Changes

In the first two decades of the [[Cold War]], there were a number of shootdowns of American and NATO surveillance aircraft by Soviet interceptors.  (see also:  [[MiG-15]])  Two of the most famous happened within two months of each other, and both involved MiG-19s.  On May 1, 1960, a [[U-2]] piloted by [[Francis Gary Powers]] was detected deep inside Soviet territory, and MiG-19s were sent to intercept.  The U-2 was brought down by an SA-2 surface-to-air missile, but a MiG-19 was shot down by a missile as well, the pilot being killed.

In the first two decades of the [[Cold War]], there were a number of shootdowns of American and NATO surveillance aircraft by Soviet interceptors.  (see also:  [[MiG-15]])  Two of the most famous happened within two months of each other, and both involved MiG-19s.  On May 1, 1960, a [[U-2]] piloted by [[Francis Gary Powers]] was detected deep inside Soviet territory, and MiG-19s were sent to intercept.  The U-2 was brought down by an SA-2 surface-to-air missile, but a MiG-19 was shot down by a missile as well, the pilot being killed.

On July 1 of the same year, an RB-47 with a six man crew was over the [[Barent’s Sea]] on an electronic intelligence mission when a MiG-19 came up.  It broke off at first, then returned and started firing.  The bomber returned fire, but it was too late.  Two of the bomber’s six engines were destroyed in the first pass, and the plane soon became uncontrollable.  Three of the crew managed to eject, but only the co-pilot and navigator survived.  They were picked up by a Soviet trawler, and spent the next seven months as “guests” of the [[KGB]] at the infamous Lubyanka prison.  As it usually did in such situations, the Soviet government claimed the bomber was in Russian airspace, although the location of the wreckage indicated that it was almost certainly over international waters when shot down.  The American airmen were finally returned on January 25, 1961, a few days after the inauguration of [[John F. Kennedy]].  The pilot that shot them down was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.<ref>''The Price of Vigilance: Attacks on American Surveillance Flights'', by Larry Tart and Robert Keefe, Ballantine Publishing, 2001</ref><ref>[http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1881 Fact Sheets:  RB-47 Shot Down]</ref>

On July 1 of the same year, an RB-47 with a six-man crew was over the [[Barent’s Sea]] on an electronic intelligence mission when a MiG-19 came up.  It broke off at first, then returned and started firing.  The bomber returned fire, but it was too late.  Two of the bomber’s six engines were destroyed in the first pass, and the plane soon became uncontrollable.  Three of the crew managed to eject, but only the co-pilot and navigator survived.  They were picked up by a Soviet trawler, and spent the next seven months as “guests” of the [[KGB]] at the infamous Lubyanka prison.  As it usually did in such situations, the Soviet government claimed the bomber was in Russian airspace, although the location of the wreckage indicated that it was almost certainly over international waters when shot down.  The American airmen were finally returned on January 25, 1961, a few days after the inauguration of [[John F. Kennedy]].  The pilot that shot them down was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.<ref>''The Price of Vigilance: Attacks on American Surveillance Flights'', by Larry Tart and Robert Keefe, Ballantine Publishing, 2001</ref><ref>[http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1881 Fact Sheets:  RB-47 Shot Down]</ref>

===The Middle East===

===The Middle East===