The article below was published in the daily newspaper Le Midi Libre, France, on December 14, 1976.
(The "Chasseurs Alpins" is a mountain infantry corps of the French Army.)
Marseilles. -- A peculiar adventure in the Alpes de Haute-Provence, that of this company of the former battalion of chasseurs alpins.
During a night maneuver, two staff sergeants of this battalion saw, at the Col de Larche, a luminous craft swooping down on them at high speed and rapidly disappearing.
Alerting their units on their return, Staff Sergeants Gabarit and Charrin decided to go up to the pass the following night with their leader Atar.
Around 11:00 p.m., the men saw a craft in the shape of a spinning top, approaching them, at a short distance, according to their report, a non-dazzling spotlight lighting up under the craft, illuminating the two men and their vehicle.
The craft hovered for a long time without noise, and disappeared at a dizzying speed. The soldiers filed their report with the gendarmerie.
It was then a commotion. It was decided the following evening to mount an important expedition with the army and the gendarmerie brigade. Unfortunately, the mysterious craft did not show up.
The report of the staff sergeants as well as their sketches were nevertheless sent to the directorate of the gendarmerie, in Paris.
