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The Shadow Dossier — Episode 20: The U-2 Overflight Secret · The Shadow Dossier

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The Shadow Dossier, Episode 20, The U -2 Overflight
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Secret On the humid pre -dawn morning of May
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1, 1960, a sleek, jet -black aircraft with ultra
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-long glider wings sat motionless on the remote
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tarmac of Badabur Airfield near Peshawar, Pakistan.
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Beneath the glare of portable floodlights, armed
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CIA security guards maintained a strict perimeter
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around the aircraft, designated Article 360,
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a custom -built Lockheed U. 2C high -altitude
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reconnaissance plane. Stepping up the mobile
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ladder in a bulky, pressurized silver flight
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suit was 30 -year -old CIA pilot Francis Gary
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Powers, a former U .S. Air Force lieutenant recruited
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into the CIA's top -secret Project Aquatone.
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Inside the cramped cockpit, Powers strapped on
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his heavy oxygen helmet, adjusting his survival
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vest containing a suppressed high -standard .22
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-caliber pistol. gold sovereigns, and a hollowed
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silver dollar concealing a tiny pin dipped in
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lethal shellfish toxin. His mission was codenamed
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Operation Grand Slam, the most hazardous and
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deep penetration U -2 overflight ever attempted
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by the Central Intelligence Agency. Powers was
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ordered to take off from Pakistan, climb to 70
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,000 feet, far above the reach of Soviet interceptor
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jets, and fly 2 ,900 miles directly across the
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heart of the Soviet Union. His flight path traversed
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the most heavily guarded strategic nuclear and
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missile sites in the USSR, the ICBM launch pads
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at Tyuratom, the plutonium production reactors
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at Chelyabinsk -40, the missile industrial complexes
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at Sverdlovsk, and the submarine shipyards at
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Siviradvinsk, before landing safely at Bodo air
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station in northern Norway. If you are forced
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down over Soviet territory, Gary, CIA Project
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Director Richard Bissell had instructed him during
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his final briefing at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey,
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activate the destruction switch to destroy the
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camera equipment, and remember that the United
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States government will deny all knowledge of
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your mission. At 6 .26 a .m. local time, Powers
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advanced the throttle of his Pratt & Whitney
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J -57, P -31 turbojet engine, roaring down the
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Peshawar runway into the morning mist. banking
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north toward the Pamir Mountains and the Soviet
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border. Operation Grand Slam was authorized personally
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by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on April 27,
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1960. Badabur Airfield was a joint U .S.-Pakistani
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communications monitoring facility located 13
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kilometers south of Peshawar. Francis Gary Powers
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was born in Jenkins, Kentucky, in 1929. logging
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over 500 hours in the U -2 aircraft prior to
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the 1960 mission. Project Aquitone was the CIA
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codename for the development and flight testing
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of the Lockheed U -2 reconnaissance platform.
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The Lockheed U -2C variant featured expanded
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engine air intakes and a modified Pratt & Whitney
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J -57 engine providing 16 ,000 pounds of thrust
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at altitude. Bissell Jr. served as CIA Special
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Assistant to the Director for Planning and Development,
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directing the U -2 program from 1954 to 1962.
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Incirlik Air Base near Adana, Turkey, served
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as the primary operational hub for CIA U -2 Detachment
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B. The HIKON Model B panoramic camera carried
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by Article 360 held 6 ,500 feet of high -resolution
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70mm photographic film. Bodo Air Station in northern
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Norway was designated the planned recovery airfield
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for U -2 flights traversing the Soviet Union
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from south to north. The saxotoxin shellfish
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poison needle was concealed inside a hollowed
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US silver dollar coin fitted with a screw cap
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cover. The U -2 wing span measured 80 feet, featuring
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a high aspect ratio of 14 .3 designed for continuous
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gliding at extreme altitude. The Pamir Mountains
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along the Soviet -Afghan border rose to elevations
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exceeding 24 ,000 feet above sea level. Tayyaratam
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in the Kazakh SSR was the primary Soviet test
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range for seven intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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Chelyabinsk -40 was a closed nuclear facility
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in the Ural Mountains producing weapons -grade
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plutonium -239 for Soviet warheads. The high
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-altitude pressure suit worn by Powers was an
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MC -3 partial pressure suit manufactured by the
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David Clark Company of Worcester, Massachusetts.
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The high -standard HDM -suppressed .22 caliber
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pistol carried an integrated wire mesh sound
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suppressor dampening discharge noise by 30 decibels.
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The gold sovereigns carried in the survival kit
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comprised 75 22 -carat British gold coins intended
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for emergency bribery. The U -2 flight altitude
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of 70 ,000 feet placed the aircraft above 95
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% of the Earth's atmosphere. The Peshawar Air
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Station runway measured 9 ,000 feet in length,
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paved with reinforced concrete. The Lockheed
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U -2C fuel load weighed 14 ,000 pounds, occupying
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three integral -wing fuel tanks. The David Clark
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Company MC three -pressure suit incorporated
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a capstan tube tensioning system providing counterpressure
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against low atmospheric pressures. The high -standard
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HDM suppressed pistol was loaded with 10 rounds
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of .22 long -rifle subsonic ammunition. The British
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gold sovereigns were minted at the Royal Mint
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in London, stamped with the image of King George
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V. The Peshawar base compound was protected by
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two companies of Pakistani Frontier Corps soldiers.
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The U -2CJ57 turbojet engine consumed 800 gallons
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of JP -7 fuel per hour at cruising altitude.
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The MC -3 pressure suit helmet integrated an
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electrically heated visor preventing moisture
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fogging at sub -zero temperatures. The high -standard
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HDM pistol suppressor was packed with fine bronze
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wire mesh screens absorbing muzzle blast gases.
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The Peshawar airfield elevation was 1 ,100 feet
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above sea level, providing ambient air temperatures
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of 25 degrees Celsius. The U -2CJ -57 engine
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air intake scoops were expanded by three inches
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to increase mass airflow at 70 ,000 feet. The
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David Clark MC -3 pressure helmet utilized a
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pneumatic face seal pressure regulator feeding
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pure oxygen at 20 millimeters of mercury. The
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Peshawar -based radio call sign for Article 360
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was Angel 01. The U -2C cockpit instrument panel
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featured an optical drift sight projector displaying
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ground -terrain images onto a 5 -inch glass screen.
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The survival vest carried by Powers included
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a water purification kit, fishing lines, emergency
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rations, and a hunting knife. The David Clark
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pressure suit gloves were fitted with miniature
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electric heating elements powered by a 24 -volt
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DC battery pack. The Peshawar Airfield Weather
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Briefing Team reported clear skies across the
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Hindu Kush mountain range. Article 360 had previously
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flown seven successful overflights during Detachment
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B operational deployments in Turkey. The Peshawar
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Air Station Ground Control Tower was operated
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by U .S. Air Force 6 ,937th Communications Group
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personnel. Powers U -2C flight plan estimated
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total mission duration at 9 hours and 45 minutes.
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The Peshawar Base Commander, Colonel William
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Shelton, provided powers with final navigation
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target coordinates. The Lockheed U -2C cockpit
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canopy was fabricated from stretched acrylic
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polymer sheet 3⁄8 of an inch thick. The David
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Clark MC -3 pressure suit capstan tubes were
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inflated automatically using regulated engine
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bleed air. The Peshawar Air Station refueling
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team utilized high -pressure fuel pumps delivering
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JP -7 fuel at 200 gallons per minute. Powers
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performed pre -flight oxygen breathing for 90
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minutes to purge nitrogen gas from his bloodstream
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and prevent altitude decompression sickness.
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At 8 .53 a .m. Moscow time, as Soviet Premier
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Nikita Khrushchev stood atop the Lenin Mausoleum
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in Red Square reviewing the Grand May Day military
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parade, an urgent red telephone rang inside the
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underground command post of the Soviet air defense
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forces in Moscow. General Yevgeny Savitsky Commander
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-in -Chief of Soviet Fighter Aviation, grabbed
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the receiver. Comrade General, reported the Chief
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Radar Operator at the Tashkent Air Defense Station.
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A high -altitude target has crossed the border
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from Afghanistan near Kirov Abat at an altitude
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of 22 km. Speed, 700 km per hour. Savitsky's
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face darkened. For four years, Western U -2 aircraft
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had flown over the USSR with total impunity,
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soaring high above the maximum ceiling of Soviet
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MiG -19 and Su -9 interceptors. However, by May
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1, 1960, the Soviet air defense network had deployed
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a formidable new weapon along its strategic industrial
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corridors, the S -75 Dvina surface -to -air missile
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system. Savitsky immediately patched through
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to Premier Khrushchev's military aid in Red Square.
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Tell the Premier that the American intruder has
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returned, Savitsky ordered. We are tracking him
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over Turkestan, heading straight for Chelyabinsk
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and Sverdlovsk. Khrushchev's response was swift
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and uncompromising, the intruder must be shot
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down by any means necessary. Ram him if you have
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to, but do not let him leave Soviet airspace.
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Across the Ural Mountains, sirens blared as Soviet
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SAM missile batteries power up their SPO -2 tracking
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radars, locking their radar beams onto power's
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high -flying U -2. The Soviet Air Defense Forces
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was an independent military branch responsible
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for national territorial air defense. General
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Yevgeny Savitsky served as commander of Soviet
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fighter aviation from 1948 to 1966, burning two
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hero of the Soviet Union decorations. The S -75
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Dvina was a high -altitude surface -to -air missile
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system utilizing radio command guidance. The
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Mikoyan -Gurevich MiG -19 was a supersonic twin
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-engine jet fighter capable of reaching altitudes
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up to 58 ,000 feet. The Sukhoi Su -9 was an all
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-weather delta -wing interceptor aircraft capable
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of Mach 2 speeds up to 65 ,000 feet. The Lenin
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Mausoleum in Red Square served as the official
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reviewing stand for Soviet government officials
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during national celebrations. The May Day military
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parade in Moscow featured 10 ,000 marching troops,
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heavy armor, and strategic nuclear missile transporters.
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The S -75 Dvina missile carried a 430 -pound
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high -explosive fragmentation warhead detonated
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by proximity fuse. The S -75 missile system possessed
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an effective engagement altitude extending from
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3 ,000 to 82 ,000 feet. The Soviet SPO -2 radar
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warning system alerted SAM operators to approaching
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high -altitude aircraft signatures. The Tashkent
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Air Defense Station was equipped with P - 30
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Saturn early warning radar arrays operating in
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the E -band. The P -30 Saturn radar array possessed
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a detection range of 300 km against high -altitude
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strategic bombers. Soviet interceptor pilots
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of the 4th Air Defense Army in the Urals were
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placed on immediate Scramble 1 alert status.
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The S -75 Dvina missile achieved a maximum velocity
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of Mach 3 .5 powered by a solid fuel booster
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and liquid propellant sustainer rocket. The Sukhoi
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Su -9 interceptors scramble from Koltsovo airfield
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near Sverdlovsk were unarmed with missiles due
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to rapid readiness deployment. The P -30 Saturn
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radar array utilized two parabolic reflectors
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mounted on a rotating steel trailer base. The
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4th Air Defense Army Headquartered in Sverdlovsk
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commanded 32 active SAM launch sites. Koltsovo
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Airfield in Sverdlovsk served as a dual -use
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military and civilian aviation airport. The Sukhoi
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Su -9 pilot, Captain Igor Mentyukov, was ordered
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to ram the U -2 despite carrying no ejection
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seat preparation. The P -30 Saturn radar transmitter
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operated at a peak pulse power of 2 MW. The 4th
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Air Defense Army Central Plotting Room in Sverdlovsk
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utilized glass transparent tracking maps illuminated
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by ultraviolet lamps. Captain Mentyukov Su -9
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interceptor accelerated to Mach 1 .9 climbing
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vertically toward 70 ,000 feet. The Tashkent
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Air Defense Radar Sector maintained 24 -hour
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continuous sweep coverage over Central Asia.
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Captain Mentyukov Su -9 passed within 2 miles
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of Power's U. 2 without visual contact due to
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extreme closure speeds. The PVO's strainy central
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plotting room operators plotted U -2 ground track
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vectors using grease pencils on glass screens.
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Captain Menchukov's Su -9 engine experienced
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high -altitude flameout during his supersonic
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zoom climb attempt. The Tashkent P -30 radar
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operator transmitted target coordinates to Sverdlovsk
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Air Defense Command via high -frequency teletype
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link. The Tashkent Air Defense Sector Commander
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was Major General Anatoly Biryuzov. The Su -9
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interceptors TSRP -1 radarscope suffered severe
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ground clutter interference at high elevation
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angles. General Savitsky maintained direct voice
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radio contact with the PVO Straney Central Command
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post in Zarya. The May Day parade in Moscow was
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halted briefly while Khrushchev received updates
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on the air defense interception. The P -30 Saturn
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radar system utilized dual magnetron signal generators
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operating at 2 .8 GHz. General Savitsky ordered
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all civilian air traffic cleared across three
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air defense sectors in the central Urals. The
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Tashkent P -30 radar station deployed auxiliary
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diesel generators ensuring uninterruptible power
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during tracking. At 11 .02 a .m., as Francis
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Gary Powers leveled his U - 2 at 68 ,000 feet
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over the industrial city of Sverdlovsk, the sky
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around him was clear, bright, and deceptively
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peaceful. Below his aircraft, the massive HIKON
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Model B panoramic camera clicked methodically,
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capturing crystal -clear 70mm photographs of
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secret ICBM silos, plutonium production reactors,
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and industrial defense factories. Suddenly, a
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blinding orange flash illuminated the cockpit,
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followed by an earth -shattering shockwave. Boom!
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A salvo of three V -750 missiles, launched by
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the 2nd Battalion of the 57th Anti -Aircraft
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Missile Brigade under the command of Major Mikhail
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Voronov at Kosolino, had detonated 30 yards behind
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Power's aircraft. The proximity -fused fragmentation
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warhead showered the U. 2 with thousands of razor
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-sharp steel fragments, tearing off the horizontal
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tail stabilizers and severing the hydraulic control
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lines. Asterisk warning horns blazing. Control
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stick dead, asterisk. The U -2 entered a violent,
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nose -down inverted spin, its 80 -foot wings
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folding backward like paper under extreme g -forces.
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In the chaotic secondary radar confusion, a Soviet
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SAM battery fired a second salvo, tragically
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shooting down a friendly Soviet MiG -19 interceptor
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flown by Senior Lieutenant Sergei Safronov, who
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was killed instantly. Trapped in the tumbling
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cockpit at 65 ,000 feet, Powers was pinned against
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the instrument panel by centrifugal forces, unable
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to reach the face curtain ejection handle. If
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I use the ejection seat, Powers realized, remembering
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the suspicious wiring beneath his seat pan, the
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self -destruct charge will blow me to pieces
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along with the plane. Major Mikhail Voronov commanded
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the 2nd SAM battalion located near the village
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of Kosolino, 15 miles east of Sverdlovsk. The
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V -750 missile was the primary two -stage surface
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-to -air missile utilized by the S -75 Dvina
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system. Senior Lieutenant Sergei Safronov was
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flying a MiG -19 interceptor from the 368th Fighter
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Aviation Regiment when hit by friendly SAM fire.
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The 57th Anti -Aircraft Missile Brigade was responsible
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for defending the industrial complex of Sverdlovsk
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and Chelyabinsk -40. The HIKON Model B camera
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lens possessed a focal length of 36 inches, offering
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an optical resolution of 60 lines per millimeter.
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The V -750 missile proximity fuse was an active
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radio fuse triggering warhead detonation within
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60 meters of the target. The high -explosive
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fragmentation warhead contained 3 ,000 preformed
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steel fragmentation cubes packed around composition
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B explosive. The inverted spin generated centrifugal
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acceleration forces reaching 5GS, pinning powers
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forward against its flight controls. two -destruction
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device contained two pounds of cyclonite explosive
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intended to destroy the camera housing upon manual
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activation. Senior Lieutenant Sergei Safronov
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was posthumously awarded the Order of the Red
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Banner for his sacrifice during the air defense
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action. The Kosolino SAM site operated six dual
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-rail V -750 missile launchers arranged in a
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defensive hexagonal pattern. The composition
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B high explosive comprised 60 % RDX and 40 %
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TNT, yielding high detonation velocity. Powers
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U -2 Article 360 lost main electrical power immediately
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following the tail section separation. The Sverdlovsk
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Air Defense Sector deployed 14 active SAM batteries
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protecting military -industrial installations.
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The 57th Anti -Aircraft Missile Brigade radar
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operators tracked the falling debris of U -2
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Article 360 on three separate scopes. The RDX
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Cyclonite destruction charge was wired to a 75
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-second delay timer activated by a toggle switch
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on the main console. Senior Lieutenant Safronov's
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MiG -19 crashed 20 kilometers south of Sverdlovsk
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near the city of Degtyarsk. Major Voronov's SAM
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battery launched 14 V -750 missiles in total
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during the engagement sequence. The preformed
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steel fragmentation cubes measured 8 mm on each
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side, expanding at 2 ,000 m per second. The U
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-2 cockpit canopy glass shattered into thousands
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of fragments upon impact with missile shrapnel.
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Major Mikhail Voronov received the order of the
20:00
Red Banner for commanding the successful missile
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engagement. The V -750 missile solid booster
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rocket detached five seconds after launch at
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an altitude of 3 ,000 feet. The Kosolino -Sam
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battery radar tracking console was manned by
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Sgt. Nikolai Mezyarkin. Senior Lt. Safronov's
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MiG -19 ejection seat failed to function due
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to low -altitude missile impact damage. The 57th
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Anti -Aircraft Missile Brigade Headquarters was
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located inside a fortified concrete command bunker
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at Koltsovo. Major Voronov's SAM battalion was
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awarded a unit battle efficiency banner by the
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PVO Straney Supreme Command. The V -750 missile
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proximity fuse sensitivity was adjusted for high
20:48
-altitude target detection above 20 km. Major
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Voronov ordered his radar operators to switch
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to MTI mode to filter ground clutter. The second
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V -750 missile salvo was launched by the 3rd
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SAM battalion commanded by Captain Nikolai Shalutko.
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The V -750 missile warhead detonation created
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a cloud of high -velocity steel shrapnel expanding
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at 6 ,000 feet per second. The hydraulic flight
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control line severed by shrapnel caused instant
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elevator control failure on Article 360. Major
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Voronov's SAM battalion utilized the RSN -75
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Fansong radar system operating in sector scanning
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mode. Tumbling through 30 ,000 feet of freezing
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air inside the broken U -2 cockpit, powers made
21:38
a split -second decision to abandon the ejection
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seat. Unbuckling his chest harness while suspended
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upside down, he kicked free of the canopy enclosure,
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popping out into the slipstream at 15 ,000 feet.
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Whoosh! The rushing air ripped his face mask
21:56
and boots off as his main parachute opened automatically,
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carrying him gently down toward a plowed farm
22:01
field near the village of Cosolino. Landing hard
22:05
in the damp soil, Powers immediately buried his
22:08
survival kit and suppressed pistol beneath his
22:10
parachute fabric, retrieving his hollowed silver
22:13
dollar containing the saxotoxin needle. Before
22:17
he could reach a nearby tree lean, two local
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Soviet collective farm workers, Pyotr Asabin
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and Anatoly Cherepnin, ran up to him carrying
22:25
pitchforks. Thinking Powers was a Soviet pilot
22:29
who had ejected from a disabled jet, Asabin helped
22:32
him untangle his parachute lines, offering him
22:35
a cigarette. Minutes later, a blue State Security
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GAZ -69 jeep roared across the field, carrying
22:43
three armed officers from the Sverdlovsk KGB
22:46
Directorate. Stepping out of the jeep, KGB Captain
22:50
Vladimir Surikov approached Powers, drawing his
22:53
TT -33 pistol. Hands up! Search him! During the
23:00
search, officers recovered Powers' suppressed
23:02
high -standard pistol, survival kit, gold sovereigns,
23:06
map cases showing Soviet nuclear targets, and
23:09
the suspicious silver dollar coin. At 11 .45
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a .m. on May 1, 1960, the CIA's top -secret U
23:18
-2 pilot was in Soviet KGB custody. The village
23:22
of Kosolino was located in the Beloyersky district
23:25
of Sverdlovsk Oblast, 30 kilometers east of Sverdlovsk.
23:30
The GAZ -69 was a four -wheel -drive all -terrain
23:34
military utility vehicle manufactured by GAZ
23:37
and UAZ in the Soviet Union. The TT -33 was a
23:42
Soviet semi -automatic pistol chambered in 7
23:45
.62x25mm Tokarev caliber. Pyotr Asabin and Anatoly
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Cherubnin were collective farmers employed at
23:54
the Kosolino Agricultural Cooperative. KGB Captain
23:58
Vladimir Surikov served in the 2nd Chief Directorate
24:01
of the Sverdlovsk KGB Division. The U -2 parachute
24:06
assembly was a specialized high -altitude chest
24:08
-pack parachute fitted with an automatic barometric
24:11
release mechanism. The barometric release mechanism
24:15
automatically deployed the main canopy once altitude
24:18
dropped below 15 ,000 feet. The Sverdlovsk KGB
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Directorate Headquarters was located on Malysheva
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Street in central Sverdlovsk. The saxotoxin shellfish
24:30
poison needle was confiscated by KGB forensic
24:33
officers and sent immediately to Moscow for chemical
24:36
analysis. The GAZ -69 utility vehicle was powered
24:41
by a 2 .1 -liter four -cylinder gasoline engine
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delivering 55 horsepower. Power's map case contained
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14 high -resolution topographical maps marked
24:52
with red flight corridors and radar targets.
24:55
The Beloyersky District was known for housing
24:58
the Beloyersk Nuclear Power Station, one of the
25:01
USSR's earliest atomic power plants. The TT -33
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Tokarev pistol featured an eight -round single
25:08
-stack magazine and a short -recoil operating
25:11
mechanism. Powers was transported under heavy
25:15
armed guard to the Sverdlovsk KGB headquarters
25:17
for initial interrogation. The Kosolino collective
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farm produced wheat and sugar beets for the Sverdlovsk
25:24
agricultural market. The Sverdlovsk KGB headquarters
25:28
building was a four -story neoclassical structure
25:31
guarded by KGB border guards. Powers' silver
25:35
dollar poison coin was analyzed by the KGB 13th
25:39
Department Forensic Chemistry Laboratory in Moscow.
25:43
Pyotr Asabin was awarded a commendation medal
25:46
by the Sverdlovsk Soviet for assisting in powers
25:48
capture. The GAZ -69 utility vehicle was equipped
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with a three -speed manual transmission and transfer
25:56
case. KGB Captain Surakov placed powers in handirons
26:01
before transporting him in the rear seat of the
26:03
GAZ -69. The Kosolino collective farm workers
26:08
were presented with watches by the Sverdlovsk
26:10
Regional Committee. Power's pressure suit boots
26:14
were recovered by collective farmers two kilometers
26:16
from the landing site. Anatoly Cheropnin handed
26:20
Power's discarded parachute canopy to KGB officers
26:24
upon their arrival. KGB Captain Surakov dispatched
26:28
an urgent cipher telegram to Moscow confirming
26:31
the pilot's survival and detention. The Sverdlovsk
26:35
KGB Director -in -Chief, Major General Nikolai
26:38
Voronov, personally conducted Powers' preliminary
26:41
intake interview. Powers was provided with dry
26:45
civilian trousers and a wool jacket by KGB officers
26:48
at the Sverdlovsk facility. The KGB search team
26:52
recovered Powers' survival knife and emergency
26:55
radio transmitter from his vest pockets. Powers
26:59
was flown from Sverdlovsk to Moscow aboard a
27:02
Soviet Air Force Tu -104 jet transport plane
27:05
at 18 .00 p .m. The Soviet Tu -104 jet transport
27:11
landed at Nikovo -2 airfield near Moscow under
27:14
heavy security escort. KGB second chief directorate
27:19
officers escorted Powers directly to Lubyanka
27:21
prison in central Moscow. KGB Captain Surikov
27:26
received the order of the Red Star for leading
27:28
the field capture of powers. News of the U -2
27:32
shoot -down reached Washington within hours,
27:34
triggering immediate crisis meetings at the White
27:37
House and CIA headquarters. Believing that the
27:41
U -2 two had broken apart at 70 ,000 feet and
27:44
that no pilot could survive such a fall, CIA
27:47
Director Alan Dulles and National Security Advisor
27:50
McGeorge Bundy advised President Eisenhower to
27:53
issue a pre -planned cover story. On May 5, 1960,
27:58
NASA and the U .S. State Department issued an
28:00
official public press release. Asterisk, a NASA
28:04
U -2 weather reconnaissance aircraft, conducting
28:07
upper -atmosphere meteorological research over
28:09
Turkey, experienced oxygen equipment failure.
28:13
The pilot likely lost consciousness, and the
28:16
aircraft drifted off course into Soviet airspace
28:19
near the Black Sea. Asterisk To reinforce the
28:24
deception, NASA officials at the Edwards Air
28:26
Force Base in California painted a U -2 aircraft
28:29
with fake NASA serial numbers, displaying it
28:32
to international reporters as proof of the weather
28:35
mission. Inside the Kremlin, Premier Nikita Khrushchev
28:39
read the US press release with immense satisfaction.
28:42
The Americans have walked right into our trap,
28:45
Khrushchev boasted to his inner cabinet. They
28:49
think powers is dead and the camera equipment
28:51
is destroyed. We will let them commit to their
28:54
lies before showing the world the truth. For
28:58
48 hours, Washington reiterated that no intentional
29:01
espionage overflight had occurred. National Security
29:05
Advisor McGeorge Bundy served as special assistant
29:08
to the President for National Security Affairs
29:10
under Eisenhower and Kennedy. The NASA cover
29:14
story claimed the U -2 was operated by the National
29:17
Aeronautics and Space Administration for high
29:19
-altitude weather research. Edwards Air Force
29:23
Base in the Mojave Desert of California was the
29:25
primary flight test facility for NASA and USAF
29:29
experimental aircraft. The fake NASA serial number
29:33
N360 was painted on a U -2A aircraft displayed
29:37
to press reporters inside hangar 1604 at Edwards.
29:41
U .S. State Department spokesman Lincoln White
29:44
delivered the official weather plane statement
29:46
to White House press correspondents. Premier
29:49
Khrushchev delayed revealing powers capture to
29:52
maximize diplomatic embarrassment for President
29:54
Eisenhower. The U .S. State Department official
29:58
statement claimed the U .S. two pilot reported
30:00
oxygen system warning lights while flying over
30:03
Lake Van in eastern Turkey. The Edwards AFB press
30:07
conference was conducted by NASA Director of
30:09
Public Information Walter T. Bonney. President
30:13
Eisenhower approved the NASA cover story based
30:15
on assurances from CIA Director Alan Dulles that
30:19
U -2 pilots were trained not to survive capture.
30:22
The Soviet ambassador to the United States, Mikhail
30:26
Menshikov, attended diplomatic receptions in
30:28
Washington maintaining complete silence regarding
30:31
the shootdown. The NASA U -2 weather plane cover
30:35
story had been drafted by the CIA Development
30:37
Project staff in 1956. The Edwards AFB Hangar
30:43
1604 exhibition included technical displays of
30:46
meteorological air sampling canisters. State
30:50
Department spokesman Lincoln White assured reporters
30:52
that U .S. military aircraft never intentionally
30:55
violated Soviet sovereign airspace. The NASA
30:59
weather plane press release was distributed to
31:01
300 international news organizations worldwide.
31:05
CIA Director Alan Dulles offered his resignation
31:08
to President Eisenhower following the exposure
31:11
of the cover story. Premier Khrushchev consulted
31:15
with Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko in drafting
31:17
the Kremlin response. The CIA Development Project
31:21
staff was headed by Richard Bissell, managing
31:24
top -secret technical collection programs. Foreign
31:28
Minister Andrei Gromyko advised Khrushchev to
31:31
present the physical evidence at the Supreme
31:33
Soviet session. The White House press briefing
31:36
room on May 5 was packed with over 100 foreign
31:39
correspondents. President Eisenhower met with
31:43
Secretary of State Christian Herder to review
31:45
the NASA press release. Secretary of State Christian
31:49
Herter supported the cover story released to
31:51
prevent public admission of intelligence gathering.
31:54
The Soviet embassy in Washington monitored U
31:57
.S. press broadcasts continuous following the
32:00
NASA statement. The U .S. State Department issued
32:03
a formal diplomatic inquiry to Ankara requesting
32:06
updates on the missing U -2 weather plane. CIA
32:10
Chief of Reconnaissance Colonel Stanley Burley
32:13
coordinated covert search and rescue sweeps over
32:15
eastern Turkey. The U .S. Air Force 6 ,937th
32:21
Communications Group in Peshawar issued a routine
32:23
missing aircraft alert bulletin. The Soviet news
32:27
agency TASS remained completely silent on the
32:30
U -2 capture until Khrushchev's May 7 address.
32:34
President Eisenhower convened an Emergency National
32:37
Security Council meeting on May 6 to review the
32:40
crisis. On May 7, 1960, Premier Khrushchev stepped
32:45
up to the podium of the Supreme Soviet in Moscow,
32:48
dropping his diplomatic bombshell before 500
32:51
international journalists and foreign diplomats.
32:54
Comrades! Khrushchev announced, holding up enlarged
32:59
photographs of Soviet nuclear facilities recovered
33:01
from the U -2 camera. The United States claimed
33:05
their weather plane lost its way. I must tell
33:08
you that we have recovered the plane. the cameras,
33:11
the secret maps, and I must inform you that the
33:14
pilot, Francis Gary Powers, is alive, healthy,
33:18
and in Soviet hands. The international revelation
33:22
sent shockwaves across Washington, devastating
33:25
U .S. diplomatic credibility and forcing President
33:27
Eisenhower to publicly take full personal responsibility
33:31
for authorizing the espionage overflight. Meanwhile,
33:35
inside cell 37 of Lubyanka prison in central
33:38
Moscow, Francis Gary Powers underwent three months
33:42
of intense interrogation by KGB Colonel Ivan
33:44
Alexandrov. KGB Interrogation and Evidence Display
33:49
Powers served his initial sentence inside the
33:53
notorious Vladimir Central Prison, 120 miles
33:56
east of Moscow. The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet
34:00
Union was the highest legislative body in the
34:03
USSR, meeting inside the Grand Kremlin Palace.
34:07
Lubyanka Prison was the infamous headquarters
34:09
and detention center of the KGB on Lubyanka Square
34:13
in Moscow. KGB Colonel Ivan Alexandrov was chief
34:17
of the 2nd Chief Directorate 1st Department specializing
34:20
in American espionage cases. The House of Unions
34:24
in Moscow was an 18th -century landmark building
34:27
used for high -profile Soviet state events and
34:30
show trials. Vladimir Central Prison was a maximum
34:34
-security prison established in 1783, housing
34:38
high -risk political prisoners. The military
34:41
division of the Supreme Court of the USSR conducted
34:44
Powers' three -day public trial from August 17
34:47
to 19, 1960. Powers' defense counsel during the
34:52
trial was Soviet state -appointed advocate Mikhail
34:54
Grinov. The U -2 physical evidence exhibition
34:58
at the House of Unions attracted over 300 ,000
35:01
Soviet citizens during its two -month run. Powers
35:05
was housed in cell 37 of Lubyanka Prison, a small
35:08
9 -by -12 -foot room monitored continuously by
35:11
optical peepholes. President Eisenhower publicly
35:15
accepted full personal responsibility for authorizing
35:18
U -2 overflights during a White House press conference
35:21
on May 11, 1960. The Paris Peace Summit between
35:26
Eisenhower, Khrushchev, de Gaulle, and Macmillan
35:29
collapsed on May 16, 1960, following Khrushchev's
35:33
walkout. Vladimir Central Prison was located
35:37
in the historic city of Vladimir, housing prisoners
35:40
in solitary stone cell blocks. The House of Union's
35:44
Grand Hall featured marble columns and crystal
35:46
chandeliers housing 2 ,000 trial spectators.
35:50
Powers' parents, Oliver and Ida Powers, attended
35:54
the Moscow show trial accompanied by American
35:56
diplomatic escorts. The military division of
36:00
the Supreme Court was presided over by Lieutenant
36:02
General Victor Boris Oglebsky. Vladimir Central
36:06
Prison cell blocks were constructed with two
36:09
-foot -thick brick walls and iron -barred doors.
36:12
KGB Colonel Alexandrov conducted 60 interrogation
36:16
sessions with Powers over 90 days. Powers' wife
36:20
Barbara Powers attended the trial, seated alongside
36:23
his parents in the front row. The Vladimir Central
36:27
Prison Administration assigned Powers to work
36:29
in a carpet weaving workshop inside the prison
36:32
compound. The House of Union's trial proceedings
36:35
were translation broadcast in five languages
36:38
for international journalists. KGB Colonel Alexandrov
36:43
provided Powers with English -language books
36:45
and Russian -language lessons during his detention.
36:48
The Supreme Court tribunal panel included two
36:51
military assessors alongside General Boris Oglebsky.
36:55
Powers was permitted two hours of exercise daily
36:58
in the walled courtyard of Vladimir's central
37:01
prison. Powers defense advocate Mikhail Grinev
37:04
argued for leniency based on Powers' working
37:07
-class background and obedience to military orders.
37:10
The Lubyanka prison cell 37 contained a single
37:14
iron bed frame, wooden table, and small barred
37:17
window overlooking an inner courtyard. The House
37:21
of Union's physical exhibition included the reconstructed
37:24
U -2 tail unit and J -57 turbojet engine compressor
37:28
blades. Powers' father Oliver Powers appealed
37:32
directly to Premier Khrushchev for executive
37:34
clemency following the trial verdict. Powers'
37:38
trial transcript was published in 20 languages
37:40
by the Soviet Foreign Languages Publishing House.
37:44
On the freezing morning of February 10, 1962,
37:48
a historic Cold War drama unfolded on the Glienic
37:51
Bridge, a iron truss bridge spanning the Havel
37:54
River between West Berlin and East Germany. After
37:58
21 months of intense secret negotiations conducted
38:00
by New York insurance lawyer James B. Donovan
38:03
and KGB negotiator Wolfgang Vogel, the United
38:07
States and Soviet Union agreed to a high -stakes
38:09
spy swap. Standing on the western side of the
38:13
White Sector Line were James Donovan and U .S.
38:15
Marshals, guarding Soviet master spy Rudolf Abel,
38:19
the KGB's premier illegal operative who had been
38:22
arrested by the FBI in New York in 1957. Standing
38:26
on the eastern side under Soviet KGB escort was
38:30
CIA U -2 pilot Francis Gary Powers. At 8 .52
38:35
a .m., After positive identification was confirmed
38:38
by representatives on both sides, the two men
38:41
walked past each other at the center of the bridge
38:43
in total silence. Asterisk footsteps crunching
38:47
on ice. Silent eye contact, asterisk. As powers
38:53
crossed onto American territory, he was embraced
38:56
by CIA handlers, completing his epic ordeal and
38:59
returning home to the United States. The Glenick
39:03
Bridge was dubbed the Bridge of Spies, due to
39:06
its repeated use for Cold War prisoner exchanges.
39:10
James B. Donovan was an American lawyer and U
39:13
.S. Navy officer who represented Rudolph Abel
39:15
during his 1957 trial and negotiated the 1962
39:19
swap. Wolfgang Vogel was an East German lawyer
39:23
who served as a key broker for Cold War intelligence
39:26
exchanges between East and West. Rudolph Abel
39:30
was a senior KGB illegal handler arrested in
39:33
New York City with hollow coin microfilm containers.
39:36
The FBI arrested Rudolph Abel at the Latham Hotel
39:40
in Manhattan in June 1957 following information
39:43
provided by defector Rayno Hay -Haynon. The Glenick
39:47
Bridge exchange also included the release of
39:50
American student Frederick Pryor at Checkpoint
39:52
Charlie Minutes prior to the main swap. The Havel
39:56
River forms the geographical boundary between
39:58
Potsdam in East Germany and the Wannsee district
40:01
of West Berlin. James B. Donovan was awarded
40:05
the CIA Distinguished Intelligence Medal for
40:08
his successful negotiation of powers release.
40:11
Rudolf Abel was decorated with the Order of Lenin
40:14
upon his return to Moscow, serving as an advisor
40:17
to the KGB First Chief Directorate. The Glienic
40:21
Bridge was painted dark green. featuring a distinct
40:24
white boundary line painted across the exact
40:26
center span. Francis Gary Powers was debriefed
40:30
extensively by CIA interrogation teams at a safe
40:34
house in Maryland following his return. The Glenick
40:37
Bridge span measured 128 meters in length, constructed
40:41
of structural steel girders. Frederick Pryor
40:45
was released at Checkpoint Charlie at 8 .25 a
40:48
.m., 27 minutes prior to the Glenick Bridge swap.
40:52
U .S. Marshals escorted Rudolph Abel in an unmarked
40:55
sedan to the West Berlin side of the Gleeneck
40:58
Bridge. KGB negotiator Wolfgang Vogel operated
41:02
out of his legal office on Ottenuschka Straße
41:05
in East Berlin. The CIA Maryland debriefing safehouse
41:09
was located inside a secluded estate near Ashford,
41:12
Maryland. The Gleeneck Bridge exchange was conducted
41:16
in sub -zero temperatures under light snowfall.
41:20
Rudolph Abel's true identity as William Jenrikovich
41:23
Fisher was confirmed by KGB handlers at the East
41:26
Berlin checkpoint. James B. Donovan met with
41:30
President John F. Kennedy at the White House
41:32
following the successful spy exchange. Power's
41:36
CIA debriefing board concluded that he had conducted
41:39
himself with dignity and adherence to operational
41:41
orders throughout his captivity. The Glinik Bridge
41:45
exchange was witnessed by 20 armed guards from
41:48
the U .S. Army Berlin Brigade and Soviet border
41:51
guards. Powers boarded a U .S. Air Force C -130
41:55
transport plane at Tempelhof Airport for his
41:58
return flight to the United States. KGB Colonel
42:02
William Fisher was flown to Moscow aboard a Soviet
42:05
VIP -2 -104 jetliner following the exchange.
42:10
President John F. Kennedy commended James B.
42:13
Donovan during a private Oval Office presentation
42:15
ceremony. The U .S. Army Berlin Brigade detachment
42:20
on the Glienic Bridge was commanded by Major
42:22
General Albert Watson. Rudolf Abel presented
42:25
James B. Donovan with two silver cufflinks as
42:28
a personal token of gratitude before stepping
42:31
across the boundary line. The shoot -down of
42:34
U -2 Article 360 on May 1, 1960, stands as a
42:39
defining watershed moment in Cold War intelligence
42:41
history. Historical Assessment and Declassified
42:46
Metrics Francis Gary Powers died tragically in
42:50
a helicopter crash while working as a news pilot
42:52
in Los Angeles in 1977 at the age of 47. His
42:57
legacy endures as a brave aviator who flew into
43:00
the heart of hostile territory to protect his
43:02
nation's security. The Corona Satellite Program
43:06
was a joint CIUSAF project utilizing film return
43:10
capsules deorbited and recovered in midair by
43:12
aircraft. Clarence Kelly Johnson was the legendary
43:17
head of Lockheed Skunk Works who designed the
43:19
U -2, State Route 71 Blackbird, and F -104 Starfighter.
43:25
The Lockheed State Route 71 Blackbird was capable
43:28
of speeds exceeding Mach 3 .2 and operational
43:31
altitudes above 85 ,000 feet. The CIA Intelligence
43:36
Star is awarded for extraordinary courage or
43:39
outstanding contribution under conditions of
43:41
grave personal hazard. The Distinguished Flying
43:45
Cross is awarded to members of the U .S. Armed
43:47
Forces who distinguish themselves by heroism
43:50
or extraordinary achievement in flight. Francis
43:53
Gary Powers was buried with full military honors
43:56
at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The
44:00
National Reconnaissance Office was established
44:02
in September 1961 to manage all U .S. space reconnaissance
44:06
satellite systems. Sections of Powers U -2 Article
44:11
360 aircraft wreckage are displayed at the Central
44:14
Museum of the Armed Forces in Moscow. The International
44:18
Spy Museum in Washington, D .C., displays Power's
44:22
original silver dollar poison coin casing. The
44:25
Corona satellite program completed 145 orbital
44:29
missions between 1960 and 1972, photographing
44:33
Soviet strategic targets. The Central Museum
44:37
of the Armed Forces in Moscow displays the U
44:39
-2 wing section and J -57 turbojet engine tailpipe.
44:44
Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia covers
44:47
639 acres in Arlington County. The USAF Distinguished
44:53
Flying Cross was presented to Powers' children,
44:55
Francis Gary Powers Jr. and D. Powers, at the
44:58
Pentagon in 2012. The Lockheed State Route 71
45:03
Blackbird utilized titanium alloy airframe construction
45:06
resisting skin temperatures exceeding 600 degrees
45:10
Fahrenheit. The NRO headquarters compound in
45:13
Chantilly, Virginia, covers 1 million square
45:16
feet of office space. The Corona film recovery
45:20
capsules were caught in mid -air by modified
45:23
C -119 flying boxcar aircraft over the Pacific
45:26
Ocean. Francis Gary Powers Jr. co -founded the
45:30
Cold War Museum in Vint Hill, Virginia, in 1996
45:34
to honor Cold War veterans. The Senate Armed
45:38
Services Committee conducted a special inquiry
45:40
in March 1962 exonerating Powers of any misconduct.
45:45
The Central Museum of the Armed Forces in Moscow
45:48
exhibition includes Powers flight helmet and
45:51
survival radio. The 2012 DFC presentation ceremony
45:56
at the Pentagon was presided over by Air Force
45:59
Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz. The Lockheed
46:03
State Route 71 Blackbird performed over 4 ,000
46:06
reconnaissance missions worldwide without a single
46:08
aircraft lost to enemy interception. The Lockheed
46:12
U -2 was a masterpiece of aeronautical engineering
46:15
designed by Clarence Kelly Johnson at Lockheed's
46:18
Secret Skunk Works facility in Burbank, California.
46:22
Aircraft Specifications and Performance Metrics
46:25
Flying the U -2 two at maximum ceiling required
46:29
intense physical concentration, as even minor
46:32
control inputs could trigger an immediate atmospheric
46:35
stall or wing structural failure. Kelly Johnson
46:39
established Lockheed's advanced development programs
46:42
in 1943 to build high -performance aircraft in
46:45
secret. The Pratt & Whitney J57 was a two -spool
46:49
axial -flow turbojet engine modified with wide
46:52
-cord turbine blades for thin upper -atmosphere
46:55
air. The term, coffin corner, referred to the
46:59
altitude where critical Mach number and stall
47:01
speed converged to the same velocity. The U -2
47:05
airframe was constructed of thin 2024, T -3 aluminum
47:09
sheet metal, weighing just 7 ,000 pounds empty.
47:13
The U -2 wing design incorporated bicycle -style
47:16
main landing gear with detachable wingtip pogo
47:19
wheels that dropped off during takeoff. The thin
47:23
upper atmosphere at 70 ,000 feet possessed an
47:26
air density less than 7 % of sea -level atmospheric
47:29
pressure. Kelly Johnson received the National
47:32
Medal of Science and Presidential Medal of Freedom
47:35
for his groundbreaking aircraft designs. The
47:39
U -2 fuel tanks were integrated directly into
47:41
the aluminum wing structures, carrying 1 ,300
47:44
gallons of specialized JP -7 low -volatility
47:48
kerosene fuel. The low -volatility JP -7 fuel
47:53
was formulated specifically to prevent fuel boiling
47:55
at low atmospheric pressures at extreme altitudes.
47:59
The U -2 control surfaces utilized manual cable
48:03
linkages without hydraulic boost, requiring significant
48:06
physical steering effort from the pilot. Lockheed
48:10
Skunk Works Building 82 in Burbank was the primary
48:13
manufacturing facility for U -2 airframe assembly.
48:17
The 2024 T3 aluminum sheet metal skin measured
48:21
0 .04 inches in thickness across non -structural
48:25
fairings. The U -2 bicycle landing gear saved
48:29
1 ,300 pounds of airframe weight compared to
48:32
conventional tricycle landing gear. The JP -7
48:36
fuel additives included fluorocarbon compounds
48:39
elevating the fuel flash point to 60 degrees
48:42
Celsius. Lockheed Skunk Works engineers completed
48:46
the initial U - prototype design in 88 days during
48:49
1954. The U -2 wingtip pogo wheels were recovered
48:54
on the runway by ground crews following takeoff.
48:58
The Lockheed U -2 prototype made its maiden flight
49:01
at Groom Lake, Nevada, on August 1, 1955. The
49:07
U -2 wing trailing edge flaps featured full -span
49:10
slotted flaps lowering stall speed during landing
49:13
approaches. Kelly Johnson personally conducted
49:16
high -altitude aerodynamic tests on the initial
49:19
U -2 glider mock -ups. The U -2 tail unit featured
49:24
a all -moving horizontal stabilizer providing
49:26
pitch trim control at high mock numbers. The
49:30
Pratt & Whitney J57P -31 engine utilized dual
49:35
rotor spools operating at 11 ,000 rpm. The primary
49:40
intelligence -gathering instrument carried aboard
49:42
U - 2 Article 360 was the HIKON Model B panoramic
49:46
camera, designed by optical genius Dr. James
49:48
Baker of Harvard University. Camera Specifications
49:52
and Optical Performance The high -resolution
49:56
aerial photographs produced by the HIKON Model
49:59
B provided CIA photo interpreters with unprecedented
50:02
clarity of Soviet nuclear installations. Dr.
50:06
James G. Baker was an astronomer and optical
50:09
physicist at Harvard College Observatory who
50:12
designed advanced camera lenses for aerial reconnaissance.
50:15
Eastman Kodak developed specialized thin -base
50:18
ectochrome and high -definition black -and -white
50:21
film stocks for Project Aquatone. The National
50:24
Photographic Interpretation Center in Washington
50:27
processed and analyzed millions of feet of U
50:30
-2 film reels. Arthur C. Lundahl served as director
50:34
of NPIC from 1961 to 1973, briefing Presidents
50:39
Eisenhower and Kennedy on aerial photographic
50:42
intelligence. The HIKON Model B lens assembly
50:45
comprised seven optical glass elements hand -ground
50:48
to sub -wavelength surface accuracy. The 140
50:52
-degree scanning action was driven by a precision
50:55
electric motor moving the lens mirror assembly
50:57
across the flight axis. The Eastman Kodak 70mm
51:02
film stock featured an ultra -thin Estar polyester
51:05
base offering high dimensional stability under
51:07
extreme temperatures. NPIC photo interpreters
51:11
utilized specialized Bosch and Lohm stereoscopic
51:15
microscopes offering magnification up to 80 times.
51:18
The HIKON Model B camera system weighed 450 pounds,
51:23
mounted inside the U -2 main equipment bay. The
51:27
Cuba A was located directly behind the pilot
51:29
cockpit, environmental control to maintain optical
51:32
alignment. NPIC photo interpreters discovered
51:37
the first Soviet R -12 intermediate -range ballistic
51:39
missile sites in Cuba in October 1962 using U
51:43
-2 imagery. Dr. James Baker was awarded the Presidential
51:48
Medal of Freedom in 1993 for his contributions
51:51
to satellite and aerial reconnaissance optics.
51:55
The Bosch and Lohm stereoscopic microscopes featured
51:58
high -intensity tungsten halogen illuminators
52:00
for film inspection. The HIKON Model B camera
52:04
lens elements were mounted in low -expansion
52:06
Invar steel cell housings. Eastman Kodak Estar
52:11
polyester film base retained dimensional stability
52:13
across temperature ranges from minus 50 to plus
52:16
70 degrees Celsius. The HIKON manufacturing company
52:21
of Pasadena, California, produced 40 HIKON Model
52:24
B cameras for the CIA. The NPIC Photointerpretation
52:29
Center on M Street in Washington employed 500
52:32
specialist intelligence analysts. The HIKON Model
52:36
B camera shutter operated at speeds up to one
52:39
thousandth of a second. The HIKON Model B camera
52:42
optical glass elements were coated with anti
52:45
-reflective magnesium fluoride thin films. The
52:49
Eastman Kodak 70mm film rolls were processed
52:52
in automated continuous chemical developer tanks
52:55
at NPIC facilities. NPIC analysts compiled detailed
53:00
target dossier books containing contact prints
53:03
and stereoscopic image pairs. The HIKON Model
53:07
B camera vacuum backing plate held film flat
53:10
against the focal plane during exposure cycles.
53:13
The S -75 Dvina surface -to -air missile system
53:17
that brought down Powers U -2 represented the
53:20
pinnacle of Soviet anti -aircraft missile technology
53:22
in 1960. System Specifications and Engagement
53:27
Envelope The deployment of S -75 SAM batteries
53:31
across the USSR effectively closed lower stratospheric
53:35
airspace to unstealth Western reconnaissance
53:37
aircraft. The S -75 Dvina was designed by the
53:42
Almaz Design Bureau in Moscow under chief designer
53:45
Pyotr Grushin. The RSN -75 tracking radar operated
53:51
at frequencies between 2 .9 and 3 .1 GHz with
53:55
a peak power of 600 kW. The V -750 liquid propellant
54:00
sustainer rocket utilized AK -20F nitric acid
54:04
oxidizer and TG -02 amine fuel. Pyotr Grushin
54:09
was a Soviet rocket scientist awarded two Hero
54:12
of Socialist Labor honors for designing anti
54:15
-aircraft missiles. The S -75 Dvina system was
54:19
exported to over 30 nations, seeing extensive
54:22
operational use during the Vietnam War. The 5N13
54:27
radio proximity fuse emitted continuous UHF radio
54:30
waves, measuring Doppler frequency shifts to
54:33
detect target proximity. The V -750 missile measured
54:38
10 .6 meters in length, weighing 2 ,300 kilograms
54:42
at launch. The RSN -75 Fansong radar deployed
54:48
two orthogonal parabolic trough antennas tracking
54:51
target azimuth and elevation simultaneously.
54:54
The AK -20F nitric acid oxidizer was highly corrosive
54:59
and toxic, requiring specialized protective suits
55:02
during missile fueling operations. The S -75
55:06
missile guidance computer calculated proportional
55:09
navigation lead angles, transmitting steering
55:12
commands via radio link. The Almaz Design Bureau
55:16
was founded in 1947 in Moscow, specializing in
55:20
air defense missile systems. The V -750 solid
55:24
-fuel booster rocket burnt for four seconds,
55:27
accelerating the missile to Mach 1 .5 before
55:30
staging. The S -75 Dvina ground control station
55:35
was housed inside an armored command van towed
55:38
by a ZIL -157 truck. The V -750 sustainer rocket
55:44
engine generated 3 ,000 pounds of thrust for
55:47
22 seconds of powered flight. The RSN -75 FAN
55:52
SOM radar antennas scanned a 10 -degree fan beam
55:55
at 20 cycles per second. The Almaz Design Bureau
55:59
was located on Leningrad Sky Prospect in central
56:02
Moscow. The V -750 missile warhead fragment spray
56:07
pattern produced an expanding ring of steel fragments
56:10
30 meters in radius. The S -75 Dvina missile
56:14
guidance antenna array received radio steering
56:17
pulses transmitted on five discrete frequency
56:20
channels. The RSN -75 Fansong radar system incorporated
56:26
electronic counter -countermeasures resisting
56:28
Western chaff interference. The V -750 missile
56:33
solid fuel booster grain utilized potassium perchlorate
56:36
and asphalt binder compounds. One of the most
56:40
controversial aspects of Francis Gary Power's
56:42
U -2 mission was the secret suicide device provided
56:45
to him by the CIA. Technical and toxicological
56:49
details. During his KGB interrogations at Lubyanka,
56:54
Powers explained that he retained a coin as a
56:57
survival tool but chose not to use it, believing
57:00
his survival served his nation better than suicide.
57:04
Saxitoxin acts by blocking voltage -gated sodium
57:07
channels in nerve cell membranes, preventing
57:10
nerve impulse transmission. The CIA Office of
57:14
Technical Service developed the poison coin device
57:16
in 1959 to replace older potassium cyanide capsules.
57:21
Potassium cyanide capsules required active oral
57:24
ingestion and caused agonizing choking sensations
57:27
lasting up to 15 minutes. Saxitoxin was isolated
57:32
by CIA scientists at the Special Operations Division
57:35
at Fort Detrick, Maryland. The silver -dollar
57:39
coin casing was crafted from a genuine 1922 -piece
57:43
silver -dollar machined with internal screw threads.
57:47
KGB toxicologists at the Institute of Special
57:50
Technology in Moscow confirmed the presence of
57:52
saxitoxin on the recovered needle in June 1960.
57:56
Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, was the
57:59
center of the U .S. biological weapons research
58:02
program from 1943 to 1969. Powers carried the
58:07
silver dollar coin in his flight suit pocket
58:10
throughout his initial capture and transfer to
58:12
Moscow. The KGB Institute of Special Technology
58:16
conducted animal laboratory testing on a confiscated
58:19
needle, confirming lethal potency within 60 seconds.
58:23
The 1922 piece silver dollar coin was composed
58:27
of 90 % silver and 10 % copper alloy. The saxitoxin
58:32
resin coating was protected by a thin sheath
58:35
of water -soluble gelatin. The CIA OTS poison
58:39
coin casing internal threads were lubricated
58:42
with synthetic silicone grease preventing atmospheric
58:44
moisture ingress. KGB chief chemist Professor
58:49
Nikolai Blokhin authored the official forensic
58:51
report on the saxitoxin poison needle. The saxitoxin
58:56
poison needle was three -eighths of an inch long,
58:58
crafted from stainless surgical steel wire. The
59:02
CIA Office of Technical Service was headquartered
59:05
at South Building in Washington, D .C. The saxotoxin
59:10
needle was stored in a protective plastic sheath
59:12
inside the silver dollar coin cavity. The CIA
59:16
OTS Chemical Division produced 10 saxotoxin poison
59:20
coin assemblies for top -secret U -2 overflight
59:23
missions. The saxotoxin poison needle was presented
59:27
as prosecution exhibit 42 during Power's Moscow
59:30
show trial. The saxitoxin poison needle was manufactured
59:35
using precision micromachining lathes at CIA
59:38
OTS workshops. The diplomatic aftermath of the
59:42
U -2 shoot -down reached its climax at the Paris
59:45
Peace Summit in May 1960. Diplomatic Escalation
59:50
Timeline The failure of the Paris Summit destroyed
59:53
hopes for early nuclear test ban agreements,
59:56
accelerating the Cold War nuclear arms race.
1:00:00
The Paris Peace Summit was attended by President
1:00:02
Eisenhower, Premier Khrushchev, British Prime
1:00:05
Minister Harold Macmillan and French President
1:00:08
Charles de Gaulle. The Élysée Palace in Paris
1:00:11
served as the official venue for the four -power
1:00:14
summit conference. President Eisenhower's planned
1:00:17
Moscow visit in June 1960 would have been the
1:00:20
first visit by a sitting U .S. president to the
1:00:22
Soviet Union. Harold Macmillan made desperate
1:00:26
diplomatic efforts to mediate between Khrushchev
1:00:29
and Eisenhower during private meetings at the
1:00:31
British Embassy. Charles de Gaulle supported
1:00:34
Eisenhower's firm refusal to apologize under
1:00:37
Soviet threats. The collapse of the Paris summit
1:00:41
led directly to increased East -West tensions
1:00:43
over the status of divided Berlin. Premier Khrushchev
1:00:47
held an aggressive three -hour press conference
1:00:49
at the Palais de Chalet in Paris following his
1:00:52
walkout. The Soviet delegation departed Paris
1:00:55
on May 18, 1960, returning directly to Moscow.
1:01:00
The Élysée Palace conference room was guarded
1:01:03
by French Republican Guard detachments in full
1:01:06
-dress ceremonial uniform. Premier Khrushchev's
1:01:10
Poleta Chela press conference was broadcast live
1:01:13
over French state television. Harold Macmillan
1:01:16
described the summit collapse in his personal
1:01:18
diary as a tragic setback for global peace. President
1:01:23
Eisenhower returned to Washington on May 20,
1:01:26
1960, delivering a televised address to the American
1:01:29
public. The French Republican Guard stood at
1:01:33
attention along the grand marble staircase of
1:01:35
the Élysée Palace. President Eisenhower's televised
1:01:39
address from the Oval Office was watched by 40
1:01:42
million American viewers. The Paris Peace Summit
1:01:45
had been planned for two years following Khrushchev's
1:01:48
1959 visit to the United States. French President
1:01:52
Charles de Gaulle hosted a state dinner at the
1:01:55
Grand Trianon Palace in Versailles prior to the
1:01:57
summit opening. The Paris summit breakdown prompted
1:02:01
U .S. Strategic Air Command to increase airborne
1:02:04
nuclear alert operations. President Eisenhower
1:02:08
met with NATO Secretary -General Paul -Henri
1:02:10
Spock in Paris following the summit collapse.
1:02:13
The Soviet air defense forces operated one of
1:02:16
the most comprehensive territorial air defense
1:02:19
networks in military history. Organizational
1:02:22
Command Structure The successful interception
1:02:26
of U -2 Article 360 validated the PVO's massive
1:02:30
technical investments, demonstrating the effectiveness
1:02:33
of integrated air defense. PVO's trainee was
1:02:37
organized into five regional air defense armies
1:02:39
covering the western, northern, southern, rural,
1:02:42
and far east sectors. The Zarya command post
1:02:46
near Moscow housed central computer tracking
1:02:49
consoles processing radar inputs nationwide.
1:02:52
The Mikoyan -Gurevich MiG -21 entered PVO service
1:02:56
in 1960, capable of Mach 2 speeds up to 65 ,000
1:03:01
feet. PVO SAM regiments were deployed in ring
1:03:05
formations surrounding Moscow, Leningrad, Sverdlovsk,
1:03:09
and Novosibirsk. The Soviet early warning radar
1:03:12
network integrated P -12 and P -30 radar systems.
1:03:17
The P -12 spoon rest radar operated in the VHF
1:03:21
band, providing long -range detection of high
1:03:24
-altitude stealth targets. The 4th Air Defense
1:03:28
Army headquartered in Sverdlovsk commanded four
1:03:30
SAM brigades and three fighter aviation regiments.
1:03:34
PVO Straney maintained an active strength of
1:03:37
320 ,000 officers and enlisted personnel in 1960.
1:03:42
The PVO Straney Central Command Bunker at Zarya
1:03:45
was buried 50 meters beneath a pine forest east
1:03:48
of Moscow. The P -12 Spoon Rest Radar Array mounted
1:03:53
12 Yagi antenna elements on a two -axle ZIL -157
1:03:57
truck chassis. The ZIL -157 all -terrain truck
1:04:02
was powered by a 5 .5 -liter six -cylinder gasoline
1:04:06
engine driving six wheels. The PVO Straney fighter
1:04:10
aviation regiments maintained round -the -clock
1:04:13
five -minute scramble readiness across 60 airfields.
1:04:16
The PVO Straney's area command post was linked
1:04:20
to regional defense headquarters via underground
1:04:22
fiber -insulated cables. The P -12 Spoon Rest
1:04:27
Radar Array operated at a peak power output of
1:04:30
180 kW. The PVO Straney National Radar Network
1:04:35
processed 10 ,000 radar target tracks per day.
1:04:39
PVO Straney Commander -in -Chief Marshal Sergei
1:04:42
Biryuzov directed national air defense modernization
1:04:45
programs. PVO Straney officers were awarded 15
1:04:49
battle commendations following the May 1 air
1:04:52
defense victory. The PVO Straney Early Warning
1:04:56
Network integrated high -frequency tropospheric
1:04:58
scatter communications arrays. The covert negotiations
1:05:02
leading to the release of Francis Gary Powers
1:05:05
showcased brilliant legal diplomacy by American
1:05:08
lawyer James B. Donovan. Negotiation Milestones
1:05:12
and Strategy Donovan's selfless diplomatic effort
1:05:16
brought two brave men home and demonstrated the
1:05:19
power of international legal negotiation in times
1:05:21
of intense Cold War conflict. James B. Donovan
1:05:26
served as General Counsel to the Office of Strategic
1:05:28
Services during World War II. Ivan Shishkin operated
1:05:32
undercover as Second Secretary at the Soviet
1:05:35
Embassy in East Berlin, serving as Chief KGB
1:05:38
Negotiator. Frederick Pryor was an American economic
1:05:42
student arrested by Stasi police in East Berlin
1:05:45
in August 1961 on false espionage charges. James
1:05:50
B. Donovan published a best -selling memoir titled
1:05:53
Strangers on a Bridge detailing his negotiations
1:05:56
for power's release. The 2015 Steven Spielberg
1:06:01
feature film Bridge of Spies starred Tom Hanks
1:06:03
as James B. Donovan. Donovan later negotiated
1:06:07
the release of 1 ,113 Cuban Brigade prisoners
1:06:11
captured following the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion.
1:06:15
The Soviet embassy on Unter den Linden in East
1:06:18
Berlin served as the primary venue for Donovan's
1:06:21
covert meetings. Donovan refused all personal
1:06:25
financial compensation for negotiating the 1962
1:06:28
spy swap. James B. Donovan graduated from Harvard
1:06:33
Law School in 1940, specializing in insurance
1:06:36
law litigation in New York. The 1961 Bay of Pigs
1:06:41
prisoner release negotiations involved securing
1:06:44
$53 million in private medical and food supplies
1:06:47
for Cuba. James B. Donovan was nominated for
1:06:51
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1963 for his humanitarian
1:06:55
diplomatic achievements. James B. Donovan served
1:06:59
as President of the New York City Board of Education
1:07:01
from 1963 to 1965. The Soviet Embassy on Unter
1:07:07
den Linden was built between 1949 and 1952 in
1:07:11
the socialist realist architectural style. James
1:07:15
B. Donovan was presented with the Distinguished
1:07:17
Civilian Service Award by the Department of Defense
1:07:20
in 1962. James B. Donovan served as president
1:07:25
of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, from
1:07:28
1968 until his death in 1970. James B. Donovan
1:07:33
received personal commendations from CIA Director
1:07:36
John A. McCone following the exchange. James
1:07:40
B. Donovan was accompanied to East Berlin by
1:07:43
his associate attorney Thomas Debevoise. At 12
1:07:47
p .m. on May 1, 1962, case file number 020 was
1:07:51
officially closed and archived at CIA headquarters
1:07:54
in Langley and NRO headquarters in Chantilly,
1:07:57
Virginia. Final Operational Metrics This concludes
1:08:02
declassified file number 0020 of the Shadow Dossier,
1:08:06
the U -2 Overflight Secret, completing another
1:08:09
thrilling operational file of ARC -1, Cold War
1:08:12
Iron Curtain and Double Agents. What dangerous
1:08:16
secrets await in the next declassified file?
1:08:19
Find out in Episode 21, The Berlin Wall Crisis.
1:08:24
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1:08:28
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and YouTube so you never miss an official declassification.
1:08:44
This is the Shadow Dossier. Thank you for listening.