Compiler: Zhu Yan
The Soviet Union was destined to be a dangerously competitive superpower in the 1950s, with the ability to put satellites into orbit, wielding a nuclear baton for strategic deterrence, and possibly even ahead of the world in long-range strategic bomber and INTERCONTINENTAL ballistic missile technology. Although intelligence could be obtained covertly through well-informed people and agents, the United States did not actually have the effective means to gain insight into the strategic capabilities and intentions of the Soviet Union, as if they were hidden behind the Iron Curtain.
The so-called nuclear threat has never affected U.S. security as much as it once did, and there has even been a consensus at the top of the administration that sufficient intelligence must be obtained, even if it is used in extreme ways that violate international law. As a result, senior government officials decided to use a small group of pilots flying very advanced Lockheed U-2 aircraft as a sharp spear to spy on Soviet intelligence. They will risk their lives flying over Soviet airspace, which is undoubtedly not allowed by international law, and their mission is to gather intelligence that President Dwight D. Eisenhower himself considers vital.
As the most famous of these pilots, Francis Gary Bowles was considered a hero for his outstanding work, but after being shot down by the Soviets 60 years earlier on May 1, 1960, he never received any heroic treatment he deserved, and it was not until his death that his outstanding contributions regained some belated praise for him.
A contract that the U.S. Air Force cannot refuse
The reconnaissance mission that Bowles and his colleagues were involved in had many different names, but people often referred to it as the CIA's "Aquatone" project. The goal of the project was to create an aircraft that flew at an altitude beyond the effective range of all Soviet means of interception, so that the Soviet anti-aircraft missile forces no longer posed any threat to it. The new aircraft will be fitted with epoch-making cameras and sensors to maximize intelligence gathering when secretly flying over Soviet territory. The goal of creating such a new aircraft also included making it fly high enough to evade the powerful Soviet radar system. The U.S. Air Force had successfully achieved its goal of flying over Soviet territory in the Sensitive Intelligence Mission (SENSINT), but Eisenhower wanted to minimize the use of military aircraft because such flights could spark a war. The "photosensitive board" program recruits only "civilian pilots" to participate, just in case an aircraft is shot down, Washington can describe it as a weather reconnaissance or a mission to collect nuclear dust.
The departments that initiated and organized the project include other government agencies such as the White House, the Pentagon and the CIA. Eisenhower directed the CIA to implement the project, while the Air Force was responsible for providing hardware, training, logistical support, and other necessary conditions such as pilots. Prior to this, the United States had used some improved models of standard aircraft to gather intelligence from the Soviet Union, but none of the aircraft could fly at an altitude that could avoid the interception of Advanced Soviet fighters or the threat of SAM missiles that could be present at any time.
The U-2 was designed by Clarence L. Kelly Johnson, known for his boldness and talent, who led the equally famous Skunk Works. Johnson knew at the time that a special group of air force supporters had sparked the government's demand for long-range aerial vehicles capable of flying over Soviet territory, and although Lockheed was not officially invited by the U.S. Air Force in 1954 to compete for such aircraft designs, the matter did not affect Johnson. Manufacturers of cameras, lenses, films, sensors and other critical equipment are also in dire need of breakthroughs in the development of technologies for aircraft for special missions. At the expense of aircraft strength, the designers exchanged the weight reduction of the aircraft to achieve the flight altitude and range required to complete the task.
Johnson's personality and prestige gave him the upper hand, and he offered the Air Force an irresistible contract: six aircraft plus its flight testing and follow-up maintenance services totaling $22 million, the first prototype would be ready in 8 months, and a mission-ready flight could be delivered within 15 months. Johnson knew that every pound of an airplane's self-weight would affect the altitude and range of the flight. He led the Skunk Factory to take various measures to reduce the weight of the aircraft's main structure, making major compromises on the safety and comfort of the aircraft, including the use of ultra-thin aluminum leather, abandoning the ejection seat, not pressurizing the cockpit, etc., and they even created a bicycle-like landing gear system, with only one active wheel and one tail wheel, disposable cantilever bracket wheels for take-off, and wingtip landing sleds for landing. The aircraft, which looked a bit like a glider, made its first flight in August 1955.
Unlike regular development projects, the "photosensitive panels" are not limited by any resources, and in addition to signing a contract with Lockheed to design and manufacture the aircraft, they even set up a secret base in the Nevada desert for testing and training. This secret base, called The Ranch, was the precursor to the so-called Area 51. The "Photosensitive Panel" project team has also signed agreements with a number of foreign governments that are reluctant to cooperate to ensure the use of military bases located in their territory. The pilots involved in the program were all elites from the U.S. Air Force, and they all underwent a rigorous physical and mental quality screening, a process very close to the later selection of astronauts.
Francis Gary Bowles was born on August 17, 1929, friends often call him Frank, he was originally an aviation cadet who trained as a fighter pilot, and later joined the 468th Fighter Squadron of the U.S. Strategic Air Command at Turner Air Force Base in Georgia, where he excelled and was even selected to compete in a shooting competition.
As a member of an elite group of pilots in the U.S. Air Force, he began working for the CIA in 1956, and he and his teammates volunteered on a secret mission that knew nothing but extreme danger. Bowers and his colleagues made painful choices before deciding to volunteer for the "Sensory Panel" project, giving up their positions and ranks in the Air Force, only privately assuring them that they would be reinstated without any loss of rank or seniority. They have to stay away from home for long periods of time and can't tell their families what they're doing and where they're going. Being able to fly advanced new aircraft is an irresistible temptation for these pilots, although it also carries great dangers. Bowers and his colleagues soon learned that they would fly this inexperienced and recognized as dangerous aircraft over enemy territory on a long and intense mission.
The U-2's first mission to fly over enemy territory took place on June 20, 1956, when Karl Overstreet took off from Wiesbaden, Germany, and crossed Czechoslovakian and Polish airspace; on July 4, the second mission flew over Leningrad. Russian radar quickly spotted and locked on to the two planes, but the response was nothing more than a senseless diplomatic rhetoric: the planes were on weather reconnaissance and atmospheric sample collection missions. Each successful overflight mission was spotted by the Soviets, but they would only protest to the United States through non-public channels.
Unwilling to admit that they did not have the ability to prevent reconnaissance aircraft from entering its airspace, Soviet leaders continued to suppress enormous anger for nearly four years after Overstreet's first mission. Soviet aircraft and missile designers were also under heavy pressure to deal with the threat of U-2 aircraft, and although they did not build the right aircraft, the team led by Peter Grushin of the Lavogin Design Bureau developed the SAM-2 lead anti-aircraft missile system, which became known only later. Although it still had many operational issues that were not solved and led to low reliability, the system was rapidly deployed.
An unnecessary adventure
In the early days of the "photosensitive plate" program, the CIA and Lockheed concluded that the Soviet Union could build enough fighters, missiles, or other weapons systems to shoot down U-2s in one to two years.
Bowers demonstrated the qualities of a good pilot and excellent navigation skills in the course of his mission, and although he initially thought he would only work on the project for a year or two, like some of his colleagues, he persevered year after year, enduring the harsh living environment of the forward base and the various confidentiality rules required to carry out the mission. Originally sent to Inslik Air Base in Turkey, Bowers completed his first official flight in December 1956 to perform an electronic surveillance mission along the southern border of the Soviet Union. Although he flew many similar missions, he was careful not to accidentally cross the Soviet border, knowing that the pilot's use of radio compasses to constantly correct course was a strict and almost demanding task. During one of Bowers' early missions, he had discovered and confirmed the deployment of the British and French navies to attack Egypt in the autumn of 1956. In December 1956, Bowers became the first pilot from a Turkish base to fly over the Soviet Union. Through a series of daring overflight missions, Bowers brought back conclusive evidence that the Soviets were shifting the focus of their development from strategic bombers to intercontinental ballistic missiles, providing the United States with exceptionally important intelligence information.
For all U-2 pilots, each overflight mission was fraught with enormous pressure, as they had no way of knowing when the Soviets would have the weapons to shoot down the U-2. In the fourth year of the project, there were growing concerns that the U-2 could be shot down at any time. Still, the CIA was not prepared to deal with the pilots' capture, and the precautions they took were desperate and impractical: small explosive devices were installed on board that could self-destruct some important equipment, and pilots could choose to carry cyanide pills or a later needle soaked in arrow poison for suicide.
Curiously, what should be a daunting task has the most enticing side: the dangerous thrill inherent in flying a new type of aircraft for a difficult task. The U-2 was also constantly being improved, and in 1957 the ejection seat was reinstalled on the aircraft. But the danger remained real, with no less than nine U-2 aircraft crashing in accidents by 1958. There are many reasons for the accident, but it should not be overlooked that the U-2 is too fragile, and even the air jets from the "roaring" jet engine of the fighter can blow it apart. Despite being plagued by family problems and somewhat aware that his opponent's air defense capabilities were increasing, Bowers continued his work. As the safety officer of his U-2 aircraft dispatch unit, he was well aware that many U-2 accidents involved a multitude of problems, from power system failures to oil circuit failures, and that almost all components had been faulty.
The Soviets were soon able to catch traces of the U-2 from its early flight path. In 1960, an improved missile — later known as the Sam 2 — attacked a U-2 aircraft along the Black Sea coast. But the CIA once again got approval for the overflight mission from Eisenhower. It turned out to be an entirely unnecessary risky move.
This time Bowles was selected to fly a U-2 aircraft called "Article 360" on the mission, which had run out of fuel on one previous mission and was damaged in another belly landing. After delaying the operation in anticipation of final authorization, Bowers took off from Peshawar, Pakistan, in the early hours of that day. The route of the mission will take him through Afghanistan into Soviet territory, north-east through Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk, then west through Kirov, then northwest over Murmansk, and finally around Scandinavia and landing in Norway. After flying about 1,300 kilometers into the Soviet Union, the plane's autopilot suddenly stopped working at an altitude of 70,000 feet, and Bowles continued the task with manual piloting—a very laborious and complex task.
Previously, although Soviet radar forces were able to spot such an invading spy plane, for a long time the Soviets did not have the ability to "reach" it, that is, to shoot it down or force it down. Later, Khrushchev wrote in his memoirs that because the Soviet fighters could not reach the corresponding heights, everyone was helpless, which made him "burn all five", feeling that it was purely at will to ride on his head, and the only countermeasure could only be diplomatic protests. He was furious after listening to such a routine report by Foreign Minister Gromyko at the Plenary Session of the Cpsu Central Committee in April of that year: "This is a blatant and hegemonic act, and it must be beaten down!" ”
And every time the U-2 aircraft carried out a mission, the Soviet air defense forces also under great pressure, because every Soviet, from Nikita Khrushchev to ordinary people, wanted to catch the invaders. This time the Soviets cancelled all missions over their territory, all in order to be able to shoot down the intruding U-2. At 10 a.m. Moscow time on May 1, 1960, four hours after Bowers' flight began, the Soviet efforts paid off: a Sam 2 anti-aircraft missile exploded near the plane, breaking its tail. Accompanied by a huge orange-red glow, Bowles felt his plane undergo a violent tumble and then quickly begin to disintegrate.
The cockpit of the plane was constantly shaking and shaking, and Bowles could not adjust his body to the ejection position until the plane fell to half the flight altitude, and he parachuted out of the cockpit with difficulty. Bowles landed in a village called Cosurino, and villager Peter Asabin found a pilot on the roof of his house and rescued him. Because of the language barrier, people immediately realized that he was a foreigner and sent him to the government, where the dagger and pistol on his flight suit were all removed.
The Soviets captured Bowers and collected all the wreckage of the U-2B. After landing on the ground, Bowers removed the cyanide capsule and the poison needle and hid it in the pocket of the flight suit, but Powell did not swallow the cyanide capsule and injected himself with the poison needle until he was captured. The Soviets then retrieved the poison needle and pulled a dog to test it, and the latter died instantly. KGB personnel picked up Bowles, who was then quickly sent to Moscow.
Finally, the Soviets released the wreckage of the U-2 to the world and conducted a public trial of Bowles. The shooting down of the U-2 reconnaissance plane became the focus of the world's attention overnight, and the Americans were slapped hard. Bowles was sentenced to ten years in prison by a Soviet court for espionage, but did not go to jail for several days, and in early 1962 he was able to return to the United States in exchange with Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy arrested by the United States. Upon his return, Bowles was accused of treason and expelled from the CIA for not committing suicide, and he was later killed in a helicopter accident in 1977.