by Kevin Wright
14 Lockheed C-130E-II Hercules 62-1822 photographed on the Rhein-Main (Frankfurt) in November 1981. In 1985 the aircraft returned to Germany, after upgrading in the US, fitted with the superlative KA-116 SRIS camera. (Photo: Manfred Faber)
15 Three RF-100A Slick Chick aircraft operated from Bitburg AB in 1955–56. Their armament replaced by cameras and carrying extra external fuel tanks, they flew a small number of penetration flights over Eastern Europe. (Photo: USAF)
16 A licence-built version of the British Canberra, a small number of Heart Throb Martin RB-57As undertook a short series of East European overflights in 1955–56. Later, ‘big wing’ versions of the RB-57 continued operating in Europe until late 1968. (Photo: USAF)
17 For a short period the RAF used the C-in-C’s Douglas C-47 Dakota aircraft, similar to this one, in Germany for photography in 1946 and 1947 using a hand-held F.24 camera. (Photo: Stefan Wright-Cole)
18 The Anson was a common sight in a number of roles in Europe during the 1940s and 1950s. Similar aircraft to this one were used by the British on their Corridor and BCZ photographic flights from 1948 until 1958. (Photo: Kevin Wright)
19 Pembroke C(PR)1 XL953 on approach to Tempelhof AB. The Pembroke was the mainstay of British photographic operations in Germany for over thirty years until their end in 1990. This particular aircraft was burned out in a hangar fire at Wildenrath in May 1980. (Photo: Peter Seemann)
20 Percival Pembroke C(PR)1 XL954 banks away to show the ‘post-Mod 614’ camera doors. The Pembroke’s low ground clearance meant that camera doors were necessary to protect the lenses on the ground and to try to hide them from Soviet and East German eyes. This aircraft is currently based in Ireland. (Photo: Classic Air Force)
21 By the 1980s the Pembroke’s age and the weight of its camera load were causing operating problems and one camera was removed in the summer months. This cartoon shows the PIs solution to the weight problem by boosting its take-off using a Harrier-style ‘ski ramp’. (Photo: Reg Deness)
22 The East German Border Guard watchtower near RAF Gatow carefully monitored the comings and goings at the airfield. This one was similar in design to the one at Gross Glienicke Border Guard barracks. (Photo: Dallas Payne)
23 View from a Pembroke shortly after take-off from Gatow. The Border with the GDR (The Wire) formed part of Gatow’s boundary and one of the watchtowers is clearly visible in this shot. (Photo: Dallas Payne)
24 Andover C(PR)1 XS596 succeeded the photo-Pembrokes but by then the operation was all but over. A short while later the aircraft left 60 Squadron to become the UK’s ‘Open Skies’ platform and here is seen flying over southern England soon after taking on its new role. (Photo: via Kevin Wright)
25 Douglas C-47B Gabriel, 43-49454 F-UJGN of ELA 55. Prior to being assigned to Corridor flights, Armée de l’Air C-47s had taken part in the French North African colonial wars. (Photo: Peter Seemann)
26 Nord N2501 Noratlas No. 036 of EÉ54 Dunkerque at Berlin-Tegel in 1964, fitted with the Furet III (Ferret III) system. (Photo: Peter Seemann)
27 C-160G Transall Gabriel VI, F-216, F-ZJUP. Introduced in the closing days of the Cold War, the two converted Transalls continue to serve in the SIGINT role with the Armée de l’Air. This image shows the aircraft in a more contemporary external configuration. (Photo: Armée de l’Air)
28 De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 WG486 of RAF Gatow Station Flight over the Brandenburg Gate in 1994. Of 1940s vintage, the venerable Chipmunk outlasted all the other aircraft types by successfully operating for forty years in the BCZ. (Photo: Crown Copyright via Mike Neil)
29 View from a BRIXMIS Chipmunk under fire from a Soviet soldier. Flying at low level over Soviet installations clearly carried a risk and on occasions aircraft returned with the odd extra hole. Fortunately no one was ever hurt in such incidents. (Photo: Crown Copyright via BRIXMIS Association)
30 De Havilland Canada DHC-2 U-6A/L-20 (Beaver) 58-2020 of US Berlin Aviation Detachment. The Beaver was an excellent observation platform possessing a good field of view and proved to be rugged and reliable. (Photo: Peter Seemann)
31 Pilatus UV-20A Chiricahua (Turbo Porter) 79-23253 of US Berlin Brigade Aviation Detachment. A pilot’s favourite because of its excellent handling characteristics and ability to land in strong crosswinds on the Tempelhof taxiway as this one is demonstrating in 1982. (Photo: Ralf Manteufel)
32 Max-Holste MH-4521 Broussard No. 208 of AdlA at Tempelhof Open House in 1977. A long-serving utility and observation aircraft with the French military, it was a stable photographic platform. (Photo: Peter Seemann)
33 De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter No. 603 of Adl’A at Tempelhof in 1988. Arriving in Berlin late in the day, the aircraft was well suited to its role. (Photo: Ralf Manteufel)
34 Cessna L-19E Bird Dog No. 24557 F-MCMO of DETALAT at Tempelhof Open House in 1993. Like the Chipmunk these aircraft had good handling characteristics at low speed but their narrow fuselage posed major challenges for photographers with long lenses. (Photo: Peter Seemann)
35 Sud Aviation SE3160 Alouette III of DETALAT. The Alouette III was another long-serving type with the French military, although it did not regularly operate from Berlin until 1987. The type remained there until the termination of French operations in 1994. (Photo: Hugo Mambour)
36 Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter at Mahlwinkel in the Centre Corridor in 1993. The Hind was a serious concern to NATO forces because of its potent weapon load and sustained field operations capability. (Photo: MMFL Association via Roland Pietrini)
37 Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer at Welzow, which was well outside even the expanded 1990 airspace boundaries, pictured in 1993–94. The Su-24 was considered a serious threat because of its long range and large weapons load. It was among the last Russian aircraft to be withdrawn from Germany in 1994. (Photo: MMFL Association via Roland Pietrini)
38 AW Gazelle AH 1 similar to those used by 7 Flight AAC from Gatow until the end of operations in Berlin in 1990. (Photo: Kevin Wright)
39 Bell UH-1H 67-17305 of the US Army’s Berlin Aviation Detachment stored at Tempelhof. Always immaculate in their special VIP colour scheme, they used the call sign ‘Freedom City’. (Photo: Ben Dunnell)
40 The Georg Wilhelm Haus in Bad Eilsen was the home of the RAF and Army PI units until 1954 when they moved to Rheindahlen. (Photo: Bad Eilsen reunion website)
41 The JHQ building at Rheindahlen was central to British military operations in Germany from 1954 until its closure at the end of 2013. (Photo: Crown Copyright)
42 The Schierstein Compound in Wiesbaden was the home of the 497th RTS/497th RTG from 1954 until 1991 and central to American photographic intelligence operations. (Photo: USAF)
43 The Type ‘D’ stereoscope provided a 2x magnification and could be folded to fit into a small soft spectacle-type carrying case. (Photo: Peter Jefferies)
44 The simple interpretation tools used by the British until the late 1960s: the SV8 stereoscope with up to 4x magnification, the measuring magnifier and simple light box. (Photo: Peter Jefferies)
45 The Richards MIM-4 light table with Bausch & Lomb zoom 240 microscope head, motorised film drives and split light platen provided a quantum leap in interpretation capability. (Photo: Peter Jefferies)
46 A SS-1 Scud Battalion training on the Letzlinger Heide. Annotation Key: 1 – Scud Missile being loaded on to Scud transporter-erector-launcher on an MAZ-543; 2 – Scud transporter-erector-launcher on MAZ-543. (Photo: Crown Copyright via Medmenham Collection)
47 A Divisional Free Flight Rocket Battalion (FFR Bn) deployed on a local training area. FFR Battalions were notoriously difficult to find in barracks and only their associated equipment was generally seen at their home locations. The BTR-60 PA command vehicle No. 952 – at the bottom centre – was subsequently seen in a barracks area suspected to belong to the FFR Battalion. (Photo: Crown Copyright via the Medmenham Collection)
48 Schlotheim in the South Corridor housed a BMP-2 equipped Motor Rifle Regiment. Note the Soviet taste f
or fencing between units. Annotation key: 1 – Engineer Company; 2 – Air Defence Battery with 2S6 Tunguska; 3 – Reconnaissance Company with BMP-2; 4 – Tank Battalion with T-80; 5 – Motor Rifle Battalion with BMP-2; 6 – Mortar Batteries with 120mm mortar; 7 – Anti-Tank Battery with AT-5 Spandrel on BRDM-2; 8 – Artillery Battalion with 2S1 122mm self-propelled gun and 1V series command and reconnaissance vehicles; 9 – Fuel re-supply Company with KrAZ-255 fuel bowsers (tank truck); 10 – Maintenance Company; 11 – Two T-80 Main Battle Tank (MBT); 12 – Aircraft/Helicopter refuelling unit (lodger unit). (Photo: Crown Copyright via the Medmenham Collection)
49 Detailed image showing the breech of a 2S5 Giantsint-S 152mm self-propelled howitzer. The shot allowed analysts to determine its operation and layout. (Photo: Crown Copyright via Bob Hamilton)
50 Mi-8 Hip helicopter undergoing maintenance at Rangsdorf. The photograph shows details of the engine compartment layout. Shots like this, of newly arrived equipment, were of great assistance in understanding how a vehicle, helicopter or aircraft were constructed and worked. (Photo: Crown Copyright via Bob Hamilton)
51 A Flat Face B search radar. The shadow shows the shape of the radar sails, which helped the PI considerably. (Photo: MMFL Association via Roland Pietrini)
52 IPR underwater reconnaissance vehicle taken from a Chipmunk. An experienced PI could extract a wealth of technical intelligence from images such as this. (Photo: Crown Copyright via the Medmenham Collection)
53 SA-2 Guideline SAM site in Cuba. This is a similar configuration to the one discovered at Glau in the late 1950s which became the centre for a considerable intelligence gathering effort to try and discover the SA-2s full capabilities. (Photo: USAF)
54 S-75 Dvina (SA-2 Guideline) missile on a launcher and with another missile on the re-supply trailer to the left. (Photo: Crown Copyright via the Medmenham Collection)
55 SNR-75 (Fan Song) SA-2 target acquisition and fire control radar mounted on top of a hardened facility to improve its range and operation. (Photo: Crown Copyright via the Medmenham Collection)
56 Spring 1981. BM-21 multi-barrel rocket launchers and other vehicles marked with the letter ‘K’ on the cabs. The application of these markings concerned senior NATO commanders who feared it might have been part of preparations for a ‘fraternal intervention’ in Poland. (Photo: MMFL Association via Roland Pietrini)
57 SA-9 Gaskin low-level SAM systems on BRDM-2 armoured cars in their home barracks outside their parking shed. (Photo: Crown Copyright via the Medmenham Collection)
58 ‘Let’s call them Fred’. A PRP-3 on BMP-1 Chassis (Small Fred) and SNAR-10 Leopard battlefield radar on MT-LB (Big Fred). (Photo: Crown Copyright via the Bob Hamilton Collection and Hugo Mambour)
59 A BTR-60PB equipped Motor Rifle Battalion undergoing routine maintenance and inspection. The PI could extract a wealth of information such as: the shed occupied by the unit, the number of equipments, and side numbers indicating each vehicles position in the the unit organisation. Close-up images taken at the same time produced technical intelligence on the vehicles such as the content of the vehicle tool kit from which we could deduce the level of maintenance carried out at unit level.
60 A T-64 MBT power-pack change was a major operation and revealed a wealth of internal detail. (Photo: Crown Copyright via the Medmenham Collection)
61 SPN-30 Paint Box radar jamming system. This significant system was intended to interfere with the terrain following radar of NATO F-111, Tornado and even some components of the E-3 AWACS systems. It was the subject of a major international technical intelligence programme. (Photo: Crown Copyright via Bob Hamilton)
62 R-408 Twin Plate tropospheric scatter communications system. (Photo: Crown Copyright via Roy Marsden)
63 R-412 Twin Ear tropospheric scatter communications system in barracks. (Photo: Crown Copyright via Roy Marsden)
64 MiG-25RBV Foxbat or MiG-25RBT Foxbat Bort No. 74 at Werneuchen. The RAF PIs could deduce the layout of the reconnaissance equipment carried by these versions. (Photo: MMFL Association)
65 Yak-28 Firebar undergoing maintenance at Werneuchen with ARA-4 ground power unit on URAL-375 chassis. In 1966 a Firebar crashed into the Havelsee resulting in a major British intelligence effort to recover certain engine and electronic components. (Photo: MMFL Association)
66 Colbitz under the Centre Corridor hosts an army-level air defence equipment display. The intelligence community suspected that these were a deliberate ‘show and tell’ by the Soviets. Annotation Key: 1 – Air defence radars: Long Track; Spoonrest D; Thin Skin B; Flat Face B; 2 – Army-level SAM systems: SA-11 Gadfly and SA-4 Ganef and their associated radars; 3 – Regimental-level Air Defence systems: 2S6 Tunguska, BMP-2 MANPADS carriers and their associated radars; 4 – Divisional-level SAM system: SA-8 Gecko and associated radars; 5 – Air defence command and control vehicles; 6 – Mi-8 Hip helicopters, probably VIP transports. (Photo: Crown Copyright via the Medmenham Collection)
