We have managed to obtain some detail pertaining to U-2 flights which originated from Wiesbaden, West Germany in 1956. Mission numbers, as indicated in the matrix, are "operational flights". As an example, the first flight listed in the matrix is "Mission 2003" on 20 June 1956. The RCAF radar at Metz first tracked the U-2 on 16 June 1956 - and we must assume that this flight would have been "a non-operational mission".
|
Mission |
Date |
Departure Base |
Pilots Name |
Remarks |
|
20 Jun 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
Carl Overstreet |
Flew north and west to gain altitude then looped back over the base and turned east. Entered hostile territory where the borders of West Germany, East Germany and Czechoslovakia met. Flew across northern Czechoslovakia, then turned north passing east of Dresden and into Poland. Flew over every major Polish city, then back to Wiesbaden the way it came via Prague. |
|
|
2 Jul 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
Jake Kratt |
Flew south across Austria then into Hungary. After Budapest, turned south flying along the Yugoslav border, all the way across Bulgaria to the Black Sea then back to Wiesbaden. A 7-hour sortie. |
|
|
2 Jul 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
Glen Dunaway |
Headed north over East Germany, southern Poland, eastern Czechoslovakia, Hungary then Romania before turning around at the Black Sea and returning to Wiesbaden. A 7-hour sortie. |
|
|
2013 |
4 Jul 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
Hervey Stockman |
Article 347 (56-6680) marked as NACA 187 was the first flight over the Soviet Union. From Wiesbaden over East Germany and Poznan, Poland, before crossing the Soviet border near Grodno in Belorussia. Over various bomber bases around Minsk, then north to the naval shipyards, submarine pens and bomber bases at Leningrad. Then west over more bomber bases in the Baltic States and finally back to Wiesbaden. An 8 hour and 45 minute flight. This mission was tracked by Soviet radar and a number of MiG fighters unsuccessfully attempted to intercept the U-2. |
|
2014 |
5 Jul 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
Carmine Vito |
Article 347 (56-6680) marked as NACA 187 flew a similar route to Mission 2013 but further south. Over Kracow in Poland, then into the Ukraine over Brest and Baranovici. Then towards Moscow virtually following the railway from Minsk to the Soviet capital. Over the Fili airframe plant in Moscow, then northwest to Kaliningrad and the main Soviet flight test and research centre at Ramenskoye. Then back to Wiesbaden via the Baltic States. This overflight was again tracked by Soviet radars and MiG-17s. |
|
9 Jul 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
Marty Knutson |
Knutson was just 26 years old when he flew North over Berlin, East Germany and the Baltic States to Riga. Then east and south covering targets around Kaunas, Vilnius and Minsk before returning via Warsaw to Wiesbaden. |
|
|
9 Jul 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
Carl Overstreet |
South into Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Then northeast into the Ukraine as far as Kiev and over various bomber bases. Back to Wiesbaden via Poland. |
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|
10 Jul 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
Glen Dunaway |
Over East Germany, Poland, Ukraine to Kerch on the eastern tip of the Crimean Peninsula. Back via Sevastopol, Simferopol, Odessa, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Hungary to Wiesbaden. Tracked by radar and fighter aircraft near Odessa. 10 Jul 1956 - Protest note delivered by USSR over Missions 2020/2021. All overflights of Russia suspended by President Eisenhower. |
|
|
1104 |
29 Aug 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
unknown |
Two U-2s flew from Wiesbaden to the Suez area on an 8 hours mission where they photographed preparations for the Suez landings. This mission then landed at Incirlik, the USAF base which was being prepared for Det B in Turkey. On 30th August 1956 the two U-2s at Incirlik retraced the previous days sortie, flying over the Suez area than landing back at Wiesbaden. Det A flew an additional 9 missions over the Suez during the month of September 1956. |
|
1105 |
29 Aug 1956 |
Wiesbaden |
unknown |
Two U-2s flew from Wiesbaden to the Suez area on an 8 hour mission where they photographed preparations for the Suez landings. This mission then landed at Incirlik, the USAF base which was being prepared for Det B in Turkey. On 30th August 1956 the two U-2s at Incirlik retraced the previous days sortie, flying over the Suez area than landing back at Wiesbaden. Det A flew an additional 9 missions over the Suez during the month of September 1956. Detachment "A" moved from Wiesbaden to Giebelstadt in October 1956. |
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Updated: April 4, 2005
