DS&T INTERIM REPLY TO HSCA REQUEST, 8 MAY 78, OLC 78-1573
Originator: CIA
Document date: 06/22/1978
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

A -achment to:

5 01836-78

SUBJECT: DDS&T Interim Reply to HSCA Request, S May 78,

OLC 78-1573

General Background: Detachment C advance party of

security and communication personnel departed the U.S.

for Atsugi, Japan, on 20 February 195?, the second echelon

of administrative personnel departed 4 March, and the main

body of the detachment with

began deployment on 15 March. On 29 March Headquarters was

notified that all personnel and equipment were on base.

Operational readiness was forecast for the week of & April.

Operating procedures and liaison had been accomplished with

the following major U.S. components:

Far East Air Force

Far East Command

and Theater Commander

Atsugi Naval Air Station

Details

or specific operating agreements or procedures

with the above components have not been located.

By mid-May 1957 the Detachment had flown 30 sorties.

All of these operations were preparations for the primary

mission of the Detachment. The first primary mission of the

Detachment,

a flight over

part of the USSR, occurred on

20 June 1957, however, this mission did not originate or

recover at Atsugi.

The first overflight of the USSR from Atsugi occurred

on 1 March 1958 and

this flight was the only and last flight.

This flight, as other previous flights by other Detachments,

was tracked

by Russian radar, even though the U-? aircraft

had anti-radar applications, and a Soviet protest was nade

on 5 March 1958 by the Soviet Ambassador to Washington,

Mikhail Menshikov.

Attached are copies of the Soviet

Aide Memoires of 5 March and 21 April 195S (Tab A).

The Detachment continued to perform non-USSP missions

in the Far East area until the Powers flight of 1 May 1960.

Redeployment of the Detachment began in earl! July, the

last U-2 aircraft departed Japan on 9 July and all personnel

and other equipment cleared

the base and turned the facilities

back to the Navy on 19 August 1960.

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During the deployment of Detachment C it performed

approximately 86 operational missions, of these only 43

originated and recovered at Atsugi.

I. Any and all information pertaining to the take-

offs and landings of the U-2 at Atsugi, Japan,

limited to the years 1959 through 1962.

We have been unable to locate files which would

contain logs of all take-offs and landings of the U-2

aircraft assigned to Detachment C. In addition to

the mission flights stated above we must assume

that

there were a large number of take-offs and landings

which would include flights for pilot familiarization,

training, equipment testing, transitional

and flights

2. Any and all information concerning the radar

procedures, facilities, and staff involved with

the U-2 flights at Atsugi, Japan, linited to the

years 1959 through 1962.

As stated in the General Background above we have

not located details or specific operating procedures

or agreements with the local Navy base at Atsugi.

3. Any and all information pertaining to contact

between Marine Air Control Squadron #1, Air

Group

•II, Ist Marine Wing, and U-? personnel

at

Atsugi, Japan, including but not limited to

rousing, recreational, and eating tacilities -

limited

to the years

1959 through 1962.

We have not identified any relationship between

Detachment C and Marine Air Control Squadron #1 on

the subject of housing. We have noted that late in

1957 families

were permitted at Detachment C and as

a result housing was provided in the compound

assigned

to the Agency Support Unit and ten houses were rented

on the local market.

4. Any and all information pertaining to defectors

with knowledge of the U-2 program.

The DDS&T has not located any information pertaining

to defectors. We defer this request to the do.

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(

5.

Any and all information within the U-? program

file pertaining to defectors with knowledge of

the U-2 program.

See above.

б.

Any and all information concerning Soviet knowledge

of the U-2 program previous to May 1, 1950.

Attached 1s an extract trom a

report dated

3 March 1958 concerning Soviet Air Defense which

gives a summary of Soviet knowledge of the U-?

overflights between 20 June and 10 July 1956 (Iab B).

Also attached is a copy of the Soviet protest note

of 10 July 1956 concerning Mission 2013 on

# July 1956

which was the first penetration of the Soviet borders

(Tab C).

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