740.00119 Control (Germany)/4–648: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany ( Murphy ) to the Secretary of State
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799. Clay and I have had discussions with Robertson and Steel re shocking plane incident reported my 796, April 5.1 Steel showed me copy Robertson’s report to London following Robertson’s visit to Sokolovsky at Potsdam. From his report and our conversations, it appears that after delay of about 3½ hours necessary to trace down Sokolovsky, Robertson was politely received. Sokolovsky’s immediate line was that pilot of British plane was at fault and that he resented British radio reports of the incident which attributed malice to Soviet pilot. Sokolovsky indicated that incident was not intentional. Robertson took line that he had not come to discuss details of responsibility hut to propose proper inquiry which he felt should be on quadripartite basis under rules laid down by Air Safety Center Berlin. While Sokolovsky did not disagree, it was apparent he leaned toward a bipartite inquiry.
While not minimizing gravity of incident, Steel believed it might have salutary effect of discouraging further Soviet aggressive acts because he thought public reaction in England and US would be violent enough to shock even Russians. Both Robertson and he do not believe Soviet pilot was ordered to or did intentionally cause the collision and that no other incidents of buzzing of British transport planes by Soviet fighters have occurred since last January. Steel said there is no doubt that Sokolovsky is gravely disturbed and clearly on defensive.
[Page 891]While of course British do not regard Sokolovsky’s explanation as satisfactory, they have accepted Soviet assurances that British aircraft would not be molested in traveling Berlin corridor. Under circumstances, Robertson revoked previous order under which British planes would be accompanied by fighter escorts and General Clay took similar action.
According to Steel, Soviet pilot actually buzzed British plane about two miles away from Gatow Airfield but within so-called safety belt. British plane crashed within and near edge Soviet Zone near Gatow Airfield; Soviet plane and body of pilot crashed in British sector Berlin. Hours after the happening, Soviet authorities had not permitted removal of charred remains passengers which were under Soviet military guard. One British soldier was allowed to also stand guard.
British adopted similar tactics in surrounding wreckage of Soviet plane when Soviet military attempted remove body of pilot and some of plane wreckage.
According to information which British confirm, two American citizens were killed, together with British crew of five, and seven other British nationals, passengers. Soviet pilot of course was also killed. American citizens are Mrs. Frances Ruth Clough of OMGUS and T/3 Pasquale Pintus of 248 ordnance service platoon, Berlin Command, both of whom had been in London on visits. Clay is considering US protest to Sokolovsky as two American lives were lost in this incident.
Sent Department as 799; repeated London as 115; Moscow as 109; Paris 140.
- Not printed. On April 5 a British civil passenger aircraft approaching Gatow Airfield in the British sector of Berlin was struck in the air by a Soviet fighter aircraft. Both aircraft crashed. All the occupants of the British aircraft were killed.↩