ALSACAT:

ALSACAT is my comprehensive catalog of UFO sighting reports in Alsace, the region is the North-East of France, whether they are "explained" or "unexplained".

The ALSACAT catalog is made of case files with a case number, summary, quantitative information (date, location, number of witnesses...), classifications, all sources mentioning the case with their references, a discussion of the case in order to evaluate its causes, and a history of the changes made to the file. A general index and thematic sub-catalogs give access to these Alsatian case files.

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Case of Mulhouse, on August 29, 1952:

Case number:

ALSACAT-1952-08-29-MULHOUSE-1

Summary:

In the 1970s, Ms. Gueudelot managed the archive of the ufology group "Lumières Dans La Nuit", consisting in particular of summaries of press clippings sent by correspondents of the group. These archives surfaced through the work of the association of ufology SCEAU, around 2020. One of the cases found there is given as having taken place on July 29, 1952 in Mulhouse around 11:45 a.m. according to an article in the newspaper La République for August 30, 1952, reporting this:

"This morning, numerous residents of Mulhouse observed in the sky, south of the city, two craft flying at a high altitude, from the northwest to the southeast."

The newspaper added that these "craft moved parallel without perceptible noise and left a long white trail behind them."

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	August 29, 1952
Time:	11:45 a.m.
Duration:	?
First known report date:	August 29, 1952
Reporting delay:	Hour, 1 day.

Geographical data:

Department:	Haut-Rhin
City:	Mulhouse
Place:	City.
Latitude:	47.747
Longitude:	7.335
Uncertainty radius:	3 km.

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	Numerous.
Number of known witnesses:	?
Number of named witnesses:	0
Witness(es) ages:	Adults.
Witness(es) types:	Residents.

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	The regional Press.
Type of location:	From city.
Visibility conditions:	Day.
UFO observed:	Yes.
UFO arrival observed:	?
UFO departure observed:	Yes.
Entities:	No.
Photographs:	No.
Sketch(s) by witness(es):	No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es):	No.
Witness(es) feelings:	?
Witnesses interpretation:	?

Classifications:

Hynek:	DD
ALSACAT:	Probable jet fighters.

Sources:

[Ref. aldl:] MRS. GUEUDELOT, "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT" ARCHIVE:

JULY 29, 1952.-

MULHOUSE. - (68)

Time: around 11:45 a.m.

This morning, numerous residents of Mulhouse observed in the sky, south of the city, two machines flying at a high altitude, from the NORTH.WEST to the SOUTH.EAST.

These craft moved parallel without perceptible noise and leaving a long white trail behind them.

"LA REPUBLIQUE" FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1952.

(search by Mr. Mourier)

Discussion:

It seems pretty obvious that this must have been two jet fightrs flylng at high altitude.

At that time jet fighters were still a novelty for the French.

I also note that the quoted newspaper article does not speak of flying saucers at all.

Evaluation:

Sources references:

* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.

[lre1] ? Article in the newspaper La République, France, August 30, 1952.
[ald1] * Record in the archive by Mme Gueudelot, of the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, not dated, published circa 2020 by the ufology association SCEAU, France, at https://sceau-archives-ovni.org/fonds/fond_gueudelot/base_guy_jpr_fiches_gueudelot.html

File history:

Authoring:

Main author:	Patrick Gross
Contributors:	None
Reviewers:	None
Editor:	Patrick Gross

Changes history:

Version:	Create/changed by:	Date:	Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	August 5, 2023	Creation, [ald1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	August 5, 2023	First published.

This page was last updated on August 5, 2023.