Courtesy of Central Intelligence Agency
To avoid arousing further reaction in the United Kingdom and to begin the program of U-2 overflights beyond the Iron Curtain without further delay, Richard Bissell moved Detachment A on 11 June 1956 to Wiesbaden, one of the busiest airfields in West Germany, without notifying West German authorities. The Detachment Commander, Colonel Frederick McCoy, was disappointed in his hope that the redeployment of the U-2s could be accomplished without drawing undue attention. The strange looking planes, with bicycle-type wheels and wings so long they touched the ground after landing, aroused considerable interest. Wiesbaden was to be only a temporary home for Detachment A, the Air Force began preparing Giebelstadt near the East German border for use by the U-2s. Giebelstadt was an old World War II airbase that had been one of the launching sites for the GENETRIX balloons.
Soon after the two U-2s arrived in Wiesbaden, they were refitted with more powerful J57/P-31 engines. The new engines were better suited for operations behind the Iron Curtain because they were less likely to suffer flameouts than the earlier model. Once the new engines were installed, the aircraft received the designation U-2C.
Bissell was anxious to get the overflights started by late June because SAC weather experts had predicted the best weather for photographing the Soviet Union would be between 20 June and 10 July. Bissell, however, had not yet received final authorization from President Eisenhower to begin overflights of the Soviet Union. On 28 May 1956, when DCI Allen Dulles met with the President to discuss the U-2’s readiness for operations, Eisenhower still made no decision on overflights. Three days later Dulles and Air Force Chief of Staff Nathan Twining prepared a paper for the President outlining "AQUATONE Operational Plans". In the meantime, President Eisenhower had entered Walter Reed Hospital for tests of an abdominal ailment that turned out to be ileitis, requiring an operation. During his recovery from surgery, Eisenhower would make his final decision on the overflight program.
Courtesy of Bob Heimndall
On the 11th Jun 56, following the refusal of the British government to allow U-2 operations to be mounted from Britain, all the aircraft and personnel were moved to Wiesbaden in West Germany. Giebelstadt was the intended base for Detachment A but this airfield was still being prepared. Detachment A eventually moved from Wiesbaden to Giebelstadt in October 1956.
Courtesy of Chris Pocock - The U-2 Spyplane - ISBN:0-7643-1113-1
On 11 June 1956, Det A was moved to the busy USAF and CIA base at Wiesbaden, near Frankfurt. Wiesbaden would be temporary, pending construction of suitable facilities at Giebelstadt airfield, 70 miles further east.
In the early morning light on 20 June 1956, Carl Overstreet climbed in his U-2 and taxied to the runway for Mission 2003 over Eastern Europe.
On 2 July, two U-2s left Wiesbaden in quick succession to fly over Eastern Europe. Jake Kratt flew Mission 2009 and Glen Dunaway headed north on Mission 2010.
At 0600 hours on 4 July 1956, Hervey Stockman took off on Mission 2013 in an aircraft (article 347) marked as NACA 187 on a flight which was to take him over Soviet territory, eventually landing back at Wiesbaden after an eight hour and 45 minute flight.
On 5th July 1956, Carmine Vito, flying the same aircraft as Stockman had flown the previous day, took off on U-2 Mission 2014 over the Soviet Union. The weather was poor at Wiesbaden on his return, and he needed a ground-controlled-approach to land. Underlining the U2's now obvious detectability, he was picked up while still well over East Germany and at an altitude by the radars which Canada operated as part of its 1st Air Division contribution to NATO.
Web site comment: - The RCAF maintained a long range radar station located at Metz France between August 1955 and December 1962. The Canadians made use of the Britsh Type 80 search radar along with the MPS-14 and the FPS-507 height finder radar equipment.
On July 9th, 1956, two U-2s took off in quick succession from Wiesbaden to reume the program. Marty Knutson flew Mission 2020 and Carl Overstreet flew Mission 2021 - both flights over Soviet territory.
The next day, 10 July 1956, Glen Dunaway made Det A's furthest excursion yet to the East. He flw Mission 2024 over Soviet territory.
In late August 1956, Detachment A was alerted for more operational missions. This time, though, they were to fly south instead of east. The targets were in the eastern Mediterranean, and were prompted by the Suez Crisis. On August 29, 1956, two U-2s departed Wiesbaden and flew Mission 1004 and Mission 1005, lasting eight hours in duration, across the entire area before landing at Incirlik, the USAF base which was being prepared for Det B in Turkey.
On August 30, the same two aircraft flew similar missions from Incirlik before landing back at Wiesbaden.
On 17 September 1956, U-2 pilot Howard Carey was killed in Article 346 when he lost control sometime during the climbout of a training mission.
Det A flew nine additional missions to monitor the Suez Crisis during the later part of September 1956.
Finally, Det A deployed from Wiesbaden to Giebelstadt during a six week period in October and November of 1956.
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Updated: May 21, 2005
