In La Ligne Bleue Survolée?, newsletter of the Cercle Vosgien "Lumières Dans La Nuit", #3, in 1980, is reported this case investigated by the Vosges ufologist Gilles Munsch:
On Saturday October 20, 1979, at 7:55 p.m., in Masevaux, Mr. C. S., deputy head of the forest district, was walking around his house when he saw in the sky, above the Sudel mounds, a "ball" of dull orange color which moved from the North-West towards the South, and this apparently at high speed and at a rather high altitude. It is accompanied by a blue streak tinged with purple "(kind like a butane flame!)".
Suddenly it made a very tight turn "(at least in apparently!)", to go back in the reverse direction towards the North-West. The sighting had only lasted a few seconds. The witness immediately informed the gendarmerie, then the Basel-Mulhouse aerodrome and the Colmar-Meyenheim air base, then the following days various authorities.
He will learn from the gendarmerie that various disturbances appeared in German radio and television broadcasts.
In the #5 of this bulletin, the ufologist François Diolez noted the case in a catalog, adding that the same phenomenon was seen in the Vosges massif on the two slopes Haut-Rhin and Vosges, from 07:55 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., then from 9:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. He then joins them into a single case, noting that it will however be necessary "to take into account the nuances."
The case also appeared, a year later, in the ufology magazine Ufologia, of the C.F.R.U. ufology group, France, #26, without time, and with the summary: "At 7:55 p.m., Mr. Ch. Sembach saw from his home an object in the shape of a dull orange ball, followed [sic] by a brilliant purplish trail, moving above the Sudel massif."
ALSACAT-1979-10-20-MASEVAUX-1
| Date: | October 20, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 07:55 p.m. |
| Duration: | A few seconds. |
| First known report date: | 1980 |
| Reporting delay: | Hour, hours. |
| Department: | Haut-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Masevaux |
| Place: | Outside at home. |
| Latitude: | 47.774 |
| Longitude: | 6.994 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 3 km. |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 1 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Adult. |
| Witness(es) types: | Deputy Head of Forestry District. |
| Reporting channel: | Gendarme, air forces, airport, local ufologist. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | Outside near home. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| 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: | ? |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Unidentified. |
[Ref. gmh1:] GILLES MUNSCH:
|
F/98/68791020 (04)
Region of MASEVAUX (68)
Investigatione: G. Munsch
Saturday, October 20, 1979 - MASEVAUX - 7:55 pm legal time.
Mr. C...... S ......, deputy head of the forestry district, walks around his house when he sees in the sky, above the SUDEL mounts, a "ball
.../...
|
- 5 -
... matt orange in color that moves from the northwest to the south, apparently at high speed and at a fairly high altitude. It is accompanied by a blue trail tinged with purple (like a butane flame!), Suddenly it makes a very tight turn (at least apparently!), to set off again in the opposite direction towards the North-West. The observation lasted only a few seconds. The witness immediately informed the gendarmerie, then the Bâle-Mulhouse aerodrome and the Colmar-Meyenheim air base, then the following days various authorities.
He will learn from the gendarmerie that various disturbances have appeared in the radio and television broadcasts of German origin (FRG). No other side effects were noticed.
[Ref. fdz1:] FRANCOIS DIOLEZ:
|
In the ufological bulletin La Ligne Bleue Survolé?, its editor ufologist F. Diolez provides a synthesis of the observations in the North-East of France appearing in their catalog.
He noted that the cases "F 98/88791020 (0I) - (02) - (03)" as well as "F 98/68791020 (04) seem to describe the same phenomenon which interested the Vosges mountains on these two sides 68 and 88 - from 7:55 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., then 9:30 p.m. - 9:45 p.m." He then assimilates them into a single case, noting that it will however be necessary to "take the nuances into account."
[Ref. aes1:] A.E.S.V. UFOLOGY BULLETIN:
|
October 20: - A witness sees from his home, an object in the shape of a matt orange ball followed by a trail. This was happening above Masevaux (Haut Rhin).
Note: this is one among other cases of 1979 which according to this bulletin would "confirm" an important "UFO activity" at the time of the affair (the hoax) of the Franck Fontain abduction by aliens in Cergy-Pontoise in 1979.
[Ref. ufa1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "UFOLOGIA":
|
UFOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
(Summary of the Press)
Saturday, October 20, 1979 - MASEVAUX (Haut-Rhin)
At 7:55 p.m., Mr. Ch. Sembach saw from his home an object in the shape of an orange rod, dull, followed by a brilliant purplish trail, moving above the mount of the Sudel.
LDLN.nr190
[Ref. cnu1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "CNEGU":
|
Ref. F/98/68791020 (04) IQ: 11101 (4)
Masevaux region (68) Investigation: G. Munsch
Saturday, October 20, 1979 - MASEVAUX - 7:55 p.m. legal time.
Mr. C...... S......, deputy head of the forest district, is walking around his house when he sees in the sky, above the SUDEL massif, a colored "ball" matt orange which moves from the North-West towards the South and this apparently at great speed and at a rather high altitude. It is accompanied by a blue streak tinged with purple (butan flame type!) Suddenly it makes a very tight turn (at least in appearance!), to set off again in the opposite direction towards the North-West. The sighting only lasted a few seconds. The witness immediately informed the gendarmerie, then the Basel-Mulhouse aerodrome and the Colmar-Meyenheim air base, then the following days various authorities, he learned from the gendarmerie that various disturbances appeared in the radio and television broadcasts German (FRG). No other side effects were noticed.
|
The Sudel is West-South-West from Masevaux.
If it hadn't been for the turn and reverse return, a meteor would have been a possible explanation.
Unidentified.
* = 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 |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | August 19, 2022 | Creation, [gmh1], [fdz1], [aes1], [ufa1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | August 19, 2022 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | January 10, 2023 | Addition [cnu1]. |
