UFO Potpourri No 399

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: No. 399
Date: January 1996
Publisher: John F. Schuessler
Address: P.O. Box 58485, Houston, TX 77258-8485
Contact: FAX (713) 488-3121

This issue of UFO Potpourri, dated January 1996, presents two detailed accounts of unusual aerial phenomena, drawing from declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports and eyewitness testimonies. The magazine focuses on the period of the 1950s, a time when UFO reports were being actively investigated and, in some cases, debunked.

Flying Saucers Over Belgian Congo Uranium Mines

The lead article details a report from the Central Intelligence Agency (Report No. 00-W-23602), originally distributed in August 1952 and approved for declassification in November 1978. The information was first published in Die Presse, Vienna, on March 29, 1952, with the CIA listing its source as "Information from Foreign Documents or Radio Broadcasts." This report is presented as part of a larger collection of UFO data gathered by the CIA during the period when the "Robertson Report" was issued, marking the beginning of a significant UFO debunking campaign.

The account describes a sighting of two fiery disks over the uranium mines in the southern part of the Belgian Congo, specifically in the Elisabethville district, east of the Luapula River. The disks were observed to glide in elegant curves, change positions frequently, appearing at times as plates, ovals, or lines. They then hovered in one spot before taking off in a unique zigzag flight to the northeast. Observers below heard a penetrating hissing and buzzing sound. The entire performance lasted between 10 to 12 minutes.

Commander Pierre of the small Elisabethville airfield pursued the objects in a fighter plane. During his first approach, he came within approximately 120 meters of one of the disks. He estimated its diameter to be between 12 to 15 meters and described it as discus-shaped. He noted an absolutely still inner core, a protruding knob from the center, and several small openings. The outer rim was completely veiled in fire and appeared to have an enormous speed of rotation. The metal's color was similar to aluminum.

The disks traveled in a precise and light manner, capable of rapid vertical and horizontal changes. Elevations from 800 to 1,000 meters could be accomplished in seconds, and the disks frequently descended to within 20 meters of the treetops. Commander Pierre doubted that the disks could be manned due to their irregular speed and the heat generated, which would make it impossible for a person to stay inside the stable core. He abandoned the pursuit after 15 minutes as the disks, emitting a loud whistling sound audible over his own plane's engine, disappeared in a straight line toward Lake Tanganyika. He estimated their speed at approximately 1,500 kilometers per hour.

The article includes a sketch illustrating the purported construction of these "flying saucers." The captions suggest the information was derived partly from reports by pilots and partly from "secret research institutions." The sketch depicts a central core containing an explosive (SP) and radar steerage (R) installations, with catapult knobs (KZ) and antennae (AN), as well as counter-pressure housing (GD). A rotating rim surrounds the core, featuring jets (D) on its upper and lower sides, plus fuel chambers (DB). A roller bearing (L) is also shown. The launching mechanism is described as a sharp angle, similar to a discus throw, with the rim rotating at approximately 22,000 revolutions per minute. The jets on the rim are said to propel the disk vertically, while lateral steerage is achieved by switching jet groups on and off.

Comments/Speculations: The report, when issued by the CIA, was sent to various high-level government agencies, including the Department of State, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the Atomic Energy Commission, suggesting these agencies should possess archival records of such reports. The maneuverability of the disks, observed from all angles by ground observers for 10 to 12 minutes, indicated they were not natural phenomena. The pilot's 15-minute chase, involving rapid altitude changes, further supported this. The pilot could hear the disks' noise over his own aircraft engine. The sketch's origin from pilots and secret research installations is noted, and the technology is described as far beyond aerospace capabilities in 1952.

UFO Lands in East Germany

The second major article details a report from the Central Intelligence Agency (Report No. 00-W-23682), distributed in August 1952 to the Department of State, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force, and declassified in November 1978. This information was first published in I Kathimerini, Athens, on July 9, 1952, with the source again listed as "Information from Foreign Documents or Radio Broadcasts."

The report focuses on the sworn testimony of Oscar Linke, a 48-year-old German and former mayor of Gleimershousen in West Berlin. Intelligence officers were investigating an unusual "flying saucer" story concerning an object resembling a "huge flying pan" with a diameter of about 15 meters that landed in a forest clearing in the Soviet Zone of Germany.

Linke, who had recently escaped from the Soviet Zone with his wife and six children, provided a sworn statement with his 11-year-old daughter, Gabriella. While returning home with Gabriella, a motorcycle tire blew out near Hasselbach. As they walked toward the town, Gabriella pointed out an object about 140 meters away, which Linke initially mistook for a young deer in the twilight.

Upon closer inspection, Linke realized the object was not an animal. He saw two men, dressed in shiny metallic clothing, stooped over and looking at something on the ground. Approaching within 10 meters, he observed a large object, estimated to be between 13 and 15 meters in diameter, resembling a huge frying pan. The object had two rows of holes on its periphery, about 30 centimeters apart, and a black conical tower about 3 meters high on its top.

As Gabriella called out, the two men jumped onto the conical tower and disappeared inside. Linke had previously noted that one man had a lamp on his body that lit up at regular intervals. The side of the object then began to glitter, changing color from green to red, accompanied by a slight hum. The conical tower slid down into the center, and the entire object began to rise slowly from the ground, rotating like a top. It appeared to be supported by a cylindrical plant that had descended from the top and emerged from the bottom. The object, surrounded by flames, rose higher, the cylinder disappearing within its center and reappearing on top. A whistling sound, similar to a bomb falling, was heard as the object rose to a horizontal position, turned toward a neighboring town, and then, gaining altitude, disappeared over the heights and forests toward Stockheim.

Other residents in the area reported seeing an object they thought was a comet moving at a low altitude. After submitting his testimony, Linke stated that he would have thought it was a dream if not for the evidence found at the landing site: a circular opening in the ground, freshly dug and matching the shape of the conical tower.

Linke confessed that he had never heard the term "flying saucer" before escaping the Soviet Zone. He initially thought the object was a new Soviet military machine and expressed fear, as the Soviets reportedly restricted individuals who knew too much about their work.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of UFO Potpourri highlights the persistent interest in unexplained aerial phenomena and the efforts to document and analyze such events, even when they involve official reports from intelligence agencies. The magazine appears to present these accounts without overt skepticism, focusing on the details of the sightings, the witness testimonies, and the technological implications. The inclusion of declassified government documents suggests an editorial stance that values official records and seeks to bring them to public attention. The comparison of the reported technology to contemporary aerospace capabilities underscores the mysterious and advanced nature attributed to these phenomena. The magazine seems to aim at informing its readers about historical UFO cases and the ongoing investigation into these events.