Saratov: U-2 Mission 2020 photographs Bison bombers
On July 9, 1956, U-2 pilot Martin Knutson flew Mission 2020 over Engels-2 airfield near Saratov, Russia, capturing images of 20 M-4 Bison bombers. This intelligence initially suggested a large Soviet bomber fleet but later missions revealed it was the entire force, disproving the bomber gap.
Background
Overview
On July 9, 1956, Martin Knutson flew Mission 2020 in a Lockheed U-2, taking off from Wiesbaden. The flight went over Berlin, Riga, Kaunas, Vilnius, and Minsk to the Engels-2 airfield near Saratov, Russia. There, 20 M-4 Bison bombers were photographed on the apron.
Observation and Witnesses
Martin Knutson, an experienced CIA pilot with a background in the Korean War, flew the aircraft at altitudes above 21,000 metres. The mission was part of the early U-2 overflights of the Soviet Union and produced high-resolution images of Soviet military bases. There were no witnesses other than the pilot; the evidence rests on the photographs taken.
Significance
The images at first suggested that the Soviets were operating hundreds of bombers, if the number of bases was taken into account. Later flights showed, however, that this was the entire Bison fleet — there were no bombers at other locations. This refuted the feared bomber gap in official circles and reduced fears of Soviet superiority. The mission underlines the U-2's role in gathering critical intelligence during the Cold War.