December 1950 State Correspondence Concerning Border Violation and B29 Shootdown
[TFR 359-1]
Copy No. 6
[handwritten "50"]
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS USSR
To Comrade I.V. STALIN
To Comrade V.M. MOLOTOV
To Comrade L.P. BERIYA
CENTRAL COMMITTEE VKP(b)
[handwritten "27"] December 1950 To Comrade G.M. MALENKOV
No. [handwritten "7390/A"]
I report, that according to the report of the Chief Directorate Border Guards MGB on the Pacific Ocean, 26 December at 1400 hrs, radio direction finding stations of the PVO of the Fleet [detected] an unidentified aircraft approaching the state border of the USSR from Korea.
Four aircraft that were on alert were dispatched "[G-63?]" from the region of Pos'et and two "MiG-15"s from the region of Vladivostok.
An interceptor "MiG-15" in the region of the mouth of the Tyumen' Ula River ([illeg.] border with Korea)[2 illeg.] from cape [illeg.] (Korea)[illeg.] aircraft B-29, which closed with our interceptors and opened fire.
As a result of the return fire from our interceptors the left wing of the B-29 caught fire and the aircraft turned toward the sea, sharply [2 illeg.] it confirms as well the report of the radio direction finding station PVO of the fleet "Golubinyy utes"
According to the statements of our pilots and the conclusion of the headquarters VVS of the fleet, [illeg.] the B-29 aircraft was shot down and fell into the sea 50 miles south of Cape [poss. Saysyura].
It is necessary to note, that since the morning of 27
December, American B-29 aircraft in groups of 2-4 [illeg.] have
flown in the area where the plane went down; presumably,
searching for it.
ABAKUMOV.
[illeg. handwritten in margin]
[clipped] 6 copies
To Stalin
To Molotov
To Beriya
To Malenkov
To Secretary MGB USSR
[clipped] directorate: Border Guards MGB
[clipped] Stakhanov
[illeg. signature]
[handwritten "Central Border Guard Archives, f 14, on 5, ed khp.
5545, l. 50"]
[TFR 359-2]
[handwritten "Entry No." [illeg]
9 Nov 51
Top Secret
Copy No. 3 [handwritten "142"]
MGB USSR
GUPV
[handwritten "6"] November 1951
No. [12/2/001748 handwritten]
Distribution:
To IGNAT'EV S.D.
To GOGLIDZA S.A.
To STAKHANOV N.P.
To MESHANOV (MGB headquarters)
The Director of GUPV of the MGB, USSR
General Lieutenant
(PETROV) [signature illeg.]
The chief of the border guard troops of the MGB on the Pacific
Ocean reports that:
On 6 November of this year at 1600 hrs. the Command of the
Pacific Fleet Air Force reported to the headquarters of the
region that at 0315 hrs., off Cape Ostrovnoy (30 km Southeast of
the city of Vladivostok, adjacent to sector II outpost 62 of the
Border Guard detachment), a reconnaissance aircraft of the
5th fleet, escorted by two LA-II fighters, encountered
an American "Boeing" reconnaissance aircraft over Soviet waters.
The American plane opened fire on our aircraft.
Our fighters returned fire and shot down the American aircraft
which fell into the sea.
The appearance of the American aircraft near the border and the
encounter with our aircraft were not recorded by Border Guard
troops from the shore.
[signature illeg.]
(KURGANOV)
[handwritten
illeg."9 Nov 51"]
[handwritten 1617/s]
[handwritten "Central Border Guard Archives f. 14 op. 5 ed
khr.
5561, l. 142"]
[TFR 359-3]
Top Secret
Copy No. 3
[Goebzel?]
[handwritten and underlined]
Document "A"
DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
UNION SSR
Comrade V. A. ZORIN
25 June 1952
5421/st
["5421/st" is handwritten]
Referring to the note from the American Embassy dated 18 June
of this year No. 889 we report the following: On 13 June of this
year at 1735 hours, a MiG-15 of the Air Force of the Soviet Army,
shot down a US aircraft, type B-29, above our territorial waters
in the Sea of Japan south of Valentin Bay.
The location of the debris from the unidentified aircraft
indicated in the American Embassy's note (41o 39"
s.sh. and 133o 55" v.d.) 80 miles south of Valentin
Bay ( 105 miles east of the city of Vladivostok).
Border Guard boats and shore details found no debris, no
articles of equipment, and no members of the crew.
[handwritten "original signed"]
N. STAKHLNOV
[underlined by hand]
4 copies sent:
1st addressee
2nd secretary MGB USSR
3rd-4th to d.2 Headquarters
Section GUPV
corrected Vychkov.
printed Kovalenko
MB-3731. 24 Jun 52
TRUE COPY: Captain Gr. [Starakh?]
[signature]
[stamp "[illeg.] GUPV
12ss Vk. No. 829
Journal 26 Jun 1952"]
[handwritten "Central Border Guard Archives, f. 14, op. 5,
ed.zhr. 5568, l. 171."]
[TFR 359-4]
Secret
Only copy
On 15 Mar 53 at 0330 hrs the RTS of the Aircraft Warning
Service of the Red Air Fleet, who were stationed on Cape Piratkov
(a sector of the 17th frontier post 60th Border Guards
Detachment) and on Cape Povorotnyy (a sector of 20th outpost of
the 60th Border Guards Detachment), fixed the flight path of an
unidentified aircraft flying at an altitude of 7000 meters.
Four Soviet MiG-15 interceptors were scrambled from Elizovo
airfield for the interception. At 0430 hrs, 25 km east of
Zhupanovo they overtook and fired on the American B-29. There was
no return fire.
As a result of the gunfire the B-29 dove sharply and disappeared
into the clouds. In the pilots' opinion the B-29 had been shot
down.
A detailed search of the coast for possible landing sites for
parachutists is being carried out.
The weather: level 10 clouds at 5000 meters, visibility at sea
level up to 30 miles.
Comments: Dispatch of Kam. region No. 1584 of 15
Mar 53
Instructions: Chief of Staff- informed UMGB
[Administration of the Ministry of State
Security] of the Kamchatka Oblast'.
2.Jointly with the UMGB KO [Kamchatka
Oblast'] to offer to Zdornom to organize
secret service and military search, and to
report by 0800 hrs and 2000 hrs the results
of the search.
- Antonov 16 Mar 53
NO-2 .order to Kamchatka district r/z Chief of
forces
In essence, the information of the Chief of troops gave
instructions to Colonel Zdornom No. 01760 of 16 Mar 53
True copy: Major [signature illeg] (Evdokimov)
[Handwritten "16 March 1953"]
No. 01752 of 17 March, 1953, at GUPV it was reported that,
the commands of the 18th Air Corps and the
17th PRVO do not
corroborate the pilots' conclusion that the B-29 was shot down.
Rather, the B-29 after being fired on by our fighters took
advantage of the thick cloud cover and hid on the side of the
Aleutian Islands. During the time the B-29 was being tracked by
the RTS, and until the moment of the encounter with the
[TFR 359-4a]
interceptors, the aircraft did not go lower than 7000 meters.
As of 0800 hrs 17 Mar 53, searches of the flight path have not
yielded positive results. Signs of a parachute landing were not
observed.
COMMENT: dispatch K. of region No. 1587 of 17 March 1953
TRUE COPY:- MAJOR [signature illeg](EVDOKIMOV)
18 Mar 53
[handwritten "The Central Archives of the Border Guard Troops
f.
231, op. 1, ed. khr 812, l. 25"]
[TFR 359-5]
Archive extraction
from a reference of border violations
by foreign aircraft in the Pacific
ocean region in 1953.
17. A border violation by an American plane took place on 29
Jul
53 in the area of the Askol'd island. The plane was shot
down by Soviet aircraft.
Colonel Pronchenko
31 December 1953
Basis: f.14, op.5, ed.khr.5616, l.62.
Extraction rendered true:
Chief, Central
Border Guards Archive
[Stamp: Central Border
Guards Archive of the
Russian Federation]
[signature]
Colonel V.A. Litvinenko
[handwritten "7.10.94"]
[TFR 359-6]
[handwritten 127]
Secret
Copy No. 2
I report that according to the report of the headquarters, Border Guard Troops of the Pacific Region and according to information of the 5th Pacific Fleet, an American naval patrol aircraft "Neptun" [Neptune] (two-engine, piston engines, 5-7 crew members) at approximately 1715 hrs on 4 September of this year, departed from airdrome Atsugi (Japan) and at 1811 hrs was fixed [precisely located] by technical observation posts.
At 1910 hrs, holding a course in the direction of our shore, the above mentioned aircraft entered our air space in an area 11.5 miles Southwest of Cape Ostrovnoy (42 degrees 87 minutes northern latitude 133 degrees 35 minutes eastern longitude). At 1912 hrs., at an altitude of 3000 meters, the aircraft was attacked by two Soviet aircraft, "MIG-17", which were patrolling at the time in the region of Ulovaya airfield.
When attacked by our aircraft, the violating aircraft opened fire with all cannons and machine guns and turned toward the sea.
Our pilots observed that, both, left and right, engines of the plane had caught fire.
At 1916 hrs the American plane fell into the sea at the approximate location of 42 degrees 30 minutes northern latitude and 133 degrees 45 minutes eastern longitude.
After the air battle a torpedo boat section was sent to the area, but found no trace of the downed aircraft.
[TFR 359-7]
-2-
Since the morning of 5 September of this year (at 0600 local time), 35-40 miles south of Cape Ostrovnoy, flights of American aircraft (in groups of 2, 3, and 4 planes) have been recorded. Two American destroyers, which were located 50 miles south of Askol'd Island, moved toward this region.
Over the course of the day of 5 September of this year, Fleet radio intercept established that a complement of the crew of the "Neptun" was picked up in the sea, 50 miles south of Cape Povorotniy.
The rescued crew, numbering 5-7 individuals, it seems, were located in a raft, [and were] taken by seaplanes. The rescue effort ended approximately 5 September, at 1000 local time. According to this data, however, the commander of the aircraft was not found.
At 1730, 5 September of this year, the American destroyers and aircraft left the region of Cape Povorotniy.
An examination of the coastline does not indicate that the border was violated.
ENCLOSURE: Map
CHIEF OF THE MAIN DIRECTORATE
OF THE BORDER GUARDS MVD USSR
General-major
[signature illeg]
(P.ZYRYANOV)
"[handwritten "6"]" September 1954
No 13/I/[handwritten "01334"]
[handwritten "Central Border Guard Archives, f. 14, op. 5, ed.
khr. 5618, l. 137-138."]
[TFR 359-8]
[handwritten illeg.]
SECRET
Copy No. 1
[handwritten "to file"]USSR
MINISTRY OF
INTERNAL AFFAIRS
TO THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
OF THE USSR
April, 1955
No.______ Moscow
On 18 April of this year at 1057 hrs. Kamchatka time, 43 miles southeast of Cape Vasiliev (400 km. southwest of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), technical air defence reporting posts of the PVO determined the location of an American jet aircraft. The aircraft was 16 miles southeast of the Cape Lopatka at 1110 hrs. and had not violated the border.
Two VVS planes were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. At
1130 hrs., at an altitude of 12,200 meters, 32 miles east of the
Kronotskiy Cape (340 km. northeast of the city of
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy),
one of the planes sighted the American B-47 type aircraft and
photographed it. It opened fire as our interceptor got closer.
The American aircraft disappeared into the clouds after return
fire from our plane.
At 1150 hrs., 5 miles west of Bering Island, the crew of the Soviet fishing cutter, "Komandor", observed, over the course of two minutes, .
The possibility cannot be ruled out, that the fishermen observed the crash of the American plane.
DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, USSR
(PEREVERTKIN)
[Stamp: To Headquarters Department, GUPV [handwritten "012899"]]
[handwritten "Central Border Guard Archive f. 14, op.5, ed.
khp.5634, l.32"]
[TFR 359-9]
[This Page is Duplicate of TFR 27-55]
[Handwritten except where noted.]
Basis, Report on Okrug No. 00140 and 0014.
from 19 and 20 Apr 55 (Sector 60 p.o.)
23 Apr 55 Colonel Comrade Ionov stated that this document has been [cut off] reported to the Deputy Minister Comrade Perevertkin. It has been decided not to send it.
LTC [illeg. signature]
No. 00152 of 22 Apr 55, the Okrug reported that members of the boat "Komandor" [Pinyukov?] Vasiliy, at a distance of 10 miles, observed a tall column of fire and a column of smoke over the water which dissipated after 5 minutes. Scientific [cut off] Danilov, located on the cutter, photographed the column of smoke. 2 residents of Cape Nikol'skoe (sector 45pz 60po) observed smoke and heard an explosion. Border troops did not see it.
On 21 Apr 55 a trawler from the Kamchatka Flotilla went to the place of the explosion. The [illeg.] headquarters [illeg] reported to [illeg.] GUPV.
[illeg. signature]
Memorandum. 21 Apr 55 at 1340 [illeg.] PVO General
Major Ior'ev
(Kremlin, 33rd Guards) reported that he does not have information
regarding the appearance of an American aircraft near the coast
or regarding the contact between it and our aircraft.
[Distribution notes are typed]
3 copies sent
1- addressee
2- Sec. MVD
3- 1st Department
> HQ GUPV
checked Zarovskij
typist Ermakova
k.3567 21 Apr 55
[handwritten "1st copy - file. 2nd and 3rd
copies sent for destruction.
2nd and 3rd copies destroyed iaw Act 10"]
[signature]
25 Apr 55
[handwritten "Ts.A.P.V. fond 14, inventory 5, case 5634, page
32"]
[TFR 359-10]
[Document is handwritten in its entirety]
Top Secret
Sole Copy
Memorandum No. 00161
of 27 April, 1955
Chief of MVD Border Guards Troops of the Pacific Region, General-Lieutenant Antonov reported that on 26 April, 1955, Detail 45 of Outpost 60 discovered the frame of a "B-47" aircraft, a life-jacket, a topographical map of Chukotka and Alaska, drawings and an English language description of the aircraft on the west coast of Beringa Island (Komandorskiy Islands) in the area of Cape Poludennyy.
All articles were delivered to the Outpost. It is necessary to issue orders to the detachment and inspect the forest along the shore.
Instructions: T.M. Zyryalova, Dem[illeg] and Ionova - in report.
Incident placed in report
prepared by Lieutenant Colonel [illeg.]
[stamp "To HQ Dept GUPV.
no. [Handwritten "0012174"]
1 illeg, [Handwritten"55"], 1 illeg]
Memo: Material discovered [illeg] [by entering?] was sent to the 2nd Department [from where?] by order of Comrade Perev[illeg] but will be sent to the Security [illeg] of the General Staff.
Lieutenant Colonel [illeg]
Central Border Guards Archive: f. 14, op. 15, ed khr 5634, l. 208
[TFR 359-11]
Secret
JULY 1955 City of VLADIVOSTOK
On 23 Jun 55 at 1013 hrs. Chukot time, in sector 14 PZ 110, Border Guard Detachment observation point o. Rotmanov observed three American "Neptune" aircraft at point D-169o06' SH-65o49'. At 1048 hrs., radio post Chaplin fixed them at an altitude of 6000 m, but only one plane at point SH-64o25', D-171o10. After fixing their position, two jet fighters were scrambled to intercept them. At 1120 hrs. they overtook and attacked the American plane at an altitude of 1500 meters. After the attack the last one dove sharply and disappeared in the clouds. It was established by radio intercept that the American aircraft thrice emitted a distress signal. During the course of the day on 23 Jun 55, and the night of 24 Jun 55, the Americans unsuccessfully attempted to retrieve the downed aircraft.
Information: dispatch 110 Border Guard
Detachment No. 0314
of 23 Jun 55
information of the headquarters of the Air
Defense DVVO
Dispatched to the GUPV No. 00240 of 23 Jun 55
Source: f. 231, op. 1, d. 816, l. 106
True Excerpt:
Chief of the Central
Border Guards Archives
Colonel V.A. Litvinenko
[TFR 359-12]
MAIN DIRECTORATE OF BORDER GUARDS TROOPS, KGB,
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS, USSR
_________________________________________________________________
Distribute: [handwritten sloping to topSecret
Copy no. 2
To Comrade P. I. IVASHUTIN
DIRECTOR GUPV KGB, COUNCIL
OF MINISTERS, USSR
General-Lieutenant
(P. ZYRYANOB)
[underlined by hand]
[Handwritten "original signed"]
"[Handwritten "3"]" September 1958
SPECIAL REPORT
In reference to the report of the Director of the Border Guards of the Armenian Military District, 2 Sep 58, at 1508 hrs., Border Guard Detail 21 [and] 22 of Border Guard Detachment 39 (city of Leninakan) noted the violation of the state border with Turkey by an American transport plane, type C-130 "Gerkules", flying on a course of 140o,' at an altitude of 10 thousand meters.
Upon crossing the border, the above mentioned aircraft was quickly reported via "Vozdukh" to radio direction finding post VNOS [Aircraft Warning Service] in the city of Leninakan.
When the aircraft which had violated the border was fixed by the locator post VNOS, two jet interceptors, piloted by Senior Lieutenants LAPOTKOV and GAVRILOV, were scrambled. They closed on the violating aircraft and instructed the pilot to follow them to the airfield. Not receiving a signal, our pilots opened fire on the enemy aircraft; as a result they followed it to an altitude of 5000 meters where the aircraft caught fire and then crashed 10 km south-east of the village of Verkhniy Talin (35 km from the border).
During a search of the region, part of the burned aircraft was located along with the remains of five human bodies and documents. Among the documents were special, secret orders, which
[TFR 359-13]
[handwritten 8]
2.
ordered the crew, consisting of five people[redacted (b)(3)], to fly from Rhine Main AFB, FRG to Turkey to execute a special mission during the period from 1 to 10 September of this year.
On Captain RUDE and Lieutenant VILLARD were identification cards. All of the crews' documents were sent to the KGB, Council of Ministers of the Armenian SSR to determine their contents more accurately.
The district commands of the 39th Border Guards detachment and 12th outpost of the 40th Border Guards detachment were transferred in, to reinforce border defenses. A joint border search operation was organized with KGB organs along the flight route of the American airplane with the goal of detecting possible landings by parachutists or the air drop of materials.
The border guards observed:
On 2 Sep 58 at 1525 hrs., after the American plane was intercepted by our fighters, help came from the Turkish post KYZYL (against the junction of outposts 23 and 24 of the 39th border detachment). Two soldiers fired two bursts at our aircraft with a light machine gun.
At 1700 hrs., five soldiers from the same post approached the border to a distance of 50 meters and opened fire with rifles in the direction of Outpost border detail 24, manned by Privates KUZ'MIN and DMITRIEV. After these facts have been clarified, a protest will be lodged with the Turkish Border Commissar.
The American plane's violation of the border is being looked into by a commission under the chairmanship of General Major BADAMYANTS.
The wreckage of the aircraft and the bodies of its crew are under the supervision of the Border Guard detail's officers.
Enclosure: map
[handwritten original signed]
CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE GUPV, KGB,
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE UNION OF SSR
General-Lieutenant
(BANNYKH)
"[handwritten "3"]" September 1958
[handwritten "True copy:"] [signature illeg.]
[remainder is handwritten] Source: Report of district No. 783 of
3 Sept 58.
[TFR 359-14]
[This page is entirely handwritten except where indicated]
Region No. 792 on 4 Sep 58. It was reported that during a thorough investigation of the wreckage of the aircraft the following was found: Two additional charred and disfigured corpses, a medallion with the inscription Dunkan Paul' E. L NO-9y, charred pistol "Kol't". A State Commission under the chairmanship of General-Major [Tsetrin?] has undertaken the investigation concerning the facts of the border violation by the aircraft, and the protection of the aircraft's remains, the corpses and other material evidence. Documents evacuated by the KGB were sent to the headquarters of the Commission.
[distribution information typed]
2 copies
1- the senders
2- 1 department of the GUPV
isp. Lykov
pech. Yakovleva
3 Sep 58
mb 8616
Kug n 0209 CENTRAL BORDER GUARD ARCHIVES f. 14, op. 5 ed khr.
5676, l. 8
TFR 359-15: A map associated with TFR 359-12 to 359-14.
[TFR 359-16]
Archive Extraction
Operations Order to the 36 Independent
Red-Banner
Patrol Boat Squadron of the KGB Border Guards,
Northern Region.
15 August 1960
No. 04/OP
pos.Kuvshinskaya
Salma
....The intrusion of the American reconnaissance aircraft, "RB-47" into Soviet airspace in the region of "Svyatoy Nos", bears witness to the fact that the aggressive circles of the United States continue to practice their provocative politics of spy flights..."
Commander, 36th Independent
Red-Banner Patrol Boat
Squadron KGB Border Guards Troops,
Northern Group
(signature)
Acting Chief of Squadron Headquarters
(signature)
Source: f.966, op.2, d.2, l.254,256.
Extraction rendered true:
Chief Central Border Guards Archives
Of the Russian Federation
Colonel V.A.Litvinenko
"[Handwritten "7"]" October 1994
[signature]
[stamp: Central Border
Guards Archives of the
Russian Federation]