10/22/49 US Air Force RB-29 Crew N/A
(No injuries)
Aircraft
fired upon by Soviet fighters over Sea of Japan
11/06/51 US Navy P2V Neptune Crew: 10
(no survivors or remains recovered)
This aircraft was apparently shot down by Soviet fighters either over international waters about 20 miles from Vladivostok, USSR (according to the United States) or over Vladivostok (according to the Soviets). The US did not announce the incident until November 23, 1951. In a protest note dated November 7, but not made public until November 24, the Soviets claimed the aircraft flew over the city and opened fire when 2 Soviet aircraft tried to force it to land, bringing Soviet retaliatory fire. "The Russian pilots were believed to have been two who, Moscow announced Nov. 23, had been given the Order of the Red Banner for exemplary fulfillment of their service duties."
Crewmembers:(partial list)
Hodgton, Judd Clarence LTJG
Rosenfeld, Sam LTJG4.
06/13/52 US Air Force RB-29 Crew: 12
(no survivors or remains recovered)
This aircraft was apparently shot down either over the Sea of Japan or near the Kamchatka Peninsula of the USSR. No remains or survivors were recovered by US or allied forces. In the diplomatic note of July 17, 1956, noted above, the US Government states that: An officer, believed by the United States Government to have been a member of this crew, was observed in October 1953, in a Soviet hospital north of Magadan near the crossing of the Kolyma River between Elgen and Debin at a place called Narionburg. This officer stated that he had been wrongfully convicted under Item 6 of Article 58 of the Soviet Penal Code.
Crewmembers:
Busch, Samuel N MAJ
James A 1LT
Service,Samuel D.
McDonnell, Robert J 1LT
Homer, William B MSG
Moore, David L MSG
Blizzard, William A SSG
Monserrat, Miguel W SSG
Berg, Eddie R SSG
Bonura, Leon F. SSG
Becker, Roscoe G. SSG
Pillsbury, Danny AA1C
10/07/ US Air Force RB-29 Crew: 8
(no survivors or remains recovered)
This aircraft was apparently shot down by Soviet fighters over Yuri Island, claimed by the Soviets as part of the Kurile Islands (occupied by the USSR during World War II and retained since then) - a claim not recognized by the US or Japan. US demands for reparations from the Soviet Union were rejected.
07/29/53 US Air Force RB-50 Crew: 17
(1 killed in action, body not recovered)
1 survivor; 2 remains recovered; 13 unaccounted for)This aircraft was shot down by Soviet fighters approximately 40 miles east of the Siberian coast (some sources state it was near the Kamchatka Peninsula, which is, of course, also part of Siberia): Aerial search disclosed a sighting which appeared to be groups of survivors. Also seen in the distance were a dozen small surface craft (presumably Soviet) which were proceeding in the general direction of the group sighting. Fog and darkness obstructed further observation that day. The following morning, search efforts recovered one survivor. His information established that at least one crew member did not leave the RB-50 and died in the crash. The intensive search efforts failed to find any trace of the other personnel. Subsequently, remains of two other crew members washed ashore and were recovered along the coast of Japan. In reply to State Department inquiries, the Soviets denied any knowledge of the fate of any crew member. No word has been received of the fates of the remaining 13 crew members.Soviet claims that the aircraft had violated Soviet airspace and opened fire on Soviet aircraft were rejected by the United States.
Crewmembers:Unaccounted for (13):
Tejeda, Francisco J MAJ
Stalanker, Robert E CPT
Ward, John C. CPT
Czyz, Edmund J. CPT
Wiggins, Lloyd C. CPT
Beyer, Frank E. CPT
Sanderson, Warren J. CPT
Gabree, Donald W. SSG
Hill, Donald G. SSG
Goulet, Roland E A1C
Radlein, Earl W Jr. A2C
Russell,Charles J J A2C
Woods, James E. A2C
Survivor:
Roche, 1LT
Known Dead :
O'Kelly, S. K. CPT
09/04/54 US Navy P2V Neptune Crew: 10
(1 missing, no remains recovered; 9 survivors)
This aircraft was shot down by Soviet fighters approximately 40 miles off the Siberian coast. The aircraft's navigator was missing and presumed dead; the 9 other crewmembers were rescued from the water by US forces. The Soviet Union charged the plane had entered Soviet airspace and fired on Soviet aircraft, charges rejected by the United States.
Crewmembers:
Missing:
Reid, Roger Henry ENS
Rescued:
Wayne, John BoothCDR
Fisher, John Charles ENS
Bedard, William Albert Aviation Machinist's Mate
Petty, Frank Edgar Aviation Electronics Machinist's Mate 3rd Class
Granera, Anthony Peter Aviation Electronics Technician
Stone, Texas Red Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class
Mulmollem, Paul Roger Chief aviation Machinst's Mate
Pinkevich, Ernest Louis Aviation Ordnanceman
Atwell, David Allen Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class
11/07/54 US Air Force B-29 Crew: 11
(1 killed; 10 survivors)
this aircraft was shot down by Soviet fighters about 10 miles from the Soviet-controlled Kurile Islands. One crewmember was killed in the attack. The aircraft crash-landed on the northern Japanese major island of Hokkaido; all 10 other crewmembers survived. The Soviets claimed that the US plane had entered Soviet airspace and fired on Soviet aircraft; the US stated that the plane was never in Soviet airspace and did not return fire when attacked. Another RB-29 was sent up, with fighter escorts, to complete the mission of the first plane.
04/17/55 US Air Force RB-47 Crew: 3
(no survivors)
In Sea of Japan. This aircraft may have crashed in a storm.
06/22/55 US Navy P2V Neptune Crew: 11
(3 wounded by Soviet fire; 4 injured in crash; all rescued)
This
aircraft was attacked by two Soviet fighters in international waters over the Bering Straits between Siberia and Alaska. It crashed on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, where the crew was rescued.The Soviet Government, in response to a US diplomatic protest, was unusually conciliatory, stating that: there was an exchange of shots after a Soviet fighter advised the US plane that it was over Soviet territory and should leave (the US denied that the US plane fired at all).The incident took place under heavy cloud cover and poor visibility, although the alleged violation of Soviet airspace could be the responsibility of US commanders not interested in preventing such violations.The Soviet military was under strict orders to "avoid any action beyond the limits of the Soviet state frontiers."The Soviet Government "expressed regret in regard to the incident."The Soviet Government, "taking into account... conditions which do not exclude the possibility of a mistake from one side or the other," was willing to compensate the US for 50% of damages sustained (this was the first such offer ever made by the Soviets for any Cold War shootdown incident.)The US Government stated that it was satisfied with the Soviet expression of regret and the offer of partial compensation, although it said that the Soviet statement also fell short of what the available information indicated.
04/18/56 US Air Force RB-47 Crew: NA
(all lost and unaccounted for; no remains recovered)
Over Kamchatka Peninsula.15.
09/10/56 US Air Force RB-50 Crew: 16
(all lost and unaccounted for; no remains)
This aircraft was lost in the middle of a typhoon (hurricane) in the Sea of Japan. Although "An Air Force spokesman discounted the idea that the B-50 might have been shot down," its operations were in an area where several previous Soviet attacks on US aircraft had taken place warrant its inclusion.
Crewmembers (partial list):
Kobayashi, Richard T 2LT
Rahaniotis, Peter J 1LT
Trias,
Theodorus J. SSG
Note: see http://www.aiipowmia.com/koreacw/cw1.html for a full list of cold-war shoot-down incidents.