Looking Down the Corridors

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Looking Down the Corridors Page 32

by Kevin Wright


  RB-26 Invader

  US twin-engine light bomber converted to the photographic role

  RB-36D

  Reconnaissance version of the Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft

  RC-97

  Designation erroneously applied to C-97 aircraft in photographic role

  RC-135

  Electronic reconnaissance version of the C-135 Stratotanker aircraft

  RECCEXREP

  Reconnaissance Exploitation Report

  Red Owl

  US project name for photographic operations in the Corridors and BCZ 1950–58

  Reichswehr

  Collective name for the German armed forces during Nazi era 1933–45

  Remote

  UK code name for Pembroke photographic operations in the Corridors and BCZ 1967–71

  RISTA

  Reconnaissance Intelligence Strike and Target Acquisition

  Rivet Flare

  US project name for conversion of C-97 aircraft to photographic role

  Rivet Giant

  US project name for conversion of C-97 aircraft to photographic role

  Robertson–Malinin

  Agreement between C-in-C BAOR and C-in-C GSFG governing relations between GSFG and BAOR, including BRIXMIS

  RPF

  Radio Proving Flight

  RWR

  Radar Warning Receiver

  SA-330 Puma (HÉT)

  SA-330 Puma Hélicoptère Électronique Technique (HÉT)

  SAC

  Strategic Air Command

  SAM

  Surface-to-Air Missile

  Sarigue

  Système Aéroporté de Recueil des Informations de Guerre Électronique

  Schooner

  UK code name for BRIXMIS Chipmunk flights circa 1970s

  SCIF

  Special Compartmented Imagery Facility

  Security Service

  UK agency responsible for the security of the UK mainland, see also MI5

  SED

  Sozialistische Einheits Deutschland – German Unity Party

  Senior Reach

  US project name for KA-116 SRIS camera system

  SENSINT

  Sensitive intelligence programme

  SEO

  Special Equipment Officer

  SERB

  Soviet External Relations Branch. Responsible for liaison between the AMLMs and HQ GSFG at Zossen-Wünsdorf

  Sergeant III

  Thermal Imaging System proposed for fitting to Andover

  Six Ps

  Prior Preparation and Planning Prevents Poor Performance

  SIGINT

  Overall term covering intercept of electronic emissions that covers COMINT (qv) and ELINT (qv)

  SIS

  Secret Intelligence Service, see also MI6

  SMLM

  Soviet Military Liaison Mission(s) in West Germany

  SNCO

  Senior non-commissioned officer

  SOXMIS

  Soviet Commander-in-Chief’s Military Liaison Mission to the Commander-in-Chief BAOR. Russian equivalent of BRIXMIS

  SOZ

  Soviet Occupied Zone of Germany

  SPIR

  Special Photographic Interpretation Report

  SRIS

  Senior Reach Imaging System, see KA-116

  SRS

  Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron

  SRW

  Strategic Reconnaissance Wing

  SSI

  School of Service Intelligence based at Ashford in Kent

  Stasi

  See MfS

  STOL

  Short Take Off and Landing

  Sqn

  Squadron

  T-29A/CT-29A

  Military version of CV240 civil airliner

  TA

  Territorial Army

  TAS

  Tactical Airlift Squadron

  TAW

  Tactical Airlift Wing

  TEL

  Transporter-Erector-Launcher

  TELAR

  Transporter-Erector-Launcher and Radar

  Texas Postcard

  Unofficial name for the 36in × 18in images produced by the K-42 Pie Face camera

  The Wall

  Concrete wall constructed in August 1961 dividing East from West Berlin

  The Wire

  Border between West Berlin and the GDR

  TO & E

  Table of Organisation and Equipment

  Tokay

  UK code name for RAF Corridor photographic flights 1959–64

  TR

  Tank Regiment

  TRS

  Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron

  TTW

  Transition to War

  UAS

  University Air Squadron

  UHF

  Ultra High Frequency

  UN

  United Nations

  US

  United States

  USA

  United States of America

  USAAF

  United States Army Air Force

  USAF

  United States Air Force

  USAFE

  United States Air Force in Europe

  USAFSS

  United States Air Force Security Service

  USAREUR

  United States Army in Europe

  USCINCEUR

  United States Commander-in-Chief Europe

  USCOB

  United Sates Command Berlin

  USMLM

  United States Military Liaison Mission

  USN

  United States Navy

  USSR

  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

  VCAS

  Vice Chief of the Air Staff

  Venton

  Code name for RAF Corridor photographic flights 1987–90

  VFR

  Visual Flight Rules

  VG

  Vugraph: transparent positive image that could be projected for briefings

  VHF

  Very High Frequency

  VLF

  Very Low Frequency

  WAC

  World Area Chart

  Wg

  Wing

  WGF

  Western Group of Forces

  Witch Doctor

  Project name for USAF covert airborne photographic programme

  WO

  War Office, British Ministry responsible for the Army until the formation of the Ministry of Defence

  WO

  Warrant Officer: highest non-commissioned rank in the British forces

  WOZ

  Western Occupied Zones

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Kevin Wright, PhD

  Attending university as a mature student, Kevin Wright was awarded his PhD by the University of Essex in 1998 on the role of expert communities in arms control policy formulation. He went on to teach with the Government Department at Essex for over fifteen years, lecturing in international security studies and international relations. He is now a freelance aviation writer and photographer, living in Ireland with his wife Sue and son Stefan.

  His current research interests are Cold War intelligence gathering, the development of an EU military identity, peace-keeping doctrine, arms control and Confidence and Security Building Measures in Europe. Recent published works include items on military policy and history for defence and web-based journals covering British Cold War intelligence gathering in Germany, the Treaty on Open Skies, Japanese Air Defence, JASDF fighter history, Polish airlift assets, US civilian airlift capabilities and the Vienna Documents.

  Peter Jefferies

  Peter Jefferies enlisted into the Intelligence Corps in 1962 after a short period in the Royal Artillery (Territorial Army). He served in Germany, Malta and Cyprus in intelligence, counter intelligence and security duties before qualifying as a Photographic Interpreter in 1969. Until he left the Regular Army in 1983 he mainly served in PI units in Germany and Britain and Northern Ireland. During his time as a PI he spent over nine ye
ars exploiting the imagery from the Allied photographic reconnaissance operations in the Berlin Air Corridors and BCZ. Peter rejoined the Territorial Army in 1984 and one of his appointments was commanding the section exploiting the Corridor and BCZ imagery during training weekends and annual continuation training camps.

  After leaving the Regular Army in 1983 he became a civil servant with the UK MoD and remained with them until he retired in 2007.

  Peter lives in Cambridgeshire with his wife Valerie. They have three children and eight grandchildren.

  REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

  R. Aldrich (1998), ‘British Intelligence and the Anglo American “Special Relationship” during the Cold War’, Review of International Studies, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 331–51.

  R. Aldrich (2001), The Hidden Hand: Britain, America and Cold War Secret Intelligence (London: John Murray Books).

  R. Aldrich (2011), GCHQ (London: Harper Press).

  R. Bates (2001), ‘BRIXMIS – History and Roles’, RAF Historical Society Journal, No. 23, pp. 10–19.

  M.R. Beschloss (1986), Mayday: Eisenhower, Khrushchev and the U-2 Affair (London: Faber & Faber).

  W.J. Boyne (2012), The Berlin for Lunch Bunch. Available at: http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2012/July%202012/0712berlin.aspx.

  D.A. Brugioni (2010), Eyes in the Sky: Eisenhower, the CIA and Cold War Aerial Espionage (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press).

  W.E. Burrows (2001), By Any Means Necessary: America’s Secret Air War (London: Arrow Books).

  R. Cargill Hall and C.D. Laurie (2003), Early Cold War Overflights 1950–1956: Symposium Proceedings, Vol. 1: Memoirs (Washington DC: Office of the Historian, National Reconnaissance Office).

  R. Cargill Hall and C.D. Laurie (2003), Early Cold War Overflights 1950–1956: Symposium Proceedings, Vol. 2: Appendixes (Washington DC: Office of the Historian, National Reconnaissance Office).

  D. Cockburn, ‘Chipmunk Pilot 1985–1990: A Personal Boring Story’ (unpublished memoir).

  Comité Historique de l’Association Guerrelec (2009), Les Avions de Renseignement Électronique (Panazol: Lavauzelle Graphic).

  J. Crampton (1997), ‘RB-45 Operations’, Air Intelligence Symposium, RAF Historical Society, Bracknell Paper No. 7, pp. 124–32.

  L. Davies, ‘BRIXMIS Member April 1975 to August 1978: My Re-acquaintance with the Chipmunk’ (unpublished memoir).

  T. Geraghty (1997), BRIXMIS: The Untold Exploits of Britain’s Most Daring Cold War Spy Mission (London: Harper Collins).

  S. Gibson (2012), Live and Let Spy: BRIXMIS – the Last Cold War Mission (Stroud: The History Press).

  D. Gordon (2006), Tactical Reconnaissance in the Cold War (Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books).

  W. Grimes (2014), The History of Big Safari (Bloomington, IN: Archway Publishing).

  P. Kuhrt (1968), ‘Looking Down on Berlin’s Wall’, Stars and Stripes, 11 August 1968.

  P. Lashmar (1996), Spy Flights of the Cold War (Stroud: Sutton Publishing).

  P. Magnificat (2008), Propousk! Missions derrière le rideau de fer (1947–1989) (Panazol: Lavauzelle Graphic).

  R. Marsden (1998), ‘Operation “Schooner/Nylon”: RAF Flying in the Berlin Control Zone’, Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 178–93.

  R.G. Miller (1998), To Save a City: The Berlin Airlift 1948–49 (Washington DC: Bolling AFB). Available at: http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-101001–053.pdf.

  G. Mindling and R. Bolton (2011), US Air Force Tactical Missiles 1949–1969 (Morrisville, NC: Lulu.com publishing).

  H. Neubroch (2001), ‘RAF Element BRIXMIS: Further Recollections of Operational Experiences 1957–59’, RAF Historical Society Journal, No. 23, pp. 106–15.

  A. Paringaux (1996), Le Règne du Mirage IV (Paris: La Mâitrise du Ciel).

  G.W. Pedlow and D.E. Welzenbach (1992), The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance, 1954–1974 (Washington DC: History Staff, CIA). Available at: http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB434/AppendixD.

  R. Pietrini (2008), Vostock, missions de renseignement au coeur de la Guerre froide (Les Echelles: Mission Speciale Productions).

  C. Pocock and C. Fu (2010), The Black Bats: CIA Spy Flights over China from Taiwan 1951–1969 (Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing).

  J. Richelson (1987), American Espionage and the Soviet Target (New York: William Morrow Inc.).

  P. Rodgers (2001), ‘Photographic Reconnaissance Operations’, RAF Historical Society Journal, No. 23, pp. 69–77.

  R. Saar, ‘Sqn Ldr Ops 1970–1973 BRIXMIS Memories’ (unpublished memoir).

  J. Smith (1998), The Cold War (London: Blackwell) (2nd edn).

  L. Tart (2013), Freedom through Vigilance: History of US Air Forces Security Service (USAFSS), Vol. 2 (West Conshocken, PA: Infinity Publishing).

  L. Tart and R. Keefe (2001), The Price of Vigilance (New York: Ballantine).

  W. Taylor (2003), Royal Air Force Germany since 1945 (Hinckley: Midland Publishing).

  A. and J. Tusa (1988), The Berlin Blockade: Berlin in 1948 (London: Hodder & Stoughton).

  J. van Waarde (2010), Target Iron Curtain. Available at: http://www.16va.be/TargetIronCurtain-JanvanWaarde2010.pdf.

  P. Williams (2006), Brixmis in the 1980s: The Cold War’s ‘Great Game’ – Memories of Liaising with the Soviet Army in East Germany. Parallel History Project on Cooperative Security (PHP). Available at: http://www.php.isn.ethz.ch/collections/colltopic.cfm?lng=en&id=27752&nav1=1&nav2=3&nav3=5.

  K. Wright (2009), ‘Opening the Skies: The Fascinating World of Open Skies Overflights’, Aircraft Illustrated, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 60–4.

  K. Wright (2009), ‘War of Intelligence’, Aircraft, Vol. 42, No.11, pp. 64–70.

  K. Wright (2011), ‘The Photo Pembrokes’, Aircraft, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 22–8.

  K. Wright (2014), ‘Cold War Reconnaissance Flights along the Berlin Corridors and in the Berlin Control Zone 1960–90: Risk, Coordination and Sharing’, Intelligence and National Security, DOI: 10.1080/02684527.2014.890467.

  K. Wright and P. Jefferies (2015), ‘Berlin Air Corridors US Peace Missions’, Aviation News, February 2015, pp. 50–6.

  H. Wynn (1997), RAF Nuclear Deterrent Forces (London: HMSO).

  1 Tyuratam Missile Test Range, now the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a key target for U-2 deep-penetration flights. (Photo: USAF)

  2 Wreckage of Powers’ U-2, still displayed at the Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow. (Photo: Kevin Wright)

  3 In front of the BASC building at Kleistpark with the four national representatives on 26 January 1989. (L to R) Major Rick Fuller (US), Wing Commander David Pollock (Britain), Colonel Claude Favier (France) and Colonel Boris Shunin (USSR). The BASC was one of only two Four Power institutions that functioned through the Cold War. (Photo: USAF – CMSgt Don Sutherland)

  4 BASC at work. Major Vladimir Zhurba (USSR) discusses flight information with Captain Bill Sumption (US). (Photo: USAF – CMSgt Don Sutherland)

  5 The BARTCC operations room photographed in January 1987. Located at the US Tempelhof Airbase in Berlin, BARTCC controlled aircraft in the Corridors and BCZ and was exclusively manned by USAF personnel. (Photo: USAF – Thomas Farr)

  6 With its defensive armament removed, RB-17G Fortress 44-8889 gathered SIGINT with the 7499th Support Squadron from April 1949 until September 1953. (Photo: USAF)

  7 Douglas VC-47D Skytrain 43-48186 at Tempelhof in June 1961. C-47s performed a wide range of VIP, freight, personnel and medical transport flights, as well as reconnaissance duties along the Corridors. (Photo: Ralf Manteufel)

  8 Convair CT-29A 49-1912 Carol Ann on approach to Tempelhof. Every effort was made to hide its cameras and aerials from watching Soviet and East German eyes. (Photo: Peter Seemann)

  9 Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter 49-2592 Pie Face that carried a huge Boston K-42 camera with a 240in lens (see frontispiece) but externally still looked like a standard C-97 transport. (Photo: Ralf Manteufel)

  10 Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter 52-2
688 Eager Beaver PHOTINT aircraft served in Germany from July 1963. In later years, with the addition of new equipment, it became known as Rivet Box. Leaving in early 1970, it was retired to the Arizona desert at Davis Monthan AFB. (Photo: Ralf Manteufel)

  11 Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter 53-0106 Wine Sap equipped to monitor the SA-2 Guideline missile system. Converted to the role around 1965 it is seen here taxiing out at Tempelhof on 9 August 1971. (Photo: Ralf Manteufel)

  12 Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter 52-2687 Flint Stone in August 1964. Serving with the 7405th for over fourteen years, it was latterly known as Rivet Stem, a photographic aircraft, after removal of its SIGINT equipment. It was the last C-97 to leave Wiesbaden Air Base in 1975. (Photo: Ralf Manteufel)

  13 Douglas C-118A Liftmaster ‘51-3842’ at Tempelhof. Its real tail number was 51-3823. The real serial 51-3842 was allocated to a C-121 (Lockheed Constellation). It was one of four C-118s which were given false tail numbers in 1965–66, generating speculation that they were connected with CIA operations. (Photo: Ralf Manteufel)

 

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