'ALMOST FORGOTTEN MYSTERY OF THE "FLYING SAUCERS"': 1947, An Explanation

The spring of 1947 saw reports of objects overhead from the Pacific Northwest to Florida and diverse spots in between.  July saw the captured flying disc at Roswell abruptly emptied and labeled a common and very ordinary weather balloon; an explanation that, by implication, implied the highly trained and classified military of the only nuclear military unit of it day, were too inept to recognize since they were sent up almost daily for weather purposes on the base. Assorted events cropped up but with the often vicious batting down and ridicule they received most stories dwindled.

So, by December when one U.S. Representative, Matthew Harris Ellsworth (R-OR) offered an explanation, it was reported. Ellsworth (1899-1986) was a six-term representative from Oregon to Washington D.C. (1943-1957).

Ellsworth in a press release said that he had received "reliable information" concerning the development of high velocity missiles, adding: "Strangely enough, the development might be a solution of the now almost forgotten mystery of the "flying saucers."

Apparently, his reliable source had reported the Russians had a powerful new rocket of "almost limitless range." This craft was propelled by a series of discharges, each explosive pack separated by a thin metal disc, that ejected, much like a cartridge from a weapon, once expended. It either sailed off into the vast blue yonder, thus generating flying saucer sightings or disintegrated before reaching ground.

As an explanation it served a couple of purposes. One was it reinforced the disquiet being felt about the competition Russian presented to the U.S. Many were aware of the scientists America had appropriated after WW2 in Operation Paperclip but only some were aware that Russia had also sped to the great northern power a group of scientists as well. All had worked for the Nazi forces designing both practical and theoretical concepts that could be important in a face-off between the two nations.  America was working on its on missile projects, usually under the oversight of the U.S. Navy due to the concept of battleship based warfare and the U.S. Army related to over land fighting needs. The second purpose served was to continue to minimize any of the "silliness" of those June and July episodes and quell the latent interest in such things by the application of cold, logical facts. 

Any facts, apparently, because few of the sightings reported by people bore any relationship to the exploding disc theory of the alleged missile. Sightings fell into two main groups: the high, fast and straight and the lower, closer and maneuvered.  The first could be explained by secret military projects for breaking the sound barrier, achieving greater speed, fuel use and testing new designs. Early and later satellites will fit this category as well (from Sputnik and ECHO 1 forward).  The second category is much harder to explain because the details are usually more numerous (size, speed, directional changes, lighting, etc.).  The first goes from point A to point B. Period. The second may, according to records of sightings, be seen back tracking, turning around, and shooting away at high speed.  Some of those motions can be attributed to some early balloons but not all and not when coupled with other descriptions that early researchers or Project Blue Book ignored.