Silent Warriors, Incredible Courage by Samuel Wolfgang Hall R. Cargill

Author:Samuel, Wolfgang, Hall, R. Cargill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Published: 2019-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

October 15, 1952, B-47B overflight routes. Colonel Donald Hillman, pilot; Major Lester Gunter, copilot; and Major Edward Timmins, radar navigator of the primary aircraft. Colonel Patrick Fleming was the pilot of the backup aircraft; his copilot was Major Lloyd Fields, and the radar navigator was Major William Reilly.

“By now, we had burned off enough fuel to climb above 40,000 feet at about 480 knots true. We had finished covering two of our five targets, taking radar and visual photography, when warning receivers aboard our aircraft indicated that we were being tracked. I advised Ed Gunter, my copilot, to get our 20mm tail guns ready in case we encountered MiG-15s, which we knew were stationed in the area. Soon Ed advised me that he had MiG-15s in sight, climbing desperately to intercept us. I broke radio silence and notified Pat Fleming, still orbiting over the Chukchi Sea, of our position and situation. Gunter kept his eyes on the Russian fighters, but they had scrambled too late and couldn’t make it up to our altitude. However, there were other MiG-15 bases ahead of us, and we still had to overfly Provideniya, the MiG regimental headquarters. We completed photographing the three remaining targets without encountering any more MiGs. We continued east, coasting out of Russian territory over the Chukotskiy Peninsula, landing at Eielson Air Force Base well after dark. Pat Fleming’s aircraft came in a few minutes later. The mission lasted for over seven hours, flying 3,500 miles, 800 of which was over Russian territory. Immediately after landing, technicians took our film for development and shipment to Washington. As for the Russians—we later learned that the regional commander had been sacked, and that a second regiment of MiG fighters was to be moved into the area. We returned to the warmer climate of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, the next day. Until the records were declassified some forty years later, we remained under restrictions which prevented us from discussing any aspect of this most secret mission.”

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