The article below was published in the daily newspaper Le Berry Républicain, Bourges, France, pages 1 and 8, on October 14, 1954.
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Metz, October 13. -- During the Metz Trade Fair, a military projector installed at the army's stand swept the sky over Metz each evening with its beam of light. On Sunday evening, the operators of the device saw, at an estimated altitude of over 10,000 meters, a luminous circle that remained motionless above their heads for several hours. The radar unit, also set up at the army’s stand, tried in vain to detect the unusual circle with its equipment.
After a local newspaper reported the facts, the commanding general of the 6th military region ordered an investigation, which has so far produced no results. General Navereau is awaiting the report from Commander Cottel, who is in charge of the army stand.
According to the initial information gathered as early as yesterday, it seems unlikely that the spotlight installed at the Metz fair could have illuminated any object at such a high altitude. In fact, this spotlight has a range of only about 5,080 meters, a distance at which, in clear weather, it might just make something visible. The luminous circle caught in the beam could possibly be explained by the presence, at high altitude, of a swirling cumulus cloud illuminated by the full moon, which at the time was hidden behind a curtain of clouds. Skepticism remains, however, about the presence of a round object estimated to be 50 meters in diameter, which reportedly remained perfectly still for several hours.
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However, the military services are continuing their investigations and will draw conclusions from this case as soon as they are in possession of Commander Cottel's report.
Toulouse, October 13. -- Two residents of the suburbs of Toulouse, Mr. Pierre Vidal and his nephew Angel Hurle, saw early this morning, just at dawn, a giant rocket barely a hundred meters from their home. It took off from a field and rapidly disappeared into the sky, producing a light of rare intensity.
The two men then went to the spot where they believed the mysterious object had lifted off. There, they found the grass flattened in a circular area about 5 meters in diameter. At the center of this zone, they discovered four impressions in the ground, apparently left by the feet of a heavy device.
The grass was covered with droplets from the condensation of greasy vapor, which gave off a smell of petroleum.
The police services visited the site.
Lisieux, October 13. -- Mr. Bon, a mathematics professor in Lisieux, saw, at the beginning of the afternoon in Saint-Germain-de-Livet, 200 to 300 meters from the road above a wooded area, a silver disc 7 to 8 meters in diameter, which suddenly rose into the sky without a sound.
The disc was spinning rapidly. After diving toward the ground from an altitude of about 800 meters, it suddenly shot off horizontally at a dizzying speed.
