“US military apparently liked impunity” – BBC

At the height of the “cold war” – May 1, 1960 – the working people of the Soviet Union have received an unusual gift – in the skies over the Soviet Union was shot down and captured an American pilot Gary Powers spy. Department of Science “Gazety.Ru” tells the details.

American samolet- reconnaissance Lockheed U-2, which ran the pilot Francis Gary Powers took off from Peshawar, Pakistan, and headed toward the Soviet Union. It happened May 1, 1960, when the Soviet Union vengeance celebrated May Day. Back in April 1956, Powers was recruited by the CIA to carry out special reconnaissance tasks in designated high-altitude aircraft. The Soviet Union had no air defense systems, which could bring down an airplane flying at an altitude of 20 km, so the Powers of the special excitement fly over hostile territory experienced.

During the four years of the program were able to photograph the American planes 15% of Soviet territory, among other things declassifying the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

At this time, Powers had to fly over the spaceport Tyuratam, Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk before the Soviet air defense system it detected. He had to land in Norway at the airport Bodø. At the same time the plane itself was equipped with a special device subversive to in case of a forced landing on the territory of the USSR pilot could blow it.

When Powers was detected, then its planes with the newest anti-aircraft missile system C-75 were fired several rockets. At the same time taken off to intercept two MiG-19 and Su-9 pilot. The first of the “MiG” was shot down by a Soviet missile, and the Su-9 tried to ram as a weapon had not yet been equipped, but it is the pilot failed. Powers were able to knock down the military the 2nd anti-aircraft missile battalion, aircraft fired three missiles. I hit him only one.

«In the plane crash pinned me to the dashboard, and so I could not use the catapult device and raised above his head canopy, seat-belts unbuckled and climbed out of the plane through the top. The parachute opened automatically “- recalled Powers.

But when Powers landed, he was met by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, which made the arrest. After a short time security officers arrived at the scene, taking with them the pilot.

During the search, they noticed that Powers was equipped with a special pin with curare, with which he had to commit suicide to avoid capture. However, the pilot was afraid to do it.

In addition to the pin with the poison from Powers seized during the arrest: silenced pistol with ammunition, Finnish knife, fishing gear, inflatable rubber boat, topographic maps of the Soviet Union means to incite fires, signal checkers, flashlight, compass, saw, food concentrates, medicines, Soviet money in the amount of 7,500 rubles and value – gold coins, rings, watches, according to the materials of the court.

During the fifth session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, held after the holidays, Nikita Khrushchev said that the US spy plane was shot down.

«US military, apparently, liked impunity, and they decided to commit an act of aggression. To this end it was chosen the most solemn of our people and the working people of all countries on May 1st day … That’s why we must act – to bring down the plane. This job was done – the plane was shot down, “- loudly proclaimed from the podium Khrushchev.

In the United States believed that the Powers or just died in a plane crash, or execute instructions and committed suicide. So soon after the allegations of Nikita Khrushchev took the floor representatives NASA, declared that the plane carried out scientific research by sampling the air in the upper atmosphere near the Soviet-Turkish border and due to a malfunction of the oxygen supply of the pilot off course.

The intrigue died after a couple of days, when Khrushchev said, “wants to tell a secret.”

«I deliberately did not say that the pilot is alive and well, and part of the aircraft we are. We did consciously, because, if we all said at once, then the Americans invented to another version, “- said Nikita Khrushchev, noting that Americans have told a lot of nonsense. Then for the first time sounded the name of Francis Gary Powers and Khrushchev said that in order to judge the Soviet court.

The US has continued to deny that the Powers wore a reconnaissance flight in nature. But after further evidence was presented, President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon stopped unlocked.

«I am aware that the Russian people see me as an enemy. I can understand that. But I would like to emphasize the fact that I personally do not cherish and never harbored no animosity toward the Russian people. I appeal to the court to judge me not as an enemy but as a person who is not a personal enemy of the Russian people, a man who had never appeared before the court on any charges and who is deeply aware of his guilt, regrets it deeply regrets “- said Francis Gary Powers in the last word.

After hearing Powers, the Supreme Court of the USSR decided to deprive the American pilot of liberty for ten years to be served first three years in prison. However, to serve until the end he could not – February 10, 1962 in Berlin at the Glienicke Bridge exchanged for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, who, among other things, inclined to return from Britain to the USSR Pyotr Kapitsa. At home waiting for his condemnation and justification compatriots a special commission. Powers met his death in Santa Barbara, dying in the crash of the helicopter to operate it in August 1977. Then the courage of the pilot has not changed – he preferred to die rather than to try to land the helicopter in a place where children play.