DOW-UAP-D099 Intelligence Review of Ghost Rocket Incidents, 1947

GHOST ROCKETS ..sBORB'F
layman is that of a Swedish Air Force pilot. On 14 August,
at 1000 hours, he was flying at 650 feet over central Sweden
when he saw a dark, cigar-shaped object about 50 feet long
and 3 feet in diameter flying 200 feet above and approxi
mately 6,500 feet away from him at an estimated speed of
400 m. p. h. The missile had no visible wings, rudder, or
other projecting part; and there was no indication of any
flame or Jight as has been reported in the majority of other
sightings. His report states that the missile was maintaining
a constant altitude over the ground and, consequently, was
following the large features of the terrain. The last state
ment casts doubt on the reliability of the entire report be
cause of the inability of a missile, without wings, to maintain
a constant altitude over hilly terrain. However, the pilot
does imply that there may have been wings which he was
unable to see, because he stated that it could not have been
a Swedish jet plane as there was none flying in the vicinity
at that time.
The Scandinavian press, with the exception of the Com
munist papers, initially reported the incidents in some detail
and openly attributed them to missiles fired by the U. S. S. R.
In August, a partial censorship was imposed on the press,
restricting the publication of exact details or localities where
missiles were seen. The Communist press has continued to
ridicule the entire matter and claims that there was no basis
for the reports that the missiles were of Soviet origin. In
fact, a charge was made that they came from the United
States and that Gen. Doolittle was sent over to observe the
effects of the missiles I
Official Investigations
Official investigations of these reports were begun by the
Swedish authorities in June. The Defense Staff requested
the public to report any unusual observations, and by the
18 SECRET