CHIEF OF STAFF, GUPV OF THE KGB ATTACHED TO THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE USSR

Lieutenant-General [signature] (BANNYKH)

Secret. Copy No. 10

MFA of the USSR SECRET THE COUNTRIES OF AMERICA SECTION
Entry No. 1125 18 May 59

American Ambassador Thompson delivered a memorandum to Comrade N.S. Khrushchev on 4 May of this year. It expresses the US President's anxiety over the fate of the 11 American fliers who were supposedly on an American C-130 that violated the State border of the USSR and crashed near the city of Erevan on 2 Sep 58. The possibility that the Americans will publish their memorandum cannot be excluded. The MID of the USSR considers it expedient to deliver our memorandum on this matter, which could be published if necessary, to US Charge d'Affaires ad interim Davis. The answer that Comrade N.S. Khrushchev gave to US Ambassador Thompson should be stated in our note. A draft of the resolution is attached. Please review.

Original signed V. KUZNETSOV 15 May 59 No. 1200/GS

MFA of the USSR SECRET THE COUNTRIES OF AMERICA SECTION Entry No. 1930 18 Aug 59

US Vice-President Richard Nixon sent Comrade N.S. Khrushchev a letter on 1 August of this year. A request was made in it to provide information on the fate of the 11 Americans who supposedly were on board the USAF plane which crashed near Erevan on 2 Sep 58. In his letter, Mr. Nixon raises the issue of the fate of the 11 crew members of this aircraft as a "serious impediment to improving" relations between the USSR and the USA. In accordance with its instructions, the USSR MID is presenting Comrade N.S. Khrushchev's draft answer to Nixon's letter mentioned above.

The draft decree is attached. Please review.

Original signed A. GROMYKO

17 Aug 59

To file No. 26. 13 Sep.

Distribution: Secret Copy No. 2 to Comrade P.I. IVASHUTIN Original signed

THE HEAD OF THE GUPV OF THE KGB ATTACHED TO THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE USSR Lieutenant-General (P. ZYRYANOV)

3 Sep 58

SPECIAL REPORT

Based on a report by the Chief of Border Troops of the Armenian Okrug, an American C-130 "Hercules" transport plane was detected violating the Soviet State border inbound from Turkey on 2 Sep 58 at 1508 hrs, flying a course of 1400 at an altitude of 10,000 meters. It was detected by border details of the 21st and 22nd Outposts of the 39th Border Detachment (City of Leninakan).

The border outposts quickly reported the violation to the VNOS radar post in Leninakan via the compartmented system "Vozdukh." When the border violation was confirmed by radar at the VNOS post, two jet fighters from the Erevan Airfield were scrambled. They were piloted by Senior Lieutenants LAPOTKOV and GAVRILOV. Having approached the intruder, they ordered it to follow them back to the airfield. Not receiving a response, they opened fire on the enemy plane. As a result, the plane caught on fire at an altitude of 5000m and crashed 10 kms southeast of the village of Verkhnij Talin (35 kilometers from the border). An inspection of the area revealed parts of the burning aircraft, the remains of 5 human bodies, and documents .

One of the documents contained a special secret order in which [TFR 38-65] the crew, which consisted of 5 people (Captains EDVARD DZHO- DZHEROS, RUDE DZH-SVIESTRA, Lieutenants DZHON IRSIMSON, VILLARD MANUEHL' REKARDO and Senior Sergeant LEROU PRAJSS) was ordered to fly from Rhein -Main to Turkey to complete a special mission during the period from 1 -10 Sep of this year.

Identification cards were found for Captain RUDE and Lieutenant VILLARD. All crew documents were given to the KGB attached to the Council of Ministers of the Armenian SSR. Their contents are being verified.

The Okrug command moved units of the 39th Border Detachment and the 12th Outpost of the 40th Border Detachment to strengthen border defense. A border search was conducted in conjunction with organs of the KGB. The search was conducted along the American aircraft's flight route to try to find any possible parachutists or objects thrown out of the aircraft. The Border Details observed the following: On 2 Sep 58 at 1525 hrs, after the American plane was met by our fighters, two soldiers took a light machine gun out of a building at the Turkish Post KYZYL (across from where sectors 23 and 24 of the 39th Border Detachment meet) and fired two shots in the direction of our planes.

At 1700 hrs, five soldiers from this post approached to within 50m of the border and fired one rifle shot in the direction of the 24th Outpost's border detail, which consisted of Privates KUZ'MIN and DMITRIEV. These facts are being verified and then a protest will be declared to the Turkish Border Commissar.

The American aircraft's violation of the border is being investigated by a commission chaired by Major-General BADAMYANTSA. The remnants of the aircraft and the bodies of the crew are being held by border details commanded by officers.

Attachment: Sketch map

Original signed

THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE GUPV KGB ATTACHED TO THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE USSR

Lieutenant-General [BANNYKH] TsAPV, f. 14, op. 5, d. 5676, l. 7,8 [TFR 38-66]

Okrug No. 792 reported on 4 Sep 58 that during a thorough search of the plane wreckage, the following was found: two more charred bodies, a medallion with the inscription Dunkan, Paul E., No. AO-961, and a burnt "Colt" pistol. A government commission chaired by Major-General Tsetrik has taken over the investigation of the border violation and the guarding of the aircraft wreckage, the bodies and other material evidence. The documents that were removed were passed on to this commission by the KGB.

Colonel Lykov

1st Copy to Comrade Ivashutin Reported on 3 Sep 58 Colonel Lykov

1st Copy Act No. 26 destroyed on 13 Sep 58 Chief Clerk

2 Copies 1st - to addressee 2nd - 1st Department of GUPV 11/1 /012329 originator Lykov typed by Yakovleva 3 Sep 58 mb 8616

SECRET AMERICAN COUNTRIES SECTION Entry No. 1977 16 Sep 58

Secret. Copy No. 9

On 12 Sep of this year, the MID of the USSR passed a demarche to the US Embassy with regard to the American plane that crashed 55 kms northwest of the city of Erevan. In reply, the US Embassy sent a demarche on 13 Sep, in which an attempt was made to portray the incident as if Soviet fighters intercepted the American plane on the Turkish-Soviet border near Kars. A request was also made for information concerning the 17 crew members and for permission for an Embassy representative, accompanied by technical experts, to investigate the crash site, identify the bodies, and make arrangements for the transfer of the remains of the crew members to the proper American authorities. This reply takes an obviously provocative tone.

The MID of the USSR, the Ministry of Defense, and the KGB of the Council of Ministers of the USSR prepared a draft reply to the American demarche. Our reply strongly rejects the fabrications in the Embassy's demarche. The American's request to land at the crash site was ignored in our reply. Bear in mind that the area where the plane went down is considered a border region where foreigners are not allowed and access by Americans would be nonproductive.

As regards the Embassy's request for a transfer of the remains of the crew to the American side, the request is confirmed. The transfering of the bodies has been entrusted to the KGB. The draft is attached. Please consider.

Original signed Original signed Original signed
V. KUZNITSOV I. KONEV R. KRUSHUTIN

Sep 58 No. 2441/gs True Copy: N. Fedorov TFR 38-68

2 Sep 58

RESOLUTION OF THE

The reply to the US Embassy's demarche of 13 Sep concerning the American military aircraft that crashed near the city of Erevan.

1 . This is to confirm the draft of the reply constructed by the MID of the USSR, the Ministry of Defense, and the KGB attached to the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The demarche is to be passed to the US Embassy in Moscow. The text of the demarche is to be printed in the Soviet press with a short account of the American demarche of 13 Sep.

2. The KGB of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Ministry of Defense have been instructed to conduct the necessary preparations to transfer to the Americans the remains of the six crew members of the American aircraft that crashed near the city of Erevan.

P151/14 XIV 18/9

N 2441/gs 15 Sep 58 To 1977-osa [TFR 38-69]

Attachment Draft

In response to the US Embassy's demarche No. 270 dated 13 Sep 58, the MID USSR feels that it is necessary to reaffirm its demarche dated 12 Sep about the USAF plane which intentionally crossed the USSR State border and went down 55 kilometers to the northwest of Erevan. The Ministry's demarche reported that this aircraft crashed and burned, and the remains of bodies were found at the crash site. It was determined from the remains that six crew members perished. The Soviet side does not possess any other information about the crew members. The assertion made in the US Embassy's demarche purports that Soviet fighters intercepted this aircraft near the Soviet-Turkish border around Kars. The Soviet Government strongly rejects this assertion as groundless and provocative in nature.

Such an unworthy attempt to lay the blame for the loss of the American aircraft and its crew on the Soviet side has, apparently, been made in order to justify the very obvious fact that this aircraft intentionally crossed the national border of the USSR. The Soviet Government has repeatedly stated that the US Government is fully responsible for the consequences of US aircraft illegally crossing the Soviet national border. There is one thing that the US Government must do. It must once and for all prohibit its air force from illegally crossing the State border of the Soviet Union. It is precisely these types of measures which the Soviet Government expects from the US Government.

As far as the Embassy's request to transfer the remains of the six crew members of the burned aircraft, the appropriate Soviet authorities are ready to transfer them to a representative of the American Government.

Secret. Copy No. 9

MID USSR SECRET COUNTRIES of AMERICA DEPARTMENT Entry No. 2596
7 Dec 58

Comrade Menshikov, the USSR Ambassador to the US, reported that he was invited to the State Department by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Murphy, who gave him an oral presentation about the American aircraft which violated the USSR border near Erevan on 2 Sep of this year (Telegram No. 2196 from Washington). During his presentation, Murphy asserted that the aircraft which crossed into Soviet air space was supposedly following a Soviet radar beacon and was downed by Soviet fighters. "Eyewitnesses" supposedly saw parachutists jump from the plane.

Murphy also said that since the remains of only six crew members of the aircraft have been sent to the Americans, and there were 17 people on board, there should still be 11 individuals on Soviet territory, some of which are possibly still alive. Murphy further announced that the 19 and 20 Sep issues of the newspaper "Sovetskaya Aviatsiya" [Soviet Aviation] published articles written by Major A. Voshchkov entitled, "Vysokoe Masterstvo," [Advanced Skill] which, in Murphy's opinion, confirm the fact that the American aircraft was downed by Soviet fighters. Murphy announced that the Americans allegedly have a taped recording of the conversation between the Soviet fighter pilots and the ground [controllers]. Comrade Menshikov declined to discuss the issue raised by Murphy and announced that as concerns the American aircraft which violated the USSR border near Erevan on 8 Sep, the appropriate answer was already given by the Soviet side in Moscow. He categorically denied Murphy's assertions that the Soviet pilots shot down this American aircraft, refused to listen to the taped recording fabricated by the Americans, and rejected the Americans' conjectures relating to the article in the newspaper "Sovetskaya Aviatsiya." [TFR 38-70a]

It is completely obvious that the American side is using various fabrications to draw us into a new discussion of this issue in order to rid themselves of the guilt for the American aircraft that violated the USSR border and also to lay the blame on the Soviet side. [TFR 38-71]

The position of the Soviet Government on this issue has already been detailed in three demarches sent to the US Embassy and published in the Soviet press. Therefore, the MID USSR believes it would not be expedient to enter into a discussion of this issue with the Americans at the present time and will limit itself to the reply which was given by Comrade Menshikov in his discussion with Murphy. If the Americans should mention this matter, they should be told that the demarche sent by the Soviet side on this issue as well as the reply to Murphy's announcement by Ambassador Menshikov on 14 Nov completely settled the matter, and the Soviet side has nothing further to report. Please review.

Original signed A. Gromyko

6 Dec 58 No. 3169/GS

G-checked GI/ach No. [Illeg]/osa 28 Nov 58 [TFR 38-72]

Dear Mr. Nixon,

I have familiarized myself with your letter of 1 Aug 59 in which you again raise the issue of the USAF aircraft which crashed on 2 Sep 58, 55 kilometers to the northwest of Erevan. I will tell you candidly that the fact that you have raised this issue after the Soviet Government has done all it possibly could to clarify the circumstances of this crash and has fully informed the American side of the findings of its inquiries causes, at the very minimum, perplexity on our part. We cannot view this as anything but an attempt to artificially create barriers toward improving US-Soviet relations .

The Government of the United States has already been informed that on 2 Sep 58 no Soviet fighter downed an American aircraft and that on that day a US military aircraft crashed near Erevan. Bodily remains were discovered at the site. After an examination of the remains, which were sent to the American side on 24 Sep 58, it was possible to conclude that 6 crew members perished. No other American aviators from the aircraft were found in the Soviet Union, and therefore, we do not have them.

I understand the feelings of the relatives of those who perished when the plane crashed. However, it is completely obvious that those who are in charge of flights of such American aircraft are responsible to the American public and to the relatives of those who perished.

I would like to point out to you, Mr. Vice President, that such issues would never come up in the relations between our two countries if US military aircraft did not fly so close to the Soviet border and if they did not cross the border for purposes which are incompatible with improving Soviet-American relations . Moreover, such flights of American aircraft and their illegal crossings of the Soviet border are still taking place.

To Richard NIXON Vice President USA [TFR 38-73]

In particular, our country recorded these flights into the eastern sector virtually on the eve of your visit to the Soviet Union. I inform you of this with the hope that the American side will curtail such activities. Such curtailment would indubitably make a very important contribution towards developing and improving relations between our countries. In other words, curtailing such activities will be conducive to achieving the noble goals of "ending the cold war" and reinforcing peace. We both have devoted many hours to such discussions during your stay in our country.

With sincere respect,

N. Khrushchev

No. 2062/GS [TFR 38-74]

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