodman Air Force Base [sic] at Fort Knox by both military and civilian observers. Air Force Captain Thomas K. Bandell [sic], flying his plane over the base, radioed the Goodman tower and reported the object was travelling at half his speed.

"I'm closing in now to take a good look," he reported. "It's directly ahead of me and still moving at about half my speed. This thing looks metallic and of tremendous size... It's going up now and forward as fast as I am. That's 360 miles per hour... I'm going up to 20000 feet and if I'm no closer I'll abandon chase."

The time was 1:15 P.M. and that was the last radio contact Bandell [sic] ha with the Goodman [sic] tower. Several hours later, his body was found in the wreckage of his plane near the base.

If the Heligoland saucer's magnetic ray gun is in good condition, it may reveal the power to shatter airplanes as well as glass.

Dr. Løberg contends the craft apparently landed under guidance of its own instruments and the investigators studied it at a distance for two days before risking closer observation. The area where the saucer came down was bombarded with cosmis rays, Geiger counters and other protective devices before investigation began.

The seven charred bodies found around the saucer are yet unidentified. Their clothing was burned away completely and there were no clues to indicate whether they were passengers aboard the craft, or whether they were Heligoland residents ventured too close to the saucer too soon. Curiously, all seven men seemed to be from 25 to 30 years of age and of the same height - about 5 feet 8 inches. All had excellent teeth.

Investigators have one theory: That the seven men were passengers who were consumed by fire inside the descending ship. The blaze had been caused by sudden changes in atmospheric pressure conditions inside the saucer's hermetically sealed cabin. Atop the craft was a trap-door through which the seven bodies could have been thrown by the impact of landing.

Even more curious were the ship's measurements. It was 91 feet in diameter and the cabin 70 feet high. In fact, all dimensions were dividable by seven. On the control board were a series of push-buttons, but investigators are still studying the interior mechanism to learn what propelled the saucer in flight.

Dr. Løberg's theory is that the disk may have travelled by harnessing magnetic lines of force which scientists know encircle the nine planets of the solar system. He points out that there was no motor and no propeller, but if magnetic force is involved, the saucer would move just as a nail moves when approached by a magnet.

The landing gear resembled a tripod of three metal cylinders which would revolve in any direction. There were no bolts, rivets or screws on the saucer and in the construction were found two metals which are entirely unknown to scientists. Outer metal of the ship was light in weight and resembled aluminum, but it was so hard that even 15,000 degrees Fahrenheit could not melt it down. Two men could easily lift one side of the saucer.

Although it was not immediately established that the seven burned men were former passengers of the ship, investigators found equipment inside which definitely resembled living quarters! Well-enclosed bunks were ingeniously placed on one side of the cabin's interior.

A liquid resembling water but almost three times as heavy as normal drinking water, was found in two small containers. On a wall-bracket was a tube filled with a large number of pills, possibly tabulated food.

The saucer's radio, which had no tubes, no wires and no aerial, was about as small as a king-size cigarette package. Pamphlets and booklets, which seem to deal with navigation problems, were also found but investigators are still trying to decipher the script used in the text.

Dr. Løberg emphasized that when the Heligoland investigation is completed, the report will add a new chapter to flying saucer history.

Where, or by whom, these two stories have been mixed up is a question perhaps resolvable when we obtain the South American articles, but it is clear that we are dealing with two different stories.

Now, moving forward in time to November 1956, we find that the Dutch magazine UFO-Gids published, with minor changes, almost the same text as the Hessische Nachrichten. But the Dutch magazine does not cradit Hessische Nachrichten for the story. Instead it lists Stuttgarts Dagblad for September 5, 1955, as its source.

In later accounts, Stuttgarter Tageblatt has been alleged to be the source of the Darnhyl version, a story that had surfaced already in 1954. Evidently someone tried to germanize Stuttgarts Dagblad and did not investigate his source.

Several authors have used Stuttgarter Tageblatt as a source for the Spitsbergen story. It is, in fact, a nonexistent newspaper. Neither CENAP nor other researchers have ever found any trace of either such a paper or such an article published on, or around, the date given by UFO-Gids.

Actually Stuttgarts Dagblad may simply mean "a newspaper from Stuttgart" in Dutch.

In 1966 Frank Edwards' best-seller Flying Saucers - Serious Business gave the Spitsbergen story new life. In it Edwards claimed to have corresponded with a member of the Norwegian board of inquiry. He said, "In 1954 when I wrote to a member of the Norwegian Board of Inquiry which had investigated the Spitsbergen case. I received, after four months, a cryptic reply: 'I regret that it is impossible for me to respond to your questions at this time.' Could he, then, answer my questions at some other time? To that inquiry I received no reply. I am recovering from the shock."

Edwards' account must be judged suspect. He does not name his alleged contact, and copies of the letters, which one would have thought Edwards would include in his book, did not appear there and have yet to surface anywhere.

New twists

In 1968 Arthur Shuttlewood's Warnings From Flying Friends recounts an article by Bruce Sandham, "Invasion from Space," said to have appeared not long before in an undated issue of the Western Daily Press. Sandham claims that a Catalina flying boat, not six jets, discovered the object, and he gives May 1952 and not June 1952 as the date. He cites no sources.

Through the years the Spitsbergen story has surfaced in a number of books and magazine articles, so many that in this article we can deal only with the most important ones - that added new information, or still more confusion.

Oh yes, confusion. More of that is supplied in 1986 by William S. Steinman and Wendelle C. Stevens, authors of UFO Crash at Aztec. First of all Steinman, the primary author, gets the Spitsbergen and Helgoland stories mixed up. He also gives us new "data" which assert that the pilot who first discovered the saucer, and reported his find, never came back.

The most recent article of note is "New Information on the Spitsbergen Saucer Crash" by William L. Moore, in Focus 5 (December 31, 1990). Moore includes a translation of a French newspaper article which appeared in the October 15, 1954, edition of Le Lorrain. It tells of a Swiss report published by D.A.T. (Territorial Air Defense) on flying saucers, describing World War II Schriever/Habermohl/Miethe Nazi saucer experiments. The Spitsbergen wreckage, from one of these craft, was "recovered by Canadian commandos." Moore, who has not done his homework, states that "this account remains the best and most authoritative explanation I've heard so far for the Spitsbergen saucer crash rumors."

A modern investigation

This is, basically, the Spitsbergen UFO crash/retrieval story as of today. Now we can either let it keep wandering from magazine to magazine or conduct a little basic research and investigation to check the story out. What I will do now is to tell you what investigation others have done myself, and finally we will concentrate our attention on the Norwegian Air Force jets around the winter 1951/spring 1952 period.

If we look at page 118 of Robert G. Girard's An Early U.F.O. Scrap Book (1989), we find an undated newspaper clipping which is most interesting. It tells what the Der Flieger article said about the incident; it remarks that "Norwegian Air Force headquarters denied all knowledge of the report and said it never had heard of Dr. Norsel." This clipping is probably dated around August or September 1952.

In 1954 the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang made inquiries, in Oslo, about the name of Hans Larsen Løberg (as we remember, involved with the Helgoland story), but everyone asked, who presumably would have known or known of such a man, stated that the name was unfamiliar.

American inquiries

The UFO Evidence (1964) recounts NICAP's effort to look into the story. When the organisation wrote to the Norwegian Embassy in 1958, it got this reply: "Our Air Force's UFO material is mainly of security graded nature and cannot be put to the disposal of NICAP." The letter has been used as evidence of a secret classification of the Spitsbergen incident report and analyses, but in fact it does not mention that case specifically, just UFO-related documents generally. And UFO-related material beng classified at that time, ties in with my own research.

According to Scientfic Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (1969, known informally as the Condon Report), "it seems well established that this story has no basis in fact."

Further inquiries in Norway

Norwegian researcher Arne Børcke visited the Ministry of Defense in late 1973. There he sifted through all the material it had about this case. Ever since the story surfaced in 1952, the ministry had received numerous letters from interested persons but beyond that knew nothing of any such incident.

Another Norwegian, Jon-Ingar Haltuff, determined in 1978 that the original story was an impossibility, physically as well as politically. Kevin D. Randle, who would later achieve eminence for his research on the Roswell case, rejected the story and so wrote disparagingly of it in Ronald D. Story's Encyclopedia of UFOs (1980). Margaret Sachs, author of The UFO Encyclopedia (1980), writes that "although rumors continue to circle about the alleged Spitsbergen crash, no conclusive evidence has been presented to support the story."

My own research consists of sifting through the entire 1952 edition of Svalbardposten, the local newspaper for Svalbard/Spitsbergen. I found no mention of any saucer crash. Neither were there any such stories in any of Norway's main newspapers, Aftenposten, Morgenbladet, Morgenposten, or Verdens Gang, in 1952. I also checked all editions of Hvem Er Hvem for the period 1912-1984, the Norwegian equivalent of who's Who. None of the names mentioned in connection with our story figured in any of these editions.

During 1990-1991, through correspondence, I learned that the Defense Museum in Oslo had no knowledge of any of the names mentioned in the published accounts. The authorities at the museum do not consider it likely that Norwegian jets could have operated around Svalbard in 1952.

The Press and Information Division of the Norwegian High Command do not have any papers on the Norwegian pilots and military personell allegedly involved in the event. They do, however, have data on all those officers who did exist.

Norwegian jet fighters

Then we come to the aircraft. According to all the versions, except the one by Bruce Sandham, the wreckage was discovered by jet pilots. The only jet fighters in the Norwegian Air Force in 1951-52 were De Havilland DH 100 Vampires (in three versions: FMK3, FBMK52, and TMK55) and Republic F-84 Thunderjets (in two versions: F-84E and F-84G).

According to information supplied by the Defense Museum as well as the available literature, the Vampire jets were stationed at Gardermoen AFB (about 50 km north of Oslo). Because they had an action radius of only 980 km, we can definitely rule these out.

Our last, and only, alternative is therefore the F-84. Six F-84Es were delivered on September 10, 1951, and were included in Squadron 334 at Sola (outside Stavanger). These were the only F-84Es delivered to the Norwegian Air Force. During the spring and summer of 1952 Norway received 24 F-84Gs. Two hundred were delivered, in all, with deliveries completed in 1955. F-84G had an action radius of 1610 km, so this looks promising. But that's all. Why?

Because, according to research done in part by Anders Liljegren and myself, the airfields in northern Norway were either too short or in the process of extensive upgrading to meet the new NATO standard. All F-84 aircraft were stationed in the southern part of Norway at the time, and then the action radius becomes too short. In addition, it was said that the aircraft circled around the saucer wreckage for almost an hour. In other words, the story is hopeless.

Conclusion

The Spitsbergen story, along with the Helgoland story, is - as readers will already have surmised - fiction. The original authors, mainly J.M.M. and Sven Thygesen (if these were their real names), had a cursory knowledge of Norwegian military aircraft but beyond that were too ignorant to pull off an entirely successful hoax.

Even though this case is empty of substance, we may safely predict that it will continue to show up in print for years to come, as long as there are "researchers" who think it deserves their enthusiastic attention and will not allow prosaic truth to stand in their way.

UFO-Norway - Unidentified Submarine Objects

Observations of Unidentified Submarine Objects in Norway

By Ole Jonny Brænne

In the waters of Norway (and Sweden, too) there have been observations of unidentified submarine objects for a long time, going back before World War II. In what follows we will take a look at this peculiar phenomenon and report sightings og objects coming up from or going down into lakes and rivers. This article is based on newspaper clippings and reports from the archives of UFO-Norway.
The Royal Norwegian department of Foreign Affairs has a certain number of documents pertaining to this subject, but these documents mostly concern identified foreign submarines. we have been given access to the documents only up to 1969; the ones from 1970 to the present are still classified. The operational headquarters of the Royal Norwegian Navy, which takes these reports seriously, classifies them in four categories:
"Certain U-boat": when it is clearly observed visually by competent personnel, unequivocally registered on electronic localizing equipment, or photographed. "Probable U-boat": when there is no reason to doubt it is a U-boat, but the requirements for a certain U-boat have not been met. Twelve such reports are known from 1975 to 1989. "Possible U-boat": 120 reports frm 1975 to 1989. "Not U-boat".
From 1969 to May 1983 the presence of unknown U-boats in norwegian territorial waters was reported on some 200 occasions. The observers thought they had seen a periscope, tower, or actual submarine. Several of the reports had geographic and time correlations. By correlating the approximately 200 reports, it is possible to reduce the actual number of objects to 175. Of these te Navy classified 75 - 42.8% - as "not U-boats." These are the sightings of greatest interest to ufologists.

1946-1959

1972-1990

UFO-Norway - Pre-1947 UFO-type incidents

PRE-1947 UFO-TYPE INCIDENTS IN NORWAY

By Ole Jonny Brænne

This is version 1 - published in June 1992. This short paper aims to give a survey of pre-1947 sightings of UFO phenomena in Norway. This is a very little researched area, and much remains to be done. This paper do most certainly not cover all pre-1947 sightings in Norway. It is only to be viewed as a first sketch. The author would wish for better coverage of certain time periods, but as of now this is simply not possible for only one amateur researcher, because this is an extremely time-consuming activity. The 1946 period should be fairly well covered. This paper is supposed to be updated each year or so, as additional data becomes available. Later versions will, hopefully, include illustrations etc. Incidents not listed here are welcome additions. The author will urge researchers with interest in historical UFO incidents, to make similar papers for their countries.

**********************************************************

Shortly before Christmas 1563; Bergen;

A priest, Absalon Pederssøn Beyer, together with Christern Ulff and a goldsmith, incl both of their wives and their servants, observed a round unnatural black "cloud" passing in front of the moon and covering it. A blaze of smoke and fire was then emitted by the black "cloud", and they all heard a whistling sound. The "cloud" then moved back and forth, then disappeared. This lasted from half past 7 until 9 o'clock.
Armand/Holm-Hansen: UFOER OVER NORGE., 1971, 73.

Easter 1564; Bergen;

Again, Absalon Pederssøn Beyer, together with his wife, saw a "glowing sword" which seemed to touch the ground three times, then went up into the sky and slpit into three parts. This happened at about 6 o'clock.
Armand/Holm-Hansen: UFOER OVER NORGE., 1971, 73-4.

2 Jan 1568; Bergen;

Absalon Pederssøn Beyer again. A strange sign in the sky.
Armand/Holm-Hansen: UFOER OVER NORGE., 1971, 74.

11 Apr 1569/70; Bergen;

Absalon Pederssøn Beyer sees a ball of light, not quite as big as the sun, with a white tail changing to red at the end.
Armand/Holm-Hansen: UFOER OVER NORGE., 1971, 74.

Nov 1569; Oslo;

According to Absalon Pederssøn Beyer, there was seen "burning rice" in the sky.
Armand/Holm-Hansen: UFOER OVER NORGE., 1971, 74.

1700s; Oslofjorden;

A fence had crashed down from the sky, near a farm, and was examined by the learned men of the time. People came from far away and nearby to wiev this "wonder" from the heavens.
DET UKJENTE, 2/1988, side 43.
Fort: THE COMPLETE BOOKS OF CHARLES FORT.

15 Apr 1752; Stavanger;

A strange, sparkling, 8-sided object.
UFO-ORIENTERING., 1966, 7.

18 Nov 1769; Arendal;

Mr. Abo (Captn-Leutnant) and mr. Drejer (Controleur) observed fog and spots on the solar disc at noon, through binoculars. The spots did not move during the time they were in sight.
KONGELIG PRIVELEGERT ADRESSE CONTOIRS EFTERRETNINGER, No.5 - 1769/70.

1852;

Three round objects flying from west to east at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
FLYING SAUCER REVIEW, Feb 1956.

Spring 1870; Ålen;

The grandmother of Lars Lillevold saw something she later describes as a flying object. She also states somebody up in this object beckoned to her. (First possible CE-3 incident.) Krogh: HESSDALSRAPPORTEN., 1984, 11.
-----: THE HESSDALEN REPORT., 1985, 7.
-----: THE HESSDALEN REPORT., 1971, 7.

Winter 1876/77; Christiania;

Large worms crawled around in the streets while the ground was frozen stiff. Possible fall of worms.
Armand/Holm-Hansen: UFOER OVER NORGE., 1971, 22.

3 Nov 1886; Hamar;

Between 8 and 9 o'clock there was perfect darkness, when suddenly, a bright white cloud appeared in the sky, drifting in a northeasterly direction, and from time to time emitting brilliant rays of light in various directions. The cloud retained throughout its original form, and disappeared at last in the darkness.
NATURE, 16 Dec 1886, 159.
Bullard: MYSTERIES IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER., 1982, 191.
-------: THE AIRSHIP FILE., 1982, 379.

Apr 1892; Skien;

One Saturday evening, a fireball surrounded by a bright light-blue halo and with a long red tail was seen to go very fast, while it illuminated the room in which the witness were.
DRAMMENS TIDENDE OG BUSKERUDS BLAD, 10 Apr 1992, 27.

27 Jun 1895; Ålen;

At night, some fishermen saw a luminous object falling into Lake Hesjøen. Distance between object and witnesses were estimated at about 1 km.
FJELD-LJOM, 8 Jul 1895.
AFTENPOSTEN, 3 Apr 1990, 3.
UFO, 1/1991, 36.

14 Aug 1897;

Crew of a ship near Norway saw an airborne balloon.
Bullard: MYSTERIES IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER., 1982, 226.

21 Aug 1900; Telemark;

Man was dazed when ball lightning exploded close to him.
Bord/Bord: MODERN MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD., 1989, 346.

Mar 1901;

At 9:30 p.m. with a full moon, a round silver object came out of the northeast and moved high in the sky overhead and disappeared in the west. It moved with half the speed of a meteor, leaving no streak or sparks behind.
FLYING SAUCER REVIEW, Feb 1956.

4 Oct 1902; Oslofjorden;

Humped sea monster, about 60 feet long, seen by people on yacht.
Bord/Bord: MODERN MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD., 1989, 346.

27 Jul 1907; Drøbak;

An opaque object hovered over a ship, and was photographed. (Photograph not seen, possibly first photo incident.)
QUFO, v 1/n 13.
Winkler: CATALOG OF UFO-LIKE DATA BEFORE 1947 - PART I., 1984, 35.

Autumn 1907; Tviberg;

Theodor Tviberg together with two friends, saw a shiny round object coming from northeast towards southeast. The speed was much faster than any 1980-aircraft. The sky was clear with a few clouds at 200 m. The moon was a few degrees above the mountains in the east. The object passed between the moon and the mountains.
UFO, 1/1983, 38.

1 Apr 1908; Notodden;

Egg-shaped airship of an unknown metal, containing two occupants from Mars, landed in distress and were not able to leave again. HOAX! (Possibly first UFO-related hoax.)
FRI PRESSE, Apr 1908.
SYN OG SEGN, 1947, 127-8.
BA, 30 Mar 1983.
UFO-OBSERVATØREN, 5/1983, 8.

30 Jun 1908;

Were there registered any seismological/ meteorological or other effects in Norway, as a result of the Tunguska/Siberia explosion?

Autumn 1913; Auggedal;

Ball lightning with a whistling sound, came from the south straight towards the witnesses, and passed between them and a barn, at a distance of 10 m. It was the size of a football, and at the passing between the barn and the witnesses its height above the ground was 5-6 m. It then rose up and disappeared over a hill. The object was shining brightly. The witnesses were P.O. Møller, together with Tor Flatum and Gunn Berget. This happened at 20:00. The entire observation lasted about 40 seconds, during which the ball lightning covered a distance of about 10 km.
UFO REPORT FORM, 31 Mar 1965.

2 Aug 1914; Stavanger;

"A biplane of unknown nationality was seen cruising (circling) over Tungeneset south of Stavanger. It disappeared behind a hill and since then nothing has been seen of it."
MORGEMBLADET, 3 Aug 1914, 4.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 36.

3 Aug 1914; Mo i Rana/Helgeland;

"Reports about an airplane which passed over here Monday seem to be confirmed. It went into Sweden midday Monday and returned Monday evening after dark. It flew very high."
MORGENBLADET, 6 Aug 1914, 3.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 36.

17 Sep 1914; Alta;

"From Alta it is reported that Thursday evening from 9-10 o'clock a strange and so far unexplained luminous phenomenon was observed by many (people) and from many quarters. The sky was completely overcast and it was full dark when a luminous point like a very large star appeared to the east over Elvebakken, proceeded over Bosekop, disappeared behind Skoddevarre, came out again at Kvænvik and after several other movements disappeared in the direction of Talvik. The light was white as a rule but shifted in part over to red and blue. It was also observed in binoculars (telescope) from the small steambout "Sina". Naturally it was guessed to be from an airplane. A single man (might have) heard a rushing sound up in the air, but without seeing anything, however. The light moved at various heights and as a rule without particularly great speed, except when it disappeared."
MORGENBLADET, 24 Sep 1914, 2.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 37.

22 Oct 1914; Bodø;

"From Knaplund, (near) Saltstrømmen, it is reported that last evening at 9 o'clock an airship was seen which passed eastward. It was seen by 9-10 persons, who also heard the noise of the motor. The airship had a cigar shape and showed clearly against the evening sky. According to the statement the ship was observed by many reliable adult men, who gave their names to the correspondent."
MORGENBLADET, 23 Oct 1914, 4.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 38.

16/17 Nov 1914; Tjølta;

"A light in the sky has been seen the past two evenings eastward from "De Syv Søstre". The light has moved from the west toward the east, sometimes quite slowly, standing still, sinking and rising, whereafter it went on again with great speed. The light has been sighted by many mature people simultaneously."
MORGENBLADET, 19 Nov 1914, 2.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 38.

21 Nov 1914; Tjølta;

"At Mindlandet in Tjølta last Saturday evening an air-sailer was seen again cruising about Skjærvær lighthouse, which it lighted up with a searchlight. The airship, which had a height of about 700 meters, descended to about 400 meters altitude, wherefrom it let the searchlight play on a passing ship. Thereafter it (ascended) again. Between 20 and 30 people watched it simultaneously."
MORGENBLADET, 25 Nov 1914, 2.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 38.

20 Dec 1914; Skien;

"An airship might have been seen here at 8 o'clock yesterday morning. Many reliable people, among them the sheriff of Solum, sighted the airship. The sheriff watched it with a telescope (binoculars). It was at a dizzying height and moved at first inland, but then turned southward and went away to sea."
MORGENBLADET, 22 Dec 1914, 3.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 38.

1915; Bergen;

One evening at around 11, Henr. Angel Hansen saw a large bright object twice as big as the moon, in the north. It did not move for about 30 seconds, then descended a bit, stood still for about 15 seconds again. This same action was repeated 2-3 times. Finally it speeded away and disappeared in the western horizon. The object's color was brown-red. The weather was clear.
UFO-NYT, 3/1972, 118.

Summer 1915; Sulitjelma;

A dark bell-like object descends from the western sky and lands. Two humanoids appear from behind the hill where the object landed. They walk towards a road, then turns around, and come towards the witness. One of the humanoids stops and smiles to the witness, Bjarne Westvand. The humanoid was as big as the witness, who was 6 years old at the time, i.e. about 1 m high. It had long dark wavy hair. The skin was grey, and its head was big in comparison to its body. They were dressed in brown/dark coveralls. The humanoids went behind the hill, and shortly afterwards, the bell-like object rose up and disappeared quickly in the sky.
RAPPORTNYTT, 4/1981, 3.

13 Jul 1915; Østre Slidre;

"Tuesday at 12:30 o'clock four women visitors came from the Fredheim Hotel going northward on the main road, and when they were right up at Valsted Farm they heard all of a sudden the loud noise from a motor, which they thought came from an automobile approaching. They got out of the way and expected the car to come, but to their surprise they saw no car; on the other hand the two women who were a little ahead of the others saw an airplane come rushing right over them with a course in a northwesterly direction. An officer's wife, who saw the machine, is certain that she could not have been mistaken that it was an airplane, since she often had seen airplanes in flight. But now comes the strange part: The women had been able to observe the machine only a moment when the motor stopped working and the machine fell down like lightning in a slanting direction, pointing toward Volhufjorden. She saw all this quite clearly, and her impression was that the machine and flier were on their way to destruction. The sheriff in Østre Slidre was immediately notified about the occurrence and he together with four others at once undertook an investigation down in Skogene out from Rognagårdene straight down to the fjord, without discovering the slightest thing. Yesterday morning men were (positioned) on both sides of the fjord, (while) all Volbufjorden was investigated in every direction. In an interview we had with the sheriff in Østre Slidre, he reported that still no trace of that mysterious airplane had been found. (Again the officer's wife was questioned), whether she was certain that it was an airplane she saw. It was felt that she was absolutely certain about it."
VALDRES, Jul 1915.
MORGENBLADET, 16 Jul 1915, 4.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 40.

20 Aug 1915; Christianiafjord;

"Friday night - the time lacking 20 minutes of 10 - when the awful thundershower went over the fjord and Østlandet, he stood at a window of his house and looked in a southeasterly direction over the fjord. Suddenly he saw a dark object appear against the lighted horizon away over in the direction of Rauer, and then the dark (as he thought it first) cloudlet came up across the sky with an unusually high speed for a cloud, (convincing) him that it must be something else. He took his telescope (binoculars) and went out in his yard. Now he turned himself in the direction where he thought the dark object should be and - sure enough: the most lovely Zeppelin (in full vigor) floated over Christianiafjord. As he stood and observed it through the telescope he was able to see a bright light come from about the middle of the big body; it shone intensely about a minute and (then went off). Directly afterward he could see that the ship turned and floated away in a southerly direction and disappeared soon (afterward) in the dark.
GJENGANGEREN, Aug 1915.
MORGENBLADET, 25 Aug 1915, 4.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 42.

13 Jan 1916; Dyfjord;

"A man saw six lights, one green, one red and four white, and also thought he saw the ship's outline. After a moment passed the four white lights were extinguished and a beam as if from a searchlight (was directed) downward. The supposed airship emerged in the south-southwest, then went eastward and disappeared (finally) in a southeasterly direction. The sight was observed by many reliable people, including the whole party of the rescue crew stationed in Dyfjord, and none of them entertained the slightest doubt but that it was a gigantic airship they had seen."
FINNMARKSPOSTEN, Jan 1916.
MORGENBLADET, 15 Jan 1916, 2.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 41.

19 Jan 1916; Rolvær;

"Captain Bergfjord of the steamship "Ofoten" states that when he came inward to Ofotenfjord, he saw a Zeppelin over Rolvær at about 500 meters height."
MORGENBLADET, 19 Jan 1916, 2.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 41.

15 Mar 1916; Vesterålen;

"An airplane was plainly seen over Vesterålen. It came flying with great speed from out at sea, and first made a full turn, then it was over the Børøy area (and finally) at Stokmarknes. During both the inward and return flights an almost steady light changed to red, blue and white. It looked most nearly like a signal. It was at 11 o'clock in the evening that this happened and there were many people who could observe clearly the unknown nocturnal visitor in the bright moonlight."
NY TID, Mar 1916.
MORGENBLADET, 24 Mar 1916, 4.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 41.

4 Apr 1916; Jæren;

"A couple of dock workers and a police constable saw a light in the air yesterday from the wharf in a westerly direction over Jæren, probably from a Zeppelin. The light disappeared in the west."
MORGENBLADET, 5 Apr 1916, 4.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 41.

16 Apr 1916; Stavanger;

Pupils at the Stavanger Folkeskole, aged between 9 and 11, saw a black cloud appear in the sky. There was a red light behind it. The sighting also was a religious vision as they all saw an angel with a cross. Later a message appeared in the sky.
STAVANGER AFTENBLAD, Apr 1916, Mar 1917, Mar 1918, 19 Dec 1942, Apr 1943.
Hiorth: LEBESBYMANNEN., 193-?, 45-8.
OMVEND DERE FOR JESUS KOMMER SNART., 198-?.
UFO, 1/1989, 22-3.

20 Apr 1916; Stafjorden;

"The Nordre Bergenhus Company's steamship "Fjalir", at 2 o'clock, at Stafjorden west of Svanøen, was passed by a Zeppelin. It was lighted and the drone of the motors was heard plainly. It disappeared in a northerly direction."
MORGENBLADET, 23 Apr 1916, 4.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 41.

24 Jun 1916; Bergen;

"At 11 o'clock Saturday evening an airplane was seen over Ulrikken. It was a biplane, which was observed by many persons. It flew at such a great height that it could just be seen without a telescope. It appeared as if it went out to sea."
BERGENS AFTENBLAD, Jun 1916.
MORGENBLADET, 27 Jun 1916, 2.
Bullard: THE AIRSHIP FILE - SUPPLEMENT I., 1983, 42.

1920; Oslo;

A mother and daughter heard harp music and went over to the window. They saw a bright red object getting smaller and smaller, and the music grew fainter and fainter. When the object was gone, so were the music.
RAPPORTNYTT, 3/1980, 1.

Oct 1920; Stavanger;

An evening at around 19:30 - 19:33, H.B. Rage observed a light being reflected so that all the shadows from the trees nearby appeared on the ground in front of him. He turned around and saw a red ball of light, the size of a pea on an outstretched arm. A red beam was emitted from the ball, apparently searching for something. Finally it "went out". A few clouds, no wind. It illuminated a wide area on the ground.
UFO REPORT FORM, 27 Dec 1964.
UFO-NYT, 5/1966, 188.

1920's; Stavanger;

The witness, Harald B. Rage, went down into the cellar to punish a cat. While he shouted at the cat, a ball lightning came in through the window - straight through the glass. It was as big as a tennis ball, and had many colors. It danced around in circles, going up and down, while the witness was trying to catch it. Finally it disappeared through the window again, without damaging the glass. Its distance from the witness was from 10 to 80 cm.
UFO REPORT FORM, 27 Dec 1964.

1930 or later; Setermoen;

Ranveig Alstad observed two luminous objects circling over Setermoen and Lifjell, one dark evening.
FREMOVER, 10 Dec 1966.
UFO-NYT, 1/1967, 10.

1933-39;

A wave of "ghost flier" sightings all over Norway, and at the same time in Finland and Sweden. Next version of this paper will contain details on these sightings.

Summer Ca 1934; Skår/Osterøy;

Berit Clemmensen, aged about 7 at the time, observed a luminous object coming down from a nearby mountain towards east - 300-400 m distant - as she was laying on a haystack. She watched it for a few second as it came closer, then she remembers nothing. (Earliest known case of missing time.)
UFO, 1/1992, 11.

Ca 1935; Toten;

A poltergeist outbreak.
Bord/Bord: MODERN MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD., 1989, 346.

1936/37; Gjersjøen;

An object had landed on the road, blocking two cars coming in opposite directions. The witness were about 37 years old at the time. The witnesses of each car did not make any attempt to contact those of the other car, after the object had risen up and disappeared. It was about 20 m across.
Letter from Eldbjørg Fjeldberg, 16 Nov 1976.

Summer 1938; Herne;

Sverre Brevik was 21 years old at the time. At night it was warm, so he could not sleep. He went out to relax and enjoy the view of nature. Suddenly he became aware of a sound like a generator increasing its speed. And then the whole area became illuminated, the sound grew in strength, causing pain in his head. About 20 m away from him, a bluish object rose up. It had a reddish halo around it, and what seemed like openings around it which blew out a blue-white exhaust. The smell was horrible, it reminded him of burned rubber. His eyes and throat stinged. The object rose without any sound, then it fell back again like a down (the "falling leaf" movement?). Its size was 20-25 m in diameter, and 2-3 m high. He had a feeling of being observed by the object. Then it rose up again and circled the area. The area was once again illuminated by the exhaust-like things, as it soundlessly disappeared in a northerly direction. 10 years later he was to observe an identical object.
HJEMMET.
UFO-NYT, 4/1970, 159-60.
Liljegren: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF REFERENCES TO UFO INCIDENTS DURING WORLD WAR II., 1987, 2.

1939; Kristiansand;

The witness, Linnea, observed a luminous cross on the western sky.
UFO-NYT, 4/1969, 162.
Liljegren: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF REFERENCES TO UFO INCIDENTS DURING WORLD WAR II., 1987, 2.

Autumn ca 1939/40; Røskeland/Osterøy;

Berit Clemmensen and Dagveig Berntsen - both aged around 12-13 at this time -witnessed the surrounding area getting lighted when walking home one dark and moist evening. The strange light lasted for a few seconds, and was unlike any other kind of light they knew. They felt themselves enclosed by this light, and they were unable to determine its source or direction. They were very afraid and excited when the light finally disappeared. There were rain and fog this evening.
UFO, 1/1992, 11; 2/1992, 9.

1930's;

???.
ØVRE SMÅLENENE, 10 Nov 1966, or later.

During World War II; Otterøy/Namsfjorden;

The witness, Lorentz Johnsen, saw small self-luminous discs or balls on the island. The objects were capable of doing evasive maneuvers.
UFO-NYT, 2/1973, 56.

During World War II; Sandefjord;

Mrs. Edvardsen and her friend saw 3-4 luminous objects in a northeasterly direction. It was during the summer and late afternoon. The objects were as big as a barn, and moved like insects do. Their color were described as the light of a cigarette. The distance between the witnesses and the objects were about 300-400 m.
Letter from Arne Foss, 22 Oct 1977.

Autumn ca 1941; Skår/Osterøy;

A relative of Berit Clemmensen were with some friends at the local cinema. The evening sky was clear and full of stars. Suddenly they see a luminous phenomenon in the west, heading northwest at great speed. It might be described as a bright fireball, and it looked like a bolide at first. According to the witnesses it seemed to fly very low over the Osterfjorden - in fact they were looking down upon the phenomenon. It was visible for at least 1/2 minute, and they didn't hear any sound. The witnesses were quite agitated by this experience.
UFO, 2/1992, 9.

Jul/Aug 1941/42; Marøy/Nordhordland;

Irene Skram and her cousin, saw a silvery disc at about 11 o'clock. It sort of rose up out of the ground southeast of the witnesses, about 300 m away. Three grey wisps were trailing the disc, who were rotating about its own axis. It ascended slowly to a height of about 100 m, when it seemed to descend slowly again, and the three wisps trailing the disc fell down about 100 m north of the witnesses' house. The disc disappeared. Two men, who also saw the disc (the cousin's husband and his friend), went to get the wisps, and brought back three haycocks. There did not appear to be anything odd about the haycocks. They asked their neighbour to the south, and he verified that three haycocks were missing from his property, without them telling him about the disc. The object were seen for about 2 minutes, and its size were about 10 m in diameter. The diameter of each haycock were 12-15 m, and the separation between each were 5-6 m.

UFO REPORT FORM, 6 Jan 1965.
UFO-NYT, 5/1966, 188-9.
Bertelsen: UFO-80., 1980, 65.
Liljegren: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF REFERENCES TO UFO INCIDENTS DURING WORLD WAR II., 1987, 8.

14 Mar 1942; Banak;

Fischer, big sigar. HOAX!
Durrant: LE LIVRE NOIR DES SOUCOUPES VOLANTES., 1970, 84.
OVNI PRESENCE, 28/Dec 1983, 30/Jun 1984.
Liljegren: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF REFERENCES TO UFO INCIDENTS DURING WORLD WAR II., 1987, 8.

Nov 1942;

Jun/Jul 1943; Båttjønndalen/Hessdalen;

Jon Aspås and his uncle Martin Lyng watched three different lights, the largest was about the size of the moon, and the smallest, a star. After some time some kind of smoke came out of the largest object and covered the lights. When the smoke disappeared, the lights also were lost.
Wisth: UFO-MYSTERIET I HESSDALEN., 1983, 43.
Krogh: HESSDALSRAPPORTEN., 1984, 11.
-----: THE HESSDALEN REPORT., 1985, 7.
Havik: UFO-FENOMENET., 1987, 13.
Liljegren: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF REFERENCES TO UFO INCIDENTS DURING WORLD WAR II., 1987, 10.
Krogh: THE HESSDALEN REPORT., 1990, 7-8.

Dec 1943; Oslofjorden;

Some friends were eating when they saw a light which appeared to be on the harbour. Fearing sabotage, they entered their cars (3) and drove towards the phenomenon. Some distance away the cars stopped, and couldn't be started again. They left the cars and ran towards the light, which seemed to resemble a church bell, and were a hazy orange color. When they approached it, they heard a whistling sound, like air being released from an air compressor. A moment later the object ascended 9-18 feet above the water, and took off with an enormous speed, without any sign of acceleration. At last the object had a deep blue color as it disappeared over Oslofjorden. As soon as it disappeared, the witnesses (4) investigated the area and discovered a craterlike depression in the snow about 4,5 feet in diameter, and about 3 feet deep. Outside this the snow had melted, to a diameter of 54 feet.
AUSTRALIAN FLYING SAUCER REVIEW, 7/1968.
Phillips: PHYSICAL TRACES ASSOCIATED WITH UFO SIGHTINGS., 1975, 5.
RAPPORTNYTT, 4/1979, 4-5.
Bertelsen: UFO-80., 1980, 66.
Liljegren: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF REFERENCES TO UFO INCIDENTS DURING WORLD WAR II., 1987, 11.

Jul 1945; Sørreisa;

Sometime after the 20th, E.P.B. heard a whistling sound, and tried to see what caused it. He caught sight of 5 dark objects (which he at first thought were cannon balls or something) who travelled very fast, faster than any 1945-aircraft. Seen against the background of a high cloud cover, the objects held the same distance among themselves as long as they could be seen. They could be seen for about 15-20 seconds, going further and further away, all the time with a wavy motion.
Letters from E.P.B., 15 Mar 1983, 18 Apr 1983.
UFO REPORT FORM, 18 Apr 1983.

After World War II; Kristiansand;

The witness, Linnea (same as for the 1939 Kristiansand sighting), saw three "bubbles" in the colors of the rainbow above a hill to the west of the city. They maneuvered around for some time, then finally disappeared to the west.
UFO-NYT, 4/1969, 162.

8 Jul 1946; Vuoremijoki;

Two powerful detonations were heard by two people, followed by a very strong hissing sound, as if from a welding apparatus, at 23:35. An oblong cloud of "vapour and heat" then rose up from behind a hill called Kivitunturi. Out of this cloud emerged an object which seemed like a projectile. It held a 30-40 degree rising trajectory, and its direction was southwesterly. The distance to the phenomenon was estimated at 5-8 km. Visibility was good, and the sun was up. The length of the projectile was estimated at 10-15 m.
SWEDISH INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 26 Aug 1946.

11 Jul 1946; Andebu;

On the Berg farm the work was under way when, at about 14:30, a powerful impact was heard. A fairly big splash of water was created in a pond, as if a body had been thrown into it. A bluegrey smoke then appeared over the pond, and it was this smoke which attracted the witnesses' attention to the pond.
TØNSBERG BLAD, Jul 1946.
BUSKERUDS BLAD, 13 Jul 1946, 1+7.
DAGBLADET, 13 Jul 1946, 16.
DRAMMENS TIDENDE, 13 Jul 1946, 1+7.
VÅRT LAND, 13 Jul 1946, 1.
FRIHETEN, 15 Jul 1946, 7.
Liljegren: SPÖKRAKETERNA 1946 - NYHETSBYRÅMATERIALET., 1977, 9-10.
Gross: THE MYSTERY OF THE GHOST ROCKETS., 1982, 10.

13 Jul 1946; Oslo;

At 20:55, a luminous object passed over Oslo. It came from northeast and disappeared to the south, at the speed of a jet aircraft. Both witnesses deny the possibility of a falling star. The light was larger and brighter than a usual star, and it left behind a little tail of smoke. The height was estimated at normal aircraft height, and the object kept a straight course all the time.
AFTENPOSTEN, 15 Jul 1946, 1.

13 Jul 1946; Stavanger;

At 23:00, a yellow-red luminous object approached from the southeast. It looked like a projectile, flying with high speed at great height. It disappeared in a northwesterly direction, all the time keeping the same height. There were 4 witnesses, who all deny the possibility of a meteor.
STAVANGEREN, Jul 1946.
DAGBLADET, 16 Jul 1946, 8.
AFTENPOSTEN, 17 Jul 1946, 4.
MORGENPOSTEN, 17 Jul 1946, 8.
NATIONEN, 17 Jul 1946, 2.
VERDENS GANG, 17 Jul 1946, 1.
CIA INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 9 Apr 1947.
Liljegren: SPÖKRAKETERNA 1946 - NYHETSBYRÅMATERIALET., 1977, 10.
Gross: THE MYSTERY OF THE GHOST ROCKETS., 1982, 12.

14 Jul 1946; Son;

At about 22:50 a man saw an object travelling fast at a height of about 1000 m. It could be seen for 2 minutes, and changed color to bluegreen.
AFTENPOSTEN, 15 Jul 1946, 1; 16 Jul 1946, 5.
BORÅS TIDNING, 16 Jul 1946.
BUSKERUDS BLAD, 16 Jul 1946, 2.
FREMTIDEN, 16 Jul 1946, 1.

14 Jul 1946; Jeløy;

At 22:55 four witnesses saw a large bright yellow-white "star" appear at the horizon in the south. It could be seen for about a minute, as it travelled fast at great height, disappearing in the north-northwest. It changed color to a more bluish.
AFTENPOSTEN, 15 Jul 1946, 1; 16 Jul 1946, 5.
BORÅS TIDNING, 16 Jul 1946.
BUSKERUDS BLAD, 16 Jul 1946, 2.
DN, 16 Jul 1946.
FREMTIDEN, 16 Jul 1946, 1.
VERDENS GANG, 16 Jul 1946, 6.
VD, 16 Jul 1946.

17 Jul 1946; Oslo;

An engineer reported having observed a luminous object at 12:50, coming from the east and passing in a southwesterly direction. He watched it through binoculars. It produced a thick greywhite smoke trail.
FREMTIDEN, 19 Jul 1946, 8.
MORGENBLADET, 19 Jul 1946, 1.
Liljegren: SPÖKRAKETERNA 1946 - NYHETSBYRÅMATERIALET., 1977, 11-2.
Gross: THE MYSTERY OF THE GHOST ROCKETS., 1982, 16.

18 Jul 1946; Son;

11:35, luminous object with wings, sound, smoke.

18 Jul 1946; Mjøsa;

Between 12:00 and 12:30, several witnesses observed two V1-like objects coming in low, about 50 m height, from west. The witnesses first heard a strong whistling sound, not exactly like an aircraft. The objects were flying so low as to cause the trees to sway. They both impacted in Lake Mjøsa, about 2 km from the western shore and about 7 km from Minnesund. They were sigarshaped, about 2,5 m long, with about 1 m long wings placed about 1 m behind the nose. The front and back parts were shining like metal, but the middle section including the wings were dark. The wings seemed to flap a little. No fire or light were seen. The objects were close together, one in front of the other, and their trajectory were like when you throw a stone. When they impacted in Lake Mjøsa, the water splashed several meters in the air. No explosion was heard. The sky was clear, and the water calm. Some of the witnesses were Sigvart Skaug, his wife, son, and daughter, and Nils & Gustav Tosterud.
AFTENPOSTEN, 19 Jul 1946, 1; 20 Jul 1946, 1+5+14.
BUSKERUDS BLAD, 20 Jul 1946, 1.
DRAMMENS TIDENDE, 20 Jul 1946, 1.
FREMTIDEN, 20 Jul 1946, 1.
GÖTEBORGS-TIDNINGEN, Jul 1946.
HD, 20 Jul 1946.
SVD, 20 Jul 1946.
MT, 21 Jul 1946, 18.
AFTENPOSTEN, 22 Jul 1946, 1.
ARBEIDERBLADET, 22 Jul 1946, 1.
FREMTIDEN, 22 Jul 1946, 1.
MORGENBLADET, 22 Jul 1946, 1.
FLYING SAUCER REVIEW, v 15/n 2 - Mar/Apr 1969, 18.
OFFICIAL UFO, Oct 1976, 61.
Gross: THE MYSTERY OF THE GHOST ROCKETS, 1982, 14-5.
AFU NEWSLETTER, 27 - Jan/Dec 1984, 4.

19 Jul 1946; Møsvannet;

Between 13:00 and 13:30 a sound like that from an aircraft was heard. The sound came from the southwest, getting stronger, and culminating in a crash like an aircraft crashing into the ground. This lasted only a few seconds. Nothing was seen.
FREMTIDEN, 22 Jul 1946, 6.

21 Jul 1946; Hurdal;

18:40, dark object, high speed, whistling sound height not above 200 m.

22 Jul 1946; Gardermoen;

At 01:00, three airmen observed a flying bomb passing over the airfield at terrific speed. The height might have been 2000-3000 feet. All witnesses stated that fire and sparks were issuing from the tail but no noise was heard.
OFFICIAL UFO, Oct 1976, 61.
Gross: THE MYSTERY OF THE GHOST ROCKETS., 1982, 17.

26 Jul 1946; Oslo;

Several witnesses heard 2 powerful explosions at 00:53, but the last explosion may have been an echo. One person also claimed to have seen a bright white light at the same time.
AFTENPOSTEN, 26 Jul 1946, 1+2.
DAGBLADET, 26 Jul 1946, 1+6.
VERDENS GANG, 27 Jul 1946, 5.
MORGENBLADET, 29 Jul 1946, 2.
FLYING SAUCER REVIEW, v 15/n 2 - Mar/Apr 1969, 18.

3 Aug 1946; Finnfjordsvann;

Witness observed, at 00:30, a rocket which passed over Finnfjordsvann from southeast to northwest, at about 1000 m height. The object was about 5 m in length, and dark. Its speed was about 1000 km/h.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 1 Oct 1946.

5 Aug 1946; Eidsfjord/Vesterålen;

19:15 to 19:35, the witness observed a sigarshaped object with luminous protrusions at the back, through binoculars. Its direction was from southeast to northwest, never changing course or speed, at great height. The cloud cover being at 300 m, the object could not be seen without binoculars.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 1 Oct 1946.

5 Aug 1946; Eidsfjord/Vesterålen;

Luminous object observed for 20 minutes, starting at 19:45. It travelled with high speed at great height, from east to west.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 1 Oct 1946.

7 Aug 1946; near Bergen;

Several "bombs" were seen.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 21 Sep 1946.

11 Aug 1946; Oslo area;

A few bombs.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 21 Sep 1946.

17 Aug 1946; Tromsø;

Explosion broke windows.
DAILY TELEGRAPH, 17 Aug 1946.
Gross: THE MYSTERY OF THE GHOST ROCKETS., 1982, 38.

23 Aug 1946; Kirkenes;

A "bomb" seen passing between Oksebåsneset and Renøen, north of Kirkenes, at 19:35, in a south-southwesterly direction.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 21 Sep 1946.

24 Aug 1946; Southern Norway;

"Flying bombs" at several locations.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 21 Sep 1946.

24 Aug 1946; Russeviksodden;

The witness observed at 20:00 a ball of light rise up from the horizon, between Holmengråvika and Rødberget. It then descended and fell down halfway between the sea and the horizon, between Holmengråvika and Rødberget. The witness was aboard the ship d/s "Hekkingen". After the impact nothing was seen for about 30 seconds, then a fire appeared with a red color, and continued for about 3 minutes. Position of d/s "Hekkingen" was 3/4 nautical mile northeast of Russeviksodden with course (south-half-west) for Kirkenes. The trajectory of the ball of light was supposed to be from north to west. It could be seen on the port side, travelling very fast, for about 5 seconds. The witness estimated its height to about 400 m, and its distance from him about 2 nautical miles. It was raining slightly, and getting dark at the time, but the witness was still able to see the contours of nearby mountains. Cloud cover at about 1000 m. Another witness on d/s "Hekkingen" also saw the fire, through binoculars. This witness described the fire as being red and producing white smoke, lasting for about 3 minutes.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 1 Oct 1946.

24 Aug 1946; Oslo;

At 20:55, 2 independent witnesses saw a bright luminous object passing over Oslo from northeast to south at the same speed as an aircraft. The light was larger and brighter than a star, and it left a little trail of smoke. It did not deviate from its course.
AFTENPOSTEN, 26 Aug 1946, 1.
Liljegren: SPÖKRAKETERNA 1946 - NYHETSBYRÅMATERIALET., 1977, 28.
Gross: THE MYSTERY OF THE GHOST ROCKETS., 1982, 45.

24 Aug 1946; Sande;

Two men saw an aircraft-like object at 21:00, coming from north at high speed. It went towards the south, no sound was heard. The object was at about 200 m height, and was surrounded by a yellowgreen light, but when it was over Orebergvannet the light went out.
BUSKERUDS BLAD, 26 Aug 1946, 5.

26 Aug 1946; Engerdal;

At 21:00, 2 witnesses saw a rocket over Femundselven, moving southeast, with the speed of a jet aircraft. It left a tail of smoke.
HAMAR ARBEIDERBLAD, Aug 1946.
ARBEIDETS RETT, 28 Aug 1946.

26 Aug 1946; Årsteinfjellet;

At 23:00, 2 witnesses were rowing home from a fishing trip, when they saw an intensely green object with sparks, coming from southeast towards northwest. Its height was 300-400 m, and it did not change speed or direction. The weather was clear with good visibility. No sound could be heard. The object was visible for about 3 minutes, until it came over Årsteinfjellet where it disintegrated into 2 parts, of which the leading part was the smaller. The objects were assumed to fall down, but this could not be seen, as it was too dark at the time.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 1 Oct 1946.

27 Aug 1946; Rørås;

At 14:30 Rolf Wintervold saw an object which resembled a grey ring of smoke. The object had a height of 20-50 m. At first it moved slowly, then accelerated to an estimated speed of 800 km/h. It followed the railroad track, then followed the RV30 road north.
ARBEIDETS RETT, 28 Aug 1946.
UFO REPORT FORM, 29 Jul 1973.
UFO FORUM, 4/1973, 7.

12 Sep 1946; Nedrevann/Porsangerfjord;

At about 21:00, a witness saw a light in the northwest. The light was getting bigger as it descended and disappeared.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 1 Oct 1946.

13 Sep 1946; Nedrevann/Porsangerfjord;

At 21:10 a projectile was seen by 7 witnesses, going in a northwesterly direction. It was first seen in the direction of Kalkkavare. The object had a slightly descending trajectory. It had a high speed, and flames from the back could be seen clearly. The flames were glowing white with red stripes. The weather was clear, with the moon being up and northern lights, plus a few clouds. It flew at at least 2000 m height.
Swedish Defence Attache, Oslo: INTELLIGENCE REPORT, 1 Oct 1946.

7 Oct 1946; Ås;

The night guard at Bjørnebekk Kursted saw a luminous object coming from the northwest at 00:10. It was cylinder-shaped, going a little faster than an aircraft, at a height of about 1000 m. Flames were apparent at the back. Its nose was conical and slightly luminous. It was visible for about 1 minute, then it suddenly dropped right down and disappeared. No explosion was heard.
VÅRT LAND, 8 Oct 1946, 1.

Some Pre-1947 UFO-type incidents in Norway

SOME PRE-1947 UFO-TYPE INCIDENTS IN NORWAY

Ole Jonny Brænne

Editor's note: We have selected the following cases from a larger compilation, "Pre-1947 UFO-Type Incidents in Norway," published by the author in June 1992. Two criteria, unusualness and obscurity, guided our choices. Many cases from the early 20th century were omitted because they already appear in Bullard's The Airship File. We also omitted the "ghost rocket" cases and the "phantom flier" cases of the 1930s, because Mr. Brænne hopes to write an article on the former for us, and has already submitted an article on the latter, which we plan to feature next issue.

Since 1988, Mr. Brænne has been a committee member of UFO-Norway, the leading UFO investigation organization in his country. His "Legend of the Spitsbergen Saucer" (International UFO Reporter, Nov./Dec. 1992) gave a definitive debunking of the well-known story of the 1952 Spitsbergen UFO crash. The 28-year-old Mr. Brænne is now attempting to obtain the alleged UFO archives kept by Norwegian police and military authorities. UFO-Norway - Luukanen

Scathing Scandinavian Scandal

THE SWAMP GAS JOURNAL

Vol 7/No 4 - Winter 1996

Ole Jonny, who some have described as a bit of a rabble-rouser, posted the follwing rant (I mean, notice) in the various Internet newsgroups. It concerns a ufologist with good credentials, but apparently low credibility.

From: Ole Jonny Brænne
Subject: MUFON uses contactee on advisory board.

MUFON USES SCANDINAVIAN CONTACTEE ON ITS ADVISORY BOARD OF CONSULTANTS: RAUNI-LEENA LUUKANEN

Rauni-Leena Luukanen is a Finnish-born doctor of medicine who retired in 1986 after a car accident in which she claims to have been rescued by extraterrestrials. In the early 1980s she wrote a book on life after death. Since then, she has written three books on UFOs. She currently resides in the southeastern part of Norway. In my opinion, has been actively spreading disinformation and dubious assertions during her lecture tours and media exposures. UFO-Norway have been receiving quite a lot of inquiries about Luukanen and her claims, so we feel it's time to respond.

Luukanen often promotes stories most UFO researchers consider to be already resolved or identified as hoaxes. It makes us wonder if she really has, or wants to have, access to reliable information or if she is just writing books to make as much money as possible on naive persons.
Examples of stories in her books are the "object which crashed on Svalbard/Spitsbergen in 1952" and the "UFO shot down by jet fighters over South Africa". The 1952 Spitsbergen story has been found to be nothing more than a cheap journalistic hoax. The so-called South African crash of 1989 has been thoroughly dismissed also in various journals.
Luukanen never describes the stories completely, but only relates the most sensational parts. Details seem not to be important. In this way, she is contributing to the creation of myths around the UFO phenomenon, whether it be consciously or unconsciously. I quote from one of Luukanen's books: "A representative of a Norwegian UFO organisation once told me that the organisation had in vain tried to get the Norwegian Defense to show an interest in UFO research. Still the Norwegian Defense have unofficially assisted in UFO research, among other things in the well-known Hessdalen valley, [where there have been] numerous UFO observations. UFO researchers kept guard night and day, took photographs and sent light signals into space, and in some cases also received an answer."
This is totally false and completely out of context. As UFO-Norway is the only UFO organisation in Norway, we have to assume it is us she refers to. Aside from the fact that no representative of UFO-Norway ever told Luukanen any of the above, UFO-Norway have not ever sent any light signals out into space, and we have never received any answers, either. Luukanen claims to have given a lecture at the UN. This is not quite right either. She has given a lecture at the United Nations Parapsychological Society, which is a club and has nothing to do with the UN itself - other than that the members are UN employees. At best, it is half a truth. Luukanen also claims that pilots, astronauts, and cosmonauts are forbidden to talk on the subject of having observed UFOs. If they do this they are subject to 10 years imprisonment and a 10,000 dollar fine.
In Russia, among others, Vladimir Kovaljonok (Sojuz 6) has publicly spoken of his observation in 1981. In USA, James McDivitt even filmed a UFO (Gemini 4, 1965). Gordon Cooper har described, his UFO observations of 1951. There are no known incidents where a pilot, astronaut, or cosmonaut has been punished for statements on UFOs. Luukanen signs her letters with "MD, DT, MH, DPH, DHA, and author" after her name. It must be assuring to be able to impress people with all these titles, but not everyone falls for that. She doesn't investigate any reports herself, but only passes on various rumours, allegations, statements, and stories. MD means Doctor of Medicine of course, and that is fair enough. But at least one of the titles above can be purchased from The New York Academy Of Sciences for only US$80. Luukanen claims her books are written by a process known as automatic writing - often accompanied by claims of "it only took 70 hours to write this". It seems like the contents of a book is legitimated or "proven" in certain New Age circles if it is claimed to have been written by automatic writing. Psychologists and psychiatrists are generally in agreement that this phenomenon originates in the human subconscious. Why has no original information ever surfaced this way? Why are the contents always infested with misunderstandings and errors? Luukanen claims the aliens she is in contact with are here to help us, and are ready to rescue us out of "the last great catastrophe". It's probably safe and reassuring to have some cosmic friends standing by to fix things if the situation becomes too bad. This is a very dangerous attitude/belief. Where were the aliens during the mediaeval crusades, world war 2, the Vietnam war, etc etc. It is probably most sane to try and fix things on our own, instead of waiting for cosmic salvation. Luukanen claimed in several of her lectures during 1992, that former US president George Bush would announce the rumoured cooperation between the US and the extraterrestrials - in an attempt to save himself as president.
Bush obviously forgot it - he lost the election. Luukanen claims to be in telepathic contact with extraterrestrials and also having paranormal abilities. It is characteristic that these abilities have never been demonstrated - they probably never will. In another quote from one of her books: "It's real easy to see how 'skeptics' have captured central positions in certain American, Russian, Swedish and even Norwegian UFO organisations, whereby it is easy to spread coordinated disinformation through the most important media with the aid of certain skeptic journalists."
Well, personally, I am content with being named a skeptic - especially by Luukanen. That is exactly what I aim to be. The allegation of UFO-Norway spreading disinformation is way off the mark. Anyone accepting that can't possibly have been reading anything produced by us or subscribed to our journals. It would be of great advantage if Luukanen could have enough guts to point out more specific examples in stead of just a general accusation. One has to be skeptical (especially with regard to the UFO phenomenon) if one should have a chance of avoiding to swallow everything hook, line and sinker - like Luukanen has done. Luukanen constantly claims these extraterrestrials are really kind beings and wish us all good - everything they do is for our own good. It doesn't appear all rosy and good. How is Luukanen able to reach such a conclusion on the basis of available abduction material, is beyond me. Most reports of that kind indicate - according to the experiencers' reactions and feelings - quite the opposite. Whether the aliens are good or bad is a question we so far are unable to establish. Luukanen keep talking about "UFOs". Why? She refers to spaceships, so why not say spaceships then, not UFOs? Spaceships have nothing to do with the acronym UFO, which by definition is unidentified - unknown. This only contributes to even more confusion - and more disinformation. In several of her lectures, Luukanen claims that Kurt Waldheim, in November 1978, stated that "Sweden, Norway, the Philippines, Grenada and France have officially recognised UFOs".
What she has done here is to uncritically pass on the rumour stated by the Earl of Kimberley during the three-hour long debate in the British House of Lords on 18 January 1979. ("Ten Governments now openly admit that UFOs exist and are real: France, Norway, Sweden, Brazil, the Argentine, Venezuela, Mexico, the Philippines, Peru and Grenada.") Apparently, the fact that the Earl of Kimberley was wrong, doesn't bother Luukanen much at all. Luukanen claims the extraterrestrials have a "horizontal circulation" (of the blood). It should be interesting to hear a medical doctor explain how this works. Luukanen often claims to give lectures at and exchanging top secret information at numerous UFO conferences with scientists and military personnel. The largest UFO conferences are the MUFON and BUFORA conferences held each year. Luukanen has never given any lecture at these conferences - at least she is totally absent from the proceedings. We have as yet not all the proceedings of all the other conferences she claims to visit, but one of the important ones is the Abduction Study Conference at MIT, 13-17 June 1992. The proceedings are called "Alien Discussions" and is at approx US$70. Luukanen is not mentioned in this close-to-700 page book, nor in the 476-page book by C.D.B. Bryan. Proceedings of the TREAT conferences are also available, but these are not secret.

In summary, we can say that UFO-Norway and Luukanen have two diametrically opposite views of the UFO phenomenon.

Luukanen is not much concerned with scientific research - the inner voice and the inner experiences are more important. She distorts and disinform on the subject - sometimes so much that we wonder if it is a conscious act.

UFO-Norway is concerned that these UFO phenomena are placed under competent scientific research, where the phenomena are measured and registered in every way possible. At the same time we recognise that the material we have available today does not validate the promotion of any specific theory.

Too bad MUFON doesn't share those views.

[Editor's note: I don't think Ole is a fan of MUFON.]