RS 33 (Gabinetto RS 33)
Gabinetto Ricerche Speciali 33 (Special Research Cabinet 33), commonly abbreviated as RS-33, was a top-secret Italian government commission established in June 1933 by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini to examine, analyze, and maintain strict secrecy around the unknown craft recovered near Magenta, Italy on June 13, 1933. The group functioned as an Italian precursor to later alleged U.S. crash retrieval organizations such as Majestic 12, operating with complete autonomy and information control over all UFO-related matters in fascist Italy.
| Type | govt |
|---|
Leadership and Membership
The RS-33 was headed by Mussolini himself in his capacity as Prime Minister (Il Duce), with Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano and Air Marshal Italo Balbo providing political and military oversight. Scientific support was provided by astronomer Gino Cecchini and possibly Nobel Prize-winning radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, who reportedly believed the craft to be extraterrestrial in origin, contrary to Mussolini's initial assessment that it was an advanced terrestrial vehicle from France, Britain, or Germany.
According to original documents provided to researcher Roberto Pinotti, additional operational personnel included Tomaso David (possibly referenced by the pseudonym "Desanti"), a colonel of the Frontespizio and founder of the Vulpi intelligence spy group, who later headed the Salò Secret Service.
Operating Protocols
Internal memorandums bearing the seal of the Kingdom Senate outlined a nine-step protocol for UFO crash retrievals and sighting management, demonstrating a systematic approach to UAP incidents:
- Immediate notification of local authorities (mayors)
- Immediate recovery of any craft
- Immediate arrest of all witnesses
- Appointment of RS-33 special section from the OVRA (Italian secret police) in each provincial capital
- Exclusive reporting to the central meteorological office at La Sapienza University in Rome with RS-33 designation
- Ex officio prevention of press dissemination
- Disinformation publication using prescribed cover stories (meteor, shooting star, luminous halo, etc.) per RS-33 form FZ-4
- Air Force notification subject to prior RS-33 approval, with RS-33 decisions being unappealable up to the level of Il Duce himself
- Strict exclusion of all other scientific bodies, including pontifical universities, from examination of evidence
These protocols are strikingly similar to later U.S. procedures codified in USAF Regulation 200-2 from 1953, which similarly centralized UFO reporting, restricted information sharing with scientific bodies, and maintained strict military control over UAP evidence.
Funding and Infrastructure
Crash retrieval expenses were charged to a specific budget line: "Cap 32, Title XXII, heading 32-2 of the order to the R. Academia de Italia," indicating dedicated funding allocated for RS-33 operations.
The group established a network across Italian provincial capitals through OVRA (the fascist secret police), ensuring rapid response capability for any UFO incident nationwide. All reports were funneled exclusively to Rome for RS-33 evaluation, with the group retaining sole authority to determine whether cases warranted Air Force involvement.
Parallel to US Programs
The RS-33's structure, protocols, and autonomous authority closely parallel allegations about the U.S. Majestic 12 group that allegedly emerged in the late 1940s and early 1950s following the 1947 Roswell Crash. Both organizations allegedly operated:
- Outside normal governmental oversight
- With immediate witness management/detention authority
- Through dedicated disinformation campaigns
- With complete control over scientific access to materials
- Via compartmentalized funding mechanisms
- With unappealable decision-making authority at the highest levels
Dissolution
The RS-33 remained operational throughout Mussolini's fascist regime from 1933 until the collapse of the Italian state in 1943. According to some accounts, the Germans dissolved the RS-33 following their takeover of Italian facilities in 1943 during Operation Ox. The craft examined by RS-33 was ultimately recovered by U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) agents in 1944-1945, facilitated in part by intelligence provided by Pope Pius XII.
Document Trail
The existence and operating procedures of RS-33 are confirmed by authenticated fascist-era documents provided to Roberto Pinotti by anonymous source Mr. X, including telegrams stamped with "R/S" markings, internal memorandums bearing the Kingdom Senate seal, and handwritten notes describing UFO encounters between 1933 and 1940.