Spitsbergen Incident and David Grusch
The initial tale of the Spitsbergen crash, as it appeared in the Project Blue Book files, claimed that on July 9, 1952, a Berlin newspaper, Saarbrucker Zeitung, reported that the Norwegian Air Force had recovered a flying saucer on Spitsbergen Island. According to the article, a translation of which is in the Air Force files, Norwegian Air Force Captain Olaf Larsen spotted a “metallic, glittering circular disc of between 40- and 50-meters diameter” while flying over the island.
The article stated that while circling for 60 minutes, the jet pilots could not detect any signs of life or determine the origin or type of vehicle. It claimed that others, in five “flying boats,” landed near the “bluish steel disc,” which was described as having a diameter of 48.88 meters with slanting sides and being unmanned. It was made of an unknown metal compound and had 46 automatic jets rotating around a plexiglass center ball containing measuring and control devices for remote control.
Alarmingly, the report claimed that the measuring instruments had Russian symbols and that the object had “sufficient room for high explosive bombs and possibly nuclear bombs.” It also alleged that a German V-weapon designer named Riedel stated, “That’s a typical V-7 on whose serial production I have worked myself,” suggesting a connection to Nazi technology.
The article was signed only with the initials J.M.M., and efforts by Scandinavian researcher Ole Jonny Braenne to trace the author were unsuccessful. Newspaper archives provided no useful information on the matter.
This appears to be the first appearance of the Spitsbergen crash story, presenting it as something created by the Soviets using technology stolen from the Germans after World War II, rather than an interplanetary or interstellar craft.
- The Air Force officers (likely the Air Attache in the U.S. embassy) sent a teletype message reporting on the newspaper article and requesting additional information.
- The Blue Book files labeled the case as a hoax, but according to other sources, the Norwegian Air Force told the attaché that the story was definitely false.
It is important to carefully investigate David Grusch’s claims about UFO crashes, including the alleged Spitsbergen incident. While the initial reports from the 1950s seem intriguing, the evidence surrounding this case is highly questionable, and many researchers have concluded that it was likely a hoax or fabrication.
One of the key issues is the lack of credible sources and corroborating evidence. The original article in the Saarbrucker Zeitung newspaper, which sparked the story, was signed with the initials J.M.M., and no author could be identified. Scandinavian researcher Ole Jonny Braenne, who extensively investigated the case, found that newspaper archives had no information on the matter.
Furthermore, subsequent reports in other newspapers and publications appear to have simply propagated and embellished the initial story, without providing any new or verified information. The alleged quotes from Norwegian officials and experts, such as Colonel Gernod Darnhyl and rocket specialist Dr. Norsel, could not be independently verified.
It’s also concerning that many of the details in the reports seem suspiciously similar to other well-known UFO crash stories, such as the alleged Aztec incident in the United States. The descriptions of the craft, its dimensions, and the supposed discovery of alien bodies and strange artifacts bear striking resemblances to these other tales, raising questions about the originality and credibility of the Spitsbergen account.
While it is important to keep an open mind and not dismiss claims outright, the lack of solid evidence and the prevalence of inconsistencies and questionable sources in the Spitsbergen case make it difficult to lend much credibility to the story. If David Grusch or his unnamed sources are relying on this incident as part of the alleged twelve UFO crashes, it would be prudent to demand more substantial and verifiable proof before lending weight to these claims.
Ultimately, thorough investigation and critical analysis are essential when evaluating such extraordinary claims. Without concrete evidence and reliable sources, stories like the Spitsbergen crash risk being dismissed as mere legends or hoaxes, regardless of their potential implications.
