Russian Overflights by RAF Crews during the "Cold War"
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Operation Ju Jitsu
Photo of the four Special Duty Flight RB-45C's. Lined up are the nine RAF Aircrew including Sqd Ldr John Crampton and Fl Lt Rex Saunders. Also in line are the Strategic Reconnaisance Wing including Colonal 'Hak' Mixson.
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RAF Pilots that flew the Lockheed U-2.
I have just given a talk to the North Lincs. Aircrew Association on The RAF & the U-2 and it seemed to go down very well, so ian16th has very kindly said that he will magic it onto this thread - many thanks Ian.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
On 7th August 1949, the Meteor flown by FRL test pilot Pat Hornidge took-off from Tarrant Rushton and, refulled ten times by the Lancaster tanker, remained airborne for 12 hours and 3 minutes, receiving 2,352 gallons of fuel from the tanker in ten tanker contacts and flying an overall distance of 3,600 miles, achieving a new jet endurance record
The first B-45C was flown on May 3, 1949. Only ten were built, and the remaining 33 under construction were converted to RB-45Cs.
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Raf Pilots That Flew Missions In The U-2 Spyplane
This is from VIProds. I only did a bit to save him keying it all into his PC again.
I wasn't sure whether to put this on tartanterror's thread or not, but felt that this was one of the subjects that I started on this thread, so here goes.
When the RAF flew the Operation Ju Jitsu and Operation Robin missions, Britain and the United States realized that there was an urgent need for accurate mapping of the Soviet Union, as there were many Bomber Bases and Missile Sites that they were unaware of. Because of the slow advance of Soviet technology, it was felt that if an aircraft could fly at 70,000ft that it would be immune to Russian Missiles and Fighter Aircraft, for the foreseeable future.
In May 1953, a formal proposal was made for the design of an aircraft which could fly at 70,000ft, have a radius of 1,500NM and have a payload of between 100lbs and 700lbs. The Wright Air Command at Dayton Ohio did not seek proposals from the larger aircraft companies, thinking that a smaller company would give this project a higher priority.
In July 1953, “Bell” and “Fairchild” received “Study Contracts”. At the same time Martin, who were manufacturing the Canberra under license from English Electric, known as the Martin B-57. Were also offered a Study Contract, to try and improve the ceiling of this aircraft and mentioned the possibility of extending the length of the wings. Word got out to Lockheed who submitted an unsolicited Kelly Johnston design. Kelly Johnston was one of the worlds leading aeronautical engineers and was responsible for the “Constellation”, the “P38” and the “F104 Starfighter”.
Kelly Johnston's design was to include the fuselage and engine of the F104 and to marry it to high aspect ratio, high lift wings as used in glider aircraft (called sail planes in the US). He also used other glider techniques so the wings were detachable as was the whole rear section of the fuselage and was attached by only three pressure bolts. To help reduce the weight Johnston only stressed the aircraft to 2.5 G's which would be similar to commercial airliner stressing as opposed to the Military spec of 5.33 G's. The aircraft had cycle landing gear with the main wheel in the nose section of the fuselage and a secondary wheel at the rear of the fuselage. At the end of the high aspect ratio wings were skids when it came into land. Lockheed called the aircraft the U-2. and said that it would be able to fly at the stipulated 70,000ft, have a radius of 2,000NM and carry a payload of 600lbs, which would be for surveillance cameras and electronic intelligence gathering equipment.
The U-2 proposal was rejected by the Military because they felt that if a single engine aircraft was overflying the middle of Russia and it's only engine flamed out, all hell would let lose. They also didn't like it as it didn't have conventional landing gear. Lockheed shopped around trying to find supporters for the U-2. They even approached the CIA, but the CIA did not get involved in overflights, they only advised the Military on them. The proposal was shown to Richard Bissell, who was involved with “Operation Robin” when he was the CIA officer in charge of overflights. Richard Bissell had just been promoted to the Assistant Director of the CIA and was involved with a very powerful Scientific Committee set up by President Eisenhower .
Partly because the successful “Operation Robin” where a modified Canberra Reconnaissance aircraft flew out of a USAF Base on the East German Border and was able to take high altitude photographs of the missile production site at Kapustin Yar and the fact that an American Diplomat who was being flown into Moscow, spotted a new Soviet jet bomber, which was later given the NATO designation of “Bison”. This dismayed Capitol Hill and the Pentagon as they had underestimated how fast the Russians were advancing their technology. The President therefor agreed to fund the U-2. Program so long as it was run by the CIA.
Kelly Johnston had the U-2. Flying within one year. In 1955. Lockheed were building the U-2. at their famous “Skunk Works” at Burbank, California. It was very a secure facility and only people with the very highest clearance were allowed in there. The aircraft would soon be ready for flying and testing so Burbank wasn't really the place to start flying a top secret aircraft. Lockheed started flying around the Yucca Flats in the Nevada Desert where American Nuclear Bomb testing took place, looking for an isolated spot that they could fly without prying eyes. The map of Yucca Flats was sectioned up into areas, where they would be able to identify where the tests would take place.
They flew over an area that seemed ideal, it was a salt bed in a dip with mountains all around. The place was called Groom Lake and on the Yucca Flats map, they were in “Area 51” which has since become famous for top secret projects. Lockheed now had to start shipping in men and materials to Groom Lake by road to start building a runway. Once that runway was built it was a lot easier as they could now fly in supplies and prefabricated buildings and hangers, creating an infrastructure. The CIA had two civil jet passenger aircraft, so flew the engineers and construction worker from the nearest City, which was Las Vegas. these aircraft were code named “Janet”. At the “Skunk Works” they had three U-2's. Ready for flight testing so they packaged them up separately with the fuselage,wings and tail section and then wrapped them in canvas to stop prying eyes. These U-2's were flown into Groom Lake on board large transport aircraft.
Once the U-2's were unwrapped and assembled, this would be the first time that fuel would have flowed in the aircraft. The Test Pilot went through his various tests until he took off in the U-2. Once he came back into land the “ground effect” would not allow him to land, even though he had the engine at idle speed. The only way he could land was to stall the aircraft in from about two feet. This is the only way that you can land a U-2 and this became standard procedure.
Early in 1956, Richard Bissell, who incidentally was educated at Yale and The London School of Economics. Now we see why Bissell feels comfortable talking to and negotiating with the Brits. He held discussions with the British Foreign Minister, Selwyn Lloyd & MOD officials and obtained permission to base three U-2's in Britain, so in April 1956 “Detachment A” arrived at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. Unfortunately, their stay was very brief, as one month later, in May 1956, the Soviet Cruiser Ordzhonikicke arrived it Portsmouth harbour with Soviet Leaders, Nikita Krushchev and Bulganin on board for an official visit to Britain. When Buster Crabb's headless body was found in Portsmouth harbour, the Russians protested to the Prime Minister. Unfortunately, Anthony Eden threw a wobbly and sacked the Head of MI6, he also refused to allow the Americans to fly their U-2's out of Lakenheath on Soviet overflights, just to appease the Russians. On June 17th 1956, “Detachment A” was moved to Weisbaden in West Germany, but the whole Base was visible from the Autobahn, so shortly after “Detachment A” was moved to Giebelstadt, which was close to the East German Border. While at Gieblelstadt, the U-2's had an engine upgrade to the Pratt & Whitney J57 engine, which was much more powerful and had a lesser tendency to “flame outs” that the previous engine had. The aircraft was now designated the U-2A.
The US Military and especially Richard Bissell were very impressed with the RAF crews that took part in Operation Ju Jitsu and Operation Robin, as a result he arranged for four RAF Pilots to be trained on the U-2. This was also insurance for the program, in case the US President ever decided to refuse permission for US Pilots to overfly the Soviet Union. Bissell would ask the British Prime Minister (as he had done before) if the RAF would fly the mission and had always received an affirmative answer.
In early 1958, four RAF Pilots started U-2 training at Laughlin AFB, Texas. The code name for the four RAF Pilots was “Jackson”. The four were, Sqd Ldr Christopher Walker, Fl Lt John McArther, Fl Lt David Dowling and Fl Lt Michael Bradley. Unfortunately, on July 9th 1958, Sqd Ldr Walker was killed in a U-2 crash. His place was taken by Sdn Ldr Robert Robinson.
In January 1959, 4 x U-2's, 4 x RAF Pilots, 7 x CIA Pilots and 200 x CIA Support Crew were moved to “Detachment B” at Incerlik in Turkey, where they flew missions and overflights until the Russians built a very powerful surveillance Radar in Syria. The Russians could see the U-2's as soon as they took off and could then start tracking them. The plan then was for any overflight missions that the RAF pilots would ferry the U-2's to Peshawar in Pakistan, where there was no surveillance Radar. On a typical day of an over flight, the Pilot would get up at 2:30am, have a special breakfast then sit down for two hours breathing pure oxygen to purge his system of nitrogen, which would give him the “Bends”, he would then take off at 5am.
Only two Soviet overflights were carried out by the RAF in U-2's. Both needed the permission of the British Prime Minister. On December 6th 1959, Sqd Ldr Robbie Robinson took off from Peshawar in Pakistan and flew North over Tyuratam, Kyshtym, Engels Airfield near Saratov, Kapustin Yar (that rings a bell) and the Bomber Factory at Kuybyshev and exeted Soviet airspace over the Black Sea and recovered to Incerlik in Turkey.
On February 5th 1960, this was the 22nd U-2 Soviet overflight mission. Flt Lt John McArthur also flew out of Peshawar in Pakistan. He headed North West over the Aral Sea looking for missile sites, but discovered a new Soviet Bomber at Kazam. Eight TU-22 Blinder aircraft were captured on film. He turned down the Volga River over the missile factory at Dnepropetrovsk. After leaving Soviet airspace at Servastopol and recovered to Incerlik in Turkey.
The “Detachment B” Commander had planned for a CIA pilot to fly a mission on 1st May 1960. Robbie Robinson went to see him and asked if he knew the significance of the 1st of May and the Russian people, especially as the route went very close to Moscow, where they would be holding the May Day parade. Unfortunately, the Detachment Commander still decided to go ahead with the Mission. So, on the 1st May 1960, Garry Powers went through the usual preflight procedures. His route was to fly out of Peshawar in Pakistan, fly all the way across Russia and exit soviet airspace at Murmansk, then recover to Bono in Finland. This was a ten hour mission, which was about the maximum duration that a U-2 could fly without refueling. While only 4.5 hours into the Mission The Russians sent up a salvo of three SAM-2 missiles. The first one fell short of the target, the second shot down a chasing Mig Fighter and the third one exploded just behind Powers U-2 blowing off the whole tail section of the aircraft. Unfortunately, Powers had just previously loosened off his ejector seat straps. Because the aircraft had gone into a pancake spin, Powers was pinned to the side of the cockpit because of the centrifugal force. He couldn't activate the ejector seat as he was hanging half way out of it. He managed to jettison the canopy, he went to undo his ejector seat straps in preparation to activate the “Self destruct switches” before parting the cockpit. As soon as he released his straps, he was sucked out of the aircraft by the centrifugal force and was only attached by his oxygen hose with the self destruct switches still unarmed. Eventually, the oxygen hose snapped and he fell away from the U-2. After falling several thousand feet, his chute opened automatically.
After 10 hours had passed, it was realized that Powers had not recovered to Bono in Norway, the U.S. Put out a press release that one of their high altitude weather aircraft had gone missing near the Soviet Border. The RAF pilots had a cover story if they were shot down and survived or had to land in the Soviet Union. They would say that the aircraft was in autopilot, they had Oxygen problems and became unconscious and that is why they had strayed into Soviet airspace. The CIA pilots on the other hand did not have a cover story, but when Powers was captured, he was reported to have used the RAF cover story. The Soviets waited ten days before announcing that they had shot down an American spyplane. Khrushchev was playing a canny game. On the twelfth day after Power's had been shot down, Khrushchev announced that Powers was alive and had admitted to spying.
Sqd Ldr Robinson and the three other RAF pilots were told to get lost for a few months by the CIA as the Turkish Government were not aware that they were in the Country. They all went back to London and were called to a meeting at Air Ministry with the Secretary of State for Air, Sir George Ward. He wanted to know if Powers would reveal the British U-2. Involvement to his Soviet interrogators. There had been hints in the Press that there had been close co-operation. In the end Ward decided to neither confirm or deny. Robinson went off to Spain for a few months and gave his home Base as Inserlik to protect and conceal Pakistan's roll in the missions. Flt Lt McArthur returned to Carnwell and some of the, then Students reported that he looked very nervous and edgy, but they were not aware of what he had been doing at that time.
After a year had passed, things had quietened down so the program was resurrected, so in March 1961 Sqd Ldr Ivan(Chunky)Webster and Fl Lt Charles(Taffy)Taylor converted to the U-2. and were situated at North Base on Edwards AFB, Calf. Webster asked if he could extent his exchange posting on U-2's and was refused. He resigned his Commission and joined Lockheed as a Civilian pilot. He was later involved in test flights on US Aircraft Carriers with the U-2R. The CIA wanted to use the U-2's to monitor the forthcoming French Nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Three years later, Sqd Ldr Basil Dodd and Fl Lt Martin Bee converted to the U-2. And finally, in 1967 Flt Lt Richard (Dick) Cloke and Flt Lt Harry Drew converted to the U-2R. For five months, between August 1970 and December 1970 they were on detachment in Akrotiri, Cyprus. They flew daily along the Suez Canal monitoring the cease fire between Egypt and Israel. But I am assured that they were not there, really. I am told that there were large black weather balloons, that were rather noisy !!
Next year, we will be coming up to Sixty years that the RAF have been flying clandestine missions with the CIA and the USAF. We started with eleven RAF Aircrew in 1951, flying over to the States to be trained on the North American RB-45C, Tornado then returned to the UK and “borrowed” a total of eight RB-45C's and had them painted in RAF colours and roundals and flew a total of six deep penetration missions into the heart of Russia. We then follow on to the Canberra that the Wright Air Command persuaded English Electric to install more powerful engines, which they did and the ceiling went from 47,00ft to an amazing 65,000ft. One of the Canberra's had extra fuel tanks fitted in the bomb bay and flew to Hascom Field in the States to have a 100inch oblique camera fitted in the rear fuselage. This aircraft took off from an American Air Force Base on the East German Border and flew all the way to Stalingrad and took high altitude photographs of the missile production and testing sites at Kapustin Yar. We then have eleven RAF pilots that were trained on and flew missions in the U-2. Spyplane. Following on from that, we have the CIA A-12 Oxcart / USAF SR71 Blackbird – ZILCH, NOTHING. I have only heard a couple of unsubstantiated rumors, that two RAF pilots flew the Blackbird, but nothing else. Following on from that we have the B2 Stealth Bomber, where for the past six years RAF pilots have been flying the B2. In fact Sqd Ldr Jon Killerby is just coming to the end of his three year exchange posting and is a Qualified Flying Instructor on the B2 Stealth.
If any of you know anything about RAF involvement in Oxcart / Blackbird I would be obliged if you could post it or if you are uncomfortable with that PM me, no matter how small or insignificant you may think it is - thanks
Again, like Operation Robin I had great difficulty in getting documented evidence on this side of the “pond” I would like to thank tartanterror and again hemindall for some really useful information. I was also able to use Paul Lashmar's interview with Robbie Robinson and the CIA Archives. Also, many thanks to ian16th for waving his magic wand over this story to make it magically appear on this thread.
VIProds
I wasn't sure whether to put this on tartanterror's thread or not, but felt that this was one of the subjects that I started on this thread, so here goes.
When the RAF flew the Operation Ju Jitsu and Operation Robin missions, Britain and the United States realized that there was an urgent need for accurate mapping of the Soviet Union, as there were many Bomber Bases and Missile Sites that they were unaware of. Because of the slow advance of Soviet technology, it was felt that if an aircraft could fly at 70,000ft that it would be immune to Russian Missiles and Fighter Aircraft, for the foreseeable future.
In May 1953, a formal proposal was made for the design of an aircraft which could fly at 70,000ft, have a radius of 1,500NM and have a payload of between 100lbs and 700lbs. The Wright Air Command at Dayton Ohio did not seek proposals from the larger aircraft companies, thinking that a smaller company would give this project a higher priority.
In July 1953, “Bell” and “Fairchild” received “Study Contracts”. At the same time Martin, who were manufacturing the Canberra under license from English Electric, known as the Martin B-57. Were also offered a Study Contract, to try and improve the ceiling of this aircraft and mentioned the possibility of extending the length of the wings. Word got out to Lockheed who submitted an unsolicited Kelly Johnston design. Kelly Johnston was one of the worlds leading aeronautical engineers and was responsible for the “Constellation”, the “P38” and the “F104 Starfighter”.
Kelly Johnston's design was to include the fuselage and engine of the F104 and to marry it to high aspect ratio, high lift wings as used in glider aircraft (called sail planes in the US). He also used other glider techniques so the wings were detachable as was the whole rear section of the fuselage and was attached by only three pressure bolts. To help reduce the weight Johnston only stressed the aircraft to 2.5 G's which would be similar to commercial airliner stressing as opposed to the Military spec of 5.33 G's. The aircraft had cycle landing gear with the main wheel in the nose section of the fuselage and a secondary wheel at the rear of the fuselage. At the end of the high aspect ratio wings were skids when it came into land. Lockheed called the aircraft the U-2. and said that it would be able to fly at the stipulated 70,000ft, have a radius of 2,000NM and carry a payload of 600lbs, which would be for surveillance cameras and electronic intelligence gathering equipment.
The U-2 proposal was rejected by the Military because they felt that if a single engine aircraft was overflying the middle of Russia and it's only engine flamed out, all hell would let lose. They also didn't like it as it didn't have conventional landing gear. Lockheed shopped around trying to find supporters for the U-2. They even approached the CIA, but the CIA did not get involved in overflights, they only advised the Military on them. The proposal was shown to Richard Bissell, who was involved with “Operation Robin” when he was the CIA officer in charge of overflights. Richard Bissell had just been promoted to the Assistant Director of the CIA and was involved with a very powerful Scientific Committee set up by President Eisenhower .
Partly because the successful “Operation Robin” where a modified Canberra Reconnaissance aircraft flew out of a USAF Base on the East German Border and was able to take high altitude photographs of the missile production site at Kapustin Yar and the fact that an American Diplomat who was being flown into Moscow, spotted a new Soviet jet bomber, which was later given the NATO designation of “Bison”. This dismayed Capitol Hill and the Pentagon as they had underestimated how fast the Russians were advancing their technology. The President therefor agreed to fund the U-2. Program so long as it was run by the CIA.
Kelly Johnston had the U-2. Flying within one year. In 1955. Lockheed were building the U-2. at their famous “Skunk Works” at Burbank, California. It was very a secure facility and only people with the very highest clearance were allowed in there. The aircraft would soon be ready for flying and testing so Burbank wasn't really the place to start flying a top secret aircraft. Lockheed started flying around the Yucca Flats in the Nevada Desert where American Nuclear Bomb testing took place, looking for an isolated spot that they could fly without prying eyes. The map of Yucca Flats was sectioned up into areas, where they would be able to identify where the tests would take place.
They flew over an area that seemed ideal, it was a salt bed in a dip with mountains all around. The place was called Groom Lake and on the Yucca Flats map, they were in “Area 51” which has since become famous for top secret projects. Lockheed now had to start shipping in men and materials to Groom Lake by road to start building a runway. Once that runway was built it was a lot easier as they could now fly in supplies and prefabricated buildings and hangers, creating an infrastructure. The CIA had two civil jet passenger aircraft, so flew the engineers and construction worker from the nearest City, which was Las Vegas. these aircraft were code named “Janet”. At the “Skunk Works” they had three U-2's. Ready for flight testing so they packaged them up separately with the fuselage,wings and tail section and then wrapped them in canvas to stop prying eyes. These U-2's were flown into Groom Lake on board large transport aircraft.
Once the U-2's were unwrapped and assembled, this would be the first time that fuel would have flowed in the aircraft. The Test Pilot went through his various tests until he took off in the U-2. Once he came back into land the “ground effect” would not allow him to land, even though he had the engine at idle speed. The only way he could land was to stall the aircraft in from about two feet. This is the only way that you can land a U-2 and this became standard procedure.
Early in 1956, Richard Bissell, who incidentally was educated at Yale and The London School of Economics. Now we see why Bissell feels comfortable talking to and negotiating with the Brits. He held discussions with the British Foreign Minister, Selwyn Lloyd & MOD officials and obtained permission to base three U-2's in Britain, so in April 1956 “Detachment A” arrived at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. Unfortunately, their stay was very brief, as one month later, in May 1956, the Soviet Cruiser Ordzhonikicke arrived it Portsmouth harbour with Soviet Leaders, Nikita Krushchev and Bulganin on board for an official visit to Britain. When Buster Crabb's headless body was found in Portsmouth harbour, the Russians protested to the Prime Minister. Unfortunately, Anthony Eden threw a wobbly and sacked the Head of MI6, he also refused to allow the Americans to fly their U-2's out of Lakenheath on Soviet overflights, just to appease the Russians. On June 17th 1956, “Detachment A” was moved to Weisbaden in West Germany, but the whole Base was visible from the Autobahn, so shortly after “Detachment A” was moved to Giebelstadt, which was close to the East German Border. While at Gieblelstadt, the U-2's had an engine upgrade to the Pratt & Whitney J57 engine, which was much more powerful and had a lesser tendency to “flame outs” that the previous engine had. The aircraft was now designated the U-2A.
The US Military and especially Richard Bissell were very impressed with the RAF crews that took part in Operation Ju Jitsu and Operation Robin, as a result he arranged for four RAF Pilots to be trained on the U-2. This was also insurance for the program, in case the US President ever decided to refuse permission for US Pilots to overfly the Soviet Union. Bissell would ask the British Prime Minister (as he had done before) if the RAF would fly the mission and had always received an affirmative answer.
In early 1958, four RAF Pilots started U-2 training at Laughlin AFB, Texas. The code name for the four RAF Pilots was “Jackson”. The four were, Sqd Ldr Christopher Walker, Fl Lt John McArther, Fl Lt David Dowling and Fl Lt Michael Bradley. Unfortunately, on July 9th 1958, Sqd Ldr Walker was killed in a U-2 crash. His place was taken by Sdn Ldr Robert Robinson.
In January 1959, 4 x U-2's, 4 x RAF Pilots, 7 x CIA Pilots and 200 x CIA Support Crew were moved to “Detachment B” at Incerlik in Turkey, where they flew missions and overflights until the Russians built a very powerful surveillance Radar in Syria. The Russians could see the U-2's as soon as they took off and could then start tracking them. The plan then was for any overflight missions that the RAF pilots would ferry the U-2's to Peshawar in Pakistan, where there was no surveillance Radar. On a typical day of an over flight, the Pilot would get up at 2:30am, have a special breakfast then sit down for two hours breathing pure oxygen to purge his system of nitrogen, which would give him the “Bends”, he would then take off at 5am.
Only two Soviet overflights were carried out by the RAF in U-2's. Both needed the permission of the British Prime Minister. On December 6th 1959, Sqd Ldr Robbie Robinson took off from Peshawar in Pakistan and flew North over Tyuratam, Kyshtym, Engels Airfield near Saratov, Kapustin Yar (that rings a bell) and the Bomber Factory at Kuybyshev and exeted Soviet airspace over the Black Sea and recovered to Incerlik in Turkey.
On February 5th 1960, this was the 22nd U-2 Soviet overflight mission. Flt Lt John McArthur also flew out of Peshawar in Pakistan. He headed North West over the Aral Sea looking for missile sites, but discovered a new Soviet Bomber at Kazam. Eight TU-22 Blinder aircraft were captured on film. He turned down the Volga River over the missile factory at Dnepropetrovsk. After leaving Soviet airspace at Servastopol and recovered to Incerlik in Turkey.
The “Detachment B” Commander had planned for a CIA pilot to fly a mission on 1st May 1960. Robbie Robinson went to see him and asked if he knew the significance of the 1st of May and the Russian people, especially as the route went very close to Moscow, where they would be holding the May Day parade. Unfortunately, the Detachment Commander still decided to go ahead with the Mission. So, on the 1st May 1960, Garry Powers went through the usual preflight procedures. His route was to fly out of Peshawar in Pakistan, fly all the way across Russia and exit soviet airspace at Murmansk, then recover to Bono in Finland. This was a ten hour mission, which was about the maximum duration that a U-2 could fly without refueling. While only 4.5 hours into the Mission The Russians sent up a salvo of three SAM-2 missiles. The first one fell short of the target, the second shot down a chasing Mig Fighter and the third one exploded just behind Powers U-2 blowing off the whole tail section of the aircraft. Unfortunately, Powers had just previously loosened off his ejector seat straps. Because the aircraft had gone into a pancake spin, Powers was pinned to the side of the cockpit because of the centrifugal force. He couldn't activate the ejector seat as he was hanging half way out of it. He managed to jettison the canopy, he went to undo his ejector seat straps in preparation to activate the “Self destruct switches” before parting the cockpit. As soon as he released his straps, he was sucked out of the aircraft by the centrifugal force and was only attached by his oxygen hose with the self destruct switches still unarmed. Eventually, the oxygen hose snapped and he fell away from the U-2. After falling several thousand feet, his chute opened automatically.
After 10 hours had passed, it was realized that Powers had not recovered to Bono in Norway, the U.S. Put out a press release that one of their high altitude weather aircraft had gone missing near the Soviet Border. The RAF pilots had a cover story if they were shot down and survived or had to land in the Soviet Union. They would say that the aircraft was in autopilot, they had Oxygen problems and became unconscious and that is why they had strayed into Soviet airspace. The CIA pilots on the other hand did not have a cover story, but when Powers was captured, he was reported to have used the RAF cover story. The Soviets waited ten days before announcing that they had shot down an American spyplane. Khrushchev was playing a canny game. On the twelfth day after Power's had been shot down, Khrushchev announced that Powers was alive and had admitted to spying.
Sqd Ldr Robinson and the three other RAF pilots were told to get lost for a few months by the CIA as the Turkish Government were not aware that they were in the Country. They all went back to London and were called to a meeting at Air Ministry with the Secretary of State for Air, Sir George Ward. He wanted to know if Powers would reveal the British U-2. Involvement to his Soviet interrogators. There had been hints in the Press that there had been close co-operation. In the end Ward decided to neither confirm or deny. Robinson went off to Spain for a few months and gave his home Base as Inserlik to protect and conceal Pakistan's roll in the missions. Flt Lt McArthur returned to Carnwell and some of the, then Students reported that he looked very nervous and edgy, but they were not aware of what he had been doing at that time.
After a year had passed, things had quietened down so the program was resurrected, so in March 1961 Sqd Ldr Ivan(Chunky)Webster and Fl Lt Charles(Taffy)Taylor converted to the U-2. and were situated at North Base on Edwards AFB, Calf. Webster asked if he could extent his exchange posting on U-2's and was refused. He resigned his Commission and joined Lockheed as a Civilian pilot. He was later involved in test flights on US Aircraft Carriers with the U-2R. The CIA wanted to use the U-2's to monitor the forthcoming French Nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Three years later, Sqd Ldr Basil Dodd and Fl Lt Martin Bee converted to the U-2. And finally, in 1967 Flt Lt Richard (Dick) Cloke and Flt Lt Harry Drew converted to the U-2R. For five months, between August 1970 and December 1970 they were on detachment in Akrotiri, Cyprus. They flew daily along the Suez Canal monitoring the cease fire between Egypt and Israel. But I am assured that they were not there, really. I am told that there were large black weather balloons, that were rather noisy !!
Next year, we will be coming up to Sixty years that the RAF have been flying clandestine missions with the CIA and the USAF. We started with eleven RAF Aircrew in 1951, flying over to the States to be trained on the North American RB-45C, Tornado then returned to the UK and “borrowed” a total of eight RB-45C's and had them painted in RAF colours and roundals and flew a total of six deep penetration missions into the heart of Russia. We then follow on to the Canberra that the Wright Air Command persuaded English Electric to install more powerful engines, which they did and the ceiling went from 47,00ft to an amazing 65,000ft. One of the Canberra's had extra fuel tanks fitted in the bomb bay and flew to Hascom Field in the States to have a 100inch oblique camera fitted in the rear fuselage. This aircraft took off from an American Air Force Base on the East German Border and flew all the way to Stalingrad and took high altitude photographs of the missile production and testing sites at Kapustin Yar. We then have eleven RAF pilots that were trained on and flew missions in the U-2. Spyplane. Following on from that, we have the CIA A-12 Oxcart / USAF SR71 Blackbird – ZILCH, NOTHING. I have only heard a couple of unsubstantiated rumors, that two RAF pilots flew the Blackbird, but nothing else. Following on from that we have the B2 Stealth Bomber, where for the past six years RAF pilots have been flying the B2. In fact Sqd Ldr Jon Killerby is just coming to the end of his three year exchange posting and is a Qualified Flying Instructor on the B2 Stealth.
If any of you know anything about RAF involvement in Oxcart / Blackbird I would be obliged if you could post it or if you are uncomfortable with that PM me, no matter how small or insignificant you may think it is - thanks
Again, like Operation Robin I had great difficulty in getting documented evidence on this side of the “pond” I would like to thank tartanterror and again hemindall for some really useful information. I was also able to use Paul Lashmar's interview with Robbie Robinson and the CIA Archives. Also, many thanks to ian16th for waving his magic wand over this story to make it magically appear on this thread.
VIProds
Do a Hover - it avoids G
Join Date: Oct 1999
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John Crampton
I am sorry to have to tell you that John Crampton died on Saturday last after a short illness.
John Farley
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My friend John Crampton
One day the phone rang in my office at Dunsfold and on the other end was the leading UK spy pilot of the Cold War period who wanted to know if I would help him with a plan he was hatching. It was 1972 and I had no hesitation in saying yes.
To understand my keenness to help, you need to know that the voice belonged to Sqn Ldr John Crampton DFC AFC and Bar RAF (Rtd) then Kingston’s Technical Sales Manager for the Harrier. On no fewer than three occasions in the early 1950s John had been the CO of an RAF Special Duties flight charged with deep penetration flights over the Soviet Union, flights desperately needed to obtain radar pictures of key targets for subsequent use by western bomb aimers in the event of WWIII.
The flight was equipped for this job with three USAF RB-45C four jet reconnaissance aircraft plus a spare that was never needed. At that time US politicians were unhappy at the thought of the mayhem that could follow the shooting down of any normal USAF aircraft flying uninvited over the USSR. Enter John and his team, plus a lot of mystified RAF airmen using gallons of paint stripper to remove all markings from some US aircraft in an empty West Raynham hangar. Naturally the detailed account of those trips would be much more interesting to you than any Harrier story of mine, but that is a tale that should be told only by the man himself.
It is interesting to look back on how John’s colleagues regarded him in the early 1970s. I don’t think many had any appreciation of his secret past. Some knew that he had been the CO of the RAF’s first Canberra squadron, in itself no minor thing to have on one’s CV, but small beer compared to the responsibility of executing the overflight missions. So how do you stop colleagues picking up clues about your past exploits as a spy pilot? Well, all you need to be is a two metre tall ex Harrovian with a natural conversational manner suited to playing the lead in a social farce in a London theatre. In short the sort of bloke who makes Hugh Grant seem like a builder’s labourer. One of our best operational pilots? Him? Great cover.
However, make no mistake, John Crampton sold the Harrier to the Spanish Navy. In doing this he was helped by a Spanish friend with great contacts at the top of that service but he most certainly did not have any help from John Glasscock, the Director and General Manager of Kingston and Dunsfold and his boss. Indeed, that worthy gentleman, when presented with John’s original plan, refused to even pay for his air fare to Madrid, causing John to hitch a lift in an HS 125 biz jet that was going out from Hatfield. This lack of help from his boss was actually perfectly reasonable because at the time our Government had broken off diplomatic relations with the Spanish Government over Gibraltar.
There was also the major problem that a Spanish Act of Parliament explicitly prohibited their Navy from operating fixed wing aircraft as this was deemed to be the job of the Air Force. Overall the idea of a Harrier deal with the Spanish Navy was just not sensible but then neither was flying all over the USSR at .65M and 35,000 ft twenty years earlier and as we know John had cracked that, hence my desire to help him.
John Farley
To understand my keenness to help, you need to know that the voice belonged to Sqn Ldr John Crampton DFC AFC and Bar RAF (Rtd) then Kingston’s Technical Sales Manager for the Harrier. On no fewer than three occasions in the early 1950s John had been the CO of an RAF Special Duties flight charged with deep penetration flights over the Soviet Union, flights desperately needed to obtain radar pictures of key targets for subsequent use by western bomb aimers in the event of WWIII.
The flight was equipped for this job with three USAF RB-45C four jet reconnaissance aircraft plus a spare that was never needed. At that time US politicians were unhappy at the thought of the mayhem that could follow the shooting down of any normal USAF aircraft flying uninvited over the USSR. Enter John and his team, plus a lot of mystified RAF airmen using gallons of paint stripper to remove all markings from some US aircraft in an empty West Raynham hangar. Naturally the detailed account of those trips would be much more interesting to you than any Harrier story of mine, but that is a tale that should be told only by the man himself.
It is interesting to look back on how John’s colleagues regarded him in the early 1970s. I don’t think many had any appreciation of his secret past. Some knew that he had been the CO of the RAF’s first Canberra squadron, in itself no minor thing to have on one’s CV, but small beer compared to the responsibility of executing the overflight missions. So how do you stop colleagues picking up clues about your past exploits as a spy pilot? Well, all you need to be is a two metre tall ex Harrovian with a natural conversational manner suited to playing the lead in a social farce in a London theatre. In short the sort of bloke who makes Hugh Grant seem like a builder’s labourer. One of our best operational pilots? Him? Great cover.
However, make no mistake, John Crampton sold the Harrier to the Spanish Navy. In doing this he was helped by a Spanish friend with great contacts at the top of that service but he most certainly did not have any help from John Glasscock, the Director and General Manager of Kingston and Dunsfold and his boss. Indeed, that worthy gentleman, when presented with John’s original plan, refused to even pay for his air fare to Madrid, causing John to hitch a lift in an HS 125 biz jet that was going out from Hatfield. This lack of help from his boss was actually perfectly reasonable because at the time our Government had broken off diplomatic relations with the Spanish Government over Gibraltar.
There was also the major problem that a Spanish Act of Parliament explicitly prohibited their Navy from operating fixed wing aircraft as this was deemed to be the job of the Air Force. Overall the idea of a Harrier deal with the Spanish Navy was just not sensible but then neither was flying all over the USSR at .65M and 35,000 ft twenty years earlier and as we know John had cracked that, hence my desire to help him.
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Squadron Leader John Crampton DFC AFC & Bar. RIP
Saddened to hear about John. I had been corresponding with John up until the end of last year, what a wonderfull gentleman. John spoke of his love of his ex-Birkin 2.9 Maserati, which he had turned into a sports car.
John was toying with with the idea of writing a part fact and part fiction book on the events of Operation Ju Jitsu, which I tried to persuade him to do.
" Thanks for the strawberry ref Sticky and Ivan. I had in mind to do a book, THE RAF SPECIAL DUTY FLIGHT, 1951 - 1954, Fact and Fiction. The facts would be based on my paper to the RAF Historical Society (cleared by the MOD) and the fiction would be my Sticky and Ivan story telling how (perhaps) the Russians got to know about my 1954 sortie".
John later sent me a synopsis of his fact and fiction story, but it will be up to the family wether it is published or not.
I am just glad that "Air Pictorial" was able to publish "Russian photo-shoot" which shows the gallantry of these brave Airmen.
John was toying with with the idea of writing a part fact and part fiction book on the events of Operation Ju Jitsu, which I tried to persuade him to do.
" Thanks for the strawberry ref Sticky and Ivan. I had in mind to do a book, THE RAF SPECIAL DUTY FLIGHT, 1951 - 1954, Fact and Fiction. The facts would be based on my paper to the RAF Historical Society (cleared by the MOD) and the fiction would be my Sticky and Ivan story telling how (perhaps) the Russians got to know about my 1954 sortie".
John later sent me a synopsis of his fact and fiction story, but it will be up to the family wether it is published or not.
I am just glad that "Air Pictorial" was able to publish "Russian photo-shoot" which shows the gallantry of these brave Airmen.
Last edited by VIProds; 15th Jun 2010 at 11:51.
Sorry to hear about Sqn Ldr Crampton - I was hoping to hear more on this excellent thread.
For info, many of the RAF Historical Society journals have been published on the RAF Museum website, under the Research tab (ref. VIProds' quote above).
For info, many of the RAF Historical Society journals have been published on the RAF Museum website, under the Research tab (ref. VIProds' quote above).
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I’m somewhat confused by a number of the replies in this thread, starting with VIPods mention of 7 aircrew in a Canberra in his starting entry. Since the maximum crew in any Mk of Canberra is 3 (B6, B15, B16 etc.) was this at least 3 flights (4 flights in a PR9)?
But later in the thread VIProds again appears to restrict flights to 1 (WH726’s ). Heimdall also appears to be indicating that only one flight took place. This was either a very large Canberra, the facts appear to be incorrect or I have misread something.
Apologies if I have missed any replies which clear up this discrepancy.
Can someone clarify please?
But later in the thread VIProds again appears to restrict flights to 1 (WH726’s ). Heimdall also appears to be indicating that only one flight took place. This was either a very large Canberra, the facts appear to be incorrect or I have misread something.
Apologies if I have missed any replies which clear up this discrepancy.
Can someone clarify please?
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Lukeafb1
Sorry for any confusion. You are correct, there was only one Canberra that flew the mission. The normal procedure was that a chase plane would follow the Canberra to see if there was any tell tale "Contrail".
WH726
Wg Cdr A.W.H. (Freddie) Ball
Sqd Ldr W.N. (Don) Kenyon
Sgt A.J. (Jim) Brown
WJ574
Fl Lt Garside
Fl Lt Shield (27th August)
Fl Lt Reeve (28th August)
Sgt Wigglesworth
27th August 1953 Daytime practice flight by WH726 & WJ574 to check if there was a contrail at operating height.
28th August 1953 Both Wh726 & WJ574 took off from Giebelstadt, again WJ574 was to check for a contrail then turned back to Giebelstadt while WH726 carried on with the mission.
Sorry for any confusion. You are correct, there was only one Canberra that flew the mission. The normal procedure was that a chase plane would follow the Canberra to see if there was any tell tale "Contrail".
WH726
Wg Cdr A.W.H. (Freddie) Ball
Sqd Ldr W.N. (Don) Kenyon
Sgt A.J. (Jim) Brown
WJ574
Fl Lt Garside
Fl Lt Shield (27th August)
Fl Lt Reeve (28th August)
Sgt Wigglesworth
27th August 1953 Daytime practice flight by WH726 & WJ574 to check if there was a contrail at operating height.
28th August 1953 Both Wh726 & WJ574 took off from Giebelstadt, again WJ574 was to check for a contrail then turned back to Giebelstadt while WH726 carried on with the mission.
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Op Ju-Jitsu
Like everyone else who has researched John Crampton's role in Op Ju Jitsu, I was sorry to hear of his death. Unfortunately I missed the RAF Historical Society meeting where he gave his original presentation about the mission, but from reading the subsequent report he appears to be very matter of fact about the risks involved.
If the experiences of various US crews who were shot down by Soviet forces during the 1950s is anything to go by, had any of the RB-45C crews been shot down they would have shared a similar fate and would probably have been imprisioned and then perished in some frozen Gulag. For the first mission very few of the crews knew what was involved until they were briefed on the purpose of the flights. It says much about the courage of these individuals that, having in some cases survived WW2, they were prepared to risk their lives again.
Some months ago I exchanged e-mails with Roland White, the author of Vulcan 607 and Phoenix Squadron, and I suggested that if he was looking around for new subject to form the basis of his next book, he could do a lot worse than considering Op Ju-Jitsu, particularly while some of those involved are still alive - it would certainly be more riviting than Phoenix Squadron.
Of course there are still many RAF overflights of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe that have still not been acknowledged. The PR Mosquito and Canberra flights into southern Russia in the late 1940's and 1950s and various sorties out of Germany and the UK in the same time period. A bit like the Canberra sortie over Kapustin Yar, the official records have either been purged or destroyed, but perhaps someone will still come forward to shed new light on what actually happened.
Heimdall
If the experiences of various US crews who were shot down by Soviet forces during the 1950s is anything to go by, had any of the RB-45C crews been shot down they would have shared a similar fate and would probably have been imprisioned and then perished in some frozen Gulag. For the first mission very few of the crews knew what was involved until they were briefed on the purpose of the flights. It says much about the courage of these individuals that, having in some cases survived WW2, they were prepared to risk their lives again.
Some months ago I exchanged e-mails with Roland White, the author of Vulcan 607 and Phoenix Squadron, and I suggested that if he was looking around for new subject to form the basis of his next book, he could do a lot worse than considering Op Ju-Jitsu, particularly while some of those involved are still alive - it would certainly be more riviting than Phoenix Squadron.
Of course there are still many RAF overflights of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe that have still not been acknowledged. The PR Mosquito and Canberra flights into southern Russia in the late 1940's and 1950s and various sorties out of Germany and the UK in the same time period. A bit like the Canberra sortie over Kapustin Yar, the official records have either been purged or destroyed, but perhaps someone will still come forward to shed new light on what actually happened.
Heimdall
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VI Prods,
Thanks for the clarification. With some surprise, your reply also reminds me that I flew with Don Kenyon more than once. Nice guy from what I remember in my advancing dotage!
Thanks for the clarification. With some surprise, your reply also reminds me that I flew with Don Kenyon more than once. Nice guy from what I remember in my advancing dotage!
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Sorry to hear of John's passing. Sadly another of the greats from British Aviation history has taken his last flight.
It would be a fitting tribute to his memory if his memoirs/book were published.
RIP
The TT
It would be a fitting tribute to his memory if his memoirs/book were published.
RIP
The TT
Heard an interview with Ken Wallis at lunchtime on R4 where he hinted* he had carried out incursions over the German borders in one of his creations. Anyone able to throw some light on this?
*Actually said something along the lines that he was 'contracted to go over the East German border by the British government'.
*Actually said something along the lines that he was 'contracted to go over the East German border by the British government'.
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Squadron Leader John Crampton DFC AFC & Bar RIP
Anne Turner has said that the family would like the funeral to be a celebration of John's life. Anne and Emma, would like to have a book of fond memories for people to read at the funeral.
If you knew John and would like to e-mail Anne at: annie.turner44 @ hotmail.co,uk so that Anne and Emma can paste up the book in time.
If you knew John and would like to e-mail Anne at: annie.turner44 @ hotmail.co,uk so that Anne and Emma can paste up the book in time.
Last edited by VIProds; 6th Jan 2016 at 20:31.