NRU74
Firstly may I salute you, You have my complete respect, after the Bay of Pigs in April 1961, the West were justifiably concerned with the behaviour of the Soviet Union. Submarine movements became on great interest to the West, especially the U.K. On 8th. or 9th. Feb. 1974 Trawler F.V. Gaul sank in he Barents Sea north of Norway. All 36 persons on board were lost. The wreck was found in 1975 It was thought that espionage was involved, and possibly the involvement of a Soviet Submarine. A documentary made by Anglia T.V. and Norwegian journalist Alf R Jacobsen won an award for the film "Mysteries of the Gaul" There were two inquiries completed in Britain which do not substantiate espionage, but relatives of the crew were not satisfied and claimed that the "Truth was still to be told". In 1976 RSD Pioneer Soviet medium range ballistic missiles (Also known as the S.S.20 were being stationed in the Soviet Union. This resulted in NATO stationing Pershing 11 missiles
Europe. I remember a visit I made to Murmansk (Kola Peninsular) in 1983. January was not the best time to visit, as the snow was packed 6ft high on either side of the road. Three days was long enough. Thanks again for your contribution to ridding some of the World of it's evil.

Lance Shippey

I

Gay Powers "Myths and Truths"
The Silver Dollar scratch suicide pin, (Bridge of Spies) No one was told to commit suicide. At the beginning of the program, the CIA dispensed a cyanide pill to U2 Pilots These ere to be used ONLY if the pilot was severely injured and FAVOURED Euthanasia himself.
During his time in the Vladimir jail he had a cellmate named Zygurds Kruminsh. Powers was treated well by the Soviet Guards and occupied his time by cross stitching rugs.

The US wanted a three way swap for Abels. Powers, Pryor, and Marvin Makinnen. Makinnen was a Willy Brandt exchange student and the Free University of Berlin and caught spying in the Soviet Union. He was arrested in Kiev. He was swapped with Polish American Rev. Walter Ciszek for two Soviet agents Ivan Egorov and his wife Alexandra, who were U.N. functionaries. I am not sure where the swap took place (Germany or the USSR).

I translated notes from one of the 36 Survivors of Battleship Scharnhorst (Battle of the North Cape) 26th December 1943) Wilhelm Krusse spoke about Interrogation by the British when being brought to Latimer House (Near Amersham) before his removal as POW to the USA in 1944. He wrote. "Endless interrogation, Unbelievably bad, sometimes Horrible. He was interrogated longer than other survivors / POW's because he had served on Battleship Tirpitz before Battleship Scharnhorst final battle, and the British wanted to know as much about the Tirpitz as possible so they could finally sink it..

Lance Shippey

Actually the interrogation method used at Latimer (which is in fact nearer to Chesham, my home town, than it is to Amersham) was very different involving the use of plush surroundings and plenty of alchohol and decent food being provided to the prisoners thus encouraging them to casually discuss things between each other when they thought they wouldn't be heard. .
Of course everything was listened to by the interrogators, the house was fully 'wired' (including the 'cells' in the basement where they were locked up) and in fact still is to this day.

Chevron,
Thanks for pointing out that Latimer House is nearer to Chesham than Amersham. I know a great deal about Latimer House, Churchill spent some of his weekends there, and John Winant the U.S. Ambassador had a farmhouse on the Latimer Estate. It was at Latimer House that my father met Winston Churchill, who asked my father what the 36 survivors of Scharnhorst been given to eat, whilst on their journey to Scapa Flow. My father replied "The same as us Sir". A order had been given that they be given rations for survivors, rather than POW's whilst on board HMS Duke of York. My father was a Royal Marine on the Duke of York during the battle of the North Cape, and responsible with 5 other Royal Marines of delivering the men to Latimer House from Scapa to Latimer on the Jellicoe Express. I do know all the interrogation methods used at Latimer. The Alcohol was used for the Officers at Latimer, not the survivors of Scharnhorst. I have personally translated some of the interrogation reports that C.S.D.I.D. Naval Intelligence had not translated from German into English. One of the translators at Latimer House was a German Jewish gentleman called Fritz Lustig. His son was a continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4. I supplied much information about the survivors of Scharnhorst to Naval Historian Derek Nudd, who's grandfather was Lt. Commander B.S.R. Cope, one of the main men at Latimer House. I am acknowledged in Derek's book "Castaways of the Kriegsmarine" quite a few times. I have read many of the interrogation reports from Scharnhorst, and followed some of the families stories. I have also know Dr. Helen Fry, who has also written much about Latimer House, Trent Park, and Wilton. I mentioned Latimer being near Amersham, as their museum has featured Latimer, and the story can be found on their website. I hope this clears up the Amersham / Chesham difference.

Lance Shippey

Any pictures of the wreckage ?

Dear Fitliker.
Some of the photos of the wreck appear to have been taken down from the web, since the Scharnhorst wreck from WW1 was found near the Falkland Islands, however there are two small photos of the Scharnhorst WW2 can be found by searching BBC History World War Two The sinking of the Scharnhorst. by Norman Fenton 17th February 2011
You can read about finding the wreck by searching : Nyheter / Fant Scharnhorst Laagendalsposten.no. The Norwegian Navy ship HNoMS Tyr launched a rover vehicle after ship HU Sverdrup 11 had located the wreck arounf 100 nautical miles Northeast of the North Cape.
SMS Scharnhorst sunk Falklands 02nd December 1914
KMS Scharnhorst sunk 100 n. miles northeast of North Cape 26th December 1943.
Hope this helps.

Lance.

To set the story straight up to the FGP shootdown (which was the only U-2 loss over the USSR, no “as far as we know” secret squirrel whispering required):

Tony LeVier unintentionally first got airborne on a high speed taxi test on 1st August 1955, in U-2 Article number 341.
On May 1st 1956, the first trained group of CIA pilots, arrived in the UK at RAF Lakenheath as Detachment A, intending to conduct operations. For political reasons, things didn’t go as smoothly as planned. The first operational U-2 mission was eventually flown from Wiesbaden on 20th June, and the first overflight of the USSR by a U-2 was made by Stockman on July 4th.

Powers began training in May 1956 with the second CIA group, before any British pilots. He was deployed with Det B to Adana in late August 1956. Their initial operational flights included providing coverage of the Suez Crisis. On November 20th, Powers performed Det B’s first overflight of the USSR.

The first British pilots assigned to the U-2 were Walker, MacArthur, Dowling, and Bradley in 1958. Walker was killed in training and replaced by Robinson. On completion of training they were assigned to Adana alongside Det B flying the same aeroplanes. Their first operational mission was flown on 31st December 1958, over the Middle East. The first of two overflights of the USSR, Operation High Wire, was flown by Robinson on 6th December 1959. The second, Operation Knife Edge, was flown by MacArthur on 5th February 1960.

There was only one more successful American overflight prior to the loss of Powers on May Day 1960. So sure, don’t forget “our boys”, but no, they weren’t flying years before Powers.

Case One,
Very interesting ! Do you know from when it was decided that two pilots were required for the U-2 landing. ( one in cockpit ) and (one in a chase car on runway)

Lance Shippey

The “Mobile Control” procedure that you’re referring to was developed by the 4070th Support Wing of Strategic Air Command headed by Colonel Yancey. He was tasked in 1955 with developing the training programme for U-2 instructors and operational CIA and USAF pilots. The first six IPs qualified in late 1955, and the first (CIA) course started training in January 1956.

However, it’s not that simple. Once operational, the CIA dispensed with the system for experienced pilots. In the ‘50s and ‘60s the USAF employed it at SAC bases (Laughlin, Davis-Monthan, Barksdale), but it was not always used when detached.

Didn't it become mandatory again after a U2 possibly from Alconbury crashed after it tried to detach a 'stuck Pogo' by bouncing it off the runway. I spoke with a couple of senior pilots when I was overseas and that was the story they told you couldn't allow a take off until the pilot was in the tower and the chase car..

A chase car and a couple of personnel used to attend RAE Bedford in the '80s whenever a U2 was operating just in case one of the Alconbury based aircraft needed to go there.
The one time we landed a TR1 at Farnborough there was definitely no one from the detachment in the tower; I was tower controller at the time so I should know!
On this occasion the only communication from the chase car was '2 foot, left rudder, one foot, that's a good one!'
Then the ground handlers who weren't familiar with the type decided they knew how to move the aircraft to its parking place; they blocked the runway for about 20 minutes, the CO Experimental Flying getting more and more irate because it delayed validation flying of aircraft particpating in the actual display!(The TR1 was going in static display only).

KGB General Yuri Drozdov died at the age of 91 on 21st June 2017. Speaking fluent English and German, as well as his mother tongue Russian. as a young KGB man, he lived in East Berlin with his wife and two children. When James Donovan had meetings with lawyer Wolfgang Vogel (who spoke no English) Drozdov would translate for the two men. He also wrote the letters in English to Rudolf Abels claiming to be Abel's wife. Yuri Drozdov used the pseudonym Juergen Drews, in the film Bridge of Spies, "Cousin Drewes". James Donovan appeared to like him.

The 1968 Soviet film "The shield and the sword " depicting a prisoner exchange is said to have inspired Putin to join the KGB. (Putin would serve in the KGB in Dresden, DDR)

Yuri Drozdov was awarded the Gold "Brotherhood in Arms medal" from the DDR.

Lance Shippey

Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne is depicted being arrested having boarded an Aeroflot Viscount at MOS in the film "The Courier". The truth is that he was arrested in Budapest. The Viscount used in the film was G-ALWF belonging to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, with the interior being changed. to reflect Aeroflot. [Headrest covers and signage]. He was thrown into a Aeroflot Bedford van on the ground in MOS. G-ALWF was also used for the BEA scenes of his arrival in MOS. I believe BEA served MOS from LHR with Comets ?

Lance Shippey.

As I posted the last post, I received info regarding the Viscount route. BEA used a Viscount LHR/MOS via CPH from 1958 to 1960 when the service to MOS was replaced by a Comet.
Wynne was arrested in Nov, 1962.

Lance Shippey

Ejection seat is in the museum in Yekaterinburg. Was rather forcibly told off for sitting in it for a picture. Or at least I think that was what all the shouting was about...

Here you go


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....668ebdcb4.jpeg

Incidentally one is operating out of Fairford at the moment

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/...-raf-fairford/

I heard a odd noise earlier and got FR24 up to see 2 b52s go over.

Wonder what the Crews of the XB52 in 1948 would say if you told them then the jet would be flying out of the UK in 2022, along with the 1950s/60s U2 & B52 crews.

Really is surreal, these are the same jets of the Kennedy administration/cuba times, but considering the XB52, and u2 development ...Eisenhower and even Truman Administration.

I assume you are referring to the pogos fitted to the wings - after taxying out, removing locking devices so they fall away on take off - after landing refitting prior to taxying back to hangar.

The white Dodge Charger chase car has a U-2 qualified pilot in it who talks the Aircraft Commander down as visibility from the cockpit is poor and the aircraft is very demanding to fly.