The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

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105
the Soviet Union's submarine construction program. Mission 2013's
route also overflew a number of major military airfields to make an
inventory of the new Bison jet-engine heavy bomber.
1s
The second overflight, on the following day, continued the
search for Bison bombers. Pilot Carmine Vito's route was similar but
somewhat to the south of Stockman's and also flew farther east, more
than 200 kilometers past Moscow. Although the Soviet capital was al­
most completely hidden by clouds, the A-2 camera with haze filters
took some usable photographs of the city. These turned out to be the
only U-2 photographs of Moscow because no other mission was sent
over the Soviet capital. Among the key targets photographed during
mission 2014 were the Fili airframe plant, where the Bison was being
built; the bomber arsenal at Ramenskoye. where the Bisons weire test­
ed; the Kaliningrad missile plant; and the Khimki rocket-,engine
plant.=
0
When Allen Dulles returned to work on Thursday. 5 July 1956.
he asked Bissell if any overflights had taken place during the
Independence Day holiday. One had been made on the fqurth and an­
other just that morning, Bissell replied. (Because of the six-hour time
difference, the 5 July flight was safely back in Wiesbaden by the
time Dulles spoke to Bissell.) When Dulles asked the routes of these
missions. Bissell told him that they had overflown both Moscciw and
Leningrad. "Oh my Lord." Dulles exclaimed, "do you thi1:1k that
was wise the first time?" "Allen." Bissell replied. "the first is the
safest." :,
President Eisenhower also wanted to know the results of the 4
and 5 July flights, but his principal concern was whether there had
been any indication that either flight had been discovered or tracked
by radar. Eisenhower told Colonel Goodpaster "to advise Mr. Allen
" Urban J. Linehan. Na1io11al Phowgraphic /merpretatio11 Center: The Years of Project
HTAUTOMAT. 1956- 1958. Directorate of Science and Technology Historical Series
NPIC-3. December 1974. 6 vols. (hereafter cited as NPIC History). vol. l, p. 20 (S):
Mission folder 2013 (4 July 1956). OSA records. job 67-8-328. bo,c 7 (TS Codeword).
Note on mission numbers: each proposed mission received a number. but not all of these
missions were flown.
'" NP/C History. vol. I. p. 21 (S): Mission folder 2014 (5 July 1956). OSA records. job
67-8-328. box 7 (TS Codeword).
" Bissell interview by Welzenbach (S).
Sec, et NOFOAN
Chapter 3