Air Intelligence Information Report, Italy, 1952

-· u AF FORM 112 • APPROVED 1 JUNE 1"48. ~ COLllfTRY ITALY SUBJECT REPORT NO. 8 5 I -700- 3 AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT (UNCL) Report of Unusual Aerial Pheonmenan AREA REPORTED ON f'RON (Ag<ntfl) Italy Air Attache, Rome, Italy DATE OF REPORT 15 December 1953 I D-'TE or 1Nro;st I EVALUATION D-4 PREPAAED BY (OJ!i.ur) SOURCE JOSEm A. WOIDA, Lt Col USA.F, Aotg AirA Prof. G. B. Sias REFERENC£S (Oontrol ,iumbn, d1r,.,t1,., pr.,,/ou• rtporl, de., •• applleabu) SUM MARY: (Em~ concise wmmarv of r"IJDTI. Gi•c olgnlfi«mce In final one-.,rnten« paragraph. Ll<t facl04Urtf at lower le/I. &gin'"' o/rcpo,-t on A.E Form I II-Part fl.) 1. This IR transmits a report of unusual aerial pheonomen:inwitnessed by Prof'. G. B. SIAS on the 28th of August 1952~ in Sassari, Sardinia. 2. COMMENTS of the Preparing Officer: Prof• Sias was interviewed by this officer a.nd be appeared to be in­ telligent, pleasant, and very eager to tell his story-. He, in his own mini, is con­ vinced that either: (1) The United States has made scientific strirles unknown to the rest of the world and this particular phenomenon was one of these items; or1 (2) This particular phenomenon was super-natural or it was instituted by another government in Italy. Prof. Sias appeared to be a very intense individual and, while not exactly fanatic, I believe that this title comes very close to :fitting him. Enclosure #1 is a sketch by the professor of what he thought he saw. ~~ WOIDA Authority: • C el, USAF NND 57597 Acting Air Attache L18RARY SUBJECT & AR~·A CO'DE ~03 \'\W\ l -~-~•NCLS. Drawing --{-() A. TlC DISTRIBUTION BY ORIGINATOR 1 cpy ATlAE-5, Aerial Phenomenon Section NOTE: rHIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OFTHE ESPIONAGE ACT. 50 U. S. C.­ 31 AND 32. AS A.MENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AGENCIES. EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE, USAF. UNCLASSIFIED {CLASSIFICATION) J ·• I E AF FORM 112-PART II APPROVED I JUNE 1948 ....: .. AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT FROM (Agt11cv) Air Attache, Rome, Italy REPORT NO. 2 5 PAGE OF PAGES TRANSLATIOM REPORl' AND ILLUST TIO OF A F.LYI?il SPH Ooservation by Pro!. o.B. SIAS - Via Armando Diaz 22, Sassari TO TH CCR&DITJ!iD ro THE ITALIAN GOV RNMPH1' APP ITION OF A FLnNG SPHERE 'On the 28th of A,u st 19521 the fellewirg article of mine was published in Sassari in the local •Corriere dell'Isola" newSP-aper1 "Yesterday ev ning, 27th of August, at 2145 hours, I was walking - as usual - along the court-yard f Sassari Brigade, below th wind ws of the war orphans dorm:1.­ tory, saying the ros • It was exactly the time :when the.t 1."Wllpet o! Gonzaga. barrack vas playing the lights out signal. I watched now am then the sky" covered with stars, heavy, moonless, till torrid for the temperature which in tmse daya, aa anyone wuld remember, often attained 40 degrees, with a sky which .remained clean and cloudless for three 1t10nths.­ Suddenly ll\1 attention was attracted by: a transparent small cleud, c from the st, isolated in the lliddle of the sq, . the ,remaining ky was serene. ?tr eyes were .fixed to that point, fascinated by the view, ,men sudde~ a sphe ot astonishing brightness aDd luminosity se d to depart from the Milky Way. I had th ~ression that it as• very close to the earth: 1t was slightly larger than the .full moon, of green-blue color, silver bright like th mother-of-pearl, with m,tal streaks in the right side; it pr ceeded. at a dizzy speed along East-West diredtion, appearing suddenly as if it c cnit of a thick shadow. It cans out and in a s conc3 disappeared leaVing behind a liile r luminous ribbon, haVi.ng a thickness of on1t-seventh of the sphere; after a econd, the entire sphere appeared again; then again, it disappeared and the line showed and again the sphere returned, always idem.ical. Finally, it disappeared toward the horizon. The apparition lasted in total three to five seconds. "M;,' first idea vaa that such a phenomenon was due to a.n aerolita. Everyam knowa the color and brightness of teoric stonas, 11hile it was evident that the lundnou.si'ty of the sphere originated fro tm sun, like the moon's• !'In regard to motion, I . refiected that such an objec~ suppose it was a human ere tion, could not hav such a dizzy ctual speed to excel the velocity of any- human invention, even if carried to 5o or 60 kilometers aJ.titud • On the supposition that the sphere was colling fro a tral spaces, frc:a oh higher altitudes, its otion could be either partially or emtire}J" apparent, th t is equal to e revolution speed of the earth, Viz. thirty kilometer per seccmd., "Where the lumino ity was cone rned, I thcnght that it could be traced to the locatic>n of the sph~re at hundreds or thou.sams kilometers above the earth while it got out o:f ths cone of ahadov of the earth and proc ded Westward, beii:g ilJ11rni11ated the sun wh~eh had set two hours and a half earlier. The location was the follOldng, approx. LS between the Zenith and the horizon lin3,Southward; direction E1st-West beginning .from the Milky ay. PTb,e doubt that mine may be a mere optical illusion is dissipated by- the testimony of tvo other personsa an orphan, Brau, who had not yet gom1­ to bed, sav the lum1.not1s sphere through the window of the dorm.torr; another testimony was offered by Mr. Piccolo, a guardi:an or Valmascheri concern placed approx. 3 kil eters in air line fro Saasart, who observed the phenomenon at the sam3 time: rea.l.ity am. not illusion, then. MOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED SfATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIQNAGF.ACT, 50 U. S. C.­ 31 AN'D 32, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSM ISSION OR THE REVELATION OF LTS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PEflSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPROOlJCEO IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AGENCIES, EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE. USAF. JG- 65670-1 U••• GOVEJNJll!H.T PRHtTl"'V or,u:c tED .J AF FOlfM 112-PART II APPROVED 1 JUNE 19~ AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT FROM (Agency) Air A.ttache, Rome• Italy REF'ORT NO. .3 5 PAGE OF PAGES ALTITUDE AND DIM™SIONS OF THE SPHERE "The observation of the sphere, the peculiar circumstances of its apparition and the logical deductions, inspired me with a pressing desire, rather a stimulating impulse, to find a solution of the phen0111anon in its complete significance. I had precise dataa (1) the small cloud which was a sort of signal (2) the egress of the sphere fran the earth •s cone of shadow at 2145 hours (3) tbe du.ration of the apparition for three to five seconds in South-West direction. (4) the distance - cardinal point: South - o! 45° between the Zenith and the horizon line. (5) the seeming diameter. The sole thing to do was to contact a scientist, I wnt to Father Junkes, well-known astronomer, director of the Vatican observato17 at Castel Gandol:foa after some days or study, he obtained with the system of the coordinates, the following results, "On the basis 0£ the geographical position of the observers, the coordinates can apprmc. be estimated as .follows: Longitude 33.8 East (o8° 3311 ) Latitude 4o0 16' ortb On the basis of the sun position on the 27th of Augm,it at 2145 hours the resulting TM3C will bes Ax:i.Jril.ltb. 133~ 36 1 iieasuring fro South to North, through est Altitude 27 41,, that is balow the horizon "Oc. the basis of the above d ta., not taking 'Into account the effects of re­ fracti?n, the distance of the observer visibility in this point at an elevatiln ot 1.6 up to the point where it CQMSS out of the earth shadow is: approx. 1681 kilo eters Southward approx. 1091 South-Westerward At such a distance an apparent diameter of 1/2 degree (lllDOll'& apparent diameter} is equal to the following actual diaJOOtersa l.4. 67 kilometers at 1681 km. distance 9. 25 kilometers at 1091 1cm. distance From t~ above it can be easily deduced that the object observ d could not be a common terrestrial "n,ing saucer", some bright metal body illuminated by the sun because its dimensions wu1d be too big." ' These were the deductions of Father Junks; but since he ts also the Director ot the :Vatican observatory and well versed in etrop~sics., he mentioned. to me 1n anothor letter that the birght green, blue, silver colors and the luminosity of thl sphere is presmnably due to the :remarkable quantity of iron and nic~l lilhich many astr bodies a::,ntain. NOTE: THIS OOCUMENr CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NAT IONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHI N THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT. 50 U. S. C.­ 31 ANO SZ. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELAT ION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MAN NER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATES AI R FORCE AGENCI ES, EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE. USAF. ' l0-M670-l U. I . GOYUM ME:NT PRIHTIHG c:i,rlCI. & FROM (Aoenc~) REl'ORT NO. Air Attache, PAGE 4 OF 5 PAGES atis­ This T nol; was like non ~1 E D AF FORM 112_:PART II • (CLASSIFICATION) APPROVED 1JUNE 1948 ~~ AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT THE MtST&Rf OF THE LINE SPHE:iE SB P&D LUMINOOM nNotwithstan:ii.ng the numerous bypothesi which were advanced b1 the astro­ nomer and myself in an attempt to explain such a phenomenon, none s entirely factory-. Still a quite reasonable hypothesis is that the diseoid sphere, .along its itinerary, presented to the sun alternately its surface entirelJ illuminated by the sun. Its dimensions were 1/7 of tm sphe , that is two kil eters in breadth. re ult d in an undulatory motion, ltlich was made n cessary either by suspension stabi in the space at that altitude or by some other equilibrium 1avs unknown to us. P s:>NAL RHM&RKS {l) I must categorically affirm that the viSf or the sphere on my part was casuals a small cloud, one cloud in a clean sk;y, which later on disappeared, a speaking signal to my attention. I dare not .ffirm - a.a:l it would be presumption on iq part - that the sphere s occupied by non-human be il'.lgs, no matter lilb.at they mq be like: but the heavenly intervention is too evident I (2) A llllld.nosity which cannot even be compared with t.he brightness of !ull moon in a clear night; such bright and Vivid colors that camot be found on earth. this was a heavenly smile 'Which inspired my sool with a joy and peace never felt before A naw, heavenly- light ! (3) I believe that privilege was not entirely intend d tor: mez the pheno occurred in the Institute for War Orphans of the S ssa.ri Brigade, tl1l c:ustodian of Trieste after the first liberation lilhich waits for the second liberation fr the han of America, which is today the faithful custodian of it. I do not .mean to get involve 1ri politics, becuase I know nothing of it. I think, though, that this is a 1 gitimate remark which reflects the psychology ol history. America is b s Gd on freedom: freedo of tho~ economical freedo , freedom of religion, in this conmction, no other peep in the world begins official ceremonies with the "Pater Noster" prayer: reflection of God wiseness and pow.ar J America defvnds freedo cm fea.r: fear of -wa.r, tear of un­ ployment, fear of starvation. God put the deat1Dl"' of the world in its hands. The oriental civilization elapsed, arxi so did the Greek civilization and the Roman world. The &:.1cred Boman :e.mpire collapsed., the British h11geJ1101V was eclipsed: the c~e fro t;ast to West is- terminatillg in Amari • The words Virgilius wrote 2000 years ago, whoa can batter wu.it than America? "Ramem.ber to rule the ~oples with the authority o.f power: be clement to the humble and exhaust the arrogance of the superb" (Eneide 6tb book) The basic scientific ta are here below bri.efiy sumaarized. (l) the cc,rt inty that tlie sphere is not human invention in vi&w of ite dimension and heavenly light. {2) the secret • now diseloe - of the measuring system of such apP4ritions {.3) the• alm, resulting tram astonishing revelation, of cbosi~ a people a Th a guide to ·--~nd, under the guidance of God. tollowing is to be addeda (1) I intend to to the American l!mbassy-, transfer the secret and the property of this Office of the .Air Forces. iting of mine (2) What I requested in m:, letter to .tmbasaador CLara wee, to lihich reference was de in a letter addressed. t.o by Col. Anthony Mony on J Jul.y' 195J, be' granted NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT, SD U S. C.­ 31 AND 32, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART. BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AGENCIES, EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE, USAF. 14-56570-1 U. I. GOYUNIIICNT PAI NTING OfFICE t • AF FOlfM 112-PART.II -' APPROVED 1 JUNE lj.4)1 AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT FROM (Aomcu) REPORT NO. Air Attache, Roll8, Italy m-100-5) s PAG.E OF to me, as a token of re1(alrd. rather than as a compensation, for the b the Institute for War Orphans and .....~.A.L.t.I. 5 PAGES fit of Prof. Giovanni B t.tista Sias Vi Amado Diaz 22 - Sassari (Italy) Sassari, 19 November 195.3 **** (17 NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT. 50 U.S. C.­ 31 ANO 32, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REI/ELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON !S PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART. BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AGENCIES. EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DJRECTOROF INTELLIGENCE, USAF. t I i0-at>570--l U, I. G,Q.VC'll:HM£H1 l'RJHTING Cl(FICIE