Page 48 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - February 2023 Edition

48 Ghost Rockets

GHOST

ROCKETS

Ghost rockets (Swedish: Spökraketer,
also called Scandinavian ghost rockets)
were rocket - or missile-shaped
unidentified flying objects sighted in
1946, mostly in Sweden and nearby
countries like Finland.

The first reports of ghost rockets were
made on February 26, 1946, by Finnish

observers. About 2,000 sightings were
logged between May and December
1946, with peaks on 9 and 11 August
1946. Two hundred sightings were
verified with radar returns, and
authorities recovered physical fragments
which were attributed to ghost rockets.

Investigations concluded that many ghost
rocket sightings were probably caused by slowly, flying horizontally, traveling and alloy that would disintegrate easily, and
meteors. For example, the peaks of the maneuvering in formation, and appearing not give indications on our instruments".

sightings, on 9 and 11 August 1946, also to be silent. When Bartoll was later interviewed in
fall within the peak of the annual Perseid 1984 by Swedish researcher Clas Svahn,
meteor shower. However, most ghost The sightings most often consisted of he again said their investigation
rocket sightings did not occur during fast-flying rocket- or missile-shaped suggested the object largely disintegrated
meteor shower activity, and furthermore objects, with or without wings, visible for in flight and insisted that "what people
displayed characteristics inconsistent mere seconds. Instances of slower saw were real, physical objects".
with meteors, such as reported moving, cigar-shaped objects are also
maneuverability. known. A hissing or rumbling sound was On October 10, 1946, the Swedish

sometimes reported. Defense Staff publicly stated, "Most
Debate continues as to the origins of the observations are vague and must be
unidentified ghost rockets. In 1946, Crashes were not uncommon, almost treated very skeptically. In some cases,
however, it was thought likely that they always in lakes. Reports were made of however, clear, unambiguous
originated from the former German objects crashing into a lake, sometimes observations have been made that cannot
rocket facility at Peenemünde, and were then propelling themselves across the be explained as natural phenomena,
long-range tests by the Soviets of surface before sinking. The Swedish Swedish aircraft, or imagination on the
captured German V-1 or V-2 missiles, or military performed several dives in the part of the observer. Echo, radar, and
perhaps another early form of cruise affected lakes shortly after the crashes, other equipment registered readings but
missile because of the ways they were but found nothing other than occasional gave no clue as to the nature of the
sometimes seen to maneuver. This craters in the lake bottom or torn off objects". It was also stated that fragments
prompted the Swedish Army to issue a aquatic plants. alleged to have come from the missiles

directive stating that newspapers were were nothing more than ordinary coke or
not to report the exact location of ghost The best known of these crashes occurred slag.
rocket sightings, or any information on July 19, 1946, into Lake Kölmjärv,
regarding the direction or speed of the Sweden. Witnesses reported a gray, On December 3, 1946, a memo was
object. This information, they reasoned, rocket-shaped object with wings crashing drafted for the Swedish Ghost Rocket
was vital for evaluation purposes to the in the lake. One witness interviewed committee stating "nearly one hundred
nation or nations assumed to be heard a thunderclap, possibly the object impacts have been reported and thirty
performing the tests. exploding. However, a 3-week military pieces of debris have been received and

search reported nothing. examined by Swedish National Defence
Descriptions & Early Research Institute (FOA)". The debris
Investigations Immediately after the investigation, the was later said to be meteorite
Swedish Air Force officer who led the fragments.[citation needed] Of the nearly
The early Soviet origins theory was search, Karl-Gösta Bartoll submitted a 1,000 reports that had been received by
rejected by Swedish, British, and U.S. report in which he stated that the bottom the Swedish Defense Staff to November
military investigators because no of the lake had been disturbed but 29, 225 were considered observations of
recognizable rocket fragments were ever nothing was recovered and that "there are "real physical objects" and every one had
found, and according to some sightings, many indications that the Kölmjärv been seen in broad daylight.

the objects displayed some combination object disintegrated itself...the object was
of leaving no exhaust trail, moving too probably manufactured in a lightweight
material, possibly a kind of magnesium (Continued on Page 49)