PROJECT 1947

The following official French report disseminated to the French President, the Chiefs of the General Staffs of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the top officials at the General Staff of National Defense and the Committee for Scientific Coordination which is based on reports made by the French Military Attaches in Scandinavian countries and from press and radio sources is forwarded as of interest.

May 1946, the Swedish and Finnish press were mentioning luminous phenomenal observed mainly at sundown in the skies of these countries and the highly controversed question was to know whether they were meteors or jet propelled projectiles.

Swedish opinion was fairly reserved on the question whereas in Finland, at the end of June, the opinion prevailed that they were meteors whose presence in the Finnish skies was nothing extraordinary at this time of the year (this was the opinion in particular of professors of the astronomical observatories, the Geodetic Institute and the Meteorological Institute of Helsinki.)

Since that time, faced with the results of numerous observations made, and in particular those of 9 and 10 July (more than 250 in Sweden, a number which appears quite high and which must include engines counted several times) it is impossible to doubt that they are projectiles.  The Swedish and Finnish staffs are now absolutely convinced; the certain proof which would constitute an almost intact projectile has nevertheless not yet been found. Indeed, there are relatively few fall in Scandinavian territory and the machines are evidently self-destroying ( none, certainly have caused any damage in Scandinavian territory).

The few machines which exploded in the air (a total of about ??? in Sweden on 23 July 1946) or which smashed themselves on the ground (About twelve for the whole of the Scandinavian countries, two only in Sweden on the 9th and 10th of July for 250 flights) have left as trace only a matter resembling cinder and whose composition has not yet been determined.  There were also believed to have been found debris of millemetered paper and of film which permit the belief of the existence of registering apparati.

In the present state of the fairly contradictory intelligence collected to date it would appear that:

A good number of these projectiles are of the V-1 type in the form of a torpedo with two small wings (of a spread of from 2.50 to three meters) and a system of jet propulsion (which allows the escape every two seconds of a jet of flame of about thirty meters of ten stated to be a blue-green color.  One witness states that the anterior portion shines like fire which is undoubtedly the opening of the pulso-reactor shutters).  The altitude of flight varies greatly but certain passages have taken place at a very low altitude (30 - 400 meters).  The speed is subsonic (about the speed of fighter planes, according to one witness).

But there exists undoubtedly one or more other types of machines characterized by:

A supersonic speed (a non-official evaluation of the headquarters, the Finnish Air Force places this at 2800 kilometers per hour).

Passages at very high altitude.  Although certain descriptions bring to mind the V-2 (trailings, whistlings, meteor appearance), one report mentions "An engine resembling a huge cigar".  There is no reason to believe a complete identification (assimilation complete) with the classic German V-2.  (Indeed there are reported to be portions of horizontal trajectories at substratospheric altitudes)

The various observations carried out allow up to the present time to determine the dominant trajectories or itineraries.

There exists East-West currents.  A certain number (very few) of projectiles were observed in June or July at high altitude and at supersonic speed, in the South of Finland.  In Sweden( region of Stockholm) and in Norway (region of Oslo).

Perhaps these projectiles lose themselves in the North Sea for rockets have been reportedly seen at Stavanger.

But the majority of the projectiles, particularly those of 9 and 10 July, followed a complex itinerary, implicating changes of direction, (sometimes observed from the ground) crossing the South of Sweden in a South-North direction, passing north of Stockholm and the Aaland Islands and crossing the South-west part of Finland coming out in a southern direction in the Helsinki region.

It is on this itinerary that were identified all the V-1 type engines.

Since 10 July, this itinerary goes much more toward the North of Sweden in a direction SW-NE.  It comes out of Finland always toward Helsinki although information is lacking on the Boden-Helsinki portion of the itinerary.

The engines thus would appear all to come from Soviet territory and in particular from Peenemunde which would thus have regained its activity.

Because of their respective political situations, the countries ???ssed have had different reactions.

In Sweden, all the methods of investigation are set to work and moneys have been asked for in order to organize the search for intelligence; the population has been asked to report to the authorities all phenomena observed.

In Finland, as soon as people were convinced that projectiles were involved, search for information was interrupted and just recently, the press was advised to avoid talking too much on these questions.

In both countries, however, the responsible authorities seem for the time being to be trying to minimize the affair.

In any case, censorship was imposed in Sweden on 26 July on this subject.

The Scandinavian public loses itself in conjectures on just why the Soviets are pushing their experiments over neighboring countries.  Is it for practical technical reasons connected with the use of existing German bases, for observation facilities?  Or is it in answer to the Bikini experiments?  (it can be noted that on 9 July, the day of large appearances of these engines, the American squadron of Admiral Hewitt was entering the Baltic to visit Stockholm.)

"In conclusion it would now seem possible to state that Sweden and Finland have been flown over by jet propelled projectiles whose general itineraries are fairly well known and whose range must clearly surpass these of the classic V-1 or V-2 (about 300 to 350 kilometers.)

The Leningrad-Stravanger represents 1400 kilometers, the Peenemunde-Aaland-Helsinki represents 1200 kilometers.  Itinerary Peenemunde-Boden-Helsinki represents 1900 kilometers.  But all other conclusions on the technical or political plane would be premature.

Prepared by:__________________________________
Lt.Comdr. C.A. ROCHELEAU, USNR.

Forwarded by:_________________________________
Capt. R.H. HILLENKOETTER, USN.

TOP SECRET