Air Intelligence Information Report, Sweden, 1953

UNCIASSIFIID AF FORM 112 (CLASSIFICATION) APPROVED I JUNf-~ COUNTRY REPORT NO. Sweden AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT SUBJECT nny1ng Saucertt Sighted By S1red1sh Pilot AREA REPORTED ON FROM (..49=CV) SWeden IOAirA, Stockholm, Sweden DATE OF REPORT DATE OF INFORMATION :A:ATION 13 January 1954 IDecember 53 January 54 l.o-c. PREPARED BY ( Office,) SOURCE BURT R()VEN Ma or USAF MC IPress and P rsonal Contact REFERENCES (Cbnt:ro nu1nbn, dir i", prni011..J rtport, dt., a, applicabl•) BAm 3A SUMMARY: (Ellter omcise ~mmar11 of report. Gwe •lgnlftcanu Infinal 0110-,ente11« paragraph. Li& lnclorure• at lower le/I. B<glntat ofreport 011 AF Form JJI-Part II.) This report f'o:rwards information on the "unknown'' object sighted on 17 December It 1953 by Captain Ulf Christiernsson, near Hassleholm, Sweden. Included is a translation of captain Chr1st1ernsson•s description of the incident, as reported in an interview with the loca1 press. There is also a brief character sketch of cap~in Christiernsson. APPROVED: Authority: ~Ll~ NND 57597 Acting Air .\ttache LJBRARY SUBJECT & AREA CODES ~ tP ---­INCL& DISTRIBI/TION BY ORIGINATOR A-2 USAFE; USArmA. Stockholm NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT. SOU. S. C.­ 31 AND 32. /lS 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. UNCIASSIFIEO (CLASSIFICATION) UNCIASSIFIED AF FORM 112-PART II (CLASSIFICATION) APPROVED 1 JUNE 1948 ... r • 'AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT FROM (Agencu) REPORT NO. OAirA. Stockholm. Sweden IR-J2 PAGE 2 OF 3 PAI.ES 1. On Thursday, 17 December 1953., while flying near HHssleholm, SWeden, Captain Ulf Christiernsson sighted an 11 unknown" object. The follorring is the translation of a newspaper account of the incident: "The chief pilot of Transair, Capt. Ulf Christiernsson, and his crew chief, Olle Johansson, had a strange meeting over HHssleholm at 1437 hours Thursday. A shining metal spherical elliptical object came toward them traveling in the opposite direction from their machine at an estimated speed of sound and approximately 600 meters below their DC-3, which was on its way from Bulltofta to Bromma. It was visible six to seven seconds; Capt. Chris­ tiernsson, who had good silhouette recognition, stated that what he saw was something absolutely new, possibly an unmanned robot. 11The Transair plane was automatic controls when the meeting occurred. Capt. Christiernsson did not have time for any measures other than to report to Bulltofta and the Defense Staff, which later sent out the following com­ munique: " •'rhe air crew of a civil aircraft observed on Thursday at 1437 hours over the area of HRssleholm an unknown object moving in the opposite direction from the airplane. The object was observed for six to seven seconds. At that time and altitude the weather was clear. Because of the low lying cloud for­ mations the object is not thought to have been seen from the ground. The De­ fense Staff does not know o.f any Swedish plane that was in that area at the time in question. An investigation is being conducted.• "Previously I have been extremely skeptical about all the stories of mysterious objects -- called flying saucers -- that have been seen at diverse points, said the Captain. Now I don't know exactly what to think; but it did seem to me that we had seen a robot of some kind. When I first caught sight of the object, which like us was in the civil air corridor, I thought it was a jet. We had, however, received no word that any such thing was on the way. "The object came toward us at what I would say was the speed of sound; we were flying at an altitude of approximately 2,150 meters and the object was around 600 meters below us. It was going in a southwesterly direction and disappeared after six or seven seconds. •tThe object had a strong metal shine; the crew chief, Johansson, who coulc see it longer than I, thought it was almost phosphorescent. The flying weathel was excellent above the clouds, which were at an altitude of about 1500 meters, and the sun was shining brightly. The object was proceeding just above the clouds. "The first silhouette I got diagonally from the right was narrow. When it was nearly directly under us, however, I saw that it was nearly round, just slightly elliptical. "The object, which could definitely not have been a meteor, gave off no waste gases or condensation traces. 11Was I afraid? No, but curious, very curious, concluded Captain Chris­ tiernsson. ItChristiernsson has seen just about everything in aviation and has very good silhouette recognition. From 1942 to 1946 he was a volunteer serving in NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT. 50 U. S. C.­ 3I 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. UNCLASSIFIED IR-J2 (CLASSIFICATION) 16-56670-1 U. S. GOV£JUOtENT PlltlHTING o,JPtC:t UNCIASSIFIED AF FORM 112-PART II (CLASSIFlCATION) APPROVED I JUNE 1948 - .. GJ 'AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT FROM (Aomcr) OAirA. Stockholm, Sweden REPORT NO. m.-12 PAGE OF 3 PA~ES the Royal Air Force. He finished as a captain in the British Air Force, after making some thirty raids in a Mosquito against enemy territory, in both North Africa and Italy. "Air Force Chief, General Nordenskiild, announced that it had been ascer­ tained that the object could not have been any Swedish aircraft. •• 'We are now investigating/' he continued, 'what our radar stations might have spotted.•" 2. Captain Christiernsson is 41 years of age and was born in sl<Rne in the souther part of Sweden. An extremely reliable source in the Royal Swedish Air Board, who was born in the same town and who is a life-long acquaintance of Capt. Christiernsson's, has stated that Christiernsson is charming and well-liked, but that he is also most wi­ trustworthy and was dismissed from a former position for "financial difficulty''• Dur­ ing the last war, Christiernsson tried to take a Swedi.sh Air Force B-18 and fly to Eng­ land, but was intercepted at Gothenburg and was put in jail. Although it is generally agreed in the Swedish Air Force that Captain Christiernsson is one of the best (and most discussed) pilots in Sweden today, he has never served with the RSAF except as a reserve captain. ;. Although the source above personally doubts Christiernsson•s story, the news­ papers report that the Defense Staff is continuing its investigation of the incident. This office is attempting to obtain further information on the occurrence. ~ Major, USAF Assistant Air Attacbe NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT. SOU. 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. UNCIASSIFIED IR-l2 (CLASSIFICATION) 1 8-66670-1 U. S. GOYHHMl!NT PRINTING OFl'I CI