THE U2 INCIDENT

[Dealey Joe]

The 1960 U-2 incident occurred during the Cold War on May 1, 1960, during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower and during the leadership of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, when a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down over the airspace of the Soviet Union.The United States government at first denied the plane's purpose and mission, but then was forced to admit its role as a covert surveillance aircraft when the Soviet government produced its intact remains and surviving pilot, Francis Gary Powers, as well as photos of military bases in Russia taken by Gary Powers. Coming roughly two weeks before the scheduled opening of an East–West summit in Paris, the incident was a great embarrassment to the United States[1] and prompted a marked deterioration in its relations with the Soviet Union.In July 1957, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower requested permission from Pakistani Prime Minister Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy for the U.S. to establish a secret intelligence facility in Pakistan and for the U-2 spyplane to fly from Pakistan. A facility established in Badaber (Peshawar Air Station), 10 miles (16 km) from Peshawar, was a cover for a major communications intercept operation run by the United States National Security Agency (NSA). Badaber was an excellent location because of its proximity to Soviet central Asia. This enabled the monitoring of missile test sites, key infrastructure and communications. The U-2 "spy-in-the-sky" was allowed to use the Pakistan Air Force portion of Peshawar Airport to gain vital photo intelligence in an era before satellite observation.[2]On April 9, 1960, a U-2C spyplane of the special Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) unit "10-10," piloted by Bob Ericson, crossed the southern national boundary of the Soviet Union in the area of Pamir Mountains and flew over four Soviet top secret military objects: the Semipalatinsk Test Site, the Dolon Air Base where Tu-95 strategic bombers were stationed, the Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) test site of the Soviet Air Defence Forces near Saryshagan, and the Tyuratam missile range (Baikonur Cosmodrome). The plane was detected by the Soviet Air Defense Forces at 4:47 when it had flown more than 250 km over the Soviet national boundary and avoided several attempts at interception by MiG-19 and Su-9 during the flight. The U-2 left Soviet air space at 11:32 and landed at an Iranian airstrip at Zahedan. It was clear that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency had successfully performed an extraordinary intelligence operation. In spite of the negative USSR diplomatic reaction,[vague] the next flight of the U-2 spyplane from Peshawar airport was planned to take place on April 29On April 28, a U.S. Lockheed U-2C spy plane, Article 358, was ferried from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey to the US base at Peshawar airport by pilot Glen Dunaway. Fuel for the aircraft had been ferried to Peshawar the previous day in a US Air Force C-124 transport. A US Air Force C-130 followed, carrying the ground crew, mission pilot Francis Gary Powers and the back up pilot, Bob Ericson. On the morning of April 29, the crew in Badaber was informed that the mission had been delayed one day. As a result, Bob Ericson flew Article 358 back to Incirlik and John Shinn ferried U-2C Article 360 from Incirlik to Peshawar. On April 30, the mission was delayed one day further because of bad weather over the Soviet Union.[3]The weather improved and on May 1, fifteen days before the scheduled opening of an East–West summit conference in Paris, captain Francis Gary Powers, flying Article 360, 56-6693 left the US base in Peshawar on a mission with the operations code word GRAND SLAM[4] to overfly the Soviet Union, photographing ICBM sites in and around Sverdlovsk and Plesetsk, then land at Bodø in Norway. All units of the Soviet Air Defence Forces in the Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Siberia, Ural and later in the U.S.S.R. European Region and Extreme North were on red alert, and the U-2 flight was expected. Soon after the plane was detected, Lieutenant General of the Air Force Yevgeniy Savitskiy ordered the air-unit commanders "to attack the violator by all alert flights located in the area of foreign plane's course, and to ram if necessary".[5]Because of the U-2's extreme operating altitude, Soviet attempts to intercept the plane using fighter aircraft failed. The U-2's course was out of range of several of the nearest SAM sites, and one SAM site even failed to engage the aircraft since it was not on duty that day. The U-2 was eventually brought down near Degtyarsk, Ural Region, by the first of three SA-2 Guideline (S-75 Dvina) surface-to-air missiles fired by a battery commanded by Mikhail Voronov.[3] In bailing out, the plane's pilot, Francis Gary Powers, neglected to disconnect his oxygen hose and struggled with it until it broke, enabling him to separate from the aircraft. He successfully bailed out and parachuted to safety. He was captured soon after parachuting down onto Russian soil.[5] Powers carried with him a modified silver dollar which contained a lethal, shellfish-derived saxitoxin-tipped needle, but did not use it.[6]The SAM command center was unaware that the plane was destroyed for more than 30 minutes.[5] One of the Soviet MiG-19 fighters pursuing Powers, piloted by Sergei Safronov, was also destroyed in the missile salvo.[3][7] The MiGs' IFF transponders were not yet switched to the new May codes because of the May 1st holiday.[8]A close study of Powers' account of the flight shows that one of the last targets he had overflown was the Chelyabinsk-65 plutonium production facility.[9] From photographs of the facility, the heat rejection capacity of the reactors' cooling systems could have been estimated, thus allowing a calculation of the power output of the reactors. This then would have allowed the amount of plutonium being produced to be determined, thus allowing analysts to determine how many nuclear weapons the USSR was producing.Four days after Powers disappeared, NASA issued a very detailed press release noting that an aircraft had "gone missing" north of Turkey.[11] The press release speculated that the pilot might have fallen unconscious while the autopilot was still engaged, even falsely claiming that "the pilot reported over the emergency frequency that he was experiencing oxygen difficulties." To bolster this, a U-2 plane was quickly painted in NASA colors and shown to the media.After learning of this, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev announced to the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, and thus the world, that a "spyplane" had been shot down but intentionally made no reference to the pilot. As a result, the Eisenhower Administration, thinking the pilot had died in the crash, authorized the release of a cover story claiming that the plane was a "weather research aircraft" which had strayed into Soviet airspace after the pilot had radioed "difficulties with his oxygen equipment" while flying over Turkey. The Eisenhower White House acknowledged that this might be the same plane, but still proclaimed that "there was absolutely no deliberate attempt to violate Soviet airspace and never has been", and attempted to continue the facade by grounding all U-2 aircraft to check for "oxygen problems."On May 7, Khrushchev sprang his trap and announced:[12]I must tell you a secret. When I made my first report I deliberately did not say that the pilot was alive and well… and now just look how many silly things [the Americans] have said.Not only was Powers still alive, but his plane was also largely intact. The Soviets recovered the surveillance camera and even developed some of the photographs. The incident resulted in great humiliation for Eisenhower's administration, caught in a lie.[13]Powers’ survival pack, including 7500 rubles and jewelry for women,[citation needed] was also recovered. Today a large part of the wreck as well as many items from the survival pack are on display at the Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow. A small piece of the plane was returned to the United States and is on display at the National Cryptologic Museum.

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

10.10.2012Dear JFK Murder Solved Forum Members and Readers:12.07.2011 - Joe Hall Posted this Important Headline about a subject matter that has been buried, covered up, and ignored by the C.I.A., D.I.A., and D.O.D. because there is very strong likelihood that the C.I.A. had an integral part in assisting the development of The U - 2 Incident to achieve the exact result that came to fruition.Was it really shot down ? I am strongly of the opinion that it was not.The U - 2 flew at extremely high altitudes beyond what the Russian's could fire or fly.The timeliness of the event in succeeding with the continuity and increased development of the Cold War, and Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia increased the unbridled power of the C.I.A. leading to the Assassinations of JFK, MLK, and RFK.If I recall correctly Mr. Phil Dragoo, a Premiere JFK Member, Researcher, and Writer Par excellence did some excellent research and writing on the U - 2 Incident. I will ask Phil to reproduce his excellent work here if I can't find it.Any additional analyses, interviews, investigations, readings, research, studies, thoughts, or writings on any aspect ofthis Subject Matter ?Bear in mind that we are trying to attract and educate a Whole New Generation of JFK Researcher's who may not be aswell versed as you.Comments ?Respectfully,BB.

[kenmurray]

Oswald and the U2 program:http://www.ctka.net/2012/LHO_U2_Mark_Prior.html

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

10.11.2012Dear JFK Murder Solved Forum Members and Readers:12.07.2011 - Joe Hall Posted this Important Headline about a Subject Matter that I have long been interested in researching and studying about more extensively.Ken Murray - Thank you very much for this Post under this Headline. It adds to our Body of Knowledgehere.I am interested in the U - 2, and Francis Gary Powers incident for a number of important inter-connected reasons, all beginning and ending with with the C.I.A., The High Cabal, and The Military Industrial Complex.Ken - I think that Phil Dragoo previously found and Posted something, somewhere that I am looking for, a picture of the actual grounded U - 2 of Francis Gary Powers, with absolute minimal damage.I have interviewed personally two (2) alphabet operatives, who I totally believe. They insist that the U - 2 was never shot down, but rather brought down by the C.I.A. by artificial "mechanical means."It could not be hit at the height that some reports allege that it was hit at.If it was shot down from the 50,000 - 70,000 foot height, why was it not destroyed in the air ? You can't "wing" a plane at that height. (Pardon the pun).And if was hit at any major height, certainly it would have been significantly damaged upon being"winged' with further damage upon impact, would it not ?Phil's photos proved and substantiated what I had heard. It showed absolute minimal damage that was incurred when the U - 2 glided to earth.Ken - that said, if you can find more, not only would I greatly appreciate it, but I would totally invite your thoughts about what I have said, in conjunction. Any additional analyses, interviews, investigations, readings, research, studies, thoughts, or writings on any aspect of this Subject Matter ?Bear in mind that we ware trying to attract and educated a Whole New Generation of JFK Researcher's who may notbe as well versed as you.Comments ?Respectfully,BB.

[kenmurray]

Bruce, Here is Col. Fletcher Prouty discussing the U2 incident with Len Osanic years ago:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33hEp5S1 ... ure=relmfu

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

10.12.2012Dear JFK Murder Solved Forum Members and Readers:Ken - Thank You my friend for your quick response.I can't open either one.What am I doing wrong ? Can you Post them Opened here, or send them to my Personal Email.Any additional analyses, interviews, investigations, readings, research, studies, thoughts, or writings on any aspect of this Subject Matter ?Bear in mind that we are trying to attract and educate a Whole New Generation of JFK Researcher's whomay not be as well versed as you.Respectfully,BB.

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

07.19.2013Dear JFK Murder Solved Forum Members and Readers:12.07.2011 - Mr. Joe "Dealey Joe" Hall Posted this Important Headline that I have had a long and stronginterest. This is much more crucial to understanding The High Cabal, The CIA, and The Military IndustrialComplex.I have long believed that there is substantially more to the relationship of The U -2 Incident, LHO, and The Assassination of JFK than we know or understand. This is a subject matter that I clearly think deserves more analysis, investigation, reading, research, study, and writing.There exists till today a major cover-up, and failure to disclose The Truth behind The U - 2 Incident.Any more recent analyses, interviews, investigations, readings, research, studies, thoughts, or writings on any aspect of this Subject Matter ?Bear in mind that we are trying to attract and educate a Whole New Generation of JFK Researcher's who maynot be as well versed as you.Comments ?Respectfully,BB.

[Ed Teach]

Powers died in a helicopter crash...he ran out of gas so they say. The faulty fuel gauge had been repaired and no one told him. OK.He didn't get returned to the USA until 65 right? After a trade for a soviet spy? Did Kennedy tell the CIA boys sorry we ain't playing tit for tat with your pilot?The SR71 came in the tailwash from the U2 incident. Of course they needed a war for this new super plane. Perhaps the Kennedy administration was moving against the budget monies of Lockheed Martin and the CIA?Who were the people who pocketed the Lockheed Martin profits and government contracts?

[kenmurray]

Gary Francis Powers Jr. discusses his Dad and the U-2 flight incident on Down The Rabbit Hole:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9MswSxQfaY

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

06.27.2015Dear JFK Murder Solved Forum Members and Readers:12.07.2011 - Joe Hall Posted this Important Headline that I have been researching and studying for years.Today on another Post and Headline discussions began reviewing LHO's Security Clearance, and theU - 2 Incident.This discussion may be beneficial to that discussion, and generate additional discussion here.Any additional analyses, interviews, investigations, readings, research, studies, thoughts, or writings on any aspect of this Subject Matter ?Bear in mind that we are trying to attract and educate a Whole New Generation of JFK Researcher's whomay not be as well versed as you.Comments ?Respectfully,BB.