ALSACAT-1976-06-26-BISCHWILLER-1
A National Gendarmerie report dated June 23, 1976, reports a UFO sighting near Bischwiller on June 22, 1976.
On June 22, 1976, around 10:40 p.m., Mr. W. J. telephoned this gendarmerie brigade and told them that around 10:15 p.m., while he was walking with friends at a censored place, he saw a flying object of unusual shape and red in color, which after flying above the refinery terminal, had left in the direction of the Rhine towards Germany.
On June 23, 1976 at 06:50, this witness presented himself to the gendarmerie brigade, and accompanied them to the scene, the refinery terminal on the territory of the municipality of Bischwiller; a set of buildings for administrative and technical use and storage tanks for petroleum products, on a total area of 42 hectares. The Gendarmes noted the position of the witness on the map.
This witness explains that he took photographs, and that being a professional photographer, he was going to develop the film he took in his laboratory and give them photographs during the day. Let's note right away that this was done, but nothing stood out on the pictures. The Gendarmes entrusted the film to their central laboratory, which will let it be known on June 29, 1976, that it was completely unusable.
At 7:20 a.m., they took the statement of this witness: the day before around 10:15 p.m., he was in the company of six other people, who had come in a vehicle, on a path going to the fields about 400 meters away. from the terminal's pumping station, and then they saw a very intense glow, round, red in color, very high in the sky, and practically above the terminal, practically motionless for about 5 minutes, making no noise - they had stopped to hear a possible noise, and had cut the engine of the car.
The thing went at high speed over the refinery, then came back over the terminal, where it stopped for a few seconds - that's when he had photographed it - before to disappear over the Rhine, also at high speed.
When the thing moved slowly towards the refinery, he noticed that in profile it had the shape of a very elongated cigar. The sighting ended at 10:30 p.m. Mr. W. J. indicated that in his opinion it could not be an airplane, due to the shape and lack of noise.
At 08:35 a.m., the gendarmes interviewed Mr. H. C., who stated that on June 22, 1976, around 10:15 p.m., he was in the company of comrades on a path going through the fields towards the station of the refinery, about 400 meters from it, when he saw in the sky at a very high height, a very intense glow of red color. It remained motionless for about 5 minutes, then it moved away at high speed in the direction of the Rhine, to return a few moments later still at the same speed. It then slowed down and his friend, who was a photographer, took the opportunity to take some photographs. Its shape was elongated like a cigar, and it headed back towards the refinery. He specified that there had been no noise and that there were no stars in the sky, and that in his opinion, it could not be a plane.
The gendarmes noted that the other occupants of the vehicle, D. E., student, and B. N., executive secretary, verbally gave them a statement identical to those of their comrades.
The Gendarmes, to find other witnesses, contacted the security services of the terminal and the refinery, learning then that none of the guards had seen a flying object above the establishments which they monitored.
But two terminal employees, Mr. S. R. and Mr. H. R., informed them that from their home they saw a shining object in the directions indicated by Mr. W. J.
S. R., technical agent, formally declared at 3:00 p.m. that the day before around 10:15 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., he had noticed from the terrace of his house (the town is censored) the presence in the sky "at a fairly great distance and at a medium altitude, an extremely bright dot the size of a ball-style section", in the direction of the terminal, then the refinery.
The dot seemed strange to him because it did not look like a star or an airplane. He had only seen it for a few seconds, as he had visitors, he no longer paid attention to it.
H. R. formally declared to the Gendarmes that the day before around 10:15 p.m., on his balcony at his home (the town is censored), he noticed in the distance (in a censored direction), at an altitude which seemed high to him, a dot of light of an almost white yellow, the size of a section of a ball-point pen. Since the sky was dark and starless, this interested him.
This dot of light was stationary, It seemed to emit no sound, and at first he had thought it was a star.
The object then moved slowly, then enlarged "to the size of a spectacle lens, i.e. it appeared to be round", the brightness was still strong. When it got bigger, it disappeared moving towards the refinery.
H. R. explains that in his opinion and given his technical knowledge, he thinks it was a satellite.
The regional newspaper Les Derniers Nouvelles d'Alsace, in the Sélestat issue for July 1, 1976, headlined "A UFO above Oberhoffen-sur-Moder?" gave some indications on the places:
Bischwiller. -- Following the testimony of four young people from Bischwiller, who claimed to have seen on Tuesday, June 22 at 10:15 p.m. a UFO over Oberhoffen-sur-Moder, the Bischwiller gendarmerie opened an investigation. According to these young people, the red-orange object appeared above the pumping station of the society of southern European pipelines. It was moving very slowly at first, then reportedly suddenly disappeared towards the Black Forest.
The police also reported that a similar object had been seen at the same time and in the same direction by a resident of Kilstett and an inhabitant of Herrlisheim.
On January 30, 2014, the Gendarmerie report that I summarized above was anonymized and published by the "Groupe d'Etude et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non Identifiés" (GEIPAN), an official service in charge of the question of "Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena". GEIPAN noted that no other information has been collected on this phenomenon "for which we lack information", and categorized the observation "C", i.e. an "unidentified" with insufficient information.
| Date: | June 22, 1976 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 10:15 p.m. |
| Duration: | 15 minutes. |
| First known report date: | June 22, 1976 |
| Reporting delay: | 10 minutes. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Bischwiller |
| Place: | In country and from 2 homes. |
| Latitude: | 48.754 |
| Longitude: | 7.931 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 5 km. |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 9 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 9 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 9 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Adults. |
| Witness(es) types: | Photographer, technicians. |
| Reporting channel: | Phone call to local Gendarmerie. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | Country, 2 homes. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| Entities: | No. |
| Photographs: | Yes. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | Puzzled. |
| Witnesses interpretation: | Not a plane, not a star, satellite. |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Unidentified, medium strangeness. |
[Ref. gen1:] GENDARMERIE NATIONALE:
|
REGIONAL GENDARMERIE SECTOR OF [-]
GROUP OF [-]
BRIGADE OF [-]
REPORT Nr 983
of J U N E 23, 1976
U.F.O. APPEARANCE
|
|
GENDARMERIE NATIONALE GROUP COMPANY [-] UNIT REP N°983 of 06/23 / 1976 |
SHIPPING SHEETCONSTITUTING WITH THE PARTS IT LISTS THE REPORT RECORDED AT THE UNIT UNDER THE NUMBER INDICATED HERE |
U.F.O. Appearance. Frame to use by the recipient |
||||||
|
OBJECT OF THE PROCEDURE U.F.O. APPEARANCE |
INVESTIGATION
|
|||||||
| ORDER NUMBER |
PARTS DESIGNATION |
| 1 | Synthesis rep. and locations map |
| 2 | Hearing report of W[-], J[-] (Witness) |
| 3 | Hearing report of E[-], C[-] (Witness) |
| 4 | Hearing report of S[-], R[-] (Witness) |
| 5 | Hearing report of H[-], R[-] (Witness) |
[Mention of the usual recipients.]
|
GENDARMERIE NATIONALE
SYNTHESIS REPORT
- Today, six July ninteteen seventy six,
- We, the undersigned [-], [-], Adjudant, [-], [-], Gendarme, at the brigade of [-], report the following operations which we carried out, acting in uniform and in accordance with the orders of our chiefs.
- On June 22, 1976, around 10:40 p.m., we were notified by telephone by W[-] J[-], residing at [-], that around 10:15 p.m., while he was walking with friends at a place called "[-]" at [-] on [-] ([-]), he reportedly saw above the [-] of the [-], a flying object of unusual shape and of red color.
- This object after heading over the refinery from [-] to [-] (Circumscription of the Brigade of [-]), reportedly left in the direction of the [Rhine] towards [Germany].
- On June 23, 1976 at 6:50 a.m., the person concerned presented himself to our services and accompanied us to the scene.
- The terminal of [-] (Company of [-]) of [-] on [-] is located on the territory of the said municipality, at [-] "[-]" of the aforementioned locality.
Contact details: [-] (See attached map)
- It consists of a set of buildings for administrative and technical use and storage tanks for petroleum products from [-] intended for the refineries of [-] () of [-] and [-].
Its total area is 42 hectares.
- The named W[-], J[-] and his friends were on a dirt road along the [-] (See X on the attached map).
After a fairly short time, the object left in the direction of the refinery of [-] then of [-] (See map).
The previous evening, we informed the Brigade Commander of [-], of the presence of an unidentified object above the refinery.
On June 23, 1976 at 8:15 a.m., we notify our Company Commander by radio message N° 612/2.
|
- At 7:20 a.m. we hear W[-], J[-], who declares: that the day before around 10:15 p.m., he was in the company of E[-], C[-], D[-] , M[-] and B[-], E[-], about 400 meters from the pumping station of the [-] terminal and that at this time he saw a red object above the terminal, high in the sky and practically motionless. The craft, which made no noise, left above the refinery, then returned above the terminal before disappearing above the [-]. He took photographs. (Hearing Exhibit N°2)
- At the end of his hearing, W[-], J[-], told us verbally that being a professional photographer, he was going to develop the taken photos in his laboratory and give us photographs during the day.
- At 8:35 the same day we hear E[-], C[-], who states: that like his comrade W[-], he saw an intense glow produced by an object hovering above the terminal [-] then the refinery. (Hearing Exhibit N°3)
- The other occupants of the vehicle, namely D[-], E[-], student living at [-] and B[-], N[-], executive secretary, also from [-], told us verbally a statement identical to those of their classmates.
- At 1 p.m., W[-], J[-], informed us that he developed the film on which he would have fixed the flying object, but the latter does not appear, the magnification not being strong enough. At our request, he gives us the film which we send to the central laboratory of the Gendarmerie.
- In order to discover other witnesses of the facts, we are contacting the security services of the [-] terminal and the [-] refinery.
- These services informed us that none of the guards saw a flying object above the establishments under their surveillance.
- Two employees of the terminal [-]: Mr. S[-], R[-], and H[-], R[-], let us know that being at their home, they saw a shining object in the directions indicated by W[-], J[-].
- Upon receipt of this information, we move to the terminal of [-], where we hear:
S[-], R[-], who tells us at 3 p.m. that the previous day around 10:15 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., he saw from his home at [-], a luminous dot in the direction [-]. (Hearing Exhibit N°4)
He verbally specified that the direction indicated was [-], then the refinery.
|
Exhibit 983/1 Sheet No. 3
- The same day at 3:35 p.m., we hear:
H[-], R[-], who states: that the day before around 10:15 p.m., at his home in [-], he saw a shiny object moving noiselessly at a high altitude. (Hearing Exhibit N° 5)
- On June 29, 1976, the central laboratory informed us that the film was totally unusable.
- Despite our research, no other witness to this phenomenon has been discovered.
- Note that the witnesses to the facts are known to us to be sensible and trustworthy people.
Done and closed at [-], July 6, 1976
U[-], A[-]
Adjutant
F[-], J[-]-P[-]
Gendarme
|
|
GENDARMERIE NATIONALE GROUP COMPANY [-] UNIT REP. Nr 983 of the 06/23 / 1976 |
HEARING REPORT |
PART Nr 2 SHEET Nr 1 UFO appearance. Frame to use by the recipient |
HEARD PERSON W[-], J[-] (Witness).
REFERENCES
THAT DAY twenty three June nineteen seventy six WE THE UNDERSIGNED U[-], at [-], Warrant Officer F[-], J[-], Gendarme CONSIDERING ARTICLES [-] OF THE CODE OF PENAL PROCEDURE, REPORT THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS WE HAVE PERFORMED IN UNIFORM AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDERS OF OUR CHIEFS.
On June 23, 1976, at 7:30 a.m., at the Brigade office, we hear:
W[-] J[-], [-] years old, photographer, living at [-] ([-]), [-], who declares to us:
"On June 22, 1976, around 10:15 p.m., I was in the company of several comrades, E[-], C[-], D[-], W[-], B[-], W[ -], on a path going to the fields about 400 meters from the station of [-] of [-] ([-]).
"We came to photograph animals.
"We saw a very intense glow in the sky, very high and almost above the pumping station.
"We stopped to hear a possible noise, we cut the engine of the car.
"The glow remained motionless for about 5 minutes. From the front, this glow was round and red in color.
"It moved towards the direction of the [-] at high speed, then returned roughly to its starting point still at high speed.
"It stopped for a few seconds and I photographed it.
"It left very slowly in the direction of the refinery of [-] ([-]), and I noticed that it had the shape of a cigar very elongated in profile.
"It was 10:30 p.m. when we no longer saw it.
"In my opinion, it cannot be an airplane, because of the shape and the absence of noise.
- June 23, 1976 at 7:40 a.m.
- Having read, I persist and sign.
|
|
GENDARMERIE NATIONALE GROUP COMPANY [-] UNIT REP Nr 983 of the 06/23 / 1976 |
HEARING REPORT |
PART Nr 3 U.F.O. appearance. Frame to use by the recipient |
HEARD PERSON H[-], C[-] (Witness).
REFERENCES
THAT DAY twenty three June nineteen seventy six WE THE UNDERSIGNED U[-], at [-], Warrant Officer F[-], J[-], Gendarme CONSIDERING ARTICLES [-] OF THE CODE OF PENAL PROCEDURE, REPORT THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS WE HAVE PERFORMED IN UNIFORM AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDERS OF OUR CHIEFS.
On June 23, 1976 at 8:35 a.m., at the Brigade office, we hear:
H[-], C[-], years old, teacher, living at [-] ([-]), who tells us:
"On June 22, 1976, around 10:15 p.m., I was in the company of comrades on a path going through the fields towards the station of [-] d'[-] ([-]), about 400 meters from it.
"I saw in the sky at a very high height, a very intense glow of red color. It remained motionless for about 5 minutes, then it moved away at high speed in the direction of [-], to come back a few moments later always at the same speed.
"The glow slowed down and my friend, who is a photographer, took the opportunity to take some photographs.
"Its shape was elongated like a cigar.
"Ite left in the direction of the [-] of [-] ([-]), when I no longer saw it.
"There was no sound and no stars in the sky.
"In my opinion, it cannot be a plane.
- June 23, 1976 at 8:55 a.m.
- Having read, I persist and sign.
|
|
GENDARMERIE NATIONALE GROUP COMPANY [-] UNIT REP. N°983 of the 06/23 / 1976 |
HEARING REPORT |
PART Nr 4 U.F.O. appearance Frame to use by the recipient |
HEARD PERSON S[-], R[-] (Witness).
REFERENCES
THAT DAY twenty three June nineteen seventy six WE THE UNDERSIGNED U[-], at [-], Warrant Officer F[-], J[-], Gendarme CONSIDERING THE ARTICLES [-] OF THE CODE OF PENAL PROCEDURE, REPORT THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS WE HAVE PERFORMED IN UNIFORM AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDERS OF OUR CHIEFS.
On June 23, 1976 at 3:35 p.m., at the Brigade office, we hear:
"S[-] R[-], [-] years old, technical agent, residing at [-] ([-]), [-] who declares to us:
"Yesterday around 10:25 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., I was on the terrace of my house, when I noticed the presence in the sky, in the direction [-] at a fairly large distance and at an altitude medium, extremely bright spot the size of a ballpoint style section.
"This dot seemed strange to me, because it didn't look like a star or an airplane.
"I only saw it for a few seconds and as I had visitors at home, I paid no attention to it.
- June 23, 1976 at 8:55 a.m.
- Having read, I persist and sign.
|
|
GENDARMERIE NATIONALE GROUP COMPANY [-] UNIT REP Nr 983 of the 06/23 / 1976 |
HEARING REPORT |
PART Nr 5 U.F.O. appearance Frame to use by the recipient |
HEARD PERSON H[-], R[-] (Witness).
REFERENCES
THAT DAY twenty three June nineteen seventy six WE THE UNDERSIGNED U[-], at [-], Warrant Officer F[-], J[-], Gendarme CONSIDERING THE ARTICLES [-] OF THE CODE OF PENAL PROCEDURE, REPORT THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS WE HAVE PERFORMED IN UNIFORM AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDERS OF OUR CHIEFS.
On June 23, 1976 at 3:35 p.m., at the Brigade office, we hear:
E[-], R[-], years old, head of center, living at [] ([-]), [], who declares to us:
"""Yesterday evening, around 10:15 p.m., I was at my home, in the new district of [-], when I was on my balcony and noticed in the distance, more exactly in the direction [ -], an almost white yellow point of light, the size of a section of a ballpoint pen.
"""As the sky was dark and starless, I was interested.
"""This bright spot was stationary and initially I took it for a star.
"""Then this object moved slowly, then grew to the size of a spectacle lens, i.e. it appeared to be round, the luminosity is still as strong.
"""It seemed to make no noise and its altitude seemed high to me.
"""As it grew, ie rapidly, it disappeared while moving in the direction of the [-] refinery.
"""In my opinion and given my technical knowledge, I think it is a satellite.
- June 23, 1976 at 4 p.m.
- Having read, I persist and sign.
|
[Ref. dna1:] NEWSPAPER "DERNIERES NOUVELLES D'ALSACE":
Bischwiller. -- Following the testimony of four young people from Bischwiller, who claimed to have seen on Tuesday, June 22 at 10:15 p.m. a UFO over Oberhoffen-sur-Moder, the Bischwiller gendarmerie opened an investigation. According to these young people, the red-orange object appeared above the pumping station of the society of southern European pipelines. It was moving very slowly at first, then reportedly suddenly disappeared towards the Black Forest.
The police also reported that a similar object had been seen at the same time and in the same direction by a resident of Kilstett and an inhabitant of Herrlisheim.
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
|
JUNE 22, 1976. OBERHOFFEN SUR MODER (Bas Rhin)
Around 10:15 p.m., 4 young people saw an orange-red object above the pumping station of the Société des Pipelines sud-européenne. Moving slowly at first, it quickly disappeared towards the Black Forest. The gendarmerie reported that a similar object would have been seen at the same time and in the same direction by a resident of Kilstett and another of Herrlisheim.
("Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace" for 7/1/76)
[Ref. cnu1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "CNEGU":
Ref. F/00/67/76 06 22 (01) IQ: 1,1,0 ,1 ,0 (3)
Tuesday, June 22, around 10:15 p.m. (UT: 8:15 p.m.), four young people saw above the pumping station of the South European Pipelines Company in Oberhoffen sur Moder (67) a red-orange object. Moving slowly at first, it quickly disappeared towards the Black Forest. The gendarmerie reported that a similar object would have been seen at the same time and in the same direction by a resident of Kilstett and another from Herrlisheim.
Source: LDLN n°159 page 24, Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace du 1/07/76 (DNA).
[Ref. cnu2:] CNEGU UFOLOGY GROUP:
| Explanation noted by CNEGU | |||
| CNEGU Order Nr | Place | Prob / Poss | Certain |
| 43 F/00/67 76 06 22 (01) | Oberhoffen-sur-Moder. | Star, planet? | |
Note: having been published without tabulation, the record is hard to interpret.
It reads: the case number is 43, it occurred in France, in the Bas-Rhin, on 06/22/1976, in Oberhoffen-sur-Moder, and CNEGU thinks it might have an astronomical explanation.
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN - "BASE OVNI FRANCE":
General features
| Num Base: | 2985 |
| Département: | Bas Rhin (67) |
| Place of observation: | Oberhoffen sur Moder |
| Latitude: | 48.783 |
| Longitude: | +7.866 |
| Date of observation: | June 22, 1976 |
| Hour: | 22:15 hours |
| Duration (HH:MM:SS): | N.C. |
| Weather: | No weather indication |
| Type of observation: | Visual: Distant |
| Nbr of witness(es): | 4 |
| Official investigation: | Yes |
Features of the object
| Nbr of object: | 1 |
| Type of object: | Non-defined |
| Size: | Not specified |
| Color: | Red |
| Luminosity: | Not specified |
| Visual characteristics: | No indication |
| Speed: | slow then fast |
| Movement/Displacement: | In straight line |
| Object on the ground: | No |
| Instantaneous disappearance: | No |
Observation
Four witnesses see above a pump station an object of red orange color. It moves slowly at first, then disappears at fast speed towards the black forest.
Sources
Lumières dans la Nuit issue 159
[Ref. cvn2:] CHRISTIAN VALENTIN:
Former journalist Christian Valentin published in 2012 a very interesting book telling the story of UFO sightings, flying saucers sightings, in Alsace, from the beginning to 1980.
In this book, he reports an observation on Tuesday, June 22, 1976, was reported in Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace for Thursday, July 1st, 1976, in the Sélestat issue:
Bischwiller. Following the testimony of four young people from Bischwiller, who claimed to have seen on Tuesday, June 22 at 10:15 p.m. a UFO over Oberhoffen-sur-Moder, the Bischwiller gendarmerie opened an investigation. According to these young people, the red-orange object appeared above the pumping station of the society of southern European pipelines. It was moving very slowly at first, then reportedly suddenly disappeared towards the Black Forest.
The police also reported that a similar object had been seen at the same time and in the same direction by a resident of Kilstett and an inhabitant of Herrlisheim.
[Ref. gei1:] GROUPE D'ETUDES ET D'INFORMATIONS SUR LES PHENOMENES AEROSPATIAUX NON IDENTIFIES (G.E.I.P.A.N.):
BISCHWILLER (67) 22.06.1976 |
|
| Observed on: | 06/22/1976 |
| Region: | Alsace |
| Department: | Rhin (Bas) |
| Class: | C |
| Suööary: | Observation of the passing at high altitude of a red gleam. |
| Description: |
On June 22, 1976, at about 10:15 p.m., several people in a car observe the fast and silent movements, very high in the sky, of a red glow that puzzles them. This phenomenon stationary above the oil terminal then reportedly passed over the refinery in Herrlisheim-Drusenheim then left in the direction of the Rhine into Germany. One witness takes several photographs, but the film will prove unworkable. Two refinery employees let know that they had seen from their home a brilliant object in the North-East direction indicated by the first witness but none of the guards on duty at the refinery saw any object over the property. No other information was be collected on this phenomenon for which we lack information. |
| Report: | None. |
Details of the testimony |
|
| Witness | |
| Date of the observation | 22-06-1976 |
| Document number | |
| Age | Adult (more than 18) |
| Occupation | Independent |
| Sex | Male |
| Reaction | Active Curiosity |
| Credibility | Normal Credibility |
| Conditions | |
| Environment | Country |
| Weather conditions | Not-specified |
| Hour of the observation | Numbered: 10 p.m. 00 p.m. |
| Reference frame | Sky or clouds |
| Distance between phenomenon and Witness | Not-specified |
| Start of the observation | Start of observation par Witness |
| End of the observation | End of observation par phénomène |
| Localization | |
| Angle of the site | Middle of the sky |
| Direction of observation | Geographic landmarks (Name of city, village, numbered, etc.) |
| Cap | Geographic landmarks (Name of city, village, numbered, etc.) |
| Trajectory | Motionless; with change of direction |
| Nature of the observation | Object |
| Characteristic of the observation | Unique |
| Global shape | Cigar, cylinder;Round, circular, ball |
| Color | Red |
| Apparent size | Not-specified |
| Apparent speed | Rapide, grande, vite |
| Noise | No noise |
| Effect on the environment | Not-specified |
| Number | 1 |
Details of the testimony |
|
| Witness | |
| 22-06-1976 | |
| Document number | |
| Age | Adult (more than 18) |
| Occupation | Executives and top executives |
| Sex | Male |
| Reaction | Active Curiosity |
| Credibility | Normal Credibility |
| Conditions | |
| Environment | Country |
| Weather conditions | Not-specified |
| Hour of the observation | Numbered : 10 pm - 00 am |
| Reference frame | Sky or clouds |
| Distance between phenomenon and Witness | Not-specified |
| Start of the observation | Start of observation par Witness |
| End of the observation | End of the observation by phenomenon |
| Localization | |
| Angle of the site | Middle of the sky |
| Direction of observation | Geographic landmarks (Name of city, village, numbered, etc.) |
| Cap | Geographic landmarks (Name of city, village, numbered, etc.) |
| Trajectory | Motionless; with change of direction |
| Nature of the observation | Object;Description terms (lights, etc) |
| Characteristic of the observation | Unique |
| Global shape | Cigar, cylinder |
| Color | Red |
| Apparent size | Not-specified |
| Apparent speed | Variable (accélérati |
| Noise | No noise |
| Effect on the environment | Not-specified |
| Number | 1 |
Details of the testimony |
|
| Witness | |
| 22-06-1976 | |
| Document number | |
| Age | Adult (more than 18) |
| Occupation | Employees, Workers |
| Sex | Male |
| Reaction | Active Curiosity |
| Credibility | Normal Credibility |
| Conditions | |
| Environment | Domicile |
| Weather conditions | Not-specified |
| Hour of the observation | Numbered : 10 pm - 00 am |
| Reference frame | Sky or clouds |
| Distance between phenomenon and Witness | Not-specified |
| Start of the observation | Start of observation by Witness |
| End of the observation | End of observation by phenomenon |
| Localization | |
| Angle of the site | Middle of the sky |
| Direction of observation | North-East |
| Heading | Not-specified |
| Trajectory | Not-specified |
| Nature of the observation | Object |
| Caracteritic of the observation | Unique |
| Global shape | Ponctuelle, étoile |
| Color | Not-specified |
| Apparent size | Small, tiny, dot |
| Apparent speed | Not-specified |
| Noise | Not-specified |
| Effect on the environment | Not-specified |
| Number | 1 |
Details of the testimony |
|
| Witness | |
| 06/22/1976 | |
| Document number | |
| Age | Adult (more than 18) |
| Occupation | Executives and top executives. |
| Sex | Male |
| Reaction | Active Curiosity |
| Credibility | Normal Credibility |
| Conditions | |
| Environment | Home |
| Weather conditions | Clouded |
| Hour of the observation | Numbered : 10 pm - 00 am |
| Reference frame | Sky or clouds |
| Distance between phenomenon and Witness | Not-specified |
| Start of the observation | Start of observation by Witness |
| End of the observation | End of observation by phenomenon |
| Localization | |
| Angle of the site | Middle of the sky |
| Direction of observation | North-East |
| Cap | Geographic landmarks (Name of city, village, numbered, etc.) |
| Trajectory | Not-specified |
| Nature of the observation | Object |
| Caracteristic of the observation | Unique |
| Global shape | Spot, star |
| Color | Yellow |
| Apparent size | Small, tiny, dot |
| Apparent speed | Slow, constant |
| Noise | No noise |
| Effect on the environment | Not-specified |
| Number | 1 |
[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:
[... other cases...]
Tuesday 22
[... other cases...]
around 10:15 p.m. At Bischwiller (Lower Rhine), several people by car observe the fast and silent movements, very high in the sky, of a Red glow which intrigues them. This stationary phenomenon above the oil terminal then reportedly have passed over the Herrlisheim-Drusenheim refinery and then moved towards the Rhine towards Germany. One of the witnesses took several photographs but the film will prove unusable. 2 refinery employees reported that they had seen from their home a shining object in the east-northeast direction indicated by the first witness, but none of the refinery service guards had seen an object above the establishment 3.
[... other cases...]
3 GEPAN: UAP class C
[Ref. spa1:] UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION "SPICA":
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BISCHWILLER | Tuesday 22 June 1976 at 10:15 p.m. | Unusual luminosity Unidentified |
red None |
Unsolved -lack of info |
|
Here are the places mentioned by the various sources:
|
Note that "Oberhoffen-sur-Moder" is the place above which the UFO was located according to the headline of the newspaper Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace [dna1]; but it is obviously worthless, all the testimonies talking about the pumping station and the refinery.
Bischwiller, given as the commune of observation by the GEIPAN, clearly corresponds on the one hand to the commune where the offices of the Gendarmerie that wrote the report are located, and on the other hand to the commune where the group of friends came to photograph the animals were living.
The two witnesses observing from their homes were clearly one in Kilstett, 10 km from the refinery, the other in Herrlisheim, 3.6 km from the refinery. I give these distances by taking the straight line from the center of these communes to the southern edge of the refinery.
The map by the Gendarmerie is unfortunately difficult to read; note, the "green line" and the "red line" are not distinguishable on the black and white photocopy.
We understand all the same that the group of friends who came to photograph the animals were located (W1) to the East-North-East of the Société du Pipeline Sud-Européen ("Sté Pipeline SE") and, says the report, 400 meters east-north-east of what could be the pumping station (noted "Station de Pompage"). I note that there is a "Lower Moder Water Pumping and Treatment Station" at point "P".
We also understand from the Gendarmes map that the group of witnesses in W1, the witness in Herrlisheim and the witness in Kilstett give, independently, a different direction of observation due to their different locations, but which locate the object at the same approximate location; we almost have a triangulation. This location alone rules out an astronomical misinterpretation or a satellite.
We also understand that the observation area is "tight" enough to eliminate an airliner, which in 15 minutes would have largely "exited" this area. This of course does not exclude an Ultralight plane, a small plane, or a helicopter. The description on the other hand (red light) hardly corresponds to it, the absence of noise at 400 meters either.
I think the red light should be considered "unidentified", but that the testimonies, while they are credible by their independent concordances, are of rather medium strangeness.
Unidentified, medium strangeness.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editeur: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | August 6, 2022 | Creation, [dna1], [gei1], [jbu1], [spa1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | August 6, 2022 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | January 22, 2023 | Additions [cnu1], [lcn1], [cnu2], [cvn2]. |
