MEMO FOR MR. HOUSTON FROM JOHN A. MCCONE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R002200020018-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: February 28, 1962
• Content Type: MF

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February 28, 1962
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. Houston
Questions which occur in reading the Prettyman report:
1. Additional details on substance of the contract referred
to on page 12, particularly what was the term of the contract for
which the recited cancellation clause applies?
2. How many flights over enemy territory were made by
Powers and how many total U-2 flights were made by him?
3. When was Powers first briefed on the fatal flight, and
what surveillance was he placed under from that time on? In other
words, was he free to talk to uninformed personnel or to make con-
tact with outsiders through conversation, telephone, or by mail?
4. When was the final date of flight known to Powers, and
what outside contact did he have or did others who knew of the flight
have after the plan was definitely known?
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6. Was he followed by Soviet fighters -- when, where, 25X1
and were these circumstances unusual?
8. Is Powers of the impression that there was only a single
shot which was a near miss, or did he observe other shots which
exploded below or above him prior to the shot that he claims brought
him down?
NSA review(s) completed.
OGC Has Reviewed
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9. Have the rumors concerning Powers' conduct in
Turkey been disposed of to the satisfaction of the Agency, most
particularly the reports that he was in contact with a woman from
Beirut who is known to be a Soviet agent?
10. Do experienced flyers consider Powers' failure to
detach the pressure hoses to his suit (thus, so I am told, causing
inflation of the suit as he descended) constitute an unusual behavior
and bad judgment and contributory to his inability to reach the
destruct button?
11. Was the plane equipped with a charge for total
destruction, or merely destruction of the camera and film?
John A. McCone
Director
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr.-McCone
28 February 1962
Following is in response to your questions on the Prettyman Report:
Question 1. Additional details on substance of the contract referred
to on page 12, particularly what was the term of the contract for which
the recited cancellation clause applies?
Answer 1. The contract as amended ran by its terms to 31 October
1960. However, in paragraph 4.h. of his contract, which was so
extended by the amendment, it was provided that in the event he was
determined to be missing in service, benefits would be paid in accord-
ance with Agency regulations on this subject, which are in general
accord with the principles of the Missing Persons Act. These pro-
visions would automatically continue his benefits until he was
released from capture.
Question 2. How many flights over enemy territory were made by Powers
and how many total U-2 flights were made by him?
Answer 2. Mr. Powers completed a total of 118 sorties, comprising
54+6 flying hours in the U-2; 27 of these were completed operational
missions prior to the 1 May 1960 flight. One of these prior missions
was over Communist China and was to penetrate the USSR but when bad
weather was observed at the border he turned, in accordance with
instructions, and returned to base. A second mission was over Soviet
territory between the Caspian and Black Seas but was basically a
peripheral mission. The rest were either -peripheral or Midd East,
including
Question 3. When was Powers first briefed on the fatal flight, and
what surveillance was he placed under from that time on? In other words,
was he free to talk to uninformed personnel or to make contact with out-
siders through conversation, telephone, or by mail?
Answer 3. On 3 April 1960 Powers was one of three pilots briefed
on three proposed missions, the first on 9 .April 1960, which was
performed by another pilot; the second was scheduled for 27 April 1960,
which actually took off 1 May 1960; and the third, a subsequent mission,
which was cancelled after 1 May 1960. Between the period 3 April and
26 April 1960, when he went with the prestrike group to Peshawar,
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Powers was living on the base but was free to talk to uninformed
personnel and could make contact with outsiders by conversation,
telephone, and mail.
Question 4. When was the final date of flight known to Powers, and
what outside contact did he have or did others who knew of the flight have
after the plan was definitely known?
Answer 4. The final flight was originally scheduled for 27 April
1960 and was delayed from day to day until the decision was made on the
morning of 1 May 1960 that it would actually take place. During that
time he remained with others of the prestrike group in isolation on 25X1
the air field at Peshawar. The only outside contact was with the
Pakistan Air Force through Colonel Shelton.
Question 6. Was he followed by Soviet fighters -- when, where, and
were these circumstances unusual?
Answer 6. Powers saw only two contrails indicating fighter
action shortly after crossing the Soviet border,
owers, however, saw nothing
of this nature. There were no unusual circumstances about the fighter 25X1
activity. However, it was clear that the Russians were going to make
every effort to intercept this particular flight.
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Question 8. Is Powers of the impression that there was only a single
shot which was a near miss, or did he observe other shots which exploded
below or above him prior to the shot that he claims brought him down?
Answer 8. Powers does not characterize the phenomenon as a shot
which was a near miss. He states he felt an impulse or acceleration
of the plane and at the same time heard a dull noise unlike the crack
of high explosive. He then saw the orange or reddish glare over his
canopy which appeared to persist. Although he had been visually ob-
serving the area beneath him prior to this episode, he states that he
saw nothing that would indicate ground-to-air activity against his
plane.
Question 9. Have the rumors concerning Powerst conduct in Turkey been
disposed of to the satisfaction of the Agency, most particularly the reports
that he was in contact with a woman from Beirut who is known to be a Soviet
agent?
Answer 9. Rumors concerning Powerst conduct in Turkey have been
disposed of to the satisfaction of the Agency, and the report con-
cering the woman from Beirut, who was known to be a Soviet agent, has
been refuted. CI Staff has detailed studies on these items.
Question 10. Do experienced flyers consider Powerst failure to detach
the pressure hoses to his suit (thus, so I am told, causing inflation of
the suit as he descended) constitute an unusual behavior and bad Judgment
and contributory to his inability to reach the destruct button?
Answer 10. Powerst pressure suit inflated as soon as the canopy
was released thus reducing cockpit pressure. At the same time his
face mask frosted over so he was completely unable to see beyond the
mask. On release of his seat belt he was held in the plane only by
his oxygen hose and was held so far forward by the G forces generated
by the spin that he could not draw himself back to reach the destruct
switches, the activation of which involved four separate manual
operations. Experienced flyers have testified that he showed presence
of mind and good judgment in his actions under these circumstances.
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Question 11. Was the plane equipped with a charge for total destruction,
or merely destruction of the camera and film?
Answer 11. The destruct equipment was designed to render the
camera and ELINT equipment inoperable and was not designed to destroy
the plane itself. It was the estimate of project officers that if
the charge went off, at best it would damage the film only slightly
and possibly not at all. The charge consisted of 22 pounds of
explosive placed in the bottom of the plane in the equipment bay.
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Lawrence R. Houston
General Counsel
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